Earlier this year I joined an 'Okinawa Memory Quilt' group. We got together and brainstormed a bunch of things which are unique to Okinawa or remind us of Okinawa. The list was extensive. We narrowed it down and each of us picked one or two things from the list to turn into a quilt block. We each made 21 identical (or nearly so ;) blocks of our square(s) which we all got together and exchanged last night. I loved what we came up with.
Mariah Fletcher did the
Maneki Neko (lucky cat) means beckoning cat and they are seen outside of a good majority of stores, restaurants, and casinos. It is believed that if the left paw is lifted it will bring customers in. If the right paw is raised it brings wealth and good luck. The higher the paw is raise, the greater the luck.
The
Whale Shark (by Julie Ogiba) is found in the warm tropical waters around Okinawa. It is the largest fish alive and can be 41 feet long weighing up to 47,000 lbs.
I traded this square with Kyoto Jackson who was part of a different group.
Togyu or ushi-zumo bullfighting is common on Okinawa. It is very drastically different from Spanish or Portuguese style as it is between two bulls (not a human and a bull) and only until one of the bulls withdraws, not until blood.
Rachel Bradley did the
100 yen store (below) and the
YakiSoba, Rice and Calipis . The 100 yen stores are everywhere. Essentially, they are the dollar store. They always have a bright green 100 Yen sign. By far the best place to try foreign / new things as you aren't out a lot of yen if you don't like it. Yakisoba is a noodle based meal. It sometimes has meat or small veggies. One of Lalee's favorite meals.
Calla Jensen did the whale jumping, the 'turtle tomb', the hat and the Shisha Dog. Yes she was ambitious and she did an amazing job. Turtle tombs (above) real name is
Kame-no-ko. Many family tombs kind of look like a turtle, thus the nickname. The tombs dot the highways, country side and even are found sprinkled in odd nic and corners around town. They are completely off limits to everyone except family.
The
Shisa Lions or Dogs are the protectors. If there is anything that screams Okinawa it would be the Shisa dogs. They are found at most entrances of... well everything, and are believed to guard entrances from evil spirits. They are usually in a set with one dog having an open mouth (right side of door) meant to ward off evil spirits. The one on the left usually has a closed mouth to keep good spirits in.
During the springs it is common to see
whales as they are migrating.
Rachel Anderson did a
Sushi plate. Tamagoyaki is sushi made of a sweet egg mixture. Sashimi is sushi with raw fish on it. Pete's favorite sushi is a caterpillar roll. I'm good with anything as long as the meat is cooked and the kids are still working on liking sushi.
Rachel also made the curry plate.
Curry is a common favorite around the island. One of the kid's favorite meals.
Nicole Blackburn created our
Shuri Castle square. Shuri castle was the palace of the Ryuku Kingdom between the 14th century and 1945. During the battle of Okinawa it was completely destroyed. It has since been rebuilt and it is a great place to see Okinawa architecture and culture.
The
Sanshin (by Barb Eckhard) is the three string Okinawan guitar. It has a python skin covered body. It sounds similar to a banjo.
Kokeshi Dolls are traditional Okinawan toy with an enlarged head and a painted body (no arms or legs).
Boy square by Debi Adams.
Terri Ross used authentic Kimono material for her square. The
Kimono (AKA gofuku) is the traditional Japanese clothing. In the late 1800s Emperor signed an edict stating teachers, police and railroad men should wear Western clothing. Between 1920-1930 school uniforms shifted to western clothing and Robbers began targeting Kimono wearers. Today, Kimonos are worn for special occasions.
The Okinawa
Island with all the military bases. Hiroko Belnap did an amazing job with this.
Another great square by Calla Jensen. The
hanagasa hat is a large floral shaped hat which has come to serve as an Okinawan symbol. It is designed in the shape of an open Vermilion flower set above the blue ground decorated with silver wave patterns. The hanagasa is worn in the Yosutake, a traditional women's dance, and is supposed to epitomize radiant female emotions.
Geckos cover the island (Thanks Ginger Fletcher). I remember the first week we lived here, I freaked to find one inside the house. Lol. Now I don't mind seeing them inside as they eat bugs (which are also plentiful).
Marie-France Hansen did our Torii gate.
Torii gates are found at the entrance of a Shinto Shrine or other holy places. As there are many Shrines on Okinawa (in Japan in general) there are also many Toriis'.
The carp streamers, or
fish flags as my kids call them, are displayed in the weeks leading to Kodomo no hi. (Crafted by Julie Obliga). I actually wrote a whole post about this in April so if you wanna know more, check my archives. It makes a very festive site.
Barb Eckard also did the
Akomeogi or Japanese folding flag, which originated in the 6th century and were held by aristocrats when they were formally dressed. They were made by tying thin strips of hinoki (Japanese cypress) together with thread with the number of strips of wood representing a person's rank. Fans can symbolize friendship, respect and good wishes and are given on special occasions. Many Japanese believe the hand of the fan represents the beginning of life and the ribs are for the roads of life going out in all direction.
Tiffini and Aaron's
Taiko drum is the Japanese drum and has been used for military, religious and recreational purposes. In the past, players were holy men but over time others began to play as well. In 1970 the Japanese government allotted funds to preserve Japanese culture and as a result, many Taiko groups were formed. They are often played during Eisa dances.
One of my squares was the
Haarii aka Dragon Boat races are held at the beginning of May each year. They originated from China during the rule of the Ryukyu kingdom and was a time when Hare fisherman would host festivals to pray for big catch and safe fishing throughout the year. The wooden boats, sabani, are used for the races and are typically designed to look like a dragon.
My primary square was Cherry blossoms. They brighten up the island from late January through March. They are beautiful and there are many festivals during that time. Go to January archives for more info on this :)
Terumi Tucket's square has crabs and whales along with a beautiful sunset. All things which are common sights and part of our life here on Okinawa.
There are a couple of women who were not done with their squares yet. I will post a picture and the meanings when I get them. I am excited to be able to put this together. I'll be posting pictures of the final product when I get done. It was a lot of fun to make these and I'm sure the quilt will bring great memories in the future.
The kids all got decked out in bandannas and eye patches (which broke right away thanks to some not so super, super glue) and made "crew" flags. Of course, the boys vs. girls rule was in effect- cooties still exist apparently ;)
As a family we went to Naps, a BBQ place here on base where they brought Alex this HUGE piece of cake for his birthday. Mom and Dad gave Alex a remote control tank that shoots bbs.
It was a busy fun day. And Alex is now 8. Crazy!
