Solving the Mystery

Last winter after we moved from the Temporary Living Facility (TLF) to our temporary apartment in Yogi, I started developing some skin problems. It began with a staph infection on my leg after a pedicure  I went to the clinic that we are assigned to on one of the bases and they gave me an antibiotic and a skin cream. After I got that cleared up I began itching all over and my face started getting dry patches that looked like psoriasis or eczema. I then developed bumps on my arm that resembled poison ivy and they itched like crazy. It felt like I had little critters under my skin working their way up my arms. Some nights I just wanted to scratch my arms and legs until they were raw (and a few times I almost did).

I tried everything I could think of to clear it up. I took epsom salt baths. Added in clorox to my bath water to kill any surface germs. Switched body soaps, tried skin creams to keep my skin moist. I put watered down apple cider vinegar on the itchy places and tried wiping my arms and legs with clorox wipes. I tried various essential oils mixed in coconut oil. I tried cortisone creams and anti-fungal sprays. I was getting so very frustrated to be itching so strongly with no solution in sight. It wasn't constant. Some days it would feel normal but then when it flared I would get swollen eyes and dry patches on my eyes, forehead and around my mouth. These would turn scaly and if I pulled the skin off it would leave them feeling raw. My arms and legs were full of sores I'd scratched and re-scratched.

After several months of trying everything I could think of on my skin, I went back to the clinic. They weren't sure what I was dealing with but gave me treatments for scabies (even though I didn't have the contagiousness for that they said they'd try everything), antibiotic creams and stronger steroid antibiotics. They also put me on the list to see the dermatologist whenever he came back to our clinic. After two more appointments they found something that at least cleared up my initial sores on my chest, arms and face. Each time they asked me if I was allergic to any drugs I would tell them I had a reaction to a sulfa drug in my 30's.

In June, I finally got an appointment with the dermatologist and he did some sort of test on my back and it immediately raised up welts that amazed him. He said it was the strongest reaction he'd seen so far. He determined from that test that I'd been having an allergic reaction to something. He said the bumps I described as being like poison ivy were probably hives. So he prescribed medicines for allergies both air and food and then a face cream that he wanted me to put on my face at night like a night cream. The pharmacist told me it had sulfur in it but it wasn't the same as "sulfa" medicines that I'd been avoiding. I was skeptical but decided to try it. Immediately after using the face cream my face had a reaction. My eyes swelled and I got the dry patches again. I gave it several tries to be sure it was the cream and indeed it was so I discontinued using it.

My "Aha" moment came about 6 weeks later when I was driving home from a grocery run at the base. I was listening to the radio and they were talking about car inspections. One of the men in the discussion said, "you really need to get your tires checked regularly because they tend to get little cracks in them from all the salt and SULFUR in the air here.  I got a big smile on my face and spoke to my car saying "That's It!!!!!!  After I got home I did a google search on sulfur in the Okinawa air and sure enough, there is a pollution index that lists daily amounts of sulfur in the air. The area of our temporary apartment, Yogi, is one of the areas they collect their data from since it tends to be a higher sulfar area. It all made sense to me then. I'm allergic to sulfa drugs, then showed a reaction to a face cream with sulfur as its main ingredient so it makes sense to believe that all my skin ailments were caused by the sulfur in the air to which my skin is reacting. I've been taking claritin whenever I feel the itchiness returning and so far it's been working to keep the itching at a milder degree of itchiness.

I can't begin to tell you how happy I was to hear a reasonable solution as to why I was itching so much. I wasn't sure if I'd reacted to something in the ocean or if something was infesting under my skin but it'd been an 8 month mystery that I think I finally solved.

Ryukyu Mura

Kijimuna directing us to the village

In May I made a list of things I wanted to do during the summer months. One of the things on my list was to visit 10 points of interest in Okinawa. I wanted to give myself a goal so I would get out and visit some of the nearby places rather than doing the same ol' things at home.  In mid-August I woke up to a sunny day so I asked my friend Diana if she'd like to go to Ryukyu Mura with me.  There are signs on the main highway road that have statues of Kijimuna on to draw your attention to the park. According to Okinawan mythology, Kijimuna are young, child-like spirits with long red hair. that live in the Banyan trees. They are said to be very mischievous and like to play pranks and trick humans. I'm not quite sure why they've chosen to have these little creatures on their advertisements for the park. For many months I thought it was just a kid's park so I'd ignored the signs. After reading a few posts about the park on facebook I realized it didn't match what I thought it would be. I decided to take a second look and add it to my list of places to see. I'm glad I did. I guess the Kijimuna played a trick on me after all.

Ryukyu Mura (Mura= Village) is like taking a step back in time. It's a recreation of what a typical Okinawan village would look like during the Ryukyu Kingdom days. (before they became a part of Japan). There are various types of old style houses with tiled or thatched roofs and open fire cooking hearths. They are decorated in the manner in which they would have been during the Ryukyu days. Each house was moved to this village from various parts of the island to present an overall view of traditional life in Okinawa. The village has a shrine, old fishing boats called Sabani and an old sugar cane mill with a water buffalo to pull the wheel that squeezes juice from the sugar cane which is then boiled to make brown sugar.

