Stillness

This week, it's a whole new feeling. The air in Higashi has stopped moving (not entirely, as I'm breathing as I write this) and while the dampness may have receded, the heaviness of the warmth of the season seems to really be getting underway. Mind you, this is not a complaint about the current weather in Okinawa, just an observation. I was cleaning the apartment today trying to think of a way to think of how things were feeling. "Still" was what came to mind (the ants, however, are anything but).

I suppose for many ALTs on the JET Programme, stillness is the last thing that comes to their mind. With July quickly approaching, many ALTs will be entering their final month on the Programme. I imagine some of them can't wait to leave, while others are not wanting to face the thought of either returning home or moving on to something else. Within those two extremes lie most of the people I'm sure and I can't help but wonder what kinds of things are going through their minds now. They made the decision to leave (or like me, to stay) over four months ago. But maybe it seemed like there was plenty of time left then.

I myself look at the fact that I only have 13 months left on JET as things stand. Sure, come next February I could decide to stay a fourth year, but I'm not going to get ahead of myself in either direction. There's plenty of time for that evaluation once the re-contracting papers come in November. I can sometimes hardly believe I've been here for almost two years already. Yet at the same time, I can't really see myself anywhere else in another year or so. This, as you can imagine, might seem to put me in a tough spot about what to do. But I've done a lot of discovery for myself this year and I realized that just being here now it what matters.

In that sense, no matter how rocky things may get, how shitty one day may seem, while the next could be quite amazing, there is a sense of stillness about it all. And I'm not talking about the humid stillness that envelopes me like a warm cloud. I'm talking about the pervasive feeling of tranquility that runs underneath the good, the bad, everything.

Dampness

There's a humidity in Okinawa that's covering everything with its damp embrace. Clothing doesn't dry as quickly, shower rooms don't air out as quickly, and books and magazines lying around the apartment seem to take the dampness in for themselves. I have even purposefully delayed doing laundry for the sole reason that the clothing won't dry properly or, in the worst case, will mold. That's what lots of rain with a lingering humidity will get you.

This past week, what sounded like a small waterfall coming from my roof was in fact a waterfall coming from my roof. The water had built up and started pouring over the front of my flat roofed apartment, crashing down on the sidewalk in front of the window to my office. I'm thankful that my current roof is stronger than that of an apartment I lived in many years ago during college. During one particularly bad storm, a large chunk of ceiling came down all over my desk and dresser. Okinawan concrete seems to live up to its sturdy reputation, as far as being tested by heavy rain goes.

The sporadic nature of the rainy season has also affected me in other ways. For one, I'm taking fewer rides on my motorcycle either because the rain is too much to bear, or because I don't like the thought of having to ride home in an unexpected rain storm. I am sticking with my resolution to never use my air conditioning unit in my apartment, however. While I used the a/c during the first few months here in 2007, since my first winter, the machine has been experiencing some serious neglect. Fine by me, and my wallet and the environment are better off for it. I think my body appreciates all the fresh air, too.

Despite the rain and the humid nature of the season, the evenings have been really cool recently. So cool that I find myself bundling up with a blanket or two in the middle of the night. That's not to say I can't feel the damp around me, it just takes on a different feeling when the sun goes down. As long as it stays cool when I'm trying to sleep, all will be well. So here's hoping for nice breezes and cool evenings for a few more months to come.

Rolling

Rolling. That's what this school year has been doing. Checking the calendar, it's a little hard to believe that it's been two and a half months since school started again. Even more bewildering to think that we've only got about a month of school left before the long summer break.

And of course, the approach of August means I've been in Okinawa for almost two years. When accepting my role on JET, I promised myself I'd stay two years, mainly because I'd heard stories that one year was too short. One-year ALTs had told me that just as they were getting the hang of living and working on JET, they had to leave. So here it comes, two years down.

I'll be sticking around for a third in my small village named Higashi. It's not bad, but it's also not a place I want to spend more than three years. While the experience has been great, there are a some disadvantages to living in a rural community where I don't quite get the whole picture of things, primarily because of my language inability. There are a couple of options I'm considering, all relating to what comes after my time here, but since none of them are more than ideas, I'll refrain from posting them just yet. There is one main question that underlies all my future decisions, though, and it is this: "Will I return to America?"

I can't say, you'll just have to wait and see. I have been thinking about doing a winter visit back to the States, though the logistics aren't going to please everybody. There's just no way I can see everyone in the limited amount of time within a reasonable cost. I'll do my best. Of course, there is one easy solution that saves me the trouble of having to pick who to see - you just have to make the trip over here for yourself.

