☁ This Morning’s Sky and Signs of the Season
This morning in Urasoe, Okinawa, the sky is cloudy, with a temperature of around 27.7°C and humidity at 92%, enveloped in the muggy heat typical of the Obon season. At this time of year in Okinawa, typhoons often approach and the weather can change suddenly, so our daily rhythm tends to be dictated by the sky. Today, I’ll document what a morning in Minatogawa looks like and the preparations for Obon as we care for my mother.
🍙 Morning in the Kitchen and Family Time
During Obon week, the kitchen gets a little hectic starting in the morning. Today, I had planned to wake my mother up while preparing the ingredients, but perhaps because I’d told her the day before, “Tomorrow will be busy, so make sure to wake up on time,” she got up on her own.
For breakfast, we had three small rice balls mixed with salted kelp. My mother, my father, and I ate them while offering them at my father’s Buddhist altar, feeling as though the three of us were gathered around the same table. Amid the daily routine of caregiving, these peaceful morning moments help calm my heart.
🍲 Preparing Old Obon Dishes and Getting Ready for Unkei
This morning, I finished parboiling the meat and am now preparing rafuti, simmered pork belly, burdock root, and simmered knotted kelp. These are preparations to welcome my father home for Unke (the “welcoming ceremony”) on the 25th.
Nakami-jiru is a dish that requires a bit of effort to prep, but coating the ingredients in flour and rinsing them off removes any gamey odor, resulting in a clean, clear flavor. Combining it with thick konjac and dried shiitake mushrooms creates a gentle, traditional Old Obon taste. If I finish the prep work today, the final touches tomorrow will be much easier.
🌀 An Approaching Typhoon and a Quiet Obon
This year, a typhoon is approaching the main island of Okinawa, and forecasts predict it will make a near-direct hit from the 25th to the 27th. Since it will be difficult to go out, I’ve already contacted my relatives to say, “Let’s all just give it a pass this time.” It looks like it will be a quiet Obon with few visitors, but spending time relaxing at home is also a precious moment.
💻 Caregiving, Getting Certified, and What’s Next
For the past two weeks or so, I haven’t had time to write blog posts, so I’ve been studying for the Nissho PC Certification’s document creation exam. I failed my first attempt due to nerves, but now that I’ve gotten a feel for the exam atmosphere, I’m confident I can do better next time.
The reality of job hunting while providing care is that employers won’t even consider you without a certification, so I decided to enroll in a computer class on my own. Once I pass this exam, I plan to tackle Excel as well and keep moving forward, one step at a time.
🌺 Practical Tips for Getting Through This Season
The Obon season brings high humidity, and atmospheric pressure tends to fluctuate due to typhoons. In coastal areas like Urasoe,
Finish shopping and meal prep early in the morning
Use air conditioning and dehumidifiers wisely to avoid getting sick
Stock up on food and water well in advance of a typhoon—these “strategies for not overdoing it” are crucial when balancing caregiving with daily life.
🌼 Summary
Even on muggy mornings when a typhoon seems to be approaching, the little moments spent with family and each step of preparing for the Obon festival help calm my mind. I hope to continue carefully documenting the mornings in Minatogawa as I balance caregiving with daily life.
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