Retching and Relaxation

AM

Least: At just past 8:00am, I woke with an absolutely searing headache and relentless nausea. It was the hangover that I had been expecting, however the shock of its ferocity caught me unawares. While the nurofen dullled the pain, all I could think of was how dull my day was going to be until the menace passed. I think the most damage as done by umeshu the sweeter than sweet Japanese plum wine. Even while I was drinking last night, I knew deep down that I would really pay for it later. At only ten percent alcohol, it is a weakling, but when combined with cheap beer it can become lethal. The hangover coloured my entire AM period and I couldn't rise until a surprise at the door dragged me out of my malaise.

Most: At about 11:10am, the doorbell unexpectely rang. It was a deliverman, dropping off a box of incredibly entertaining electronics. Late on Friday night, I had ordered a Playstation 3 from Amazon to relieve my morning boredom. Incredibly, it only took about forty hours to arrive - an on a Sunday. The package was carefully wrapped and included my other purchase John Steinbeck's The Pearl. The delivery tore me from the clutches of my hangover and condsiderably improved my morning.

PM

Least: At nearly 2:00pm, I decided on a high-risk strategy to add certainty to the end of my hangover. The sushi-train restaurant was busy and I thought that the colour and movement might distract me from my internal issues. The near trouble erupted when huge gaps in the conveyer appeared and a hush fell on the eatery. One of the few things left doing laps around the room was a disgusting plate of cocktail-frank sushi (see a similar meal right) complete with an artistically place strip of nori holding it together. For five minutes, my stomach churned at the thought of this meal, until a fresh batch of the blandly harmless salmon appeared just in time. The rice was still warm and the least interesting sushi saved the day.

Most: At 2:35pm, I strolled through Namba parks on my way to Labi to buy a game for my new toy. I was struck by how relaxed everyone seemed. With a four-day holiday beginning, it was a change to see couples holding hands, fathers with children, people walking slowly and the shops teeming at twoish in the afternoon. Given the outrageous hours that many people work, perhaps it is not too surprising that the Japanese have achieve art in their relaxation techniques. For some reason, my stroll today reminded me of a perfect early summer day in Melbourne and made me a little homesick.

The Importance of Being Idle

AM

Least: Close to 8:30am, I waded through another short chapter of Nick's And the Ass Saw the Angel. Given his admirable rant on prolix, it is easy (and uninteresting) to begin groaning at the incredible purpure of his writing. He manages to create an interesting atmosphere of disgust impending terror but it's far too self conscious. At the very least, someone should've convinced dear Nick to remove every single use of ah and may for I and my. Nothing a pair of scissors can't fix.

Most: Just after 11:15am I sat on the front verandah drinking steaming black tea in the sun. Being idle seems to be an important feature of my time in the hills. Being idle gives me a chance to persevere with wordy books, examine possible fossils, bake by the fire, digest, cook, stare blankly or simply revel in being part of an idyll. This morning, I poached, read and resisted reading more of And the Ass Saw the Angel, drank tea, fed the magpies and currawongs, spied on superb fairy wrens, looked inside an interesting stone, lit the fire and watched darkening clouds change and drift by. Ideal, but I won't even try to explain it to my more earnest, everywhere, early rising inquisitors.

PM

Least: Sometime around 2:30pm, I inadvertently glanced at some daytime television. The appalling sound capturing every rustle of clothing, every smack of lips and every boring breath took me straight back to memories of days sick at home crawling by. Today's monstrosity seemed to consist of ghosts and flashbacks. Simply awful.

Most: At about 7:15pm I began thinking about my last day in the country and my return to Osaka. This town is almost the exact opposite of my like in Tezukayama. It is cold, completely uncrowded, people only speak English, read hair is common, sashimi is unobtainable and I don't have to work strange hours. This short diversion from my life in Japan will no doubt make Osaka even more bizarre and interesting. Tomorrow back to Melbourne.