Well folks, it's been two weeks since my last post.
The reason is simple. I have been kicked out of Japan. I didn't break any law or campus rule. I did not produce failing grades. The forces that lead to my expulsion are biological in nature.
Ever since I was a child, I have suffered from insomnia. At different times in my life, it has fluctuated in strength. The worst that my insomnia had ever been before going to Japan was such that it would take me 2-3 hours to fall asleep at night, with or without the aid of sleeping medications. For the first four weeks of my travels in Japan, my sleeping schedule was adequate for my needs. I of course suffered from jetlag-induced insomnia for the first week, but afterwards my sleeping patterns returned to normal.
However, for the last two weeks that I was in Japan, for reasons that I do not understand, my insomnia was worse than it had ever been in my entire life. I do not say this lightly. From the clock on my bedstand, I can accurately say that on average it was taking me 4-5 hours every night to fall asleep. Considering that I had to get up at 7:25 for classes, this resulted in me only getting about 2-3 hours of sleep a night for two weeks. This led to a severe state of sleep deprivation that exacerbated my other medical problems. Chief among them was my depression.
I have no problem speaking of this now. I have been depressed since I was ten years old. I have been undergoing treatment and medication for manic depression for five years. For the first four weeks in Japan, my depression was manageable. I sometimes got moody and tried to isolate myself from others when it got really bad. However, I still was able to take part in campus life and participate in my dorm's activities.
However, after two weeks of sleep deprivation, my depression became extremely powerful. It was the worst that it had been since before I started getting professional treatment for my depression five years ago. My dorm mates took notice, and suggested that I see the campus counselor. I did. I had three sessions with her before I was kicked out of Japan. I admit now that my behavior during these sessions was irritable and disturbing. But I must repeat, I was under severe sleep deprivation and under normal circumstances, I would not have acted as such. I was prescribed sleeping medication, but I was unable to get it filled before I was removed from the campus.
It has been a little over a week since I have left Japan. I understand now that what was done was done for my best interests. I thank those who were worried about me, and I regret and apologize if I mistreated anybody during my departure.
Despite these admissions, I still believe that I was unjustly kicked out of the International Christian University. I believe that I was not given proper consideration by authorities who had the power to prevent my expulsion. I would like to point out three reasons why I believe I was not treated fairly and was improperly kicked out.
1) At no time was I given a psychological evaluation by a certified psychiatrist. I did meet with a doctor, but it was only so I could get the prescription for sleeping pills. At no time was I determined by a medically trained professional to be a danger to myself and others. The decision to expel me was made only from the statements of the counselor and various teachers. If I had been given a proper medical evaluation, I believe that it would have been determined that the root of my behavior was my sleep deprivation. With treatment, it would have gone away and the depression would have become controlled and my behavior would have become normal again.
2) I was prescribed sleeping medication. However, to fill it, I would have to travel into downtown Tokyo where I did not know the way. A map and directions were provided, but I still was not able to locate where I was supposed to get it filled. In addition, if I had reached the pharmacy, I find it doubtful that I could communicate in Japanese what I needed filled when I have enough trouble indicating what I want to eat at a restaurant. The idea that I could have gotten the medication filled by myself is preposterous, especially considering that I was sleep deprived. I could have easily gotten lost or made a mistake at the pharmacy. In order to get my medication, I needed a fluent Japanese speaker to accompany me. I asked several people, but was turned down by everyone until Joey Stockerman agreed. We were going to fill it on Thursday because he was swamped with classes and duties as President of the Dorm on ever day before that. I had every intention of getting my medication filled. However, I was expelled and sent home on Thursday night, the night that I was going to get the meds. Therefore, I fault ICU with not making sure that I could get my medication. I believe that this led to the ICU staff to dismiss me before I had a chance to recover.
3) At no time was I warned that my behavior may lead to my expulsion. I received no prior warning. I literally found out about my expulsion about an hour before they expected me to vacate the campus. I feel that my rights as a student were violated. I should have been given a warning so that I could try and get my act together.
It is for these three reasons that I believe ICU unfairly expelled me. Despite all of these things, I do not begrudge anybody. I simply want to go back. ICU was my home. Well, that's wrong.
