(above, Tim Allen and his son ‘Charlie’ look for a way out of their winter work in The Santa Clause, 1994)
Okay, so let me get right to that good bit of information. The story that I promised you last time..
Did you know that thunderstorms have fingers? Let alone that they are ambidexterous?
Okay, well that’s not really true. I am still at mystery as to what happened that lone night in my tiny house !
I was fast asleep well past mid-night. I had not a care in the world, having fallen asleep to the pattering of the rain on my roof and windown outside.
It was then arose such a clatter !
Okay, not the Christmas ‘there arose such a clatter’ (though I had a Tim Allen, The Santa Clause moment) -it was a bright light !
Now I have always considered myself to be a rather holy and saintly person, one destined for brighter places.. *ahem* but I awoke to a bright light.
Somehow something had turned on the light in my main living space just outside the sliding door to my tatmi room (that is, Japanese-style room) !
I sat up in bed in a hurry. And then, about three a.m. it was, my brain started to whirr. What could have turned on the light? I know that I don’t really have bolt locks on the doors but maybe someone, something wandered in and was having a look around in my fridge !
No. That wasn’t the case at all. There was nothing there. I used the handy single-button remote to turn off the room light and fell fast asleep. Only, it happened again, and again (can you blame me? I was tired ) ! The light turned on and sure enough the thunder was bumbling outside and the lightning was flashing outside my cellophane-pane of a window.
It took my a few tries but I figured that something to do with something’s static electricity in the room and house and etc. was triggering the remote and turning on my main light.
I fumbled with the batteries and surgically, and rather exhasperatedly removed them from the remote -cursed at the lightning for having played so crude a trick on me and then I fell back to sleep.
Wasn’t that a great story?
Now how about something relaxing?
This last weekend I joined the aged community here in town and hopped onto our local onsen/spa shuttle. That’s right folks, we have a shuttle dedicated solely to transporting the faithful residents of our town(or anybody else for that matter) the thirteen-some kilometers to our local onsen.
I am usually the only young’n to board and ride the shuttle. Well, the only one that I’ve seen so far. I have graduated from collecting a few odd looks from people wandering whether I’ve lost myself as I board the bus, to people nodding in hello as we ride to our respiteful location (ten points if you just read that word as ‘respiteful’ and not ‘respectful’).
Really, just a few weeks ago on the ride back home from the onsen, I had a nice chat with a ninety-three year old lady that asked if we could be friends. Heartwarming indeed !
Now. I have been to a few onsens (or naturally, well, mostly naturally occurring hot springs here in Japan) but this one here in town is one of the best.
The water of our onsen boasts a deep black. The water is an almost noxious-looking color that can be compared to the character of Hexus from the Disney film ‘Fern Gully’ (1992).
And no. There is nothing wrong with the water. These are all naturally occurring pools that boast natural elements such as irons and phosphorous, etc. that heal the body and soul ! (Well, maybe they do..)
The other pools are of a cakey-looking brown water that make skin feel smooth and sticky-clean. I will not in any way fail to mention our most heavenly outdoor bath or ‘rotenburo’. With of course a private division between the men/women baths you can sit outside in the small but scantily warm pool and stare into the trees and surrounding forest.
This is where I make my point.
The music gently tumbling out of the tiny speakers both indoors and outdoors play melodical variations (music only) of popular songs like ‘No Matter What’ by the hip group Boyzone or other really, REALLY soothing and relaxing tracks that just melt into the greenery behind the bath.
Steam escapes off the top of the lapping water and you are left to hug the stones, watch birds fly overhead, and focus on the dripping of water tumbling or bubbling beside you.
Yes, this place is very real. It is small enough to accomodate about a handfull and a half of persons who should find it. And the bath house/onsen is located deep in the woods off a road adjacent to our ever-tumbling ocean here in northern Hokkaido.
If you are interested, or if you come and visit I promise I’ll point you in the right direction on how to get to our onsen.
All that and a massage chair following your soothing soak for only about five dollars. No, I’m not trying to sell you anything. I am wondering myself every time I board that bus on how come this most amazing experience is nearly free..
With that being said I hope I have made clear another of the anchors driven so deeply into my being as to why I love it here in Japan. Onsens heal the soul. And I have seen not even a sliver of them all. One of my greatest ambitions is to yet escape into a hillside inn and stay away for a day or two and just sit, soak, and sip tea while staring at the Fall leaves.
And wouldn’t that be nice ?
Snap. Back to work.
My thanks for reading and I hope that you are being met with most success at your jobs and doings. Keep on and don’t forget, if you don’t soak in a Japanese spring, you can always simmer in a hot tub on the golden peaks of whatever winter resort is near you. Or maybe you are fond of other pleasures this Fall season. Whatever it be, indulge. And I’ll catch you next week.
ps. a tiny comment here, as next Monday is a holiday and I have travel plans, I may not be posting on time next week. Forgive me now and I’ll reward you. Lol. That being said, my excuse is that I still don’t have internet at home, just at the office. Pardon !
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