Yulvaag・Mr. David
The delicious things are
I understand my body.
At the organic market Tenbusu in Okinawa City,
Customers come from various regions and have various backgrounds.
"Why would you choose Tenbusu instead of your local supermarket?"
"I wonder what kind of person that always cheerful person is..."
Representative Mayeda wanted to know more about the customers, so he brought along the store manager, Mr. Kuniyoshi.
We decided to ask our regular customers to tell us their stories.
Our fourth guest is Yulvag David, a university lecturer in Okinawa.
A short trip through David's memory to trace the roots of food.
Going back in time 30 years ago, 60 years ago, we reached America, France, Okinawa and other countries.
It is a very simple and delicious way to eat it that has been cherished since ancient times.
[Maeida]
First of all, David, where are you from?
[David]
Virginia, USA. It's near Washington D.C.
【interviewer】
When did you come to Okinawa?
[David]
1988. So, I have lived here for about 32 years.
[Kuniyoshi]
Eh, that much!?
【interviewer】
Are you going to Okinawa for work?
[David]
It's a long story, but...
[Maeida]
Please do.
Current position, university lecturer. Specialized subject is the Constitution of Japan
[David]
During my third year of university, I studied abroad at a language school in France. At university, I studied about America, Europe, and South America, but I learned very little about Asia. There were people from various countries, but how many Japanese people were there? There weren't that many. The stock market crashed just as I was graduating from university.
That's why there weren't many job opportunities, but there were graduation seminars. They said they were looking for someone to work in Japan. I don't understand Japanese and haven't studied much, but I just need to be interested. So apply.
[Maeida]
Ever since then?
[David]
forever. It was already hot at first...
【interviewer】
It was difficult until I got used to it.
[David]
Especially since I'm Scandinavian. I'm not used to the heat. There's nothing wrong with being cold though.
【interviewer】
What was your job immediately after coming to Okinawa?
[David]
Foreign instructors at junior high schools and high schools.
【interviewer】
Teach English?
[David]
Helping the English teacher. He's an assistant.
[Maeida]
I'm sure you experienced a lot of culture shock when you came to Okinawa, but is there anything you remember?
[David]
There are a lot of them.
What I found more interesting than shocking was Uchinaguchi.
If you catch a cold, you go to the hospital, right? I couldn't talk to the doctor by myself, so I brought a friend with me to help translate. When I looked around at the hospital, I saw grandparents and grandparents taking young people with them. I thought they were taking good care of the elderly, but my friend told me that it was for an interpreter.
At that time, the elderly people couldn't speak standard Japanese, so they took young people with them. That surprised me.
[Kuniyoshi]
David, who is a foreigner, needed an interpreter in a different sense (lol).
【interviewer】
So, you are now a university lecturer, right?
[David]
yes. Okinawa Christian Gakuin University.
【interviewer】
What subjects do you teach?
[David]
The Japanese Constitution, English, current events, Japanese-English translation, and other English-related subjects.
[Maeida]
The Constitution of Japan! ?
[David]
Ryukyu University had a graduate school of law.
After coming to Okinawa, I entered the university and got a master's degree. When I studied abroad in France, I didn't want to study abroad as a language study abroad, but I really wanted to study abroad as a regular study abroad program. I've always had that dream. So after I finished working as a foreign instructor for four years, I returned to the United States and then came back to Okinawa. So, I went to graduate school from 1992 to 1998 to become a university lecturer. During that time, I got married and had a child.
[Kuniyoshi]
Is your wife from Okinawa?
[David]
Saga. While working as a part-time lecturer and writing papers to become a university professor, I worked part-time because I was barely getting paid. In the meantime, we will open a four-year university from Kiri Junior College (Okinawa Christian Junior College), so would you like to join us? I was told that it was okay.
In Okinawa, the network of English instructors is small, so I started teaching at various places such as Kiritan and Okinawa (Okinawa International University) through contacts from friends.
I'm not good at cooking, so I rely on Tenbusu.
[Maeida]
How did you come to Tenbusu?
[David]
I've heard the story before. But I didn't know where. Organic had a high image. But one day, I looked into it and found out that it was nearby, so I went there and saw an amazing selection of bento boxes. So I started going there.
[Maeida]
I've been coming here for about 3 or 4 years now. Sometimes I come three times a week (lol).
[David]
Your body will know when you eat good food.
[Maeida]
I would be happy if you could say that!
[David]
It's completely different now.
There are organic shops and restaurants, but I didn't have the impression that they were easy to go to. But if you go to Tenbusu, you can eat delicious food.
[Maeida]
Can I ask you to tell me what David likes and what your daughter likes?
[David]
My daughter likes chicken. A bento box with lots of vegetables. I also like brown rice.
We've always eaten vegetables, but I'm just not good at cooking. I can't make it well, so I rely on tenbusu (lol).
Also, the tofu...what was that?
[Kuniyoshi]
Um, tofu hamburger?
[David]
yes. I quite like that. My daughter is always looking for it and buys it when she finds it. My daughter also knows what is good for her body.
[Kuniyoshi]
A child's feelings are the purest.
[Maeida]
You also bought sweets, right?
[David]
Like Imokenpi..
[Kuniyoshi]
Things like bread.
[David]
Vegetable detox juices too.
[Maeida]
There are many things that are approved.
The sense of “deliciousness” cultivated from an early age
【interviewer】
Did David originally have a strong interest in food?
[David]
My mother wouldn't let me have coke or anything like that.
When I was in elementary school, I would bring my lunch box to school. My friend had chocolate sweets and I thought they looked delicious, but we had apples. At the time, I didn't know which food was good or not.
Also, I was studying abroad in France. French people tend to like to eat delicious food, so naturally I also ate healthy food. I always ate delicious food for a year, and when I returned to America, I realized that the taste was completely different.
When I came to Okinawa, I thought the food and miso soup at the cafeteria were really delicious.
[Kuniyoshi]
Did Okinawan cuisine suit your taste?
[David]
The person I worked with when I first came to Okinawa was about the same age as my father. He took me out to dinner after work. I also had a goat dish. There was almost no resistance.
I take it for granted, but I feel that food from the fields makes my stomach feel better. However, there are some restaurants that heat food made in factories and serve it to customers, so I think that's a good thing. You can make it delicious by adding sugar or salt or whatever.
【interviewer】
What changes does David's body experience when he eats delicious food?
[David]
I feel like I ate something good for my body. I guess you could say I was nourished. There are many foods that fill you up, but when you eat organic foods, you get more nutrition. Hmm, it's difficult to explain in English (lol).
When I was little, I used to eat what I picked from the fields. Because my father is a countryman. My father is almost 80 years old, and my father's older brother is almost 100 years old. We all ate a lot of natural foods when we were young. I think that's why I was able to live so long.
I'm a little worried because my son eats fast food (lol).
[Maeida]
I'll take an Uber ride for my son.
[All together]
(lol)
【interviewer】
This may be a slightly more difficult question.
Tenbusu is run under the theme of ``natural style'', but what do you think ``natural style'' is like?
[David]
The corn I received from a friend in Okinawa a long time ago was as fresh and delicious as I still remember. Hokkaido is famous for its corn, but since it's transported there, it tastes a little different.
After all, we only serve food that we have harvested locally. Self-sufficient? That's the most natural thing. I think that's all we can do now, like eat food grown in Okinawa in Okinawa.
This concludes the first part of the interview in which Representative Mayeda and Mr. Kuniyoshi ask regular customers about their stories.
Thank you to everyone who read!