Second Men's Dormitory was my home. My dorm-mates were my family. I believe they were mistreated with the way that I was stripped away from them. Most of the agony that I felt when I had to leave Japan was the thought that I had to leave them. I want to return. It is too late for this semester, but I still want to come back for the Spring semester. I have already tried to contact the counselor who set the entire process in motion. I sent her a sincere apology for what I had done and forgave her for what she did. Still, I have received no reply.
I am being told that I may not be allowed to return to ICU. I find this unfair. I find it unfair because I was unjustly expelled. I find it unfair because it hurts me to know that my dorm-mates are worried about me. I find it unfair that I did not get a chance to defend myself.
But despite this, I want to return for the Spring semester. But I need help. I need help NOW. By December, if I have not been given the go-ahead to return to ICU, I will have to go back to my American university.
Please email me. My address is nahood@ursinus.edu.
I want to hear from everyone. My friends, the administration, my dorm mates. I can't do this alone. Please contact me. Do not think that I don't want to hear from you; I do. Even if you don't know what to say, please contact me and just let me know that you are thinking about me.
I will return to ICU this Spring.
But I can't do it alone.
This is Nate in America, signing off still as just another gaijin.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
October 10, 2009
Hello everybody!
I am pleased to report two things:
1) I finally left Mitaka!
2) Every picture in this entry will be a picture that I took!
I realize that I have not been taking enough pictures. It has gotten to the point where people are having a hard time distinguishing between pictures that I have taken, and pictures that I have taken from off the Internet. An example is how my mother thought that the picture of the performance of Wicked that I used in an earlier post was of ICU students. I fondly recall a recent skype conversation.
"It looks like Broadway."
"Um, Mom, that IS Broadway."
Well, anyway...
Yesterday, I finally left Mitaka-shi. Mitaka-shi is one of Tokyo's districts. It is not a particularly crowded one. In fact, I think the local Don Quiote (a brand of convience store) is the area's biggest attraction. So, I finally went out of Mitaka-shi with Joey.
We had a mission.
That mission was sushi.
REAL sushi.
The good sushi. The kind that you can only get in Japan. The kind that people dream about at night. The kind that drives people to go to restaurants staffed with Japanese servers and get the best raw fish that they can buy. But that's not real sushi. No, Joey and I wanted the real thing. We went to the station at Musashi-Sakai and waited for the train that would take us to Shibuya.
It was kind of surreal standing at the platform. You see, I have always seen pictures and movies of Tokyo where everything was unbelievably crowded. However, in Mitaka-shi, it is fairly quiet. It is never too crowded and things never feel to hectic. The platform at Musashi-Sakai was pretty much the same.
Only a few people populated the platform and even then Joey and I talked in hushed tones. He fidgeted with his cell phone and I fiddled with my Canon Powershot A480 as we awaited the train that would take us into the heart of Tokyo.
The first train only lasted a couple of minutes and we switched trains in Kichijoji. It was at the platform that I first realized that I was in Tokyo. As we were trying to get onboard the train, a flood of people collided into Joey and me. It seemed like a school of fish, moving and acting as one. It was impossible to see beyond the initial wall of people, so Joey and I blindly forced our way towards our train. Once inside, we endured a ten minute train ride that was rather uncomfortable. A second school of people had flowed into the train, pushing us against each other in a way that in any other country would probably have been deemed fairly inappropriate.
When we spilled out into Shibuya station, I finally felt for the first time that I was in Tokyo. It was unbelievably crowded. As we went up the escalators to the restaurant section of Shibuya Station (where our restaurant was located), I tried to take a picture of the crowded streets. The result was fairly impressive considering that I didn't use a flash, shot through a window, and was moving at the time:
When we arrived at the sushi restaurant, we had to wait in a line for about twenty minutes. It was about at this time that a classmate named Hikari joined us. I was in one of my classes, but we had never really spoken much before. In fact, we had spoken so little that I was shocked when he opened his mouth and a perfect British accent came rushing out.
Left: Joey, Right: Hikari
We spent the rest of our wait talking about one of my favorite subjects: movies. Oh, how we waxed philosophical about the world of cinema. Our conversations were made all the more poignant by the fact that we had to stand next to a gigantic Japanese advertisement that featured vintage photos of Audrey Hepburn.
Why Audrey Hepburn? Well, why not?
