"I'M THE ONLY ONE AND I WASH ALONE"
enough of osaka's neon spirit, i want something more substancially spiritual. to kyoto we go to meet with yoko's friend naoko. a wonderfully disturbing visual artist who abandoned tokyo on a whim and embrace kyoto with much abandon. arriving well after dark, we converse a bit before heading off for sento. (sorry, no photos)
now truly, culture shock sets in. i've never felt so lost and out of place as at my first sento. naturally, the sexes are divided (aren't we always) in the bath-houses, and this is where my difficulties begin. being separated from my friends and only guide seems foolhardy but unavoidable.
left to my own devices, i try to recall all the advice admonished onto me before my abandonment. no running, cursing and other such standard protocols. must wash completely before entering the baths. now i'm standing naked in the changeroom searching for a place to wash before entering the bath area. there are a few sinks just infront of the door, but i'm waiting to follow by example. imagine trying to inconspicuously watch other naked japanese men to try to figure out what to do. awkward. no one's doing anything! just smoking and lounging about.
fuck it, i decide to try to wash at the sink. no hot water, is this a japanese thing? shivering, soapy and making a fool of myself, someone walks out of the bath area, and i catch a glimpse of showerheads at the back of the bath area (i know i keep using the same descriptor, but what do you call it?) completely embarrased, (baka gaijin) i walk in, rinse off the cold slimey soap, and try to shake it off like it ain't no thang.
o what relaxation there is to be had. steaming mineral water in various choices. being such a hedonist, i must try them all. ooh, too hot. this one's too cold. damn this is hot too, but it's got bubbles. what kind of soap is in this one? is that clorine i smell, oh well, everyone needs a good blee-atch once in a while, right MJ? there was one that had deep indigo blue water and had an old man sitting in it. i refrained thinking it was medication for arthritis and general oldness. one of my many endearing faults is that i'm an agist, and firmly believe that old people should not be understood, but rather locked up and studied to see what useful chemicals can be extracted from them (courtesy of simpson's ross perot pamphlet). turns out, it was simply herbs and some lavender to give it an unnatural blueish glow. and finally, there's one that's a shocker.
one of the health technologies the japanese experiment with is electricity. without warning, i dipped into a bath with electric current running through. my leg jerked straight as my muscles began to convulse, much to my horror. if you're ever in a sento, watch out for this one. damn near gave me a heart attack.
exhausted from this ordeal, i met up with the girls and sauntered back to naoko's place. some beautiful sleep tonight. nite nite.
enough of osaka's neon spirit, i want something more substancially spiritual. to kyoto we go to meet with yoko's friend naoko. a wonderfully disturbing visual artist who abandoned tokyo on a whim and embrace kyoto with much abandon. arriving well after dark, we converse a bit before heading off for sento. (sorry, no photos)
now truly, culture shock sets in. i've never felt so lost and out of place as at my first sento. naturally, the sexes are divided (aren't we always) in the bath-houses, and this is where my difficulties begin. being separated from my friends and only guide seems foolhardy but unavoidable.
left to my own devices, i try to recall all the advice admonished onto me before my abandonment. no running, cursing and other such standard protocols. must wash completely before entering the baths. now i'm standing naked in the changeroom searching for a place to wash before entering the bath area. there are a few sinks just infront of the door, but i'm waiting to follow by example. imagine trying to inconspicuously watch other naked japanese men to try to figure out what to do. awkward. no one's doing anything! just smoking and lounging about.
fuck it, i decide to try to wash at the sink. no hot water, is this a japanese thing? shivering, soapy and making a fool of myself, someone walks out of the bath area, and i catch a glimpse of showerheads at the back of the bath area (i know i keep using the same descriptor, but what do you call it?) completely embarrased, (baka gaijin) i walk in, rinse off the cold slimey soap, and try to shake it off like it ain't no thang.
o what relaxation there is to be had. steaming mineral water in various choices. being such a hedonist, i must try them all. ooh, too hot. this one's too cold. damn this is hot too, but it's got bubbles. what kind of soap is in this one? is that clorine i smell, oh well, everyone needs a good blee-atch once in a while, right MJ? there was one that had deep indigo blue water and had an old man sitting in it. i refrained thinking it was medication for arthritis and general oldness. one of my many endearing faults is that i'm an agist, and firmly believe that old people should not be understood, but rather locked up and studied to see what useful chemicals can be extracted from them (courtesy of simpson's ross perot pamphlet). turns out, it was simply herbs and some lavender to give it an unnatural blueish glow. and finally, there's one that's a shocker.
one of the health technologies the japanese experiment with is electricity. without warning, i dipped into a bath with electric current running through. my leg jerked straight as my muscles began to convulse, much to my horror. if you're ever in a sento, watch out for this one. damn near gave me a heart attack.
exhausted from this ordeal, i met up with the girls and sauntered back to naoko's place. some beautiful sleep tonight. nite nite.
posted by nowhen at 1:00 a.m.
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