The lessons how to live a long life begin at a young age. That is why we will interview a kid every Tuesday to see how they live their lives. What do they eat, what do they do for exercise, and how are their customs different than our own? To give you an example of what's to come, please read the following Kid Profile from Zone 1: Okinawa.
Meet Aya, a 12 year old girl from Naha, Japan.
Aya Uehara is a 12-year-old full of surprises.
When I first met Aya 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.