Ah, crap, it's really late.
I'll finish this story tomorrow.
This is Nate in Mitaka, signing off as just another gaijin.
I am pleased to report two things:
1) I finally left Mitaka!
2) Every picture in this entry will be a picture that I took!
I realize that I have not been taking enough pictures. It has gotten to the point where people are having a hard time distinguishing between pictures that I have taken, and pictures that I have taken from off the Internet. An example is how my mother thought that the picture of the performance of Wicked that I used in an earlier post was of ICU students. I fondly recall a recent skype conversation.
"It looks like Broadway."
"Um, Mom, that IS Broadway."
Well, anyway...
Yesterday, I finally left Mitaka-shi. Mitaka-shi is one of Tokyo's districts. It is not a particularly crowded one. In fact, I think the local Don Quiote (a brand of convience store) is the area's biggest attraction. So, I finally went out of Mitaka-shi with Joey.
We had a mission.
That mission was sushi.
REAL sushi.
The good sushi. The kind that you can only get in Japan. The kind that people dream about at night. The kind that drives people to go to restaurants staffed with Japanese servers and get the best raw fish that they can buy. But that's not real sushi. No, Joey and I wanted the real thing. We went to the station at Musashi-Sakai and waited for the train that would take us to Shibuya.
It was kind of surreal standing at the platform. You see, I have always seen pictures and movies of Tokyo where everything was unbelievably crowded. However, in Mitaka-shi, it is fairly quiet. It is never too crowded and things never feel to hectic. The platform at Musashi-Sakai was pretty much the same.
Only a few people populated the platform and even then Joey and I talked in hushed tones. He fidgeted with his cell phone and I fiddled with my Canon Powershot A480 as we awaited the train that would take us into the heart of Tokyo.
The first train only lasted a couple of minutes and we switched trains in Kichijoji. It was at the platform that I first realized that I was in Tokyo. As we were trying to get onboard the train, a flood of people collided into Joey and me. It seemed like a school of fish, moving and acting as one. It was impossible to see beyond the initial wall of people, so Joey and I blindly forced our way towards our train. Once inside, we endured a ten minute train ride that was rather uncomfortable. A second school of people had flowed into the train, pushing us against each other in a way that in any other country would probably have been deemed fairly inappropriate.
When we spilled out into Shibuya station, I finally felt for the first time that I was in Tokyo. It was unbelievably crowded. As we went up the escalators to the restaurant section of Shibuya Station (where our restaurant was located), I tried to take a picture of the crowded streets. The result was fairly impressive considering that I didn't use a flash, shot through a window, and was moving at the time:
When we arrived at the sushi restaurant, we had to wait in a line for about twenty minutes. It was about at this time that a classmate named Hikari joined us. I was in one of my classes, but we had never really spoken much before. In fact, we had spoken so little that I was shocked when he opened his mouth and a perfect British accent came rushing out.
Left: Joey, Right: Hikari
We spent the rest of our wait talking about one of my favorite subjects: movies. Oh, how we waxed philosophical about the world of cinema. Our conversations were made all the more poignant by the fact that we had to stand next to a gigantic Japanese advertisement that featured vintage photos of Audrey Hepburn.
Why Audrey Hepburn? Well, why not?
Ah, crap, it's really late.
I'll finish this story tomorrow.
This is Nate in Mitaka, signing off as just another gaijin.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
October 7, 2009
Well, I'm back. Sorry for the delay but I was overcome with an acute infection of the "lazies."
Anyway, back to the bathhouse saga.
As I mentioned, before you go into the baths at Japanese bathhouses, you are supposed to wash yourself off first at a row of shower heads. This picture will hopefully illustrate. And NO, I did not take this picture.
Afterwards, you go into the actual baths where you can soak. This usually lasts for about an hour, but there are many people who make an entire day out of the outing. Well, Joe and I tried out the different baths, each of which came supplied with its own temperature and chemicals. When I say chemicals, I don't mean things like fluoride or chlorine. No, I am referring to various salts and whatnots which are added to the water for various effects. There are baths which are supposed to help treat rheumatism, arthritis, and other bodily aches and pains. But my favorite was an indoor bath that had a somewhat unsettling color. Imagine if somebody took a pool in Joe Sixpack's backyard and dumped in a couple of metric tons of sugar. The result would resemble the bath that Joe and I tried last on our little trip.
