JAWing On – Life on Okinawa

Friday November 25, 2005 [PC(14/365) LW(12/365)]

November 2005 Total:
C-cloudy (11/365) PC-partly cloudy (14/365)
D-drizzle (3/365) SR-scattered rain showers (5/365)
W-windy (8/365) LW-light winds (12/365)
H-humid (2/365) SH-slightly humid (8/365)

This Year�s (June 3, 2005 – June 2, 2006) Total:
S- sunny (28/365) C-cloudy (49/365) PC-partly cloudy (99/365)
D-drizzle (12/365) R-rainy (5/365) SR-scattered rain showers (21/365)
W-windy (55/365) LW-light winds (90/365) VW-very windy (5/365)
H-humid (68/365) SH-slightly humid (82/365)

Well another Turkey Day is over. Although many locals have picked-up on the Halloween fun, Okinawans don’t celebrate Turkey Day. It remains one of the few strictly American holidays. For weeks now the Christmas glitter has lined the windows and pathways of local stores, as retailers jump from one celebrated party time to the next. And eager celebrators quickly jump in and begin dressing their homes and businesses with the ever increasing array of decorations. When I was growing-up, our family tradition was to decorate the home the first weekend of December and leave the decorations up until the day after New Years, thereby providing for a month of holiday cheer. The locals however have two months of partying (otherwise known as cheers) in which they bid farewell to this year (in December) and welcome the new year (in January). In effect, one ends up with close to one-fourth of the year surrounded by Christmas decorations.