Pacific Culture Club, Outstanding Onsen, and Amazing Andy

Saturday was an incredible day. After a good first week of classes (I am looking forward to all my classes, as I really see how I can apply them to the world around me. I also got a position as a tutor for English and Math in the Learning Center at school. It will be a good chance to meet Japanese students.), I really got to experience study abroad as I had imagined it would be. About a dozen study abroad students traveled to a woman's house in Tokyo for the Pacific Culture Club. Before our rendezvous with our group leader, we traveled to Shibuya to get something to eat. We were searching around, and once we found this item on the menu, we decided to try our luck elsewhere.
After eating at a small shop, we met up with the rest of the group at the station and traveled by subway to the woman's house. It was a traditional wooden house with thin paper walls. The woman was very eager to share her culture with us, and earnestly was pleased to have us. She thanked us for coming multiple times, and her polite, neat and sincere demeanor reminded me a lot of Avva.
We started off the event with a Shinto prayer. We all tried to sit in the traditional manner with legs tucked directly beneath you, and found it to be much less comfortable than our host made it appear. Most of us could only take the position for a little bit, but she sat like that all day without the slightest bit of discomfort.
Next, she played the koto for us, and it was much different from other harps that I had heard. The long wooden instrument and her singing brought Seetha Doddavva and the sitar to mind. It was quite lovely to hear.Afterwards, the girls played paper, rock, scissors to decide who amongst them would be so lucky as to try on the kimono (actually these may be yukata, which is a summer version). While they were deciding, the guys (there were only four of us) were guided in calligraphy. The woman reminded me of Minnie Thai. It is surprising to think that even though it is all simple strokes, there is still so much to master there. You must sit straight up to channel positive energy and hold the brush vertically. We did the kanji for mountain, wind, and flower. Then we all signed our names at the bottom. It really took me back to first grade art class. Gary really liked it, and was considering pursuing it as a hobby. You can see my artwork sitting next to Gary's lap if you enlarge the picture. It is the kanji for flower.After we had gone through our calligraphy lesson, the girls had finished their kimono fight and had dressed. Next, some of the girls took their calligraphy lesson and a few of us were led upstairs to look at a famous painter's work on the paper walls of a room. upstairs, but we didn't have tea up there because it would be much too unbearable. Our host really looked out for us (she told us not to worry about sitting in the traditonal manner if it was uncomfortable, and later told us not to worry about finishing the tea of it was too bitter). I took a picture with the her and she was so polite and appreciative. When I asked if she would stand with me for the picture she said that me asking was "such an honor." Behind us are the paintings of the "Picasso of Japan." There was also a painting of dragon babies done by this artist, and the mystery of this painting is how in a single stroke, he It was re quite worth it. The tea room wasally hot upstairs, but seeing the room was was able to leave the small eye of the dragon baby. You may have to enlarge the picture to see it. After being offered some cool tea juice, we sat down to the tea ceremony in the main room (because it was too hot to be in the small tea room upstairs). There was a lot of ritual behind it. We bowed to our host as she served each one of us individually. Before eating, though, we all were given a sweet and had to bow and say a word of thanks before taking one and passing it on. Only once we had finished could we be served our tea, because it was not good to eat and drink at the same time. When it came time to get our tea our host bowed to us, and then we bowed back, placing our hands on the floor. We were instruced to keep our fingers together because to bow with spread fingers was to be like a monkey. We would then take the bowl, and place it in our hands. We would then give it two clockwise turns so that the front of the cup, some of which had a design, faced outwards. The tea was unlike anything I had drank before. It didn't really look like tea. It was kind of a bitter, pea-soup looking drink. I enjoyed it, though, finishing my whole bowl. Some of us, including Gary, whisked the tea themselves. It was quite difficult actually (as Gary's determined face indicates), as you had to create bubbles and stir up the tea without spilling it over the side of the shallow bowl. When one of our hosts did it in front of us, it was amazing to see how masterful she was. There can be an art to the simplest of things. I really admired the fact that all we saw yesterday was a part of culture and tradition that had evolved over time and had been around for so long. There was meaning and purpose behind everything that we did. Also, I drew many comparisons to the Indian traditions I know, and it made me appreciate them even more. It's nice to experience a different culture, especially when it enhances your appreciation for your own family and history. We concluded with a group picture, with all of our artwork on display (aren't you proud, Mom and Dad!). After this we thanked our hosts and said goodbye, traveling on to our next stop - the onsen.The onsen truly was a memorable experience. For those of you who don't know (and don't worry, I had no idea what is was called beforehand either), the onsen is the traditional Japanese bath. I had never done anything like this before. The picture here is of the entrance to the onsen. We caught a free bus to the onsen and once we got there we stowed our shoes in a locker and traded that locker key in for a