Category: Ross Ramblings

I have just returned from Japan after visiting my partner’s family. On arrival at Narita Airport at 9pm, we were met by Hiroshi, my partner’s brother, who said “We go to onsen (Japanese hot baths).” After flying for 12 hours, this was indeed a welcome treat and we basked in 40 degree pools of different depths, some shallow with stone pillows to gaze up at the planes taking off every few minutes from the airport a kilometre away, and some with pummelling jets of water that massaged away the aches from 12 cramped hours on Fiji Airlines.

When I was growing up, I remember that in our house we had a Japanese katana (samurai sword) hanging on one wall and a small Japanese wooden pagoda on a cabinet in the lounge. My mother also had a beautiful kimono with birds and flowers flowing down the sleeves which she used to put on sometimes.

I remember when I was three, having a bath with my mother, and when I was four, leading my sleepwalking sister back to bed before she woke up and freaked out. And I remember wars with the kids down the road in which we threw stones at each other. Once, I even hid in our garage and thrust a metal bar through the spokes of an enemy kid’s bike as he roared down the hill outside our house. I had to run like crazy and lock the door to escape the wrath of his elder brother, who chased me up the path. 

We must value the old folks in our lives, realising that they have all had experiences we know nothing about. Sometimes, it’s astounding to hear their stories.