Except The "Oink Oink"

Last night, Alan and I found ourselves at dinner with an Okinawan woman named Akari (who speaks almost no English), and her sister, Hikari (who served as the translator).  Are you wondering how on earth that happened?  It's a long story, but basically the base allows certain professionals in the Okinawan community to serve as "co-commanders" with the squadrons.  It's a mutually beneficial relationship - we get the honor of learning a lot about the culture we are living in, and they get to be involved with the American bases here.  It's really a fantastic idea, all-around.  When Alan told me that we had a co-commander and had received this invitation, I was thrilled!  So we met her and followed her to the restaurant she had chosen - Yotsutake.  We were told it "serves traditional Okinawan cuisine and Ryukyuan dance during the meal" and that we should "dress comfortably because we would be sitting on the floor."  When we arrived, Hikari told us that Akari knew the owner of the restaurant and that she wanted to take us there because it would be a classic Okinawan experience.  The website (http://www.yotsutake.co.jp/kume/?lang=en) also explains that the site has historical significance for the Ryukyu Dynasty and is an old samurai residence.

We were led to a private tatami room with low tables, that opened up to a large rock garden and stage.  The first course was brought to us right away.  We had to ask what everything was.  The first three items: mimiga (pig ears), mozuku seaweed (like a seaweed soup in vinegar), and andansu (we were told it was pork, radish and kelp).  Here's what the pig ear looked like - and on the left you can see a little of the andansu:

I had a feeling we were going to be in for a long night! 

Next up: kibinago tempura.  Kibinago is an Okinawan fish.  It came with a mixture of hibiscus and salt, which you dip the fish in before you take a bite.  I guess it's supposed to make it taste better?  Actually, it did not taste bad.  Once I got over the fact that I was just supposed to bite the head off and eat the tail, too, it was pretty tasty. 

 The next course was tibichi - pig's feet!  This is when Hikari told me "we eat all parts of the pig.  Except, we say, the 'oink oink'."  And that's when Alan told her that we had a mutual love for pork and our squadron mascot was the hog.  Then we asked them if they knew anyone who owned a pig that we could borrow for a fundraiser.  They wanted to know if we were going to kill it.  I told them it would be quite the opposite...we would be kissing it.  They were confused and giggly.  Here's the pig foot stew:

Again, it didn't taste bad - it tasted like ham.  But there seemed to be very little meat.  The first bite Alan picked up contained a knuckle, I'm pretty sure.  He promptly spit that out.

Next, we received a kubuirichi.  This was a kelp salad that had - you guessed it! - bits of pork in it.  Here's a pic of the plates so far:

Still more came - rafute (which is stewed pork belly and was probably my favorite), I didn't take a picture, but it looked like this:

It was basically a bacon steak - a big chunk of bacon.  What's not to love?  Moving on...

Next came jushi (which is a mixture of rice, seaweed and vegetables), served with miso paste (YUM!), and inamuduchi (Okinawan miso soup).  Finally, we had dessert - a matchbox-size piece of brown sugar jello and one single piece of pineapple.  It was a long, interesting meal, but I'm so glad we were lucky enough to experience it with someone who could educate us.  We were told it was the typical meal of the king when Okinawa was still the Ryukyan Dynasty.

Along with the food, there was entertainment.  I apologize for the poor photo quality.  My pictures don't do the entertainment any justice.  It was fantastic.  There were several different forms of dance - eisa, which is traditionally done during obon, which is kind of like a celebration of the dead:

   

Karate is obviously a huge part of Okinawan culture.  So here is a karate dance:

Yotsutake is a dance of congratulations, where dancers wearing hanagasa hats click yotsutake castanets to express the beauty of the dynasty:

Tanchame is a fisher's dance.  Two dancers represent a young boy and girl, catching fish:

Finally, there is katashi.  During katashi, everyone is invited to the stage to dance.  It is also popular at wedding receptions.  It's not freestyle, though.  You are told specifically how to do it.  Men make a fist and women leave their hands open.  Here we are, doing our thing:

Just so you know, they told me I was a very good dancer.  No matter what the picture portrays.

Here we are with our new friends - Akari on the left and Hikari on the right:

I feel incredibly lucky to have had that experience with these women last night and I'm looking forward to more adventure.  It may have taken two and a half years, but I think we're finally going to experience this place the way it was meant to be!