新しいディケイドに鳴ること (Ringing In The New Decade)
Last year we spent New Year's Eve on the beaches of Thailand, walking along the sand, lighting hot air balloon lanterns, and watching fireworks with a bunch of other (mostly European) tourists. This year we stayed in Okinawa and kicked it with out downstairs neighbors, Tetsuhisa and Erika, and a few of their friends. I'm glad we did, because while last year was a pretty magical and unforgettable way to ring in the new year, there ain't no party like an Okinawan New Year's celebration.
First order of business: drink a dude's dad under the table. Mission accomplished. The first stop on our whirlwind New Year's celebration was to Tetsuhisa's family home in Ozato, where we watched the beginnings of the annual New Year's Eve K-1 tournament and ate Okinawan soba with his mom and dad. Inbetween slurping on noodles we drank a some beer and sipped on the fine awamori from Kume-jima. It's a fact that in Okinawa, outdrinking someone is the quickest way to earn their respect. Also, telling them that their awamori is the best ever works as well. I did both so it's only a matter of time before I'm adopted into the family.
Afterwards we bounced over to the spot of one of Tetsuhisa and Erika's old high school friends, Tetsuji, to drink some more and kill time playing video games. I impressed the two possibly otaku dudes with my mad Medal of Honor: Airborne skills, but got my ass handed to me when it came time to play Biohazard (Resident Evil) 5. Man, I totally failed zombie apocalypse training 101.
Around 10 we piled into Erika's car and drove south to the Heiwakinen Peace Memorial Park in Itoman for the final countdown to New Year's Day. The scene was reminiscent of a second season episode of True Blood, with the huge crowd of torch bearing revelers looking like a MaryAnn worshipping cult. I half expected people to get buck naked and start doin it on the grass while some bullheaded woman vibrated and made sacrifices or something. SadlyThankfully that didn't happen and the countdown went off without any fatalities. We even ran into a couple of JETs while we were there and paid our respects to the giant buddha residing in the Peace Tower.
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But no Okinawan New Year's celebration is complete without the requisite visit to the shrine to pray for good luck, wealth, and health in the new year. We drove into Naha and visited a shrine buried deep within Onoyama Koen. I kind of thought it would be low-key, but heeeell no. The whole thing was set up just like every other festival I've been to in Okinawa, with stalls for buying food lining the path leading towards the shrine. Beyond those were stalls selling fortunes for 200 yen, and for whatever reason there was a cross-dressing radio personality doing...something. In the end, though, we finally made it to our destination, tossed in our lucky 5 yen coins, and said our prayes. Here's hoping they come true.