Okinawa - Exploring Tour

Automats of the Impossible Possibilities

This time I had a really pleasant night. After waking up, I first try to fix the internet on my laptop. It will take some time, but without internet no work. That's the priority. Then I go out to explore the city, it's already 12 o'clock. On the street you can still see the remnants of the rain. While wandering around, I already see the second senior who looks like Mr. Miyagi, the grandpa from Karate Kid. No wonder, after all, Karate Kid is also set in Okinawa. I've never seen that on the mainland before, it must really be an Okinawa thing.

I stroll around and next to a vending machine I see a machine that I didn't know yet. So I approach it, because every unknown machine holds a surprise. Just like these two here.
In the right one I can buy frozen foods like fish. So far, so normal. On the left machine, there are also fish depicted. But I only see bakery products. Strange. I look at the compartments, I'm about to move on when I stop. My translator tells me something about fish. I was so focused on the translator that I didn't notice the glass ball with the swimming fish at all. Here you can get fish from the vending machine for 7 €...

Japanese in their Shrine World ⛩

I continue walking through the streets and admire the buildings and architecture. For me it's the first time in my life that I'm on a South Sea island. It feels like a mix of Pearl Harbor from TV, Miami from the 70s, and Japan.

I finally arrive at one of my destinations, a small but beautiful shrine. It's relatively hidden, except for the Torii, which is unmistakable. As soon as I enter the grounds, something changes in me. Something familiar returns. A feeling of calm, subtle happiness, tranquility and connection. No matter how agitated or stressed you may be, these places are simply magical, I can't describe it any other way. Once again, the desire arises in me to have exactly that at home. I go through my old ritual, enjoying this simultaneous detachment from everything and going into connection.

After a relaxing while, I continue and first find a small park with a playground and then a food market. This food market is really big and open, even though it's a national holiday. Even on a national holiday, most stores are open on Saturdays. I wander through the bento section and get a large and a small bento box as well as a German cake and a rice drink. I go to the park to eat. These boxes, I'm impressed every time. With around 6 € quite cheap, but you get a complete fresh meal to go. I can't remember having something similar in our country. Especially not of this quality.
I didn't know what to expect from the German cake, but I got a light chocolate cake with a coconut filling like a Bounty. So that's what Japanese food manufacturers think of Germany?

Dopamine, Darling 🤑

I continue, strolling through the mall. This time I also go to the second floor and end up in a game arcade with machines. Kids go in and out here, even though there are slot machines called Pachinko. Strange. As soon as the slot machines called Pachinko come into play, it becomes a hidden world behind curtains. Apparently, different rules apply here.
I could have a blast here. The drums alone attract me magically. The Pokémon Smasher, on the other hand, leaves me disturbed.
A screen on which basically a Pokémon Go! is running in large format. As input, you have two buttons in front of you. How do you play it? You hit the buttons alternately right and left, as fast as possible. Totally meaningless. If I mentally distance myself from it, chimpanzees start doing more valuable things with their time. It reminds me of the experiment with mice that press their button for free dopamine until they starve to death.

I leave the dopamine hell and come to a store that caught my attention yesterday. It has a bunch of B-Side Label items. I didn't know it before, but I will leave 50 € for souvenirs at the cash register. Yeeay, dopamine! 😂

Evening Tour 🌃

I quickly go to my accommodation and then head to the beach. The beach is okay, but the highway bridge right in front of it steals its flair. After the beach, the usual game. I look at Google Maps and search for a lively area. Here we go.

On the way to the lively area, I pass a FamilyMart and think to myself: 'Oh yeah, chips and something to drink, that would be nice right now.' So I get a grapefruit-orange mixed drink with alcohol. There it is again: at the cash register, I have to confirm with a button press that I am over 20. There is not even an option to cancel, only this one button. When I leave the store, I wonder if it's even allowed to drink in public here. As if ordered by the universe, three 20-year-olds come towards me, all with a can of beer in their hand. So that question is also answered. 🍻

While exploring the area, I can't get around a hot drink. It's a pity; in about 50% of the cases, the people are not only nice and happy, but very nice and respectful. I would like to see that in Germany too, instead of the 'Please, end my suffering!' attitude on many faces.

Later, I'm back in my room. Just for fun, I ask my chat AI to give me a haiku about Okinawa's people:

'Gentle sea breeze, smiling faces, full of life: Okinawa's people'

Yup, I can confirm that.

In the distance I can hear a thunderstorm. It's been a while since I've heard one. With this, another good day comes to an end. Day number 35 out of 59. So 59% of the time is over. Accompanied by the beginning warm summer rain.