2019/03/25 A&B @ Okinawa

Are those dogs on the roofs of that house?

Those aren’t dogs. They are called shisa.

Shisa?

They're gods that keep out evil spirits.

I’m Ben. Today, Akito and I are in the south of Japan in Okinawa Prefecture. Okinawa is a group of tropical islands, and has a different culture from other parts of Japan.

A long time ago, Okinawa wasn’t part of Japan. It was the Ryukyu Kingdom. Putting shisa on the houses comes from that time.

Here you are. Two bowls of Okinawa soba.

This looks great. Itadakimasu.

Hey, wait. This is soba? Aren’t soba noodles a darker color? This looks like ramen.

This soba is made from wheat flour, so it looks different, but it tastes just as good.

Mmm. It's delicious. Is this soup made with dried bonito, or katsuo-bushi?

Yes. Okinawans eat the most katuo-bushi in Japan.

Really? I didn’t know that.

In okinawa, people have been catching bonito for hundreds of years. We use bonito dashi in many of our dishes. There is even a soup made from bonito dashi called kachu-yu.

I'd like to try that while I’m in Okinawa.

Ah, the Okinawa soba was so good.

So what should we do next?

I want to try drinking awamori in the evening.

You're already thinking about dinner? We just ate lunch.

I like to plan ahead. But I need to get hungry before dinner, so I’m going to take a karate class.

Karate?

Yeah. Karate started in Okinawa.

It did?

Karate is mix of Chinese kung-fu and the martial arts of Ryuku.

Oh, yes. Many people say so. Also it is said that when the samurai of the Satsuma Domain came here in 1609, they didn’t allow the people here to have weapons. So the people worked hard on their karate skills to protect themselves.

Uh, Ben, are you going to have a fight with someone soon?

Oh, Akito, you don't understand. Karate moves are used to protect yourself, not to attack someone.

What do you mean?

It's all about defence. In Okinawan karate, you push away the attacker. You only attack if you really have to.

That’s right. Not attacking is the most important thing in karate.

You just practice kata, or movement, until it's perfect. It's like street performing.

Ah, you're right.

You should come with me, Akito.

Actually, I want to go see a Ryukyu dance performance. I think I can learn from it.

Oh, okay. So we’ll meet again in the evening?

Sure.

Hey, Akito.

What is it?

You’ve stopped saying you want to go and perform in big cities.

Huh? Oh. You never listen to me anyway. Now I enjoy visiting new places. The people are great, and there's so much to see.

Akito, I’m really glad to hear that.

2019/03/22 I am a cat Episode three

There is a small tea field in the back of my house. On a warm, peaceful spring day around 2 p.m., I went for a walk there. Suddenly, I saw a big fat black cat. He was sleeping on top of flowers and crushing them. He was really big and looked like the king of cats. I looked at him with amazement and curiosity. Then, he opened his round eyes.

Who are you?

I…I am a cat. And I don't have a name yet.

Where do you live?

I live here at the teacher’s house. Who are you, by the way?

Me? I’m the riskshaw-driver’s cat, Black.

Black was famous as a dangerous cat. He was strong, but he wasn’t educated, so we kept our distance from him. I decided to see how smart he really was.

Which do you think is better, a teacher or a rickshaw driver?

The rickshaw driver. He's much stronger. Your teacher is just skin and bones. You should follow me instead of walking around in this tea field. You'll be bigger and fatter in less than a month.

I may ask you later. But a teacher lives in a bigger house than a rickshaw driver.

Stupid cat. A big house isn't going to fill your stomach. How many mice have you caught?

To tell you the truth, zero. But you, you must have caught many.

Not too many, just around 30 or 40. you know, I will fight 100 or 200 mice, but a weasel is another story. They are terrible.

I see.

During the big cleaning at the end of year, my owner went under the house, and a big weasel came running out. I thought a weasel was like a mouse, just bigger. So I chased it into a corner.

Good for you.

But you see, smelly air came out of his butt. It was terrible. So whenever I see a weasel now, it makes me sick.

Oh. But you can probably scare a mouse just by looking at it. Your fur is shiny. And you are so big. It must be from eating all the mice you catch.

That’s the sad part. There is no creature as selfish and bad as a human. No matter how many mice I catch, my owner takes them away from me. and then, he takes them to the police station. They pay a small amount of money to anyone who brings them mice, you know. My owner has gotten money thanks to me. But he has never given me a good meal. Humans are thieves.

Although Black wasn’t smart, he understood the unfairness of the situation. The hair on his back was standing as he talked. He was very angry. I decided I would never catch any mouse.

2019/03/21 Qatar

I am the State of Qatar. Many of you in Japan may know me because of a soccor game at Doha that took place in 1993. Doha is my capital city, and about half of the population live around there.

I am almost an island. The water of the Persian Gulf are all around me except in the south. Saudi Arabia is my neighbor there. I’m about the size of Akita Prefecture, but much, much hotter.

My population is about 2.6 million, and most people are Muslims. So I hope you will respect their religion and rules when you visit me. For example, you should try not to take pictures of people, especially women. And it's hot in my country, but you shouldn’t show much of your skin.

Since the 2006 Asian Games at Doha, many buildings have been built. Also, my country is getting ready to host the 2022 World Cup soccer matches, and I will be the first country to do so in the Arab world. We are building many interesting looking stadiums now.

