day 52 reflections in steamy water

I think I forgot to post yesterday
It could be because I dedicated the day to finishing my next paper.

Its very hot here... I mean in the house

outside its getting colder... but my mom feels the need to keep the house warm.
It's a strange house. The kitchen and den (where mom spends most of her time) are on the north side of the house
the bedrooms (where I am most often in front of my computer) are on the south side.

The sun does a good job warming the south side but does very little on the other end of the house.
So Mom cranks up the heat (I agree that the Den is way to cold in winter)
The sun plus the heater in my room
makes it boil
Its like a Japanese Onsen
without the water

Japanese Onsen are great!
You go in and have to immediately remove your clothing
You then join everyone else in this line of shower heads... but they are on the floor not the wall
here you must shower... there is free shampoo and soap!
You have to be clean before you can enter the Onsen. The Japanese are very fastidious about this. You get this feeling that if you don't thoroughly clean yourself an angry mob of naked pristine men will kick you out (and then wash their feet again to get rid of the contamination when their foot hit your rump)
Afterward the world of the Onsen is a magic place.
Various shaped Pools of water lie about. Some have whirlpools, some are silent and still. Some are in intimate corners of the house... where groups of 2 to 4 people relax in the steam and talk... some are deep wide more public pools... It's noisier here.
There are interesting rooms for strange purposes... in one you must rub salt all over your body and then remain in the room for about 15 minutes and sweat. Its very hot in these rooms and you feel almost like you will vomit by the end... but it's also wonderful and in another way feels really good.
Some pools are outside... I like these the best. In the fall at night... the air is crisp and cool but you lie in a steaming bath and look up at the stars... if you are lucky you may be the only one there in this vast tub of water able to just exist in the nighttime... naked... warm and cool...

The Onsen are open every day all year long.
Every town has at least one.
It is one of the reasons why a trip to Japan is worth it... and one of the things that made living in Japan bearable.


I'll write another later...
still waiting for Dad to return.
Ill give you an update after I visit him today.