I think I've mentioned here before that I seem to be braver here in Japan than I ever would be in the States. Especially when it comes to trying new things...
I've tried octopus. And I liked it.
I've tried bathing in public naked. And I liked it.
I've tried nato (fermented soybeans). And I hated it.
But I've surprisingly embraced and jumped right into each experience.
And this week I tried something else new... Doctor Fish.
Although my face clearly shows the fear and disbelief that overshadow the bravery.
I think the dichotomy of Patrick's face and Tom's shaking hands perfectly capture the essence of the human reaction to this experience.
Now, according to our attendant at the onsen, these fish are completely harmless to humans. In fact, to reference high school life sciences (since I'm probably the only kid in the States to have graduated high school and not taken Biology), they exist in a completely symbiotic relationship with us. (Yes, I like my SAT words). Apparently there are places in Turkey where you can let them help you not just by dipping your feet in the pool, but by fully immersing yourself! You can even let them inside your mouth!
Which, by the way, I won't be doing.
But basically, they get REALLY excited when you enter their pool of water because their dinner is your dead skin.
That's right, they don't bite you, but they help you out by polishing your skin so they can eat it!
Now, if that isn't gross enough, imagine a whole swarm of 500 of them going crazy because you just put a huge feast in their tank. Aka, your feet.
Well, I don't have to imagine it, because I did it.
Though that one is actually Evan's foot.
Oh, and by the way... it TICKLES.
I mean like my-brother-giving-me-a-tickle-tantrum-and-I-have-to-scream-"uncle"-to-make-it-stop tickles. I'm talking about 4 grown men in the quiet, peaceful onsen shreiking and giggling at the top of their lungs so much so that the Japanese keep peeking over the railing at us because it tickles so much. Mostly because it feels like 85 little rods are sucking at your feet and making crazy vibrations like an automatic massager! Especially if you close your eyes to try and forget that they are hungry fish, which, of course, you can't, because they actually are hungry fish.
Especially when they go in between your toes to get the extra juicy stuff.
And I'm pretty sure they don't get full because we had 4 pairs of feet in that tank for 15 minutes and they were buffing our feet till the last second!
But despite our fears, we tried something new for Patrick's birthday, and you know what? I started to get used to it after about 5 minutes and I started to relax. I might have even enjoyed it!
And my feet were pretty smooth after the fact.
Though those fish definitely can't eat through a dancer's hard-earned callouses in 15 minutes. Thank goodness! I need those things!
So yes, I've been brave and had a new adventure. An adventure that the kid who used to get scared when he jumped in the lake to go waterskiing because he thought the fishies would bite his feet probably never thought would actually happen in his wildest nightmares.
But that grown-up kid actually let fish bite his feet. Well, all right, not bite. More like buff and polish and suck.
But I think the sensation and fear was the same.
Especially because this time I could see the swarm of them just waiting to go to town on my feet. Which is pretty darn scary.
And speaking of fears, we watched "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" the other day in the dressing room, which is remarkable because that movie scared the CRAP out of me when I was a kid.
And now, of course, I realize what a brilliant, and slightly scary for children movie that is.
Because I'm starting to see why I was so scared of that as well as "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", the Wicked Witch of the West, and "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom".
I'm pretty sure I didn't do well with unconventional deaths to children and cartoons, and I definitely didn't differentiate imagination and make-believe from reality. Because, you know, actually, watching a cartoon get "dipped" to death is kinda creepy.
Maybe I just had problems with people melting and/or getting sucked into tubes.... hmmm.
We also had a karaoke party for Joseph's bday last night which was SO MUCH fun, especially now that I'm not nervous about karaoke anymore. Thanks definitely to those private karaoke rooms on the cruise ship and all the wonderful parties we had there. It was sublimely fun to amaze a new crowd of performers with my drunken rendition of "The Sound of Music". In the original key.
And after all was said and done in my last blog, I opted out of the club night Sunday night in an effort to stay healthy. And it worked out well because my 5 show day was actually fantastic yesterday and a great way to go into my weekend.
And finally, Evan and I headed into Harajuku today (which was INSANELY busy because of the National Holidays that comprise "Silver Week") such that I finally got my amazing high tops. And it was well worth the wait.
Tomorrow, I finally get to explore Tokyo Disneyland, though I'm sure it will still be super crowded from the holiday, but maybe I'll get to see my favorite, Pluto!
Time to get some more sleep for more adventures! WOO HOO!
