In which I recount the adventures of the AIKOMsei and friends in and near Yokohama

First we went to Chukadai, the largest China Town in Japan. Though I think one could easily spend an entire day there, we just had lunch in a smallish restaurant that, appropriately perhaps, was bathed in cigarette smoke. As Erika (the other American) remarked, what was really striking about much of the food was how it was, within the food I've enjoyed in Japan, certainly among the most familiar and reminiscent of home. Reminiscent of the Chinese food I've had in the US, of course, but nonetheless.
We also a visited a Chinese Temple, or walked past it and were, as a group, sort of involuntarily drawn in by its incredible visual ornateness. Eventually, amid complaints that the incense buring all around was making people lightheaded (there seemed to be a common motif of smoke throughout Chinatown), we drifted out, patronized some of the food stalls on our way out, and made our way to Motomachi, which is supposed to be a sort of Europe Town.

The first thing I noticed about Europe Town was the traffic directors/crossing guards, looking very made up and kind of Christmasy, being all young-ish woman with uniforms of red tartan skirts and sashes and little silver whistles. The second thing I noticed was that, unlike China Town, which was originally created by Chinese traders settling in the area and still contains at least some Chinese people, Europe Town seemed to be composed entirely of Japanese people who, like some Americans, had created the area with a very romantic vision of Europe involving lots of cobblestones, fancily wrought iron and many tiny, pedigree dogs in sweaters. The entire area, including a display set up on the median of the boulevard and most of the store windows, was quite prettily done up with Christmas, with bells and carols chiming out, which might have been quite pleasant for the Westerners among us here in non-Western Japan, had it not been for the facts that, one, it was November 7th, and, two, we've all been taught or developed on our own a deep, if not hatred for, at least annoyance with Christmas decorations in commercial spaces before, say, the third Friday in November.

Slowly we made our way toward the waterfront and the famed Yokohama habor. It was really nice to see the ocean, even it was just the bay; it was the first time I'd seen it since landing in Japan.We took ages being bad at getting jumping photos on a little bridge in front a parked ship, being taken simulataneiously with Zoe's camera and by a little older Japanese man with a point-and-shoot. We all assumed he was being really nice and helpful, not to mention incredibly patient, taking pictures with someone's camera for them, until we were leaving and realized that it was own camera, which was changed him from patient and kind to simply kind of weird.

We finally got to the Cosmo Clock 21, a huge Ferris Wheel, which Yisha had gotten me very geeked about after pointing out that it was featured (as I recalled well, though hadn't realized it was the same one) in Honey and Clover, one of my favorite works of fiction. We rode it, getting an amazing view of the night skyline of Yokohama city and harbor, and Fiona and I were only sort of terrified, while Francesco, Yang Rui and Sebastian seemed to be pretty much fine. XD I think we all enjoyed it quite a bit, though.

And, finally, we got to the main destination of the trip, which was the onsen place, right across the street from the wheel.
For those readers who might not know, onsen are basically hot baths, traditionally with naturally hot water from hot springs. It's a pretty typical vacation-y kind of place to go to in Japan. In this case, the baths were indoors (actually on the seventh floor of a building) or on terraces. And with the exception of one bath that was explicitly marked as spring water (delivered daily by truck) the water was, though not chlorinated or ionized like pool water, not, I think, spring water, and artifically heated.

Fiona had told me something about the onsen experience involving a bunch of people cramming into a small little pool, which made me somewhat anxious. It seemed to combine two things that we westerners, particularly Americans, perhaps, are not so good with: nudity and breach of personal space. Actually, though, it wasn't bad at all. It was pretty weird to be mutually naked around friends at first, but we soon got over it, and there was actually plenty of space in the baths.
Onsen also, for me, carry the image of being extremely hot, so I was surprised by how moderate they felt to me; like nothing beyond normal hot-tub temperature. On the other hand, I like to shower in lava, and Alden and Francesco both said that it felt too hot to them after a while, so it may have just been me.

