Japanese Onsen!

So i was back in the nursery again this week on my own this time and as usual i had lots of fun! If you play a game with one kid all the others come rushing over, desperate to take part. For a while they were using me as a stool and at one point i had four kids trying to fight over who was taking place on my knee, the ones who didn't get the knee decided to sit on my legs instead. After a while the pins and needles started to kick in but unfortunately the kids didn't quite understand that so i had to suffer them for a while! The kids are all so full of energy and zooming about the nursery so after a shift there i was quite tired but off to the hospital i had to go! It was my last week in ward 7W so i am looking forward to starting 6W next week, see if anything interesting happens there!

On Friday night we were taken to the Onsen by Ezoe-san, the lovely Japanese woman who takes us to Tai-chi. We took the bus up to the onsen which is called Fukunoyu and sits about half way up Mount Inasa. For those who don't know, an onsen is hot springs where you go and bathe. Before we went into the onsen we went for dinner which was a buffet. Food has never made me happier, there was SMILEY FACES!! As we walked around filling our plates up, we sat down and my plate consisted of my favourite food, everything was deep fried, yum!! I had chicken, smiley faces, onion rings, more chicken and some more smiley faces it was so good. The Japanese are really healthy and eat a lot of veg and Ezoe-san pointed out that i needed to eat more vegetables..oops. Dessert was even better, chocolate fountains, ice cream i was in heaven! As we ate our dinner we watched the sunset over Nagasaki, it was beautiful.

When you go to an onsen, normally male and female have seperate ones because you must go in completely nude. To begin with i found this really strange and awkward and i didnt know where to look but after a while you get used to it. When you are walking from bath to bath you cover yourself with a towel and as you get into the bath you have to roll it up. Typically onsen is located outside but it is becoming more common to find ones which are indoors as well. The one which we went to was located indoors and outdoors. There was jacuzzi's, different types of saunas, large bathing areas which ranged from 38 degrees to 43 degrees as well as a super cold one. Outside there was private ones which were giant tubs which you could jump into, it was really relaxing lying in a hot bath but having the cold outside air around me. The main bathing area outside looked over Nagasaki and as we lay in it we were able to watch all of the twinkling lights of Nagasaki, it was extremely peaceful. One sauna that we went into you had to cover yourself in salt and use it as a scrub because it is really good for your skin. Im not very good with the heat in sauna's so i didnt last too long in there! One of the bathing area's inside gives you a full body massage as you lay down or there is one which focuses on your back and waist. It was soo good!! I surprisingly had a very good night, i wasn't sure if i was going to enjoy it, the thought of spending my night with lots of naked japanese women in baths did not appeal to me what so ever but it was good. Afterwards we headed home and went of to bed!

Apart from the onsen i didn't do much this weekend, on Saturday it was pouring it down so i stayed in all day and watched monster's inc because i am full of the cold! On Sunday i had a productive day cleaning my apartement and doing food shopping. Lucy and i also went a walk up the mountain to a large shopping store called Mr Max just for a wander in the sun. Also i found doritos!! They may not be my favourite kind but they are still doritos, yet to discover the flavour though. I am slightly getting better at cooking, managed to make chicken with noodles fried in garlic and salt, yes it may be a simple thing but i still made it myself woo!!!

ONE MORE WEEK TIL OKINAWA