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April 9, 2015 • mccsokinawa.com
okinawalivingweekly Lilies Spring to Life
Leaving the Nest
Clockwise from the top right: Yastremska/bigstock.com, Thomas Alan Smilie
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hile the cherry blossoms are blooming in mainland Japan, Okinawa gets another kind of brilliant bloom this time of year—lilies. Different species and colors of the springtime flower can be seen throughout the island, growing in neighborhoods and gardens. But the real showstopper of lily season is only a short ferry ride away. Each year, a million lilies spring to life and blanket the fields of Ie Island. The island celebrates by hosting a lily festival complete with food and entertainment. In Japan, flowers carry great symbolic significance. Known as hanakotoba (flower language), flowers and their meanings are interwoven into Japanese culture. The same flower can even have different meanings depending on the color. White lilies are known
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as shirayuri and symbolize purity, while orange lilies are known as sayuri and mean revenge or hatred. If you give someone a lily of the valley (suzuran), you are telling that person they are sweet. But if you send them a red spider lily (higanbana), it could mean you never want to see them again. Most of the lilies that grow in the fields of Ie Island are white shirayuri, but a variety of other types also grow on the island. You can even buy potted lilies to take home. This year, the festival runs from April 18 to May 6. MCCS Tours+ has two tours in April on the 25 and 26 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. to let you spend a full day enjoying the festival. For details or to book your tour today, call 646-3502.
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arents and teens alike experience a roller coaster of emotions in the months before and after high school graduation. For teens, the days are filled with memories to be cherished into their later years, and parents, whether it’s their first, second or third college-bound child, have their own set of questions and concerns that need addressing. To calm parents’ minds and help teens prepare for what lies ahead, the MCCS Education Center is hosting a Leaving the Nest series open to parents and college-bound teens. The sessions will cover different topics on each date. The April 7 class will focus on scholarships, April 14 on GI Bill benefits, April 21 for financial assistance and April 28 on finding the right college. All sessions will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Education Center on Camp Foster. For more information, call 645-7160.
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