More than my 20 bucks (2000 yen)'s worth

This is going to be a long post; I can feel it already. Was debating whether if I should post this or not but after getting home at 3:30 am and getting this done at 5:00 am... I had it done and it felt like a waste not posting it.

Today, I went to the Japanese hot springs but that isn't what I am going to write about this evening. Today, there was a party happening at the Dormitory, it was someone's birthday, Raphael, a person from Mexico who I've never really met though I have seen around. His party would start at 9:00 pm on the roof of the dormitory, I wouldn't get there until 11:00 pm since my last blog post after sitting outside and mooching a wireless connection to post pictures and make the photo album (and here I am again :)

There were lots of people at the party when I got there. The roof was pretty crowded, a stereo was perched on top of some steps outside on the roof blaring music. People were having drinks and meeting up with friends, I ran into a lab mate that was on her way out that told me about a 7:00 am meeting at the lab (though I wasn't expected to come). I had the chance to meet up with a few friends too.

I had a good time up there meeting people, exchanged cell phone numbers and e-mails so we can keep each other informed if anything was going on. Security (ie an old man in uniform) came up to the roof after finding out about the party to shut it down. It was about midnight when that happened and so it was time to relocate. We would meet downstairs and then figure out a new place to go. I heard that we would have plans to head into Downtown Sendai to hit a place.

I made my way downstairs with a group of people gathering outside. It seemed that about 1/3 of people at the party assembled downstairs, the rest likely decided to retire for the night. As for me, I woke up from a nap, I've never experienced Japanese night life before so I decided to give it a shot. I didn't really know anyone, but what the hey, it seemed like fun.

12:00 am. I caught a ride with Raphael and his girlfriend into downtown Sendai. We hadn’t picked a spot to go yet but decided to head there and then decide. In the end, after much waiting we decided on hitting a bar... an *all you can drink bar*. I have never seen anything like this before in Canada, but I have heard about these things in Mexico and South America. The tab was 2000 yen. Going out to drink really isn't my thing, but I can drink a little so I decided to stick it out and hanging out with these people and headed towards the bar.

We walked along a narrow street lined with shops and lit signs coming out of 4~5 storie buildings. The streets were littered with men in suits, dolled up girls and gruffy looking youths. The men in suits were hawkers, going up to people walking by asking them if they were up for a drink. These guys are probably paid by bars to bring people in. The rest were just people on the street looking to have fun.

One very good looking girl ran up beside me. She wasn't dolled up or as flashy as some of the other girls walking around. She wore a light brown/tan coat and all I could really see was her face. She walked along side me quickly (I was taller than her and my strides were bigger) and asked me if I wanted a "massage." I told her that I was busy and with a group of friends. She stepped closer and gently grabbed my arm and told me that it would "feel good". In English those words could easily be made to sound dirty but in Japanese they don't. I reassured her that I was with the group of friends also walking down the street. She was disappointed, but I waved, smiled and was off to the bar.

We got to the bar and waited outside the elevator and send out a few scouts to check for space and if it had people in it. I thought that it was funny how particular party people are about going to a place that was busy, but "too busy." There was space for the crew of about 12 and we headed in. I was taken aback by all the smoke in the bar. I don't smoke, I really don't like the smell either but I took it in stride and went in.

We were seated in a corner of the bar. Very cramped. Most of the people in the group lit up a cigarette... I could already feel myself time my breaths to inhale before puffs of smoke came out of other people's mouths. The drinks came and holy crap, these people really drink. Chris, a person from Sweden got annoyed with the waiter when he thought he was joking when he asked for 5 gin and tonics. So many people at the table were drinking white Russians that we were brought an entire pitcher. I took a sip of a white Russian, holy crap, it was strong, way too strong. I switched over to a grapefruit juice.

The night progressed, people were pouring each other drinks and consumed with their own drinking. They started singing Karaoke too. As for me, I became bored after an hour passed. It was 2:00 am, it was time for me to head back home and maybe catch a cat nap and hit the morning meeting/presentation for the heck of it. I paid my tab, gathered my coat and was off.

This time I didn't have the luxury of hitching a ride. I'm about 2.5 km away from home so time to the beat and head home. I wasn't entirely sure of where I was so I started wondering around to see if I could find any land marks I could recognize. I saw a few and started making my way back home.

A girl runs up beside me again, I could see her through my peripheral vision. She said "You're that person from last time again." I knew exactly who it was. "Do you want a massage? It'll feel really good" she tells me. I stop and tell her that I just came back from a hot spring today and was already quite refreshed. She runs around to my front puts her hands on my waist, steps in, looks me in the eye and speaks in a silent but kind sounding voice that "she'd do" it with me and it'd only be 6000 yen (70 bucks). I slide my hands into my pockets to find my wallet-- I wanted to make sure that I wasn't about to get my pockets picked. I was quite shocked as all this was happening. She gently grabs me by the arms, my hands come out of my pocket and she holds my hands and tells me that I am very "cute" in a sweet sounding voice. I smile at her, she almost pleadingly asks me if I was interested in that massage. I tell that I wasn't while trying to let go of her. One hand is free, I start to walk around her but she doesn't want to let of my hand, she asks me if I was sure and told her I was and my hand slips out of her fingers. I smile and give her a wave as I walk off and she winks back at me. I would start my 30 min walk home still in a state of shock.

I wasn't shocked because a hooker approached me (not that I'm used to it or anything), that wasn't the reason why I was feeling so unnerved at what happened. The girl that approached me was very nice looking even though she was wearing a decently large coat over her, I could feel myself caught in her stare. She was persistent, but not pushy. She was kind and polite and even friendly with a wink even after being rejected as I walked away. I was stunned as I walked away and spent the next 30 mins walking home thinking about what had just happened.

There are people on the streets in Japan everyday in downtown during the day passing out tissue paper packets with inserts with advertising on them. Though passing out advertising to people on the streets sounds like a simple job, but it isn't. It takes a good amount of courage to go up to strangers only to be often rejected and a certain inner strength to not be discouraged. I've seen many out there that look discouraged trying to pass out advertisements to these people. Yet this one young looking girl had the guts come running out at me, not once, but twice. There are probably other examples I could give but it's 4:45 am and I need to sleep sometime.

I was amazed... someone as good looking with her character could easily capture the attention of any guy, even really nice guys. She was resilient, seemed exceptionally kind and friendly. She could easily be with any nice well off young man. She seemed like a person that could have a lot of potential... she had a really strong charisma. It felt like a waste to have a beautiful girl like her working the streets like that.

Thinking back on it, I would have liked to have told her that she had more potential than working the streets or atleast talked with her to figure out what was her story. I was too busy thinking about trying to get myself home to get some rest for that morning meeting... that I never made it to.