Articles by Jonathan Slakey - Kyoto, Japan
April 2006
My first night in Japan was like stepping into a winter wonderland because it was snowing. Snow isn’t quite as much fun to walk through as people make it out to be (read, not at all), especially when you are carrying 50+ pounds of luggage. Some might say that this was merely a freak accident, more a terrible omen than a sign of good things to come. I opted for a Christmas theme though, and assumed that snow meant crazy good times for everyone (that should be Santa’s motto). To the unprepared traveler, the rather daunting task of crouching to take care of your after-dinner business might be too much… a task some might say would take years of potty-training to truly master. But for the canny exchange student, “WESTERN TOILETS, YOU HAVE HERE?” can go a long way towards relieving some of the stress one encounters in such a markedly different place as Japan.
On my first night, I had the pleasure not only of being told I was stinky and in need of a shower, but also discovering that there was no shower where I was staying. All they had was an ofuro, or a walk in bath, where men clean themselves in the nude and then take a nice, naked dip in scalding hot water together. Yay. Needless to say, I was quite enthusiastic about the whole ordeal. And rightly so, because ofuro are FREAKING AWESOME. If you’ve ever held to your bosom a fantasy of being Adam prior to the whole Fruit of the Knowledge of Good and Evil incident, this is your holy grail. Once you step into the steaming hot waters, all your cares seem to melt away. The people next to me were honestly achieving nirvana as I entered. I kid you not.
What am I doing in Japan, participating in strange rituals like cleaning myself or going to the potty? Along with 27 other college students, I am participating in a brand new program offered through Davis’ Quarter Abroad Program, set in the picturesque city of Kyoto. Renowned for… well, I am sure quite a number of things, but namely it's being the historic capital of Japan and therefore chockfull of ancient temples, shrines, castles, gardens, streets, fairs, forests, lakes, streams, gentle rolling hillsides, mountains, … shrines. Lot’s of old stuff. There are also all sorts of new stuff, including the school where I am studying, Kyoto Seika Daigaku, famous for its art program, particularly manga. Unfortunately I can’t even draw a stick figure, so I guess the location doesn’t do me that much good in that regard.
One of the greatest parts of this program is the timing; the beginning of our program coincided perfectly with one of Japan’s most famous features, the blooming of the Sakura flower. These light pink flowers blossom for only a short time at the beginning of spring and slowly turn white before falling to the ground and dying… FOREVER. Until next spring, when the process begins again! This yearly blossoming gave impetus to the establishment of one of my favorite traditions ever, hanami, or flower viewing. During this special time, people travel to a kouen, or park, plop down and proceed to eat and drink until they can’t walk straight or are forced to waddle. I’ve made the personal choice of turning every day into a hanami day while I stay here at Japan.
So far it has been working very well. No sooner did I walk onto campus for my first time than someone had offered me a can of beer. Japanese people are very accommodating, especially when it comes to getting foreigners like me drunk. I have never met a kinder group of people. Not only are they incredibly eager to speak with Americans of any sort, they are also the masterminds behind two of the greatest inventions known to man: hanami and ofuro (of which I already espoused the virtues of). My only worry during my stay in Japan is that they will find some loophole in all the fun I am having and force me to go back to America.
May 2006
Jonathan Slakey, intrepid reporter, here once again to present you a stunningly fresh look at the jungles of Japan. Notice the mighty monkeys in their natural, suburban habitat. Gaze in awe at the antics of drunken college students returning from a long night of drinking! Witness the general degradation of study habits among the UC Davis exchange students. Yes, here in Japan, with exactly 30 days to go, calm has fallen on the exchange students from far off Davis. Old (bad) studying habits have settled in, and generally everyone has come to realize that although their classes may be taught largely in Japanese, they are still just classes, and therefore not worth half as much effort as the teachers are hoping for.
Instead, the exchange students here at Kyoto Seika Daigaku have taken every opportunity to meet new students and explore interesting opportunities throughout Japan. I, for one, started this month off right with a well deserved, week long vacation. All over Japan, people participated in what people all the world over most enjoy: being lazy. Every year, the Japanese government (being famed for its practicality), condenses a number of individual holidays into one Super Ultra holiday: GOLDEN WEEK! Excepting the poor saps who have to work, people get right down to business with copious amounts of sight seeing, shopping, and drunken revelry. I am a particular fan of the last point, but sight seeing certainly has its advantages too. A week of freedom for college students might have meant extra sleep, but for most of the UC Davis students here it meant traveling and hanging out with Japanese friends until well past a reasonable hour. For others (me), it also meant taking the time to sit by a river and reflect on nature’s glory; all the while, texting your friends to remind them of the next party.
Taking advantage of every opportunity available is certainly worthwhile, but I think there is something to be said for neglecting some in favor of others. While some (fools) might disagree, I do not, in fact, have an endless supply of energy. Like other mortals, rest and relaxation are a necessity for me. So while I may not have gone backpacking up Mt. Fuji yet, or inadvertently unnerved a wandering samurai, I have managed to meet an inordinately ridiculous number of Japanese people. Unfortunately, this has resulted in some unforeseen consequences. For instance, perhaps fifty times today, I met someone for the second time. They knew exactly who I was, referred to me by name in fact, but I had absolutely no idea who they were. Am I a bad man? Perhaps. Do I actually care? Maybe a little bit. Am I letting it stop me from making twenty new friends whose names I will most likely forget by the end of the night? Of course not. Maybe I’ve exaggerated the numbers a little bit (I certainly don’t think so), but I am absolutely serious. Follow your heart. On some (rare) occasions, it will lead you truly.
Sorry for the above, just thought I would add a little poignancy to what is, in essence, me bragging about the fact that I am in Japan while all you poor saps have to study in Dulltown, CA. I of course, readily acknowledge the fact that you’re all cognizant of your current locale’s inferiority, but you have to understand that to the victor go the spoils. I would be remiss if I did not lend you all a hand in your flight from boredom however, and so let me suggest this: Next spring, why not better yourself by seeking an opportunity abroad, rather than slowly deteriorating in the stagnant land of cows