The water was probably the coolest that we tried. The hottest was a comfortable 40 degrees Celsius (that's 104 degrees Fahrenheit for all my American readers...which is probably all of them...), but this one was around thirty-five (95 degrees Fahrenheit). As we sat in the murky water, we both looked around for a sign to explain what the bath was supposed to do. Finally, we spotted a bronze plaque (ironically) located right above our heads that offered an explanation that left us with more questions that answers. I will try to quote what the sign said, but seeing how it was a couple of days ago, I might smudge a couple of details. But I will try to capture the spirit of the original text. It offered four positive effects:
1) Makes the skin beautiful
2) Helps with diets
3) Reverses aging
4) Refreshes spirit
As I sat trying to figure out how a bath would help me lose weight AND ten years from my figure, Joe continued to read the plaque. After a bit of a pause, Joe mentioned that the pool wasn't murky because of chemicals. What gave the water its strange appearance were bubbles.
Trillions and trillions of microscopic bubbles. The bubbles were only a couple of micro-millimeters (or some metric jargon like that) long. They're so small that they are supposed to be able to enter your pores and clean them out. "Ah," I thought, "But still, will they help me lose weight?"
As we left the bathhouse (frustratingly the same size as before we went in) we both mentioned that it was a nice place. Joe pointed out that it wasn't a "real" Japanese bathhouse. After regarding my puzzled stare, he clarified by saying that, yes, it is a Japanese bathhouse, but that it wasn't an authentic one because it used city water. It was then that Joe gave me the rundown on the different types of Japanese bathhouses.
There are two kinds:
1) Sentō (銭湯)
2) Onsen (温泉)
Sentō are regular bathhouses.
Onsen are the supreme bathhouses.
The big difference is that Sentō look like this:
Onsen look like this:
Yeah, hopefully now you get what I mean about onsen being better. The big difference between the two comes down to the water. You see, while sentō are legitimate bathhouses that are very nice, they use city water that has been heated up. Onsen, on the other hand, are the real deal. They use geothermally heated water. No added chemicals, no special salts. The water is all natural, coming from springs where it was heated by Japan's volcanic makeup.
The difference between the two is so important to the Japanese that even the law had to get involved. As my good ol' friends wikipedia points out:
The legal definition of an onsen includes that its water must contain at least one of 19 designated chemical elements, including radon and metabolic acid and be 25°C or warmer before being reheated.
So, there you have it. I went to a sentō, and while it was very nice, I left wishing that I could have experienced the real McCoy. Hopefully, I can talk Joe into taking me to an onsen . While there are several onsen in Tokyo, there is a certain one in Hakuba that I want to go to. You see, Japan has native monkeys, or "snow monkeys," if you will. And, there is an onsen in Joshin-Etsu Kogen National Park that is frequented by the monkeys in the winter.
Yeah, I'm not kidding.
The best part is that it is right next to another onsen where people can bathe!!!
Oh yes, there will be monkeys.........
I promise you........
This is Nate in Mitaka, signing off as just another gaijin.
Pictured above: Me after my first trip to a Japanese bath house.
Anyway, back to the bathhouse saga.
As I mentioned, before you go into the baths at Japanese bathhouses, you are supposed to wash yourself off first at a row of shower heads. This picture will hopefully illustrate. And NO, I did not take this picture.
Afterwards, you go into the actual baths where you can soak. This usually lasts for about an hour, but there are many people who make an entire day out of the outing. Well, Joe and I tried out the different baths, each of which came supplied with its own temperature and chemicals. When I say chemicals, I don't mean things like fluoride or chlorine. No, I am referring to various salts and whatnots which are added to the water for various effects. There are baths which are supposed to help treat rheumatism, arthritis, and other bodily aches and pains. But my favorite was an indoor bath that had a somewhat unsettling color. Imagine if somebody took a pool in Joe Sixpack's backyard and dumped in a couple of metric tons of sugar. The result would resemble the bath that Joe and I tried last on our little trip.
