JAWing On – Life on Okinawa

When people find out that I have lived on Okinawa for just about forever, I often get asked if my household is American or Japanese style. I find the question a little perplexing since it is an indicator of someone who has probably never lived around a foreigner in America. When I was growing up it was very common to meet foreign spouses of service members that were friends of my parents. The one thing I found in common amongst the foreign wives was that their manner of maintaining household duties didn’t change much from the activities they would do in their native lands, such as cooking. The style of cooking was usually the same as what they grew up with. So when people ask if I cook Japanese or Okinawan style foods, I simply reply not really. The way I see it is that particular type of cooking is available at most of the local eateries, so if I’m looking to munch down on some tempura on any given night, I just go to a local eatery. But the types of eats that I grew up with are not so common over here, so that’s what I cook at home.