My Life in Okinawa

I have been writing about architecture, or rather, I am currently in the midst of an article about Okinawan architecture and its affects on cultural identity, or on personal identity or something....  Somehow I went from writing about a walk through Naha to some sort of academic analysis of something related to the typhoon-strength utilitarian shelters that are the mainstay of architectural dwellings in post WWII Okinawa.  All I really wanted to talk about was the flow of the city and how I usually want to dance through streets, but how I rarely want to do that in Naha.  I blame these buildings.  Because I really think I might want to do that if all of Okinawa had the traditional houses as they do on Taketomi.  Or maybe not...I don't know.

Another thing I need to stop doing is buying books.  I swear, I somehow wind up at Junkudo several times a month and instead of buying only one book, which I promise myself that I will do, I end up in the 英語 cheap bin section and proceed to purchase the entire shelf.  They have excellent books for 100-500 ¥.  The latest book I purchased was Julia Child's "My Life in France," which is an easy read that satisfies my current bourgeoisy European yearnings. I love the way she writes about food and travel, living overseas and experiencing joy through the senses. Not the edgiest, most daring of books...but whatever.  She really lived and didn't have to add extra shit in between the lines to sound like she had an exciting life in her memoirs.  I have like 10 books I'm currently reading now...the highlights are Alex Kerr's "Lost Japan," (highly recommend), "Bird by Bird" (a book about writing) and now this...

It's always the cooking related books that change my life though.  It was "Kitchen Confidential" that gave me that last push to upend my life and go to Japan (I was already pretty certain about it, but his chapter on Japan sealed the deal).  Who knows, maybe I'll end up in Europe again in the near future...

I have been feeling the tug of transition again.  I don't know if another year in Okinawa is going to satisfy....