When I first
met her at her family's restaurant in downtown Naha, she was exactly as
I imagined a Japanese girl to be. She was polite and shy, and at 7 p.m.
she was busy doing her homework.
She explained to me that her
day begins at 7 a.m., when she wakes, washes, and has her breakfast of
bread, fruit and juice. She watches a little TV before the 20-minute
walk to Venoyama Junior High School, where she spends a very long day.
As at schools everywhere in Japan, she has classes in Japanese
language, math, social studies, science, art, and gymnastics. During
reading time, she is reading Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." In
America, this is a story many high school students have trouble reading!
Like many Japanese children, Aya belongs to an after-school club. In
her case, she plays badminton three days a week for two hours each day.
It's often 7 p.m. before Aya gets home. She'll eat a small doughnut
while watching her favorite television show, a soap opera called "Majo
No Joken." "It's sort of an ongoing love story," she explains,
blushing. Now here's where the surprises begin. Before dinner, she
takes out her sanshin, a three-string, lute-like instrument with a
snakeskin base. Each day she practices, strumming the strings with a
bone and singing sweet, melodious Okinawan folk songs. Sometimes she'll
put on a concert for lucky guests at her parents' restaurant.
On busy nights, she puts her homework aside and serves Okinawan
specialties to restaurant guests. She'll serve dishes of chample
(vegetable stir-fry with bitter melon), tebichi (pig knuckles), and
goat sashimi (raw goat) to businessmen. She loves all these dishes and
often eats at the restaurant after the guests leave.
After dinner, Aya does homework until her 11 p.m. bedtime. In two weeks, she will have her first big exams.
"I hope to finish at the top of my class," she says confidently.
I wondered what Aya will do when she grows up.
"I want to teach Ryubu," she tells me.
"Ryubu?" I ask.
Yes, it's the traditional Okinawan folk dance. Come, I'll show you.
With that, she got me on my feet, and put on music. I followed her as
we waved our hands with the rhythm of the sea and took box steps across
the floor. As I watched her move with timeless grace, it occurred to me
that teaching Ryubu is the perfect career for her. It will make good
use of her modern intelligence, and will also call upon her strong
connection to her Okinawan roots.
Aya Uehara is a 12-year-old full of surprises.
Like many Japanese children, Aya belongs to an after-school club. In
her case, she plays badminton three days a week for two hours each day.
Yes, it's the traditional Okinawan folk dance. Come, I'll show you.