The water was probably the coolest that we tried. The hottest was a comfortable 40 degrees Celsius (that's 104 degrees Fahrenheit for all my American readers...which is probably all of them...), but this one was around thirty-five (95 degrees Fahrenheit). As we sat in the murky water, we both looked around for a sign to explain what the bath was supposed to do. Finally, we spotted a bronze plaque (ironically) located right above our heads that offered an explanation that left us with more questions that answers. I will try to quote what the sign said, but seeing how it was a couple of days ago, I might smudge a couple of details. But I will try to capture the spirit of the original text. It offered four positive effects:
1) Makes the skin beautiful
2) Helps with diets
3) Reverses aging
4) Refreshes spirit
As I sat trying to figure out how a bath would help me lose weight AND ten years from my figure, Joe continued to read the plaque. After a bit of a pause, Joe mentioned that the pool wasn't murky because of chemicals. What gave the water its strange appearance were bubbles.
Trillions and trillions of microscopic bubbles. The bubbles were only a couple of micro-millimeters (or some metric jargon like that) long. They're so small that they are supposed to be able to enter your pores and clean them out. "Ah," I thought, "But still, will they help me lose weight?"
As we left the bathhouse (frustratingly the same size as before we went in) we both mentioned that it was a nice place. Joe pointed out that it wasn't a "real" Japanese bathhouse. After regarding my puzzled stare, he clarified by saying that, yes, it is a Japanese bathhouse, but that it wasn't an authentic one because it used city water. It was then that Joe gave me the rundown on the different types of Japanese bathhouses.
There are two kinds:
1) Sentō (銭湯)
2) Onsen (温泉)
Sentō are regular bathhouses.
Onsen are the supreme bathhouses.
The big difference is that Sentō look like this:
Onsen look like this:
Yeah, hopefully now you get what I mean about onsen being better. The big difference between the two comes down to the water. You see, while sentō are legitimate bathhouses that are very nice, they use city water that has been heated up. Onsen, on the other hand, are the real deal. They use geothermally heated water. No added chemicals, no special salts. The water is all natural, coming from springs where it was heated by Japan's volcanic makeup.
The difference between the two is so important to the Japanese that even the law had to get involved. As my good ol' friends wikipedia points out:
The legal definition of an onsen includes that its water must contain at least one of 19 designated chemical elements, including radon and metabolic acid and be 25°C or warmer before being reheated.
So, there you have it. I went to a sentō, and while it was very nice, I left wishing that I could have experienced the real McCoy. Hopefully, I can talk Joe into taking me to an onsen . While there are several onsen in Tokyo, there is a certain one in Hakuba that I want to go to. You see, Japan has native monkeys, or "snow monkeys," if you will. And, there is an onsen in Joshin-Etsu Kogen National Park that is frequented by the monkeys in the winter.
Yeah, I'm not kidding.
The best part is that it is right next to another onsen where people can bathe!!!
Oh yes, there will be monkeys.........
I promise you........
This is Nate in Mitaka, signing off as just another gaijin.
Pictured above: Me after my first trip to a Japanese bath house.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
October 3, 2009
Well, MY COMPUTER IS WORKING!!!!
Well, anyway, I guess that this means that I can start to upload pictures of my quest to Japan. I won't upload them all right away. Some of them I already plan on using in further entries. But I guess I can give you all a taste.
This is a picture of me, Saumya, Megan, arriving at the hotel in Musashi-sakai. The two other girls are Miyuki and Ayaka. I particularly like this picture because it is one of the only times that I actually appear to be tall. It feels so weird to be constantly staring down at people in Japan. Well, weird in an awesome way.
This is a better picture of the two alpha females, Megan and Saumya. This was while we were still shacked up at Musashi-sakai. This picture was taken at a restaurant where we attempted to order and pay for our food in Japanese. Needless to say, I kept my mouth shut and let the ladies order for me.
Hmmmm......
Now that I think about it, that's all I am going to share for now. Truth be told, I didn't take any other pictures for a while because my computer was broken. Yeah, in hindsight that seems like a stupid reason for why I didn't take more pictures.
And that's because it is.
Well, okay, now for some stories......
Oh! I got one!
Today I went to a Japanese bathhouse for the first time!
To summarize it: I have never seen so many naked men in one place before in my entire life.
And I've been to the YMCA on Senior Swim Day.
But that's not to say that it wasn't a good experience.
