Scribbler's Cafe: 03.2006

Reason #5793 why I love Japan

Tomorrow I'm going to Spa World. SPA WORLD!!!!

Japan is F***ing brilliant. Spa World is a modern take on the onsen - located in a high rise in the heart of Osaka. They're having a special deal. Only 1,000 yen (less than ten bucks) to wander about in naked indulgence for three hours. I'll be on the "Europe" floor lounging around in such rooms modeled after "Greece", "Rome" and "the Azzura Grotto". I will be certain to check out the "Atlantis" room which features an aquarium under the glass floor of the bath, so it looks like you're swimming with the fishes. And, if I get bored with lounging around with hoards of naked women (unlikely), I can slip on my bathing suit and head over to the pool floor.

This is beyond cool. Insane.

cHop Chop choP

New teachers moved into my apartment complex today. They have a three year old daughter that speaks both English and Japanese. Kiomye is ECSTATIC!

I finished Coin Locker Babies today. So engrossing. I was reading the last page just as the train I was waiting for arrived at my platform. I stepped onto the train without looking, skimming the last sentences as fast I could. I had to read the last tiny bit twice to catch it. My breathing was fast. I looked up and realized I was standing in the middle of the entry, the doors just barely able to close behind me. I blinked at the people who had pressed their way around, trying to remember why I was on a train again and where I was going.

The skirt I wore today was too short. It's an adorable denim skirt with a ripped hem and trendy bleach stains splashed across. I walked around in the store with it for half an hour trying to decide if 27 is too old to wear such a childish thing. I decided that I didn't care. It looked so damn cute with my tall brown boots. But, once I tried to sit on the crowded bench with only a small bag to cover my suddenly revealed lap, the truth hit me: this skirt is too damn short. Standing is fine. Walking is fine. Sitting and going up escalators is out out OUT.

I wandered through Shinsaibashi today, unable to locate the salon I was referred to with a tip that the stylists speak English. But I was in desperate need of a cut so I decided to screw up my courage and just pick a salon at random. The stylist didn't speak English, but I used my Tarzan Japanese and a lot of gestures and he got the basic idea. The cut looks nice. It's not exactly what I wanted, but it never is even when I speak the same language as the hairdresser anyway.

The style he gave me is distinctly Japanese. Heavy on the layers, short in the front and long in the back. Very "now" in the land of the rising sun. When I stepped out onto the streets and looked around I was overcome with the horrific feeling that I looked the same as everyone else. That ridiculous notion quickly left me when I caught the image of my pink face in a crowd of pearlescent beauties reflected back in store window. Oh yeah, that's right. I'll never blend here.

Good and bad, my friends. Good and bad.

Can I take this home with me?

Here's a shot of me dipping my feet in a sidewalk spring in Arima. Japan has gotten me in the habit of wearing terribly tall heels on a daily basis. The night before Arima, my feet cramped up and twisted into shapes that made them look like ugly cartoonish carictures of actual feet. This little onsen was burning hot and almost crisped off my pinky toes, but felt sooooo goooood. I felt like I was walking on warm squishy sponges for the rest of the day.

High Saturation Affection

Try to tell this girl's heart to be calm and patient.
Not going to happen.

I bought a gorgeous new dress today - suitable only for nice dinners and jazz clubs. It may be months and months before I get to wear it. Shopping therapy is such a reliable quick fix, but now I have to look at the damn thing hanging in my closet reminding me how my life has changed.

We've had a few beautiful warmish days in a row now. In my neighborhood, there are course green hedges covered with tight wads of white flowers. The frangrance is riotous. Heady. Fabulous.

Great big men make us all so happy

Even Kotooshu's cardboard cut-out could smash me flat as a pancake. Very impressive. So, yes, sumo was fabulous. My friend from Tokyo came down to see the action with me. He's the only person I know that doesn't look at me with a confused, quizical look when I say that I love sumo. In fact, I think he's the one that got me interested in it, a whole year ago. Watching on tv is enjoyable enough, but the gynmasium is full of shouting people, the smell of incense and the hollow echo that follows the clash of titans.

