My, what lovely bloomers you have

Yesterday I finally got to take care of some important business at school. First, I turned in my "I am not recontracting" form, which I don't think was too much of a shake-up for the office. And I brought up the anti-base race politely and said that I wasn't really told the details when I initially signed up and having thought about it, decided I was not comfortable participating. Simple as that. I am spending the rest of the week working my way through a behemoth of a book and having long discussions over caramel macchiatos. Wow. Next year I am going to have actual responsibilities. I better soak this up.


This weekend is the Motobu Cherry Blossom Festival in the northern part of the island. Cherry blossoms are a huge deal throughout Japan and a source of pride for the country. While Okinawa's blooms are appearing already (and for a very short time...hence the festival this weekend), the rest of Japan won't see their trees blossoming until the end of March/early April. A fellow teacher told me that the progress of the blooms on the mainland is tracked on the news. A bit was lost in the translation of how the blooms spread across the islands, but I think it has something to do with pollination. I am hoping to visit mainland Japan around that time and will be able to compare cherry blossom seasons. Okinawan cherry blossoms are quite pink, unlike the traditional white/light pink varieties. Anyways, I cannot wait to sit under some blooming trees, compose some haikus, drink some green tea, and contemplate life. Anyone care to join me? (We can exchange some red wine for green tea if that will persuade you...)