Traveling

Good Wonderful Wednesday!

The day started fresh and sweet due to a thunderific storm last night! The air was charged with lightning and pure energy! Therefore, the morning is clean, fresh and cool, and I feel good.

When I last wrote, I was on my way to Okinawa, Japan! My adventure was just starting. I was nine years old and about to embark on a journey that would have me growing up quickly. My father was already on the island of Okinawa. He had set up house for us, so when we arrived, all we had to do was unpack.

I have not written since last Wednesday, so I need to get on the ball!

Okinawa (Ryukyu Islands)

I vaguely remember boarding the plane at Shepherd Air Force Base, and flying to Travis Air Force Base, California. We stayed in California for a couple of days, then boarded a plane to Hawaii. We had a short layover at Hickam Air Force Base, then we flew to Tokyo, and boarded another plane.

Finally, we arrived in Okinawa, and the heat smacked us in the face! Okinawa is a part of the Ryukyu Islands. The archipelago consists of more than 72 islands and is 2388 square kilometers in area, although the actual acreage is much smaller. The size compares to Rhode Island. Most important was the island of Okinawa which contains better than 75% of the Ryukyuan population in addition to a large U.S. military population. Okinawa is an island that is 67 miles long, and 2 to 16 miles in width. At some points you can see the China Sea to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east. The northern two-thirds of Okinawa are rugged and mountainous; the southern third of rolling hills is broken by terraces, cliffs and ravines. It is not very big or long, I could have walked the length of the island if I had been older. This was our first time out of the United States!

My father was there to pick us up at the airport, and the air was tingling with an adventure awaiting us! My father took us to our house that was in a village called Oki Sho Housing. Oki Sho Housing sat in the shadow of the famous Okinawan Christian School. The school sat on a hill high above the housing area. The students who attended that school also went to school on Saturday. We were shocked when we saw those kids going to school on Saturday! Boy were we lucky not to be Okinawans! That school intrigued me so much because it was so big and formidable.

We use to venture to a Japanese candy store that offered treats we had never seen, let alone tasted before. The store was located almost on the campus of the school. The woman who owned the store would be in a perpetual squat with her baby tied to her back. She was not very friendly, but then I found out that's just how she was.....rude. We would buy goodies like; dried squid, bubble gum made from octopus, rock candy, seemoy (salted dried prunes), rice crackers with seaweed, and Japanese cigarettes.

Upon our arrival to our new house, we discovered two traditional Japanese dolls, one for me and one for my sister, and two blue and read sweaters w/an attached scarf (my sister still has hers!). My brothers got these great Japanese remote control race cars. I don't remember if my mother received any gifts.  Our new life had started and it felt good.