As I get out of the car at the Ada Garden Hotel, lost in the forests of Yanbaru https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ada+Garden+Hotel+Okinawa/@26.751331,128.2963788,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m9!3m8!1s0x34e4401ed330e98f:0x2c018f8bcf9fe175!5m2!4m1!1i2!8m2!3d26.751331!4d128.2985728!16s%2Fg%2F1tgrzpgq I hear someone playing Irish tunes on the fiddle! Am I hallucinating? It is the day after St Patrick’s Day.

I speak to the gentleman who is gently playing away outside the hotel entrance. We have never met before but have many, many friends in common both in The Bay Area and Japanese Irish music diaspora. How strange is that? I wish I had brought the flute.

The reason for the trip is dinner fun with Ichiro san, Tomomi san, Martine and Albrecht. We eat and drink like Kings or Emperors, if you prefer, in Ichiro san’s amazing gallery/studio. A wonderful evening full of humor.

As bees flee hame wi’ lades o’ treasure, 

The minutes wing’d their way wi’ pleasure; 

Kings may be blest, but we were glorious, 

O’er a’ the ills o’ life victorious! 

The next day I drove slowly down the East coast of Okinawa, stopping frequently to look at things. Nice to take things slowly.

When I get back to Ginowan, I go to check on the boat. The marina is full of big shoals of small fish. I love my marina. The water is so clean.

Here is Peter playing with Fergal Scahill.