Taiwan

Pardon the overdue post, but a couple weeks ago, I went to Taiwan. It was my second trip there, the first occurring back in late February, when I met up with a friend to celebrate our 29th birthdays (we share March 3rd as a day of uterine expulsion [classy, yeah?]). While that trip was only three days, this one - taking place during the Japanese holiday known as Golden Week - lasted a week. It was great!

By chance, a former JET, still friend, suggested I check out a home-stay called Small Swiss Home-stay on the west coast of Taiwan. He went there the year before and had a great experience. So I got in touch with the owner, a kind man named Charlies, and it turned out a fellow JET from Okinawa was planning on being there the same time I was. We worked it out and I ended up joining their 3 day/2 night tour.

Charlies started a home-stay on his family's property in the Ari-shan mountains of western Taiwan for people to experience the beauty of Taiwan. Like any country, while the cities might be the centers for commerce and progressive culture, the parts that lie away from the metropolises allow for some great experiences. It was here that Charlies shared with us his way of life, his passion for teaching people about the Chia-yi region of Taiwan, and his seemingly unending kindness. Whether it was the amazing food recommendations at local eateries, the delicious early morning breakfasts delivered to us, or relaxing while drinking fragrant tea on our last night there, Charlies was never without a smile and a lively attitude.

Workers at a tea farm in the Ari-shan Mountains

My ambitious 7-day trip had me leaving the west coast and getting to the other side of the island. Had I been a little more familiar with Taiwan before I went, I might have tried to catch a bus or a train across the island. Instead, I joined my group of new friends on a trip back to Taipei for a night. It was good to have some downtime on the trainride back and a night without worryin about getting anywhere.

The second part of my trip took me to a county called Hua-lien, on the east coast of Taiwan. By chance, I inquired about housing at a local hostel that some other Okinawa friends had stayed at just a night before, by coincidence. The owner, a 30-year old woman named Ya-chen, had started the hostel 5 years ago with some help from her family. She owns and operates the place by herself (I didn't see any staff, but it's likely they work during the day when most guests are out). One of the cool things about Ya-chen was how much she has learned from her guests. Not only English, but also surfing (Hua-lien is a surfers hangout, it seems). Her business got me thinking about how hostels - as far as I know - don't seem to be that big in the US. Perhaps there's a business opportunity there, as well as inter/intranational exchange.

Hua-lien is renowned for the Taroko Gorge, a natural wonder and national park area, especially considering the relatively small geographical size of Taiwan. The gorge has been carved slowly by a river, cutting through a predominantly limestone base. The composition of the rocks, and the erosion that takes place, turns the river water into a silvery-grey color. It was pretty amazing, especially coming from the turquoise seas of Okinawa. It was a great day trip, having rented a scooter and hiking through the various trails and caves scattered throughout the park.

One thing that's hard to express is the wonder of looking up a cliff face that reaches over 1200m. Even the pictures I took don't evoke the same feel of when I was standing there, the wind pushing through the gorge at high speeds, my head leaned back, taking it all in. I also can't tell you how much of a rush it was to have rocks falling from overhead (at the Tunnel of Nine Turns), landing only meters away. Even with the mandatory hardhats, the crack of a falling rock on paved road was enough to get my heart beating very quickly.

I spent my last two days in Taipei. I also made my first real step into the world of Couchsurfing, where people around the world host travelers and stay with hosts offering couches. It's a cool way to meet some interesting people (though you do get the occasional mooch/jackass). My first night's hosts were a very cool couple, the second night a college student who helped me with some Mandarin music selections. We even made it to the top of Taipei 101, the world's tallest building with the world's fastest elevator.

Taipei 101 from street level

I'm glad I went. Taiwan proved to me that it is a place worth checking out as the next place to live. Of course, studying Chinese would be a good idea. I've still got a year and a half left on my contract here (and the option to apply for another year in February), so I'm not going to decide on anything just yet. I'll see what happens.

Good Choices

Tuesday is a regular karate day, as is Friday. This Tuesday, I had a few more classes than normal and a headache decided to kick in sometime in the early afternoon. The mild tiredness and aching noggin got me to thinking about how it would be nice to just sit around at home and do nothing in particular.

I wrote my friend Cliff an email, something along the lines of "can't decide whether to take it easy or battle through it." He responded, "battle!"

And it's a good thing I did. Because Taira-sensei brought bo. It sounds a little strange in English, but all you have to do is imagine the ninja turtle Donatello.
Remember him? The one with the purple color scheme? Ok, the weapon that he used is a bo. According to sensei, the ones they use in competition (which doesn't apply to me, it's just a standard) are 1.8m long and 900g. Let me assure you, this is a very sturdy weapon.

We worked on basics, we worked up some nice bruises, and when practice was over, sensei told us to buy our own and bring them next time. I am very much looking forward to this type of practice.

He also assured us that once we get bo skills down, we can move on to another weapon: nunchaku.