Far East Cynic

It is still not Sayonara……

But again it is Ja matte ne.

This has been a great week-so great. Saturday we went to Oedo Onsen and had dinner and a soak. Its kind of a neat thing. You go and pay your fee, change into a Yukata, then you walk around a center place with little eating and drinking stalls. You have an arm-band on and if you want to buy a beer or any thing you just have them scan the arm band. Clever little system-you don’t feel you are spending any money-and before you know it, you have racked up a bill of 4000 yen or so. ( That’s on top of the 2160 yen per person to get in and get your Yukata).

When ready-ladies go to their side and the men go to theirs. You enter a second locker room, get naked and go into the bath. Its a great feeling. There is an indoor bath, a sauna, jet bath and an outdoor bath. All deserve a soak or two. Then its get shaved, shampooed and dressed and back out to the general area in your Yukata. Relax for a while with a beer or two and some food-then repeat the bath again. Its great.

Got up this morning, went for a run over to Roppongi Hills and back to Hiro-o. Temperature was great and lots of folks were out walking to and fro. The run over to Roppongi Hills is also and up and down run-which is some pretty good exercise.

Then back, shower, pack and get on the bus. The dream is suddenly all over-and its time to start the voyage back to drudgery Hicksville.

But, the bills are not going to pay themselves you know-and I still got work to eat. So its back home-with a new insight into my goal.

Ja matte ne. Soro soro nihon ni kaerimasu!

Ganbare Skippy-san ( DO YOUR BEST!)

  1. My first night at my new school in Korea was eventful.Teachers took me out to get drunk at a makkoli chip and ..well…then I had to go to a local Mok Yok Tang to get my communal bath. I walked in and the place was filled with middle school students, many of whom where going to be My students. All their little faces were shocked to see a big nose walk in ….especially their new teacher. HAHAHA
    Ah…memories…
    It wasn’t until later MUCH later, that i found out in certain MokYokTangs there were rooms were special services might be performed..I of course, would NEVER do something like that…

  2. I’ve read your thing for years.

    You have all my best wishes for a return to the Far East and continued happiness.

    I like to exchange pleasantries because you are the last one on earth to share the give and take. Stalin may be in the same realm but he’s a vicious little SOB.