We drank cans of hot coffee and tea, snapped pictures that had no chance of turning out and had a great time. Kotooshu won in a re-match. Takamisari acted the clown and Asashoryu lived up to his reputation and cleanly won the last match . I wish the sumo tournament came to Osaka every month.

More fun followed. My friend and I were having so much fun, that he decided to stay a couple more days. We went to Arima Onsen the next day. I'd never been before and was surprised by how close and easy to get to it is. We went the scenic way - riding the cable car up Rokko Mountain and then sliding down the ropeway on the other side. The day was gorgeous, sunny and full of new spring warmth. We soaked our feet in the sidewalk hot spring and bought wafers with macha cream sandwhiched between.

The next day, we took Kiomye into Osaka to play in Umeda. We rode the Hep Five Ferris wheel and saw a movie at Toho. Kiomye played the UFO catcher games and was given prizes by the adorng game attendants even when she couldn't get the toys to drop in the hole.

Finally, I feel like I'm on vacation. Work and life stress has spilled over into my free time between terms. My mind has been spinning and concerned with overwhelming challenges, so I haven't had a chance to relax. These wonderful days snuck up on me. I gained a little peace. I am so thankful.

Salvation through sumo

I am going to the sumo tournament in Osaka today. I am CRAZY excited! I love sumo so much more than is logically explainable. I'm taking my camera. I'll post the pictures later.

My sleep was full of nightmares last night. That makes the third night in a row. This is very unusual for me. Last night, I dreamt that I was driving my mother's beloved truck and camper too fast. I swiped a car, which ended up being a policeman. I was pulled over and we got out to inspect the damage. There was a huge scrape along the side, white paint scratched back to show shiny shredded silver metal. One of the only times I've ever seen my cowgirl mother cry was when her truck got a small scratch on the side of the tailgate. I was horrified at the damage I'd caused and how there was no way I could cover it up. I began to shake.

But then, the policeman and I circled around to the other side of the truck. This side was ripped to shreds, even worse that the side I'd just scraped along the policeman's car. My mouth dropped open in shock.

The policeman stood back and said in a stern voice, "You've been reckless more than just this one time. Here is the proof."

Nightmares

Two nights ago, I dreamt that Hokusai's great wave swept over Japan. I could save only three people. I placed the people in a leaking life raft, tied a rope around my waist and started to fly into the sky. I was not strong enough to carry them, but I could pull them behind me in the boat. All three people were me.

Then last night, I dreamt of a future world where everyone was hooked "online". The line was rather like an assembly line and all the people were happy to follow thier daily paths and routines. I did not want to get "online", so I tried to get a job at some small company that promised to make people's dreams come true. But once in, I realized that the company was jus a front for the mob. I tried to get out, but they sent a child suicide bomber to murder me. Most of my dream was spent running down back streets and hidding in bushes.

Mommy Daughter Day

Kio and I had a picnic in the park today. We strolled through the plum blossom trees and nibbled onigiri on weather worn benches. The rain we were dreading never came.

Among the men

The school term ended. Whew! I felt like I was flinging myself towards the finish. Tonsilitis didn't help. At all.

Last night the junior and senior high teachers had dinner at a Chinese restauraunt in Kobe. I had a really great time. I have been here long enough that I have many friends among the teachers. The gathering events have transformed from the awkward, lengthy toture sessions that they were when I first came to truly enjoyable social events. I was able to speak and laugh with everyone at my table and it was simply assumed that I'd be in the after-party crew.

The after-party. There were two, actually. The first was led by my crazy boss. He took a large group of us down some winding underground alley to a bar called "Rawhide". Yep, Rawhide. Two other women from the senior high came along and both spoke excellent English. We lectured my boss about how to better respect his wife. He got flustered and lectured me about drinking bourbun while suffering from tonsilitis. We all made good points. My boss has taken to referring to himself as my Japanese father. This is mainly sweet, but also a bit annoying when he decides he needs to chaperone me.