One of two water buffaloes in the village

The Sugar Cane Mill

For a small fee you can participate in learning various Okinawan crafts like pottery, painting shisa dogs, jewelry making, fabric dying, corral lamps and even how to play a Sushin (three stringed instrument). You can have photos taken in kimonos and experience a tea ceremony. Throughout the day they have various programs at each of the houses and the theater. We went to watch the Eisa Taiko Drummers show and then watched a show about Habu snakes. I say watched because we couldn't understand what the man was saying. We gathered that the first snake he showed us looks like a habu and tries to strike at you when threatened but isn't poisonous. He was swinging that one over the audience which made me glad I was on the sidelines. The second snake was a true habu and after talking about it, he then grabbed it by its head. At the end of his show he allowed anyone who wanted to take pictures wear it around their necks. We watched all the young kids doing this and decided to be brave and try it ourselves. I can now say I've met a habu snake up close and personal. Ahhhh!! You can read more about habu snakes here and here.

The employees walked around in traditional Okinawa attire and were quite happy to stop for a picture with a peace sign. Even the trash lady was dressed in a cute outfit and hat. As you exit the village there are many restaurants serving various noodle and curry dishes as well as souvenir shops. I bought a bar of habu soap because it said it was good for healing the skin from signs of aging. (I was mostly intrigued as to whether it would help the skin problems I've had since wintertime--see next blog post) I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the village and think I'd like to go back and see more of the shows and maybe even try a few of the crafts. It's not too far from my home so I'm sure I'll visit it again before we leave the island.

This little emotionless Sanshin player made
me smile because other than when he was
singing he held this pose the entire time.

Cute little trash lady. 

Inside one of the homes

I want a tree house like this one.

Cooking stove with a modern fan thrown in

Sweet lady directing us to the Eisa show

This girl could whistle as good as the men. Rarer to
see a female Taiko drummer I think

After their show they posed for pictures

Had to have a picture reminding me of when I was there.

Old style transportation and a thatched roof house

One of the restaurants in the village

Costumes of some of the workers

Water mill and stone wall

Two people trying to learn to play the Sanshin

Entrance to the Village

Traditional Okinawan costume

Another worker happy to pose for a picture

Entrance to the Habu and Eisa Shows

Pottery Class

Koza Eisa Festival

Last weekend as I drove to the dentist, I saw signs that there would be a big weekend long Eisa Festival at the Koza Sports Center near the base.  I made plans and drove to the base last Sunday with my camera to watch. (Russ doesn't care for these sorts of things so I'm usually on my own when I want to go to a festival). I parked at the base and walked to the festival so I didn't have to figure out where to park at the Sports center. They had Eisa groups from all over the island performing their unique programs and dressed in their region's costume. I happened to arrive shortly before our local Kin Town group performed. This was followed by our other local Ishikawa group. (We live in Kin Town at the edge of Ishikawa). It was a great "people watching" sort of event. I thoroughly enjoyed myself walking around taking pictures of all the groups as they prepared to enter the field for their show. Many were happy to pose for me when they saw my camera. I was even interviewed by a Japanese news group which was a little awkward.  I figured I'd never see it publicized so I agreed to let him ask me a few questions. Many of the locals dressed up in kimonos and groups of friends and families had picnics on the lawn as they watched the Eisa dances.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the festival. You can see the rest of them on my facebook page.

One of our Kin Town drummers that came
to our neighborhood during Obon

Each group had pictures taken before their performances

Many teams had these dancers that wore wigs
with the hair in the air.

Loved catching them mid-jump. They were enjoying themselves.

This little man caught my eye as he was
practicing before they went on the field so
I took several of him during the program. I wonder how
long he's been doing this.

Most of the groups are younger groups but Ishikawa has an older
group that performs. 

Some, when they saw my camera would
strike a pose.

Future Eisa drummer posed for me. He was
too cute in his full Eisa costume.

I thought this little girl was adorable in
her kimono. Her Mom let me take a
picture of her.

Some of the girls dressed in kimonos, picnicking on the lawn

Each group had a whistler who would whistle a
high pitched shrill.

They performed in circles around the lawn so
everyone in the stadium had a view.

This guy did a full dance for me when he saw
the camera.

This little one was focused on the program
with his drum in hand.

He did a dance pose for me and then relaxed
and smiled for me too.

Another whistler.

Even though this one is blurred I loved it
because of his expression. It was dark by this time.

These dancers were having fun. Loved catching
their joy in their performance

He's waiting for his turn to perform.

Another focused future Eisa drummer

Each group had their own clown dancers

Even while carrying a heavy banner he
struck a pose for me.

One more of the girls having fun.

Watching the other teams perform while waiting for their turn.

Last group I watched before walking back to base. Taken in the dark so
a little blurry. Loved the action shot though.

There were food vendors outside the gate to the park

Some of the food choices.

Cotton Candy

Some of the spectators wearing their kimonos and obi's

Two Sanshin musicians

The Ishikawa Eisa Group