locker key in the changing room and a towel token. We were given our towels and sent into the locker room. It was interesting seeing the Japanese people, who come across as a very shy and modest group, not worrying about nudity. It was unusual getting undressed with the other study abroad students, as we had known each other for only a week, but it was not a big deal. From the locker room, you move into the main part of the onsen. To your left is a row of stools facing mirrors and handheld showers. Directly ahead of you is one bathing pool. Everything was cast in a dim yellow glow, and the distinct smell of bath salts was in the air. I sat down, next to a man that was shaving in the mirror. After rinsing off and cleaning my body with the bottle labeled "Foam Soap," I asked what the other bottles were. The study abroad guys who were there told me that they guessed it was shampoo. I squirted some into my hand and a dark Everything was made of wood, and we found our lockers and undressed. There were men of all ages in there, from very young to very old. It black liquid came out. I washed my hair and left the shower, taking my handtowel with me. I stepped out of the shower room to the outside area. It was surrounded by tall vegetation, trees, and fences, so it was quite private. It was strange hearing someone mowing a lawn outside to remind us that we were not as secluded as we may think. There were about four pools outside. Each one was said to target a different part of the body. I joined the other study abroad guys in the first pool, which was the largest. Parts of it were bubbling, and there was even a small cave, the inside of which was illuminated by dark red lights. I decided to get adventurous and went inside while the other guys stayed outside. I sat around for a little bit and then went back out, saying that it wasn't anything special. I found out later that inside that cave, if you sit at the right points, a mild electric current is sent from the wall to you. It's supposed to be pleasurable, but most say that it is an acquired feel. I don't know how I would have reacted had I found that out the hard way. The water in the pool was warm and dark brown, like a tea color. It was filled with minerals and was very relaxing. After a while, we moved on to another, smaller pool which had pebbles all across the bottom. It was the same temperature as the other pool By the picture, it was for the benefit of the foot. We stayed in there for some time and then the guys said they needed a break, as they were getting too hot. I sat in for a little while longer and then went to meet them where they were sitting on the other side of the enclosure. Upon getting out, I started feeling the effects of the pool... I was feeling a little lightheaded, and very relaxed. When I got there I found the most personal pool. It was just the size of a barrel and only intended for one person. I sat inside it and water fell over the edges. It was the warmest of all the water I had gotten in, and it was fun to talk to the guys from my own personal bathtub. Next Gary and I went to a sauna-like enclosure with a tub in the middle. I think the other guys went to wash up at this point. It was hot water as well, and later we found out that it was for the benefit of the sexual drive. We didn't stay in there very long, but this piece of information was amusing because when we walked in there was a man submerged in water, intently doing deep-breathing exercises.
Next, I tried the last of the outside pools, which none of the other study abroad students would venture into. It turned out that the water was freezing cold. The thermometer read zero, but I'm not sure if that was correct. Regardless, I got in slowly and in doing so was met with a sharp, pins and needles feeling. It was exhilarating. I stayed in there for a while and met Gary at the warm indoor pool. I had been looking for a cool mist sauna, because it was advertised in the information we got about the bathhouse, but I had not seen it anywhere. While sitting in the indoor pool, I saw two wooden doors. I figured that they were saunas, and tried to read the Japanese above the doors to see which was hot and which was cold. I started sounding out the few letters I knew, only later realizing that if I was successful, I would still not know which was which because I didn't know the words for hot or cold. At that moment, my resourcefulness kicked in and I saw two thermometers... one was quite hot and the other was at -2 degrees Celsius. I got excited and walked inside, with a little fear. I turned the first corner and then walked into the actual sauna. It had white walls and smelled like fish. It was like being in a meat freezer. I stayed in there a little while by myself and then two other Japanese guys came in. They seemed to be shocked by the fact that it was cold, and I smiled to myself because I had understood which was which over these guys that could actually speak Japanese. They sat down for a little while, and one of them smiled at me, and I smiled back. It was the only positive exchange I had with any Japanese person while there. After some time, I left and went to shower. I tried another of the "shampoo" bottles. This one was a little less black, and I still used it to wash my hair. When I got out to the locker room, I found out that an hour had already passed. It was incredibly how quickly time passed. I really had enjoyed the whole experience. I felt so relaxed for the rest of the night. It was great. I wasn't tired or sleepy... just very relaxed. My eyelids hung down and I was just very happy. Afterwards, we went to eat at this really good, cheap, kabob-like place. There we had chicken, chicken-hearts, chicken livers and chicken intestines on a stick. All in all, a lot of fun.
Saturday was amazing, an experience I will look on fondly for some time. I feel that the only way to end this, is to leave you with pictures of my housemate, Andy, who has the incredible innate ability to balance things on his chin.