The after-after-party took place in my neighborhood (near our school). All the teachers had parked their cars at the school and taken the train into Kobe. So, after catching the last train back to my neighborhood a much smaller group of us detoured over to the Irish pub. Two of the teachers I have only been out with once, at a karaoke party over a year ago. One was a math teacher and the other a Japanese language arts teacher. Both are very hesitant in speaking English. But last night, we started talking about my favorite Japanese authors and all got terribly involved in the conversation. They did their best with English, I slaughtered some Japanese and my science teacher friend translated the rough parts. I have become close with most of the young teachers, but this was my first opportunity to really connect with a couple of the older crowd. We were all at ease and the conversation was interesting and not stuck in shallow, easy language topics. Highly satisfying.

Spring Plum Blossoms

Pink. Pink. Pink.

The sakura aren't out just yet, but the plum blossoms are looking lovely. These pictures are from a park very near my house.

Local celebs

Kiomye and I took a taxi home from Nishi-Kita this morning. it was cold and rainy and I had grocery bags to carry. I didn't feel like walking up the hill. We take a taxi every couple of weeks or so, and many different taxis work the area. But today, we got into a random cab and the driver got all excited. He said Kiomye's name and the name of our neighborhood before I could give any directions. He took the fast, but complicated back way to our apartment. I didn't have to say migi or hidari (right or left) even once.

Very funny. I can't believe he remembered us.

Happenings

Graduation for the third years was this week. I got to wear that gorgeous silk dress I bought in Tokyo last year and sit on the stage and mouth the words to all the school songs I don't know. Afterwards, the mothers from the PTA (there's about a billion of them), treated all the teachers to a fancy lunch. The teachers were paired off and then placed at a round table to contend with ten or so moms. I was inevitably complimented on my ability to use chopsticks and my advanced mastery level ofthe Japanese language for being able to say "arigato".

Me not monkey. Me American.
(not quite the same thing. really.)

I have been strong-armed into quiting the English conversation class I teach at the co-op. I'm rather angry about it and don't feel like going into the details here. I love that class. At KG, I work in an almost all male environment. The students are all boys and so are 95% of the teachers. My co-op class provided me with my much needed weekly dose of female companionship. A room full of only women! Unthinkable!

The women I teach were all pleasingly distraught over my inability to continue teaching them. So, last night, three of them cooked me dinner at one of their places. It was great. Our kids ran around happy and screaming and we ignored them and ate excellent home-cooked food. We talked in broken English and even more broken Japanese for about four hours! My estrogen levels feel recharged. We're going to do it again in a couple weeks. Yea!

(So, what IS the difference between an American and a monkey? Well, from what I've observed, mokeys throw poo, Americans throw fits.)

Moleskin Scribbles

My mom sent me a little moleskin notebook for my birthday last month. The notebook is tiny and easy to slip into whatever bag I am hauling around on the trains. It's perfect for little doodles and scribbles like this.

(click to enlarge)

Three things that pleased me today

- The fat drops of gathered water that drip from the eave of the coffee shop, much heavier than the rain falling from the clouds.

- The "freshly peeled" look of pretty women who have just taken off their scarves and heavy jackets.

- The sensation of the firm grip my tall boots have on my calves when I zip them up.

Weekend in Kyoto

I ducked down the grittier alleys - away from the tourists areas. The colors in this alley caught my eye. Then I found the market at Toji temple. It was luck that I stumbled on market day. This little girl was carefully inspecting all the teacups.

Here is the pagoda at Toji. It's a world heritage site. (pretend to care) The other shot is of downtown Kyoto. The first time I saw Kyoto, I was shocked with how ugly and outdated it's downtown core is. Not modern or tradtional at all. Too seventies. Too grey. Too ugly.

Kyoto Station is a modern marvel, despite it's drab neighborhood. It reminds me of the Death Star from the Star Wars movie. I saw this doll at the temple market. It creeped me out. Why are old dolls so scary?