JAWing On – Life on Okinawa

Kudos to the organizers of the upcoming New Year’s Eve concert are due. They played the hand perfectly. If we are an example of the typical business owner on Okinawa, then their move to have an all day Japanese (J-pop) youth concert on a street that usually is consumed with drunken men was a good manipulative move. Not only do the groups that they sponsor get exposure on Japanese TV, but they have responsible people imposing stricter than usual regulations in an effort to prevent any possible mishaps caused by this ill conceived event. All the while they come off as the good fun-loving guys, who will not be held responsible for any consequences of their decision.
There are questions that arise from the organizers choice to proceed with the event, despite some common-sense opposition. Are Japanese businessmen so innocent and naïve minded that they think combining pubescent teens and an area renown for activities that have been accepted businesses since the Vietnam era (such as “buy me drinky” and “banana show” girls) is a good idea? Why weren’t all of the members of the street association told the full story behind the concert? The only thing discussed (or more accurately, crammed down their throats by persons who do not own businesses on the street) at the monthly meetings was the Orange Range aspect of the event. Even this met with opposition from the experienced owners of Gate 2 Street night-time businesses. If this an example of how business is conducted on Okinawa, give an inch and they take a mile, then is it any wonder that some people are not willing to even give an inch? Why should night-time business owners be forced to take on the role of policing youths that are only in the area because of activities that are the concoction of J-pop promoters? Why are they holding the activity on the street to begin with? There are several Okinawa City (Koza) outdoor arenas that are better suited for this type of activity. Every year several Okinawan festivals are held at those facilities. Could it be because this is an area where many Okinawan/ American couples have been successful in running night-time businesses (businesses that conflict with the plans of the city and tourism officials to run a financially profitable, youth-oriented music school and J-pop concert hall)? Speaking of city-sponsored businesses, whatever happened to the mega Korinza Shopping Center and event hall on the neighboring B.C. (Chuo Park Avenue) Street? And since the manger/promoter of the main act of this New Year event is based on that street, why aren’t they holding the event there? This event poses too many underlying half-truths and questions to make anyone satisfied with conducting the activity on Gate 2 Street, anyone other than those who will directly (or indirectly) profit off of it that is!

I really appreciate people who take the time and effort to provide the computer language “challenged” with free programs. But when they fail to proved basic everyday-language intructions on how to install the programs, well it just turns into a time consuming waste of effort. Luckily, I have learned enough about setting-up files on the server to not screw-up my entire site too much! Unfortunately many of the support forums for these type of programs, mods, and hacks lack the basic instructions as well.

Outdated search engines!!! Content is supposedly a key element, which means keeping the information current. Yet, it seems many search engines don’t keep up-to-date site listings in their data bases. Many of the new engines list pages that don’t even pertain to 2004, let alone the past month or week!

It is so annoying when a person can’t hold their liquor, explodes all over an entrance to or the bathroom of an establishment, and doesn’t inform anyone! How hard is it for someone to let the facility’s personnel know that there was an accident and a mess that needs to be cleaned? Nobody wants to see or smell that kind of slop when they are out to enjoy an evening of music.

What is it with men who have to grab and tug on women who say they don’t want to dance! If a woman says “no” the chances are she doesn’t want to dance, and dragging her out to the floor isn’t going to make her night very enjoyable. These men need to learn to relax and leave the poor women who say they don’t want to dance alone!

At the end of last night, one of our regulars told me that there had been a “Best of…” vote earlier this year in the Stars and Stripes and that Bar JET was voted #1 in the live music category for Okinawa. We want to thank all of you who voted for us. We’re sorry that we didn’t thank you earlier, but we didn’t even know about the voting. I just wish I could find the article on the net, so I can show it to the band! I’m sure they would get a kick out of actually seeing in print that you think so highly of them. Again, thank you for acknowledging the effort they put into the music.

On Okinawa the word is that we are in for a particularly nasty flu season. If the first wave of colds is any indication, the word is right. For all of us at the bar, this was the second weekend of dealing with the pesky cold bug. It has been taking its toll on all of us. Over the weekend the regulars could tell each one of us was fighting various versions of brain “farts” and hoarse voices. There were cracking vocals, missed drum rolls, and rambling guitar licks, and accidentally spilled drinks. But we all forged ahead because as the saying goes “the show must go on!” I just wish this particular little pest would go away now so we can get on with life as normal. I want to thank everyone for bearing with us through this.

Why is it when a trusted friend decides to take a dump it’s always at the most inconvenient time? This week my trusty “Speedy” just gave out on me. And, of course, it just happened to be the week Taki and I both came down with the nasty cold that going around the island. Speedy was my very dependable sports mini car. For seven years it served as the family means of getting out and about. I always get a little attached to my cars. It feels like every one of them have had their own character. I will truly miss Speedy.

People who are so caught-up in their own world that they don’t get it! For those of you who think it’s been fun to cause trouble at the club recently, again, get a clue. So you really think that I am so weak-minded that I am going to stand by and let you turn our club into a total disaster area? Do you really think telling me that the reason you won’t come back to the club is because I won’t let you do whatever you want is going to change my decision? I have been dealing with the underlying hatred, prejudice, and anger of the local nationals since 1973! The only thing you few morons are going to do is ruin it for everyone else. Which is a real shame, because we normally have very good customers who know how to have fun without getting into anyone else’s face! It has only been within the past year that this wave of aggression has been taking place. First with the destruction of both toilet bowl tanks last December. Then in late spring with the onslaught of a couple of groups of people trying to disrupt our business and totally disregard our basic rule of using simple common sense manners. Now, for the past three weekends, this unwelcome behavior has reared its ugly face again. If you don’t get a handle on your behavior, you will leave me no choice but to take whatever steps are necessary to get it under control!