Night before last I introduced the hostel staff to the famous American drinking game. Luckily it never got as crazy as in college, as the last thing I needed to be in the hostel was sitting on the floor naked. The rules are pretty hard to explain in Japanese but once we got playing everyone learned how to play pretty quick. We had a great time even though I got 3 of the kings cups the first game. It turns out Awamori and Orion beer mix well. Afterwards we went and ate some yakuzori which is what you eat at 1am after drinking. Ameku took off after we ate but Harada, Mari, and I headed to the closest karaoke bar. Mari is really good at karaoke but I'm pretty terrible so I had to a song that involved more talking than singing. So of course I did "Sex Machine" by James Brown. We got back at about 3am and after spending some more time with Mari I crashed out.
Drinking till 3 am made going to Nakazato's house at 8am with Banks Sensei difficult but after I got digging I woke up at bit. We found some old stamp books with stamps from the 60's and Soke's bowling ball and trophies (who would have thought) and headed back to the house around noonish. I've really enjoyed by time talking to Banks Sensei even if we don't agree on everything. It's been a good time.
Went to RyujiRo Castle with Mari after which was pretty cool. It's been burned down four times and was heavily damaged during the battle for Okinawa. It's been restored since and was my first Japanese Castle. First castle I've been to where where upon entering you are given a bag to put your shoes in because you can't wear your shoes inside. Was bit tickled at when I asked one of the guys in a costume if I could take his picture in Japanese and he said yes. Was proud of myself. We got back, did a little drinking and talking and got to bed by 330 which again, made getting up and going to the house today with Banks Sensei hard. We didn't find anything but I grabbed a weapon which Harada later told me said "Shobudo Zen do".
Update:
Returned to house and came up empty, went to tradition village with Mari after. Saw a very cool traditional dance called Asa that involves drums, song, and this one had two people in a dragon costume dancing around. The dragon had a big wooden mouth that made a a huge clapping sound when it was open and shut. The dragon dancers went around and pretended to eat people and their things. The dance ended with the crowd walking around in a circle with the dancers waving their hands around. Mari and I were both a bit embarrassed and we escaped as quickly as possible. Afterwards we say a snake show. The handler first brought out a few snakes and at one point held it so that people could touch it, which both Mari and I didn't have any desire to do. Inside the room on the stage was a glass box that was divided in two with a mongoose on one side and a snake on the other and a piece of sliding glass dividing the two. I thought the handler was going to have them fight but at the end he put a small box in the mongoose's cage and it jumped right in after being commanded to do so. Later we drove to some cliffs and walked a trail that followed the edge of the path. It was raining so Mari threw a small tarp over her head that we had sat on the night before on the beach. She looked very cute with it covering her head like a cloak. We stopped by a grocery store and a movie rental place afterwards and when we got home she made dinner for everybody. The owner also had some raw liver that had been brought over as a gift from the lady who owned the restaurant we had been to a few nights back after we'd been drinking. It smelled very strong and Ameku said he could only eat two pieces of it and that Harada had tried it but couldn't eat one. I cut off a small piece and dipped it in soy sauce mixed with wasabi and it wasn't too bad so I finished the whole piece. Mari tried it as well. Not something I'd eat everyday but now I can say I tried it. Mari and I watched some movies and hit the sack. Another good day.
Today Banks Sensei and I returned to Nakazato's house for the last time and searched the small guest house where I found a number of weapons and books on massage and few spiritual topics. Found a metal box as well that I had hoped would contain the Shobudo books we have been looking for, but inside the box was just a Hakama and a few books that were so decayed that we could barely tell they weren't what we were looking for.
Going to check a few places out today, tomorrow is my last full day in Okinawa.
