Underwater reporting
Senior Autumn Schoolman goes snorkeling to report on coral reefs.
Before this trip, I had been a vegetarian for three years. As soon as one of my classmates ordered a bowl of soba, the aroma clouded my vegetarian mind, and my three-year streak was over, and I was completely OK with it.
I knew before the trip that I would eat meat. In my opinion, it’s hard to travel somewhere and appreciate the culture without embracing the cuisine. I think it’s important to understand and appreciate the culture that I’m traveling to, so I wanted to try everything and anything.
The soba was delicious. Before the trip, we watched a video about 10 things you should try while in Okinawa. Okinawan soba was in the video, along with shortbread cookies and a bitter melon dish. There was one dish that particularly stuck out to me: Seaweed-wrapped rice around egg, tuna, mayonnaise and Spam. Yes, Spam, that canned meat I have always overlooked in the grocery store.
It wasn’t until I was stranded in the middle of nowhere after an interview that I tried it for the first time. I was ravenous and a little lost, and I found a market that was selling it. I knew I had to try it, but I had no idea something so simple would sweep me off my foodie feet.
I know it’s such a simple thing to freak out about compared to everything else. Don’t get me wrong, I had equivalent reactions to a lot of other dishes, but this one surprised me. I’m excited to make everyone I know try it and to make it myself. It might take me a while to get it right though, because sometimes I even struggle with grilled cheese.
My trip to Okinawa taught me a lot of things. I didn’t expect to come home prepared to buy out the entire Spam selection at Kroger. But I will, and no one can stop me.