G`Day! I Mean...Irasshaimase!

Japanese Lesson #16 (Hisashiburi!):

1) Hisashiburi: Long time no see
2) Sento: Public bath
3) O-furo: Bath
4) Onsen: Hot spring
5) Irasshaimase! - Welcome!
6) Arubaito: Part-time job

The Japanese like their baths. Unlike Americans, who mostly take showers in the morning, the Japanese take baths at night. The scrub first, then soak in a steaming hot bath for like 20 minutes. Sometimes the family gets in all together, or friends go chill out in the sento for the evening which every neighborhood has. I have seen the entrance to the sento in my `hood. I am usually oblivious of my surroundings, but when I realized that there was a sento in my `hood, I knew that I was becoming more aware of what was around me, which means I can read the signs on the doors. All in all a pretty good thing.

Personally, I am not down for the sento and bathing with other people, especially the neighbors. It`s a culture thing - some people are used to it, but it is one of the things in Japan that I put my foot down on. I will try natto, I will eat whatever is put in front of me, I will willingly sleep on the floor on a thin mattress. But do not expect me to go to the sento. At least for now. I still would like to go to an onsen, because usuallly you can wear your bathing suit to the outdoor ones.

When I was in Shirahama, Mayuko`s parent`s apartment building had female, male and family o-furo; no one took their bath in their apartments, apparently. Luckily for me, the family o-furo had a lock since it was designated for families and I never set foot in the female bath because I was self-conscious. But let me tell you, that nice steaming hot o-furo was NICE. I want a bath like that in my house, but I prefer bubble baths.

The point is, imagine yourself as a regular ol`Japanese person and you are ready to go to the sento for your evening bath. I dished out all the sento/onsen/o-furo stuff for some context. You go and part the curtains right outside the door and hear the usual `Irasshaimase!` (One day I should make a tally of how many times I hear that in one shopping trip, it is so ubiquitous).

But something is off. The accent on the `Irasshaimase!` is vaguely...Australian.

I just found out today that Campbell, my Australian classmate, just got an arubaito working at the local SENTO. He is the person greeting the people as they come in for their baths. It is so odd because the sento is one of the most `typical` and `Japanese` thing in Japan and a foriegner would never even consider getting a job there. Well, he was at a bar chatting with a guy and the guy offered him a job. So imagine an Australian saying `Irasshaimase!` with the upmost Japanese gusto. I can only imagine the looks on some of the people`s faces when they go into the sento - I told Campbell this and he laughed because this is so odd and hilarious because it is totally unexpected on all counts and in all respects. I requested that he regale me with some of his tales, so that I can put them here because I will bet you my last yen that it is going to be funny. I will find out how his first day (today) was tomorrow.