Writers Abroad Magazine Issue 2 March 2015 | Page 8

WRITERS ABROAD MAGAZINE
When you enter the bathing area you have to wash thoroughly, and stools, buckets
and showers are provided for this. You squat on a low stool and lather yourself with
soap before rinsing off with the low level shower. It is considered unseemly to enter
the water either dirty or with traces of soap on you.
Once in the water, you are expected to be considerate of others. No jumping, splashing
or rowdy behaviour, although there can be animated conversations if groups of friends
or families are bathing together. You also must not stare or make eye contact with
other people.
Hmmm.
Sinking slowly under the water like a sun-kissed hippopotamus, I tried to ignore the
child. It was no good. I couldn’t shake off her stare and could ignore it no longer. With
as much dignity as I could muster in my undressed state, I left the bath and went for a
final shower off.
Later that evening, my husband and I went to find somewhere for dinner. Across the
road from the hotel was a restaurant with several huge banners hanging outside.
Photographs of skewered meats, steaming bowls of noodles and freshly cooked
tempura looked tempting. Eagerly we read the English text on the banners expecting
an exhortation to dine within.
“However to love single-mindedly politely, the hormone is burnt.”
I blinked and re-read the words. They made no more sense the second time.
Below was another text.
“Being able to spend the time that you may relax is a true famous store.”
My husband and I stared at each other. A case of a little English goes a long way
Verbal diarrhoea? The dreaded Google translate?
A stark reminder that sometimes we try too hard to say what we want. As the girl in
the onsen knew, saying nothing sometimes says it all. WA

8|March 2015