Let me set the mood; I'm sitting in my freshly cleaned house. The room fan is on and all the windows are open. It has been hot lately a sure sign that the Japanese summer is upon us. Soon all the white folks in the area will be burstin' inta flames. I don't burn fortunately, I explode sweat.. Violently. Along with such a comfortable space I am also enjoying a can of Kirin Green Label and listening to my dinner cook in the background. A medley of burgermeat, potatoes, green peppers, and tomatoes. I don't mean a good medley, more like a melee of random foods stuffs I could dice and throw into a pot. VERY HUNTER GATHERER, except I didn't stalk any hamburger beasts today (they aren't in season anyway).
I'm wandering let me get to the recent adventure.. firefly watching whilst naked.
Certainly that should be enough to bring your attention away from whatever you people do who read my blog. I was invited by Jack, who is Japanese and really isn't named Jack, to go to a public bath (called an onsen in Japan). Public baths are great other than they're public. I have no trouble whipping out my goods, in fact after three years in a country where sexuality and the body is viewed much differently I have spare less thoughts to modesty now that I did before. That being said, the problem with public baths is I live in red-neck central (Japan's version at least) and every thoughtless ignorant inbred brings their wolf pack of kids to these places and they run around and well you all know how much I like kids. Fortunately this place that I went to is out of the way and we hit the timing just perfect so it wasn't a bloody mess by the time I left. The onsen is known for this time of year to host a lot of fire flies. The baths are outside which makes it spectacular for watching the nightsky. The water isn't too hot nor too cold and you can just tip your head back and watch the milky way. As if someone threw a switch right at 2030 (that's 8:30 pm for my mother) all of the milkyway fell upon the onsen as small firey motes of green starlight filled up the river grotto next to the onsen. The interesting thing I never had noticed from my childhood was the fire flies would light up together (nearly so) and beat like a heart beats. Eventually they spilled out of the grotto and into the forest across from the baths (they hate lights so they stayed away from even the dim lights of the onsen, or maybe they hate red necks not sure). That baths were fortunately separated by sex (good too, because young women are too shy to go to onsens usually and that leaves only old ladies--not cool no matter how tightly closed your eyes are).
After that Jack took me to a great dinner of sashimi (raw tuna, squid and a few other choice treats all were excellent). The killer was the sake, I just can't drink sake. No matter how many times I try it still makes me gag and gives me a huge hangover the next day no matter how little I drink. no thanks.
In other news, I am packing to leave soon. I condensed all of the goodies I want to move with me into one room. It's a small mountain, but I think I can climb it.
thanks all.
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