Saturday, July 30, 2005

Summer Vacation Part 3 of 5

We checked into a quite luxury hotel, the Shirahama Seaside Hotel.
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At 6.30 pm, dinner was served. The professor made his speech (thanking the organisers, M2 students) and at the end of his speech, everyone raised their glass and the kampai (cheers) toast was offered.
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Kanno-san (B4) and Kimoto-san (secretary to associate professor).
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Saruta-san (M2) and Naka-san (B4)
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Tanabe-san (M2) and Sugawara-san (M2)
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We gathered after dinner for some card games (also snacking and drinking sake). We do this every annual trips. We played the dai fugo and dai hinmin card game. The aim of this game is to get rid of your cards as quick as possible.
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The cards rank, from high to low : 2 A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3. Jokers are wild. Each player in turn either pass or play face up a card or set of cards which beats the previous play. A single card is beaten by any higher single card. A set of cards can only be beaten by a higher set containing the same number of cards. The first player who is out of cards is dubbed the dai fugo, or very rich man. The last person is known as the dai hinmin, or very poor man.
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Public bathhouses are called sento, meanwhile onsen are outdoor baths, natural-looking pools usually fed by natural hot springs. In japanese-style hotels, you will most likely end up in a public or semi-public bathing situation. In the hotel room, you will find geta (wooden clogs) and yukata (light, summer kimono). You are expected to wear these things to and from the bath.
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Inside the bathhouse. Nice setting of the bath tub (ofuro). I wanted to snap more pictures but the room was condensed with hot humid air - didn't want the lens to get fogged up.

8 comments:

Primrose said...

Wah, must censor Naka-san. Haha!

pinkylicious said...

Do the Japanese bath together?? I mean male and female together??

Patrick Leong said...

arglene : yes. in fact, i already accustomed to the japanese culture of ofuro (soaking in bath tubs and public bath houses). the main purpose is relaxation and the hotter the water is, the more relaxed one feels afterwards (especially during winter). going with good friends and discussing daily events at the public bath has been a common practice (part of japanese life).

primrose : he is a good junior. he will join our laboratory if he passes the entrance exam next week. then from next april, he will become M1 student (master course).

emotionalistic : usually there are separate facilities for men and women. the male and female bathing sections alternate daily. in some places, mix sex public baths are still in operation (i think).

zbjernak said...

the card game is like ours...the chinese "chor dai di"? you know?

the sequence is the same...2 being the biggest...

primrose-> ahhaha...must censor...malaysia cannot see the naka-san picture

Patrick Leong said...

zbjernak : i think too is quite similar to 'chor dai di'. i am surprise with comments on naka-san. he is a man. just only abit of exposure what. :P he is funny guy. always genki (cheerful).

zbjernak said...

we muslim country mah
hahahahahahahha

cannot see mah....just joking

Acrix said...

Seriously nice trip that u have got :P Quite envious :p How's the food at the hotel?

Patrick Leong said...

acrix : yes, the trip was good. i am now somewhat recharged after this vacation. the food in the hotel was just so so. in fact the food in previous trips were better.