I’m also famous for the many different shapes of my skyscrapers. When you see them, you might think they will fall down. But I don't have many earthquakes like your country. So we are able to make buildings with unique designs.

The new Doha buildings are wonderful, but if you want to see a more traditional side of me, you can visit a market called Souq Waqif. Oh, and you have to see my man-made island called Pearl-Qatar. It is about four square kilometers. You will find a five-star hotel, shopping malls, schools, and several marinas that can hold many boats.

My people used to look for pearls in the Pearl-Qatar area. That is why it has that name. The pearl industry was very important in my country for a long time. It started about five thousand years ago. But in the early twentieth century, the Japanese succeeded in farming pearls, and the price of pearls dropped. So many fishermen stopped looking for pearls. I understand. Sometimes you could only find a few good pearls in ten thousand oysters you opened. It was a difficult job. Then, my people found oil and natural gas. Now they are the most important products in my country.

When you come to Doha, you will see a very modern city. But outside the center, time passes quietly and peacefully in the desert. But sometimes there is some excitement in the desert. People have enjoyed camel races here for a long time. These days, robots ride the camels as jockeys. You have to come and see for yourself. I will be waiting for you.

2019/03/20 I would love to

Hana-chan, did I keep you waiting?

Haruki-san? No, not at all. I just got here. So, umm, what did you want to tell me?

Oh, actually, I’m not ready yet. Could you wait a little longer?

Uh, sure. But…

Great. I'll be right back.

Haruki-san was my high school boyfriend. About one month ago, we met for the first time in ten years. In high school, we were very young and didn’t know how to talk with each other. That’s why we stopped dating. Now, I’m surprised because Haruki-san has really grown up. Working has changed him. I know I've changed too. But know, when I talk with him, it feels like we are in high school again.

Haruki-san and I met again because there was a small party for our high school classmates. The party was so much fun, and many more parties followed. I was happy to go to these parties because I could see Haruki-san. Each time I saw him, my heart beat a little faster. At a party last week, Haruki-san said he wanted to talk to me. so we decided to meet by ourselves. So I’m meeting him today.

I wonder what he wants to tell me. Wait. I think I know this place. I saw it on TV once. A man propsed to his girlfrirend here. When the couple came here, the people walking by all started to dance. The man started to dance, too. And then, at the end, he took out a ring and said, Will you marry me? Oh, no. Is this Haruki-san’s plan?

Actually, I’m not ready yet.

Maybe it is his plan. So that means… He is going to propose to me here? Oh, what should I do? But wait. Isn't it too soon? We’re not dating. Or is he going to propose on our first date? Oh, I’m having trouble breathing. Calm down, Hanako, calm down. You're not in high school anymore. You're a grown woman. Ah, I feel bad because I know his secret surprise. I hope I'll be able to act surprised. Oh, and what should I say when he asks me to marry him? Well, of course I'll say, I would love to. I can't believe I’m going to marry my high school boyfriend. When should the wedding be? Should I invite our classmates? Oh, maybe they are already nearby waiting to start dancing.

Hana-chan. Sorry to keep you waiting.

No problem.

Well, I wanted to tell you that.

Tell me what?

I’m going to propose to my girlfriend right now, and I need your help. It's a surprise.

W-wow.

Uh-huh. The people aroud us are all here to help. They are going to start dancing. Isn't this great?

Okay?

Hana-chan? Do you think you could film us?

Uh. I would love to.

2019/03/19 Chikara-taro Part one

Once upon a time, there lived an old man and his wife. For some reason, neither of them had never taken a bath. They were very dirty.

One day, the old man said, We have grown old, and we have no children. All we have is the dirt on our skin.

That’s true. And we are lonely. So why don't we take all the dirt off and make a doll with it?

The two of them made a baby doll with the dirt. Suddenly, it became a human baby. They were so surprised. The couple named him Chikara-taro and brought him up with love.  The baby ate well and grew bigger and bigger. He became a strong young man.

One day, Chikara-taro said, Father, I want to travel. I want to see how strong I am. Then, Chikara-taro started traveling with a big iron stick in his hand.

After walking along for a while, he saw a man carrying something on his back. It was a wooden temple five meters wide, five meters long and five meters high. The man blocked the road with the temple on his back. So Chikara-taro pushed the man off the road.

The man became angry and said, You made a big mistake. I am the strongest man in this country. My name is Mido-taro.

Chikara-taro answered, Let's see who is stronger.

Mido-taro ran toward Chikara-taro. But Chikara-taro picked him up and threw him into a tall tree. Mido-taro cried, Hey, help me please. If you help me, I will be your servant. Mido-taro was high up in the tree. So Chikara-taro pulled the tree out of the ground to help Mido-taro get down. They started to travel together.

Soon, the two of them saw a man breaking big rocks with his hands. A big piece of rock came flying toward them. Chikara-taro blew a strong wind with his mouth and pushed the rock away. The rock flew back and hit the man on the head. The man became really angry. Who threw the rock at me? I am the strongest man in this country.

He ran toward the two of them. But Chikara-taro picked him up and threw him at a rock. Chikara-taro threw him so hard that the man’s head went into the rock. The man tried to pull his head out of the rock but he couldn’t. So Chikara-taro pulled him out of the rock and made him his servant. The man said his name was Ishiko-taro. The three of them started to travel together.

Soon, the three men came to a big town. But something was strange about the town. There were no people on the streets. All the doors and windows of the houses were closed.