Ikue and More About Bathrooms

Just a note: the two topics in the title are not even remotely related.

Today was a very busy day. After classes (Japanese Speaking and Sumi-e), I met up with Ikue, my other speaking partner. She’s also speaking partners with my friend Smitty (who’s also traveling abroad with me!) and we had a great time today.

Sakura Handkerchief

She even gave me a birthday present! It’s a sakura (cherry blossom)-patterned

handkerchief. I also got a bear keychain. It is currently hanging on my backpack,

Bear Keychain

next to the bamboo sprout keychain I got yesterday. We talked for a really long time (about two hours), and during that time we chatted about whalesharks, goats, and Taylor

Lautner (we’re both fans!). We’ve also decided to go to the world-famous Osaka Aquarium in a couple of weeks, with Smitty! It’s going to be so much fun~!

Bamboo Keychain

And now, because this entry is so short, an introduction to Japanese bathing!

Bathing in Japan is a unique experience, even moreso for me, because Okaasan is against the norm for Japanese bathing. Most Japanese have a hot ofuro—a soaking tub that you enter once you’ve cleaned and showered yourself off. Having never personally done this, I can’t say much about it. Okaasan has me shower at night and, let me tell you, you’ve never showered before if you haven’t used a Japanese shower! There’s nothing like showering in front of a body-length mirror, with the light and the position (you sit while waving the shower nozzle over you) accenting your worst angles. First you turn the hot water on, then you run the water until it turns hot into a basin. After the basin is filled (and the water is warm), you shower like normal.  After you’ve rinsed yourself off, you do a final rinse with the cold water in the basin from the beginning. I have to bite my lip to keep from squeaking. That water is COLD!

So yes, I have survived the Japanese shower.

Also I have learned to post from the future! WHOO-HOO! No  more timestamps needed!