I went with the dormitory president, Joey Stockermans. I have mentioned him before, but I can't remember whether or not I have described him in any detail. He is a lively fellow, originating from a mystical, faraway land called Novia Scotia. Or, more commonly called in the states, Canada.
Yes, the man who is in charge of the 2nd Men's Dormitory and all that it entails has been known to frequently enter people's rooms and say, "It's been quite a day, eh?" That kills me. Over the summer, my family traveled to Niagara Falls. Not ONCE did I hear a single Canadian say, "Eh?" Every time Joey says that, the little immature part of my psyche jumps up and down and squeals with delight.
That's not to say that he is always amiable. Joey has somehow figured out how to toe the line between being approachable and likable to being a stern taskmaster when the time calls for it. But those times are rare. Needless to say, he is a swell guy to work with. If there was one guy that I would want to go to a public bathhouse with for the first time, it would be Joey.
Okay, that's a lie. It would be Jean Gabin.
But given his current circumstances, what with being dead and all for a little over thirty years, I am glad that I could go with Joey.
You see, I have never been naked in a public place before. In fact, it was here in Japan that I first showered with other guys. Now I know the automatic thought that will occur to anyone reading this is to assume that when I was in high school I was one of those cowardly kids who always brought in a sick note on gym days so he wouldn't have to show with the seniors. Well, I wasn't. Somehow, the cosmic forces that be aligned in such a manner that I missed out on two very important high school rites of passage. The first was reading J. D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye." (Honestly, I don't know HOW I managed to be in the only literature class that didn't have to read it) The second was taking school showers. I guess it was all for the best. God knows that I had self-esteem issues back then that I did not need to aggravate with THAT ordeal...
So, here in Japan, there aren't shower stalls in bathrooms for residential buildings that are designed for a lot of people. You have a row of shower heads that you use to wash with while you sit on a plastic stool right next to several other guys. So, after a day or two of not washing, I bit the bullet and did it. I was surprised to find that it didn't really bother me. So, foolhardily thinking that I was superior to my American brethren who are internationally renown for not wanting to appear naked in front of other people, I jumped at the chance to go to a bathhouse. "Take that Melissa Pankake," I thought, "You may be in beautiful Scotland, but have YOU appeared naked in front of a crowd of Scots? I thought not! Haha!" Of course, as we biked towards the bathhouse, my arrogant pride gave way to a cowardly trembling that I bit my lip to maintain.
My fears were calmed when we walked into the bathhouse and saw a clean, bright reception area with a kind attendant at the register. "This is not so bad," I thought, "Nobody is naked out here...." My fears were gone when we then walked into the shoe room, where we put our shoes in a locker for safe keeping. We then grabbed our towels and went into the changing room where all of my fears resurfaced at once with devastating speed at the sight of half a dozen old Japanese men changing.
How shall I describe what I saw?
Hmmmmmmmmm.......
Maybe a reading from the Good Book will summarize the experience.
Ahem. We will now rise for the reading of God's Word. Thanks be to God.
Thanks be to God.
Our lesson today concerns man's mortality and his destiny to grow old, as is referenced in Ecclesiastes 12:5. Our translation comes to us from the New American Standard Bible. Yea, listen to the Word of the Lord:
Furthermore, men are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags himself along, and the caperberry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal home while mourners go about in the street.
The grasshopper drags himself along.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
Well, now that that's over, on with the story. We undressed, showered, and plunged into the baths. Hmmm, I probably should have mentioned that you are supposed to shower BEFORE you go into the baths...
You know, it's really late. I need to sleep. I think I will finish this story tomorrow. Stay tuned for part two.
This is Nate in Mitaka, signing off as just another gaijin.
Well, anyway, I guess that this means that I can start to upload pictures of my quest to Japan. I won't upload them all right away. Some of them I already plan on using in further entries. But I guess I can give you all a taste.
This is a picture of me, Saumya, Megan, arriving at the hotel in Musashi-sakai. The two other girls are Miyuki and Ayaka. I particularly like this picture because it is one of the only times that I actually appear to be tall. It feels so weird to be constantly staring down at people in Japan. Well, weird in an awesome way.
This is a better picture of the two alpha females, Megan and Saumya. This was while we were still shacked up at Musashi-sakai. This picture was taken at a restaurant where we attempted to order and pay for our food in Japanese. Needless to say, I kept my mouth shut and let the ladies order for me.
