Kimono and Sushi

It’s another day in paradise – and another hour on the bus to Castries. I’m going into the Capitol to join others to celebrate Japan Day; a day planned and executed by the JOVC (Japan Overseas Volunteer Cooperation) Volunteers. I will meet Lois, Scott and Elaine in front of the Catholic Church. As one Saint Lucian pointed out, the Catholic Church is always the largest building in every village, town and city. It’s a good landmark and always easy to find.

The bus driver stops about a block from our meeting destination and I make my way over to the church. I spot Lois and Scott standing across the street from the church under the big beautiful shade trees that line the center of town. Workers are trimming the trees with chain saws. We shout our hellos. Elaine shows up a few minutes later. We quickly move away from the beautiful shade trees and the annoying noise, making our way to City Hall on Peynier Street.

The flyer is carefully worded and includes the Kweyol phrase, “Kouman ou ye?” meaning What’s up? We enter the building and into the reception area where there are laminated posters displayed. They are short biographies of each JOVC Volunteer outlining what they are doing in Saint Lucia. Their jobs concentrate on mathematics teaching techniques, business practices, and physical therapy. The purpose of the day is to promote an understanding of Japan. The day included Japanese Martial Arts, dance, sushi, displays, tattoo, origami, kimono class, quizzes, and video material. There was something for every age. It wasn’t just a few poster displays, but an interactive day where people were free to see, touch, smell, and experience life in Japan within the confines of a little room in the West Indies.

As we walk into the main room, we spot Masa, a JOVC Volunteer, wearing what I think might be a Traditional Japanese hippari. He immediately wants each of us to try it on, and we do, making it our first perfect photo opportunity.

Allowing people to explore; they offered food, drink, fun, and learning during the breaks between the show of dance and martial arts. One of the JOVC’s demonstrated the art of serving Japanese Tea while others showed the children how to play with simple traditional toys . Many of the children, especially the girls, surrounded the table to learn how to fold paper, the Origami way . Everyone was interested in the sushi and green tea. Since I had eaten it the weekend before, I know how good it is and know the wait in line was well worth my time. I watch a video on the art of making sushi as I wait for one of the small treats. Along with a steady stream of Saint Lucian’s arriving to be a part of Japan Day, more Peace Corps Volunteers are coming through the door; Haley and Ashley, Nenna, Jason and Eric.

Lois is among the not-so-brave who is getting a Japanese Tattoo (drawn from an ink pen). As I watched her pose for the photo, I have another picture in my mind.

There are displays on the walls that are equally interesting. The drawings on the wall tell a story in panels, a traditional way to tell stories in Japan. Other displays simply give the guests an opportunity to understand small tidbits of everyday Japanese life.

I look over and see Haley and Scott being dressed in Kimono. I instantly know I had to be a part of that! This is a good experience. The Kimono is comfortable, but surprisingly restricting.

There is an art to walking in shoes like this! I’m not sure how authentic I look with my white hair, but it is fun.

The JOVCs demonstrated Karate, Judo, and Kendo. Kendo is the art of fencing. The protective gear is intriguing, the moves are dance-like and the sounds are chilling. I never saw this before. My mind, my eyes, and my ears are glued to my first experience with Kendo. As I video the sights and sounds of this amazing sport, Lois whispers, “I hope you are getting the sound”. (scroll down to the video section of the blog to see it - note if you are at work, turn the sound down).

The day ended with a Traditional Japanese Fishing Dance. We had seen them practice last weekend and so we are all looking forward to seeing their performance today. The dancers begin moving their hands like the waves of the ocean. They lure the fish with interesting moves and pull the nets full of fish onto the earth while chanting in Japanese verse. The dance is performed in anticipation of celebrating a successful fishing day. (scroll down to the video section of the blog to see it) Their performance ended and they invited the audience to learn the dance. It is now time to leave. The JOVC Volunteers stood at the front of the stage, took a bow, and waved while saying “bye bye”.

We leave on a high note, walk through Castries, and up to the Peace Corps Office to check for any mail that’s been delivered. It is getting late and we are hungry. We go to one restaurant and it’s closed. We decide to splurge on a meal at Coal Pot Restaurant, one of a handful of restaurants recommended as the best in Castries. This is not something typical for a Peace Corps Volunteer, and not something we will make a habit of doing. Candles and little white lights greet us as we make our way to the outdoor dining area. We are shown to a table near the water where the restaurant lights bounce off the water. A hot breadbasket with real butter is placed next to it. We look up and there she is: Margo, our Country Director. We laugh as we tell her we are there for a “typical” Peace Corps experience. It was a wonderful ending to a memorable day.

Coming up on Karensplanet . . . well, it could be a number of things. I could tell you about Arts and Folklore, or the work I do here, or I could talk about two traditional foods and post a couple of great recipes. What would you like to hear next?