Saturday, August 30, 2008

Okinawa Eisa Festival 2008

Eisa 庆祝是冲绳岛的传统打鼓活动。我们这一天来到当地最大的eisa matsuri来观光,感觉果然不错!见到非常多有趣的表演和人物!


两个来自新加坡的假日本人!我们穿的是日本人夏天穿的浴服。穿起来感觉还不错,就是走路好像geisha一样,不能迈开大步。这是我第一次穿传统服饰在大街走来走去,感觉是有点别扭。不过日本人就司空见惯,根本理都不理我们。我就跟Ian说,多数新加坡华人在传统节日根本就没有穿任何传统服饰(不会像马来人,印度人一样),因此文化认同,体验和传承没有日本人这么深。这也是为什么华人传统节日,很多人都没有什么感觉。
这是非常遗憾的。

最好笑的是,我们两个假日本人在拍照的时候,有老外以为我们是地道的日本人还拼命拍我们,我们也只能装傻,“大方”让他拍到爽。



穿上浴服的日本辣妹比比皆是,婀娜多姿,成为现场的漂亮风景

Left to right: Tomoko from Taiwan, Uncle Ian from Sg, Sung from Tw, Hong Zhe and Hong Tai from Sg




三个爱玩的假日本人

庆祝结束后,大家蜂拥进表演现场一起跳舞!热闹非常!




穿上浴服的日本妹妹蹲在地上打电话也可爱。。。imagine our ah lian do the same thing? phui!

snapshots with ryukyu university students

离开大学好一段日子了。踏入社会工作后,大学的回忆渐渐被尘封在记忆深处。

没有想到在冲绳会重新找到大学的感觉。因为认识了一群可爱来自台湾的琉球大学留学生。多谢他们的介绍,我可以体验这里留学生的生活。认识他们以后,我开始觉得我在冲绳岛似乎是半个留学生。感觉不错哟。。。

留学生的生活可是非常多姿多彩哟!我也从中认识一些日本学生,可以练习我的破日语哟。

大学宿舍的一个和式房间。留学生时常在这里举行party!

party

party

泰国留学生。好笑的是,我们两个人沟通是用日文。他的日文比我好几万倍!


最左边的帅哥是一个来自本岛的日本人。你绝对猜不出来他的大学专业研究。他是研究苦瓜种植的!

基地内打保龄球!因为台湾人的身份特殊,我搞了半天才能把他们弄进一个基地。

装可爱的我!和留学生兜风时候所照的。


左边那个“虎视眈眈”的大叔不是留学生。不要误会哟!哈哈!

visiting a small spring

This secluded place is in Nanjo, south of Okinawa. Many people go there to relax, wash their feet in the natural spring water. Can see the ocean from there too. Quiet and nice ... what I like about Okinawa is that there are many nice places hidden waiting to be discovered by people ...


you have to go down this steep slope to reach the spring


source of the spring water


Yuko's birthday karaoke!

birthday celebration of my good friend Yuko-san!!
In Japan, that usually means karaoke session !!
Happy birthday Yuko!!

Randall, Ian and Yuko

beauty and the beasts

Whacky trio! In case you people wonder, Randall is the new US editor in my unit. And dun "pray pray" with him ah, he is fluent in Chinese and Japanese. When I speak to him in Chinese, I never bother to slow down. So be awed by this "lao wai"!!
And he is really fun to talk to!

Saturday, August 9, 2008

okinawa viagra !!!

went to a pharmacy recently and saw some really powerful Okinawa viagra! sure can make you become superman again!

超级喜欢这个“不死鸟”!哈哈!





吃了会让你跳“凤凰天舞”!超级厉害!

summer matsuri !!!

When I was in Singapore, I never really understand why people in Japan love summer so much. They will have all kinds of summer celebrations (in nihon-go is called natsu matsuri), people will eat, drink beer, wear yukata, watch fireworks etc. To me, summer is just like Singapore. Hot, Hot, hot, so what's so fun about celebrating hot weather?


Well, in Japan, I finally appreciate the fun part. There is a whole cultural background about summer celebration in Japan. People essentially just let themselves loose. You can just act plain silly, wear nice nice yukata or just dive into sea for fun ... basically you have the licence to enjoy yourselves thoroughly. What is more fun is almost every small "machi/cho" (like our jurong or clementi GRC) celebrate natsu matsuri!! So the whole island is like pleasure island! If you miss this matsuri here, you can go to the next area next week. They really have fun seriously!

Can you imagine Jurong having their own matsuri and Bedok also has their own celebrations? really hard to imagine ... sounds "siao" (crazy) to me.


We always boast sg is the bridge between East and West. Sg is so modern, better than XXX country. But I think our Chinese celebrations (like CNY, Mid-autum etc) lack of something ... it is always too commercial, no characteristic, no flavor, too touristy to earn tourists' money. Although we Chinese have our traditional wear, but we really really seldom/ never wear them. Maybe I am biased, I dun feel that connected to the Chinese festivals in Singapore...


In Okinawa, the matsuri is simple and nice!


BBQ summer buffet in Naha hotel



Japanese ladies really look fantastic in yukata! I feel honored to know them!

1st time I actually operate the beer handle!

Inside a friend's pub. Nice! Can sing Chinese songs inside, haha


Mihama matsuri



好幸福哟!when is my turn?

黑人也穿浴衣!有趣!不过,无意中拍到他的女友吃相不佳的镜头,呵呵

最佳情侣装!
冲绳岛还真小,我日语老师说这两位是他的朋友。

鬼呀!

mum wearing nice yukata. kodomo also kawaii!


more yukata!!




sorry , I do not know how to turn this video upright. anyway, you can watch the nice fireworks!