Colton's Post - Koyo Festival!

(Please know that Colton wrote this from the nurses' office while nursing a 102 degree fever. He is fine and has been to see the doctor - I only tell you in case you notice his blog is sometimes a bit difficult to decipher. I believe it was the fever talking...)


The Koyo-sai (school festival) is underway at last after a lot of hard work from every students in every class. It comforts me to see this kind of unity has formed in the youth of Okinawa. These frequently deserved but often ignored acts of kindness and the rising of one another's self-esteem are quite common here in the Koyo High School from what I have observed. This universal golden rule has been established in American culture but truly taken to heart here in Okinawa by the students whom i revere with such high regards for their constant effort a
to make their school a happy one. Thus, it is proven that the cup of life progressively overflows with happiness and compassion so we need not blame it for the lack of such necessities in our lives,m rather, we simply need to drink of it more often.

Although I was at first hesitant of embarking to a world I knew so little of at the time (even to the point of nervous vomiting), I am more than proud to announce that my stay here has so far been worth more than any amount of currency in any country on the globe. As a matter of fact, I hold the personal belief that all should travel here to Okinawa with not hesitation but the willingness to embrace a culture much different than their own. To view the world from another's perspective has moved me in a way that I feel a mixture of both enlightenment and a new level of respect and disappointment in the people around me for we all have the ability to show kindness when it, at times, may seem like the hardest emotion to show when suffocated by our anger and fears. These lessons I will take back with me to the United States and gratify all that my self-esteem once lacked and do only unto others as i would wish them to do unto myself.




I am Colton Hoffa from Iowa and am gratefully hosted by Miki and the Uehara family of Okinawa. For the festival of Koyo, our class has prepared the most spooktacular haunted maze of cardboard cut-outs, eerie posters, and walls of desks wrapped in black plastic similar to what garbage bags are made of in America. On the other side of the walls fellow classmates and I had made, I assist in the festivities by waiting for the opportune moment to shake the walls and frighten newcomers only in good fun.


I appreciate my host family very much and am very moved by their gestures of kindness from taking time to fully understand my broken Japanese to something as simple as discussing how I made use of another day that was given to me. It is in their most simple of gestures that I am the most thankful to have such loving hosts as in American... well, shall we just call it a change of pace for the better. I therefore vow to bring these experiences and lessons in compassion and good will to better the lives of those around me as I aim for the goal in the process, bettering my own.

Lucy is in a room that did fortune telling. They converted the classroom into a space with 6 different types of fortune tellers. The kids researched the different types of fortune telling and gave legitimate　(although probably not accurate) fortunes to everyone! Lucy will have a long life and a good marriage!

Just before the first performance of the Eisa group (traditional Okinawan dancing and drumming). Katharine is enjoying with her host and another classmate.

The PTA ran food booths throughout the day. One of the most popular was 'kakigori.' It is essentially a snow cone.

Ben and Katharine got free kakigori at the end of the festival. It was a very welcomed opportunity to cool down a bit after a really hot day.

Third year students all decorated for their drumming performance.

Katharine had her acting debut in a play loosely based on Alice in Wonderland.

Kids went around all day advertising for people to come see their homeroom's performance. This kid is a first year (like our sophomores) in class number 5.

Carrena's homeroom made a movie about keeping the beaches clean. Carrena can be spotted in several scenes... mostly mob running scenes.

This was the outside decorations on the windows of Carrena's homeroom.

Several students performed with their classes in plays. Here are a couple of the performances. First, Jeff, Ben and Trenton were in a play about the bases on Okinawa. It was a story where they debated closing the bases and expanding the bases. In the end, everyone makes a compromise and they end up dancing a celebratory dance. Yes, Jeff does dance! You can't miss this one!

Here is Sarah dancing to Thriller with her class!

Have I mentioned that I am really proud of these kids and the way they are jumping in and doing stuff? They are really pushing the limits of their comfort zones in a really great way!