On Sunday morning I woke up early and took the shinkansen to meet Ori in Mishima, which is a little south of Tokyo. She’s been in Japan for about a week now, completing her last teaching practicum while living with her brother (who is also an English teacher). Anyway, we thought it would be cool to meet up in Japan and have a girls’ day, so we ventured off to see Fuji-san and the serene area that surrounds it—Hakone. Hakone is a very popular destination for relaxing and especially going to onsens (hot springs). It’s a peaceful little area nestled in the valley of a very mountainous area and picture-perfect views of Mount Fuji can be seen from nearly every angle. We both figured experiencing an onsen was a must before leaving Japan and let me tell you, it was a very interesting and somewhat strange ritual. I still haven’t wrapped my head around the whole tradition yet, and probably never will. It’s just another case of cultural contradiction that exists in Japan.
Ori and I also went to the POLA Museum of Art. The museum itself is an architectural wonder and is tucked away in the forest, which seems a little strange, but it was bustling with crowds. We figured they were probably there for the same reason we were—to see the Monet exhibit (Sunday was the last day). Ori and I were pretty blown away by the whole thing, especially because the seemingly ordinary art gallery had two floors of Monet originals including “Waterlillies” (1908)—perhaps his most well-known work. The permanent collection was equally impressive and included many works by Renoir, Degas, Gauguin, Picasso, and Dahli, to name a few.
In other news...I got my first Japanese haircut. Last week while I was tutoring my rich student over an elaborate Japanese-style dinner, I attempted to make conversation with his somewhat low-level English girlfriend and asked, “So...where do you get your hair cut?” Right after I asked the question, I heard a bunch of mumbling in Japanese and then my student said that his girlfriend wanted to take me to her hair salon the following week. Haha. I didn’t know what to think at first—disaster? opportunity? Anyway, I willingly accepted the invitation to be polite and adventurous. I guess there was nothing to be worried about after all because today, I received the best haircut of my entire life. The hair salon owner was so meticulous that it took him two hours from start to finish and he even curled my hair at the bottoms (which is a popular look in Japan right now). It was a little silent while he was snipping away because we couldn’t really communicate, but I enjoyed flipping through Japanese magazines and getting a better glimpse at female culture. From the newest dieting fads to the hottest “It” bags—I learned it all.
Anyway, one more week of work and then we’re off to Korea!
Hope all is well back home and see you sooner than ever!
xoxo
Jo & Scott
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