JAWing On – Life on Okinawa

I doubt if many people would expect this to be knocking at thier door.

It’s officially Spring today. As if on cue, the morning started off with a light brisk shower (maybe to help get those flowers started). By late morning the sun is trying to break through with brilliant golden rays. This is the exact opposite of the Winter weather trend, when the sun shines brightly in the morning and becomes overcast by early afternoon. The sudden change in weather is a lucky turn of events for the locals, in Japan Spring equinox is an official holiday. With the weather being so nice, everyone gets the chance to soak it all up before thoughts of the rainy season creep into their minds.

I have mentioned some of the software programs that I find amazing and usefull in previous posts. Last night, thanks to Yahoo messenger’s webcams, I was able to connect with a sister I hadn’t physically seen in five years. And with St. Patty’s Day just ending, mainly thoughts of Spring and Easter eggs, bunnies, and baskets had been dancing around in my head. The last thing that was on my mind so early in the year was tropical storms (I thought I had a least another month or so before that topic would even be relevant in the Pacific.) But sure enough another unusual season seems to be at hand. Australia just got hit by a whopper. Looks like it’s time to get Google Earth dusted off and updated.

Every once in a while I get time to just surf for whatever. Today I found two sites that really have some very unusual gadgets that are designed for the everyday non-techie. If you like prerecorded messages, maybe you would get into a talking beer mug. Or perhaps you would prefer to “speak” to your blender in it’s own language. There’s even a stove that talks and plays music of your choice for your cooking pleasure. If you get a chance, spend a little time browsing these sites that are full of creative, interesting, and amusing thingamajigs.

Even though it was rainy most of yesterday, it doesn’t look like we’re going to get any rainbows today. It is absolutely gorgeous outside! A beautiful reminder that Spring is only a few days away.

Given the level of the talent of the current male vocalists on "Idol", where it almost hurts to see any of the contestants not make it to the next level, I don’t envy the judges or audience who are going to be faced with trying to determine what the next great invention or gadget will be. I am looking very forward to the time when "Inventor" finally makes it to the local satellite scene though. I can’t wait to see those creative minds hard at work in positive ways.

I read about this tournament and had to wonder how one goes about training for this new "sport". (Can this really be called a sport?) Anyway, this whole idea did give us a good laugh.

Well as if Winter had to make a final statement, the few bright,sunny, and warm days we had have disappeared. And the North Winds have begun once more, just to remind us that it’s not Spring yet.

Oprah had a very interesting topic on today. It concerned the interracial relationships of African American females and non-African American males. I guess there’s a new movie that approaches the still uncommon subject.

As a female who chose a mate outside of the stereotypical demographics, I offer these comments for others to contemplate:

1) I didn’t choose my mate as an act of disgruntled abandonment of my “race” or “culture”. I chose this man because of who he is. If prior to meeting my husband, I had met some other male with the same attributes as my husband and we hit it off (as my husband and I did), then I probably would have ended-up with that person. But that’s not what happened.

2) Maybe I got all the “dream” stuff and Rosa stuff wrong. As a person who grew-up in the ’60s, I took the dream to be one of accepting and respecting people for who they are, regardless of race, gender, or culture. To me that means, taking a close look at the character of an individual instead of the outward image of each person. I don’t remember it having anything to do with, “that’s unless it’s outside of a specified race or culture.”

3) Any one of us is a minority under given circumstances. I have been living the life, and tribulations, of a minority for most of the past thirty-three years. (I am a white, American woman, married to a Japanese national, and we reside in his home territory of Okinawa, Japan.) For the majority of that time I have had no association with the DOD, but have been a registered alien resident and lived within the local culture.

4)The only time couples who are in these atypical relationships seem to have abnormal marital difficulties is when other people outside of the relationship seem to think they have a right to interfere in a personal relationship that has nothing to do with them. In other words, except for difficulties caused by a few really looney zealots, that don’t have any say in a couple’s personal life, other people’s prejudices and hang-ups are theirs. Don’t let their personal baggage become yours.