Having fun on the cheap...

As I mentioned in a recent post, a few friends and I hit a karaoke bar and sang our hearts out for a little while (okay, 3 hours). I'm not a karoke fiend like some others I know, but every once in a while, I'll strain the vocal cords for the sake of self-expression, stress release and hearing a good song. Regardless of your singing ability (howling dogs ain't got nothing on me), more often than not, karaoke is a good and not-so-expensive night out.

In Japan, karaoke, like onsensing (I'll explain shortly), is one of those things that you do to simulataneously expel the pressures of a hard day and embarrass yourself. Prior to coming to Japan, I'd done karaoke'd twice. In Japan, I've lost count. But it's pretty cool in Japan. I'm not sure if Canadian karaoke bars have undergone radical technological transformations, but I really love the computerized nature of this past time. Here's how it works: After setting up a room with the clerk, you can either used a handheld computerized song book or a tradtional paper book. You choose a song or three or five (which is usually against proper karaoke etiquette), punch the number into the remote control or the handheld thingy, wait for your song to come up on the screen, and belt it out. And the coolest part is while your singing and sweating and making love to the microphone, you can pick up the phone in your room and place a call to reception for drinks and food. Pretty hot, if you ask me.

I can't really say how much all of this costs, especially when you lose track of time and stay in the room, usually devoid of windows for FIVE HOURS, but it's a relatively cheap night out and good fun when you're with your friends. Sometimes the end of the night can be a headache though, especially when you've got 2 rooms, 15 people and one bill. Eeek, bad memories all over again. But for me, I can go every few months and find myself having a good time.

Another way to have a good time in Japan without parting with too much of your hard-earned yen is going to the onsen (hot springs). This is another national past time. Onsening is essentially getting naked in front of strangers, for a fee, but if you're not too shy or don't give a fack, it's a worthwhile and pleasurable experience. I love my neighbourhood onsen with it's lovely outdoor baths, cool lavendar pool, a bunch of jacuzzis, a sauna and a steam room, and so much beautiful nature (it's on a mountain). It costs 800 yen and you can stay for as long as you like. There are also massage chairs, the ubiquitous vending machines, two full service restaurants and an adjoining hotel. A few weeks ago, I went all by my lonesome and had a blast. I started out the evening by having a delicious dinner of miso-katsu don (fried pork cutlet with miso sauce on a bed of rice in a hot pot - very Korean), then made my way to the women's locker room. In my neighbourhood, the baths are sex-segregated, but I've been told that there are mixed sex ones and even private ones for just you and that someone special. Anyway, after getting a locker key and a towel (for 200 yen, or you can just bring your own), I entered the comfortable locker room with its tatami mats, long mirrors and bright lights, and proceeded to get completely nekkid. This can be a little daunting for the unintiated at first, but after a few visits, you get used to it. That is, unless you see the kids that you teach, with their mothers, and just sometimes, one of your first grade boys, who is openly staring at your goods while you try to be cute and ask him, in English, how he is. But I digress.

So, you get naked, lock up your stuff, but the key on an elastic on your wrist or ankle and get into the onsen room. First, before even stepping into a bath, you wash every inch of your body at the shower/scrub station. I usually bring my own things like face wash and the like, but body soap, shampoo and conditioner are provided free of charge. When I went last time, I brought my Oyin products, a shower cap and a spare towel to give myself a deep conditioner while soaking (my hair was absolutely luxurious after my hour in). After bathing, you can then get into a bath. You can use a "modesty" towel to cover your most precious bits, but it's of very little use for anyone who is above the age of 5. But be warned: TOWELS SHOULD NOT GO IN THE BATH! I don't know why, but it's a rule, and it must be obeyed.

And that's about it. You take your time dipping from bath to bath and you just sit and soak. I usually go with a pal, but I've gone with co-workers, and it's a time to catch up and let your hair down, so to speak. I've seen more naked Japanese ladies than I care to remember, but it's an experience I definitely recommend. You feel great (it's almost like getting a full bodied message), and man, are you clean! Oh yeah, some onsens have a rule about no tattoos but it's mainly to keep out the yakuza (yes, they do exist, even in my village), but I think for the most part, foreigners can get away with having one or a few. I have one on my back, and while I do cover it up when my students are around, it's not a big concern for me.

Gosh, don't I just sound like a brochure for Japan???