So, yeah. Oh what a weekend is almost more like it. Right? Now you get it! Anyways:
Saturday was really incredible cultural-wise and then insane as night started to fall further. As all two of my followers (50% my mom) have definitely been anxiously awaiting hearing about, I went to an onsen in a nearby town with my friends Pat (Norwegian/Flugansnargan), Tom (English/Icelolly People-Carrier) and Satori (American/Beer Me) in the afternoon.
But first we went to a Shinto shrine (or jinja [pronounced like 'ginger' with a Japanese accent]) on a little islet. Looking in from outside, you can't make out anything but the tree tops, but once you make it to the island it is extremely impressive. There is a feeling I keep getting here in certain places where I know what I am standing on or looking at is unfathomably historic and important, but I have no idea how to properly appreciate it. Also, it is not difficult to desecrate things / shame yours or another's family without realizing it. For the most part, I try not to do too much OR too little and strike a nice, warm middle ground away from the sorry, sharp edges. If anyone feels sudden shame in the next few months please let me know and I will try to figure out where I misstepped and atone. Jk. Don't caresies.
The onsen was hot and naked, as promised. It was separated by sex, so I went with Tom and Patrick to the naked Japanese man section as that was the closest fit for us. We walked in and I forgot to shower before I got in the water initially, which silently desecrated the onsen (seriously). Thankfully, no one seemed to mind. Later, the local men glared at our Glenfiddiches like packages of dishonor. We got our Zen for about 30 or 40 minutes before hopping out, meeting back up with newly clothed Satori (who apparently had a one on one session with a naked 60 something Japanese woman? Confirmation?) and heading to an udon shop back in Okazaki.
The nighttime plan was originally to just stay at Zig Zag (the school bar) and watch the Japan / Holland game with the local fans and head home, but we ended up going to a local bar near my dorm. Details get very fuzzy here, but Patrick ended up picking up a fully Japanese waitress with almost literally a 10 word Japanese vocabulary, followed by an old man pawning off another local girl (who I assume was a relative of his) on me for a date in two weeks with Patrick and the waitress to an amusement park near Tokyo. Needless to say that it promises to be a confusing train wreck!
The last few days have just been wake/class/nap/dinner/sleep with two exceptions:
- All you can eat, grill your own meat/fish restaurant called Viking that was overrun by UNSUPERVISED children that gave it a weird anime-lord of the flies feel
-Sweaty soccer (footy? awrite den!) session today
Big test tomorrow to determine if I can advance to the somewhat harder level of classes so CROSS THA FINGAZ DOGZ.
D-Bone out. Saaaaaaaaafe.
Outside the Islet
Inside the Islet
A Word I Refuse To Learn Because I Am Confused Of Its English Counterpart
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