The (New) School Year and Other News

Summer is officially almost over and the second term of school in Japan starts tomorrow.  I've been reminiscing lately about the three years I've lived in Okinawa prefecture, especially my first year.  I guess it's as the old saying goes.  In the end, you let go of the bad and remember only the things you loved.  That's nostalgia for you.

This morning, I shot a short dance/performance art film with three of my students (who are basically my age and technically not really "students") from my class at ひやみかち学校.  We got up around 5:45am to drive to みばる Beach on the Southern tip of Okinawa.  It was an interesting experience.  The area was beautiful, though I think maybe I would prefer to shoot something like this in Zamami or Tokashiki or Miyako as they have better beaches.  The shore was mostly coral and I was worried about the performers cutting themselves up during the performance.  I had gone there the week before to scout out the area, but forgot to check the sand.

The sand was really rough and full of dead coral and shells.

Anyways, we rehearsed a few evenings this past week.  It was a rushed rehearsal process and I really wish we could have spent more time working on it, just because I enjoyed what we were making.  I am going to try to edit together this piece and maybe post it online.  It's really just a sketch of something that I think will become much bigger that I've been working on in my brain.  I wanted to put it out beyond the page though, to make it real via the performance of bodies and then document it.  I'm trying to get it finished on time to submit it to a festival in Tokyo.  I feel like I'm finally back to a productive, creative place in my life.

Large formations around the southern coast

Mibaru Beach's landscape 

At rehearsal:
Some parts of the dance we created together

They were so alive, fierce and fearless. 

Tomorrow, I'll get up early to head off to the opening ceremony of the 2nd term, though it honestly feels like the beginning of a new school year.  I did work all summer, but summer time  much more relaxed - one can come and go without the pressure of being locked at the desk - though all I did was sit at my desk, study, plan some lessons, and work on my own stuff.

I've been meeting up with an actor here for private English lessons.  He moved to Okinawa from Fukushima, so we often discuss the issues that Fukushima is now facing.  He's somewhat of an activist and also does not trust the government since they haven't been so forthcoming regarding how dangerous it is to live in that region of Japan now.  It's been interesting to have higher level conversations with someone here, especially regarding this crucial topic that most people do not want to really talk about.

I feel like I need a tumblr or something where I can just write a bunch of personal musings like this post without the need to write something substantial on my blog.  Maybe I should also include a thousand selfies...can 30-somethings pull that off and get away with it still or is that just something 20 year olds can do?

It's late.... zzz zzz zzz おやすみなさい zzz zzz zzz