A Weekend Away

I spent this past weekend on Zamami, perhaps one of my favorite short travel destinations in all of Okinawa, even Japan. I met up with my friend Dave on Friday night and we slept on a sailboat in Ginowan harbor. Saturday was the 32nd Zamami Yacht Race, and rather than spend money on a pension or a hotel, the boat served us really well. The cool breeze also kept things from getting stuffy inside.

So Saturday was my first sailboat race ever. I didn't do anything other than act as ballast (keeping the boat balanced), but it was sometimes hectic when the captain would call for a tack and we'd have to make our way to the other side of the boat while the sails were shifted from one side to the other. It doesn't sound tough, except that about half-a-dozen people were all trying to get from one side to the other, without getting cracked in the head by a swinging boom. It was a new challenge and I enjoyed it.

Saturday night was marked by a party for the yacht race, but mostly to encourage people for the event going on Sunday - the sabani boat race. These boats are completely crafted of wood in a style that I can only assume is old-fashioned. With relatively primitive sails and only six members on the boat at any one time, the team must combine wind power and rowing to complete the 25km trip from Zamami to Naha. Fast teams take 3 hours at best. Slow teams, perhaps much longer.

The start was at 8 am, so the teams are likely to finish around midday. Support boats will be tailing the sabani boats the entire way, and team members will rotate as they tire.

*picture to be inserted here*

Anyway, coming to Zamami reminds me of the difference in culture between it and my village, Higashi. As the captain of the sailboat was saying, while Zamami is strong in culture with all things boat, sea, and fishing related, Higashi is very much focused on farming. Different cultures. Unfortunately, farming culture doesn't lend itself to interesting festivals at sea, boat races from island to island, or celebrations of welcoming and farewell every time people move to or from the island village (Higashi is not an island, in case you weren't sure). I'll concede that the pineapples are delicious, but if you've ever eaten more than a quarter of one, you quickly find your tongue and cheek unable to handle much more.

What this means is that I am developing an idea of the kind of place I want to live next. Wherever it might be, it's going to have to be warm, near the ocean, and involve sea-faring activities as part of one's daily life, including things like fishing, snorkeling, diving, and boating. This "requirement" should make narrowing down the places I want to live a little easier. I've got a year left on my JET Programme tenure. I think it's time to start thinking about where I will go next.