May 17 , 2003 - page 4



Gadjo Dilo, a film about gypsies. It was in Romani, a gypsy
language, and there were also Japanese subtitles. I was only able to understand a few words here and there in the subtitles, so I resorted to just watching the film. I was able to catch the gist of the film, and I especially enjoyed the film’s excellent music. On Sunday I watched Kadosh, a film about Orthodox Jews. This film was in Hebrew, but it had both English and Japanese subtitles. The film was very enlightening, and it made me realize how open the American society really is. Afterwards there was a discussion

between a Japanese film director and a representative from the Israeli embassy in Japan.

This weekend I also made my first journey to the Yudaonsen district of Yamaguchi City. This area is the hot spot for restaurants, partying, and spas. If you didn’t know, there are many hot springs and spas here in Japan, and visiting them is one of the most popular recreational activities for Japanese people of all ages. My friends and I went to an ashiyu or hot spring for feet. At the ashiyu you relax on a bench while your feet are submerged in hot water. The water was very hot, but I loved it.

That’s it for today, and I leave you with what has become my favorite phrase of late. I use it whenever someone tells me about fun/exciting things that I should see before leaving Japan.

Ikimasho – Let’s Go!