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80|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTNATUREOKINAWAITELLYOUIWASBORNONTHESEASHORE!IBATHEDINTHEWATERSOFTHESEA!ITGAVEMEFOODANDITGAVEMEPEACE,ANDITSFASCINATINGDISTANCESFEDMYDREAM...IHAVETOSMILEFORTHESALTOFTHESEAISINMYBLOOD,ANDTHEREMAYBETENTHOUSANDROADSOVERTHELAND,BUTTHEYSHALLNEVERCONFUSEME,FORMYHEART’SBLOODWILLEVERRETURNTOITSBEAUTIFULSOURCE.” LIKEJOHNFANTE’SMANICALTER-EGOARTUROBANDINI,WELOVETHESEA–ANDNOTASAMETAPHORFORCATHOLICISM.LITERALLYTHESEA:WELOVELOOKINGATIT,WELOVELISTENINGTOITANDWELOVEBEINGINIT.BEFORECOMINGTOOKINAWA,WECOULDN’TWAITTOCLAMBERINTOITSWATERYVASTNESSUNDERTHESEA–IMEAN,EVENACURSORYGLANCEATTHEBROCHURESSCREAMS:MALDIVESOFTHEFAREAST!WHICHISTRUE,SOLONGASYOUGOTOTHERIGHTBITS,SPECIFICALLYSOMEOFTHESMALLERISLANDS.UNFORTUNATELYWEDIDN’THAVETIMETODOANYOFTHAT,SOWEWEREBRACINGOURSELVESFORHAVINGTOLEAVEEMPTY-HANDED.UNTILWEFOUNDOUTABOUTTHECHURAUMIAQUARIUM.INCONVENIENTLYLOCATEDALMOSTTWOHOURSNORTHFROMNAHA,ITISTHELARGEST–ANDSURELYBEST–FACILITYINJAPAN.BYFARANDAWAY,IT’STHEMOSTSPECTACULARWE’VEEVERBEENTO,ANDSOFARASCOMPENSATIONGOES,ITWASEXTREMELYGENEROUS.WHY?WELLBECAUSETHISISMUCHMORETHANJUSTSNOTTYKIDSBANGINGONGLASS*SCREAMINGATTHEFISH–IT’SAWORLD-CLASSDISPLAYOFSOMEOFTHESEALIFETHATCANBEFOUNDINTHEWATERSAROUNDOKINAWA.IT’SGENUINELYEDUCATIONAL,TOO.FORME,THAT’STHEMOSTIMPORTANTTHING.YESTODDLERSCANBOTHERSTARFISHANDSEACUCUMBERSINSHALLOWPOOLSATTHEENTRANCE,BUTAFTERTHAT,THEFOCUSISDEFINITELYONLEARNINGANDUNDERSTANDING.*ACTUALLY,WITHANO-TOUCHING-THE-GLASSPOLICY,ANDTHE60CM-THICKENCASEMENT,IDON’TTHINKTHEOCCUPANTSHAVEMUCHTOWORRYABOUT.THEAQUARIUMISDIVIDEDINTOTHREESECTIONS,TAKINGGUESTSINTODEEPERANDDEEPERWATER.THEFIRSTMAJORTANK,THECORALREEF,HASSOMETYPICALLYSURLY-LOOKINGGROUPERS,TOOTHLESSNURSE
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