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The Ideal Life - Blog Post 1

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When I imagine ‘Okinawa’, I’m picturing a scenic ocean view in front of me with the wind brushing across my face. My thoughts are occupied by the blue waters and nothing is bothering me. This is my impression of the life I can have in Okinawa.   Image from Visit Okinawa Japan In an excerpt on the Official Okinawa Travel Guide, it talks about the longetivity of the people living in the Ogimi Village in Okinawa. To no surprise, concepts such as healthy foods like tofu, vegetables, “mineral-rich” diets popped up. Their lifestyle is also coined as “without worry or hurry”, an important attribute to the relaxing and calm nature of their lives. As seen in the picture, official websites like to use images of the clear blue skies and oceans to create an image of a beautiful holiday spot. They also like to emphasise on the natural aspects of Okinawa such as its beaches and waters.  While this leads me to believe that it’s the physical aspects of Okinawa (the scenery, food, lack of a ‘...
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A Comforting Difference: Rafute Pork — Blog 3

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  When my Dad went on a business trip to Okinawa, he brought back a pack of vacuum-sealed Rafute Pork and some Sea Grapes. To explain it simply, Rafute Pork is a type of braised pork cooked in brown sugar and soy sauce, originating from Okinawa.  Image from Japan Taste Since I had some instant Japanese ramen at home, I decided to cook up a concoction of the Rafute Pork, Sea Grapes, and noodles (which is very unauthentic BTW) and it tasted amazing. However, the Rafute Pork tasted slightly different from the type of braised pork that I was used to. Since braised pork originated from China, my family is used to eating Chinese-style braised pork, which has a more savoury and herby taste. In Jonas’ article, they stated how “It is a well-rehearsed lament of the new migrant that they at tenant to find key dishes or ingredients like those from ‘home’.” I believe that, in Okinawa, they utilised native ingredients such as brown sugar to put their own twist into this dish. This was why t...
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What Glistens under the Sun: Ryukyu Glass — Blog 2

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  Ryukyu Glass (琉球グラス) is a traditional craft from Okinawa — originally made from the discarded bottles found in US military facilities as resources to make glass were scarce after World War II. Under the sun, it glistens and showcases its unique features — vibrant colours and tiny bubbles enclosed in the glass. It is a symbol that embeds the history of Okinawa and represents the creativity and craftsmanship of the Okinawa culture. I have chosen it because I am an artsy person, often purchasing and collecting a variety of art pieces like prints, mugs, plates etc. I love a touch of colour in life which is why the Ryukyu glass caught my eye. Since it is made from discarded glass pieces, every single Ryukyu glass piece has a unique pattern and shines in its own way. This representation of individuality and uniqueness really draws me in to learning about this symbol.  Usually I’m quite an impulsive buyer — if I like something, then I will just get it. I don’t question much. Howeve...
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About Me

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🌊 Hey! I’m Jolyn! If you can’t already tell from the photo, I’m a huge fan of food from different cuisines and love to immerse myself in a variety of cultures! This was me in Suwon in Korea, trying pesto pasta from a fusion cafe.  Coming from an international background, I travel often across Asia (Japan, Korea, China, Indonesia etc.) and enjoy learning about what are the differences in lifestyle and food. In Iyer’s (2000) article “Why We Travel”, he mentioned how the difference between a “tourist” and a “traveller” is in their assumptions. As the article is rather dated, our current society is highly globalised and digitalised — everyone can learn something new about a different culture or country and assumptions can be more easily debunked. I believe his argument may not stand as strongly, and needs more nuance to it. Perhaps both the tourist and traveller have ditched their assumptions, but is there something more to their mindset and appreciation that we have yet to discover? ...
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