After a while soaking in the hot baths, Francesco and I found each other and decided to get dressed in our yukatas (provided by the establishment), and go check out some of the other areas of the building. This plan ran into difficulty, however, becasue neither of us actually knew how to put on a yukata.
I was pretty sure that there was a right and wrong way to wrap the two sides in front (this is a traditional Japanese thing, after all: there must be a way it's done and a way it is not done), but wasn't sure what it might be. Francesco was able to provide the interesting but not useful information wrapping one side over the other is for the living, and wrapping it the other way is for dressing the dead. If anything, this only seemed to raise the stakes, actually. It didn't occur to me to think of my kendo gi, which also has two sides that must be similarly wrapped correctly, and which I've put on, successfully, many, many times. Instead, Francesco and I decided to employ that tried and true tactic for figuring out correct or appropriate behavior in Japan which is discreetly spy on a native, see how he or she does it it, and copy. We learned, in this way, that the left side goes over the right, and I learned that yes, one does wear underwear underneath. I won't comment on Francesco with regard to that point, except to point to the video linked at the end of this post.

We found Sebastian, and the three of us spent some time on the roof, where there was an open-air foor bath that went all the way around the building, so that you could enjoy the scenery of the harbor, city, or beautifully lit Ferris wheel while soaking your feet.
Afterward we had dinner all together, which was pleasant but expensive, and then split into boys and girls again and went back to the baths.

I took some time in the sauna, then the cold bath with Etienne, Joon Woo and Park. Alden was going to join us, but fled (it's really cold). XD
We lasted perhaps five minutes in there (a pretty long time), then got out and went to the cypress/mineral water bath, which was my favorite of all.
And then began the long journey home, which was... Well, long. We missed the last bus, so had to walk, which was not so great, as I was starting to feel bad (what would turn into full-blown illness by the following morning), but kind of fun in its own way, and included talking about scary stories as we walked through the rather spooky nighttime Inokashira Park.


Sunday I woke up quite sick. Something quite flu-y, to be certain. Actually quite reminicent of when I got sick earlier this year, just before spring break: headache, body aches, sensitivity to light, sore throat, fever, lack of appetite, and so on. This led to me spending a few days and nights in bed, though I did go to one class on Tuesday in the later afternoon, and resumed going to class after that, though I still felt pretty bad. Wednesday night brought the same bed-soaking sweat that marked the end of the worst of it last time, and on Thursday I was feeling much better. I think I've 90% recovered now, although I'm still sleeping more than normal. My one remark about getting sick in Japan is that if you normally sleep on a thin futon that's comparable to a moderately cheap sleeping bag in terms of padding, get a mattress. Those futons are not meant for bedrest. After about 48 hours, your body hurts, and your back in in agony.
Besides that, though I have to say, I was really touched by the kindness of everyone while I was sick. Alden brought me papers for Japanese, Francesco brought me doughnuts and medicine (which was awesome for a while, though a little too strong later on XD), Joon Woo brought me a reading for Special Relay Lectures, Zoe offered to cook for me, and I got a bunch of really sweet phone messages. <# These guys are the best.

Tonight is a combined birthday dinner for Yu, Zoe, Shahenda and Trang (I think). Looking forward to that! Oh, tabehoudai... Why always tabehoudai?
Also, tomorrow is, I assume, the trip with Taiga. I'm not completely sure where we're going, but what I understood was that there's a famous waterfall and caves. I haven't heard from Taiga about it in a while, though, so I'm not completely sure what's going on.
Oh well. I guess I'd better get some schoolwork done, since I probably won't have much chance to get anything done the rest of the weekend.
Every week is so full of school work, every weekend is so full of fun... The life of a ryuugakusei. XD It's fantastic.

Finally, I embed this video, which is made of clips I myself took on our trip last weekend. For some reason I decided, just after lunch, to make a video of the day, rather than just take photos as usual. I had a lot of fun doing it, though unfortunately not everyone who went is really in the video properly.