Hmmmm......
Now that I think about it, that's all I am going to share for now. Truth be told, I didn't take any other pictures for a while because my computer was broken. Yeah, in hindsight that seems like a stupid reason for why I didn't take more pictures.
And that's because it is.
Well, okay, now for some stories......
Oh! I got one!
Today I went to a Japanese bathhouse for the first time!
To summarize it: I have never seen so many naked men in one place before in my entire life.
And I've been to the YMCA on Senior Swim Day.
But that's not to say that it wasn't a good experience.
I went with the dormitory president, Joey Stockermans. I have mentioned him before, but I can't remember whether or not I have described him in any detail. He is a lively fellow, originating from a mystical, faraway land called Novia Scotia. Or, more commonly called in the states, Canada.
Yes, the man who is in charge of the 2nd Men's Dormitory and all that it entails has been known to frequently enter people's rooms and say, "It's been quite a day, eh?" That kills me. Over the summer, my family traveled to Niagara Falls. Not ONCE did I hear a single Canadian say, "Eh?" Every time Joey says that, the little immature part of my psyche jumps up and down and squeals with delight.
That's not to say that he is always amiable. Joey has somehow figured out how to toe the line between being approachable and likable to being a stern taskmaster when the time calls for it. But those times are rare. Needless to say, he is a swell guy to work with. If there was one guy that I would want to go to a public bathhouse with for the first time, it would be Joey.
Okay, that's a lie. It would be Jean Gabin.
But given his current circumstances, what with being dead and all for a little over thirty years, I am glad that I could go with Joey.
You see, I have never been naked in a public place before. In fact, it was here in Japan that I first showered with other guys. Now I know the automatic thought that will occur to anyone reading this is to assume that when I was in high school I was one of those cowardly kids who always brought in a sick note on gym days so he wouldn't have to show with the seniors. Well, I wasn't. Somehow, the cosmic forces that be aligned in such a manner that I missed out on two very important high school rites of passage. The first was reading J. D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye." (Honestly, I don't know HOW I managed to be in the only literature class that didn't have to read it) The second was taking school showers. I guess it was all for the best. God knows that I had self-esteem issues back then that I did not need to aggravate with THAT ordeal...
So, here in Japan, there aren't shower stalls in bathrooms for residential buildings that are designed for a lot of people. You have a row of shower heads that you use to wash with while you sit on a plastic stool right next to several other guys. So, after a day or two of not washing, I bit the bullet and did it. I was surprised to find that it didn't really bother me. So, foolhardily thinking that I was superior to my American brethren who are internationally renown for not wanting to appear naked in front of other people, I jumped at the chance to go to a bathhouse. "Take that Melissa Pankake," I thought, "You may be in beautiful Scotland, but have YOU appeared naked in front of a crowd of Scots? I thought not! Haha!" Of course, as we biked towards the bathhouse, my arrogant pride gave way to a cowardly trembling that I bit my lip to maintain.
My fears were calmed when we walked into the bathhouse and saw a clean, bright reception area with a kind attendant at the register. "This is not so bad," I thought, "Nobody is naked out here...." My fears were gone when we then walked into the shoe room, where we put our shoes in a locker for safe keeping. We then grabbed our towels and went into the changing room where all of my fears resurfaced at once with devastating speed at the sight of half a dozen old Japanese men changing.
How shall I describe what I saw?
Hmmmmmmmmm.......
Maybe a reading from the Good Book will summarize the experience.
Ahem. We will now rise for the reading of God's Word. Thanks be to God.
Thanks be to God.
Our lesson today concerns man's mortality and his destiny to grow old, as is referenced in Ecclesiastes 12:5. Our translation comes to us from the New American Standard Bible. Yea, listen to the Word of the Lord:
Furthermore, men are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags himself along, and the caperberry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal home while mourners go about in the street.
The grasshopper drags himself along.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
Well, now that that's over, on with the story. We undressed, showered, and plunged into the baths. Hmmm, I probably should have mentioned that you are supposed to shower BEFORE you go into the baths...
You know, it's really late. I need to sleep. I think I will finish this story tomorrow. Stay tuned for part two.
This is Nate in Mitaka, signing off as just another gaijin.
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