23 07 2004

Fri, 23 Jul 2004

Super genki mothers

Even before I start writing this entry, I know my words aren't going to do it justice. I wish I'd brought a video camera last night.

The evening started around 7, when I went out with a mutual friend of OT and I - the bartender which I've mentioned previously. I'll call him BT - bartender. We went to a yakitori place (meat on sticks) that BT recommended, and ordered an assortment of things - fried liver, chicken skin, pork, mushrooms, capsicums, etc. The ventillation wasn't well designed in that place and as the food was being cooked, smoke started filling the room. A lot of yakitori places are like that, apparently, which is one of the reasons why OT doesn't like to go to them. We asked the waitress what some of the menu items were, and she explained with some difficulty - prompting a conversation between BT and I about different people's abilities to simplify their language. Some people are really good at it - using examples and simple definitions they can easily explain concepts to people learning the language. But a lot of people aren't good at it. When you don't understand a word, they just keep giving you other words (of equal or greater difficulty) in an effort to convey their meaning.

BT had a party to attend around 10pm, so with some time to kill we decided to stop by Torijin, the yakitori place with the kind bartender who'd showed me basashi on a previous occassion. It was only around the corner from the current place we were in, too.

We walked into Torijin and had a seat, greeting the kind bartender (K) and the rest of the staff - who're also nice people. We ordered some more meat on sticks - and asparagus, too, which they do really well there. When you sit down you're given a small plate of vegetables - some chopped carrots, cucumber and cabbage, and this miso-based sauce to dip it in which is delicious. We sat around drinking beer, eating our meat on sticks, and waiting for OT to show up. He'd had to work that day, but we'd sent him a message suggesting he come and meet us after work.

K came over and told us that he was going to meet 8 girls in a little while, and suggested we come along. At about 9:30 we walked a few blocks to this interesting bar on the 4th floor. They had a couple of TV screens placed around the bar, and it appeared to be an interesting combination bar / karaoke place.

I don't know how the girls all knew each other, though I think the connection was K's girlfriend was one of them. They ranged in age from 21 to late 30s, and some of them didn't know each other. But they all seemed to be getting along.

After we'd had a chance to chat for a while, 4 guys stood up in the middle of the bar with wireless microphones. At least two of them were bar staff - I'm not sure about the other two.

Morning Musume is a popular Japanese POP band - a bunch of girls who all look like they're about university age, singing somewhat mindless JPOP. I guess you could equate them to the Japanese version of Britney Spears.

Suddenly the music started playing in the bar, and the four guys, mics in hand, started dancing to a Morning Musume song - and then singing to it, too. Not accounting for the rather mediocre song, they were actually really good at it - their dancing looking much like you'd see Morning Musume doing, and they could sing. It was quite an interesting sight, and almost definitely something you wouldn't see back home.

One of the girls who was sitting with us - a mother in her mid 30s who looked 10 years younger and definitely not a mother, had said earlier that if the 4 guys do their act, then "her show would start". We'd thought she'd been joking.

After the 4 guys wrapped up their ensemble, the unlikely mother stood up and .. started dancing to the music which had just started. The sort of dancing you see on a Britney Spears video. And she was singing, too. It's impossible for me to convey what a sight this was - all of the rest of our party was cheering her on and this just made her ham it up more. OT had never seen anything like this, either, and we just sat there stunned - but having fun too.

It didn't stop there, though. In between the bouts of no music where we got a chance to chat to each other, we were treated to a rendition of a kabuki dance. And then one of the bar staff suddenly appeared in the middle of the bar with his shirt undone. A girl stood behind him and started fanning the shirt, mocking the "being blow by the wind" effect that this song's music video must have had. Another girl stood in front of him and feined blowing air at him - but then in the middle of his rendition she started trying to undo his pants, and the guy retreated to safety.

Eventually we departed the bar, and K offered to pick up the tab for OT and I again! It's sometimes considered impolite over here to refuse a person's offer of paying, so we couldn't do anything but graciously accept.

At this point OT decided to head home, along with some of the others in the group. About 8 of us remained, and we went to a little bar with a nice atmosphere. At this point they were mainly using normal-speed Japanese, making it mostly impossible to follow what they were saying - but occasionally I'd catch the gist of the conversation for a while. K graciously offered me a one or two sentence summary occasionally, in half English, half Japanese.

Eventually someone announced that they were hungry, and suggested we go eat ramen. But K had a better idea.

(to be continued - I have to work now)

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