Saturday, June 06, 2009

A double sin

Garigarikun is an ice cream bar brand popular in Japan. A few days ago, after the usual rounds of jogging in the park, I felt like eating one. I usually don't do such a thing, but it was a very warm day. Since I was going to misbehave like a kid anyway, I decided to devour the thing in the bath.
I took a copy of Anne of Windy Willows from the toilet, where I have been keeping the book for some days. I have been reading the childhood favorite little by little in the cozy comfort. Toilets are such private and relaxing spaces, and I really love to read books in them, especially, but not limited to, while I am at home.
I put myself in the bath, turned the pages of Anne of Windy Willows, and nibbled at the ice cream bar. It was a perfect setting for sweet little delinquencies. When I was a child my mother used to tell me that I should not read books in the bath. I was always doing just that, and I somehow managed to avoid learning from her well meaning advice since.
So there I was, with a book and an ice cream bar in my hands, soaked in warm water up to the shoulder. I was happy. It was perfect. All was going well until, as I was finishing the ice cream bar, the last remaining piece dropped to water. For a moment I thought of a rescue, but needless to say it was too late. I witnessed the juicy chunk melt and dissolve into nothingness. A brand new experiment in bath additives.
A few days later, I think that was actually a very delicately delivered punishment for my misbehaviors. You should never read a book in the bath, and eat an ice cream bar. That would be a double sin.

4 comments:

Claire said...

Dear Mr. Mogi,
Thanks for starting to write English entries again. I don't subscribe to your Japanese blog, but your English one is on my RSS reader. I really enjoy these short observations.
Claire

Oli M. said...

I'd never conceived eating an ice cream bar and reading in the bath before. I suppose this was part personal reflection and part warning, but reading this makes me more likely to try it anyway.

Perhaps I shouldn't say "anyway"; Labeling something otherwise uninteresting a "sin" can greatly increase our curiosity about it.

kirainet said...

I never had the idea of reading while having a bath until I came to live in Japan. The "ofuro culture" made me think about using my time inside the bath for reading... and I love it. Even if the books get a litle bit humid sometimes I think it is a great pleasure to read in the ofuro. I have to try your ice cream-reading-ofuro combo :)

SEICHI said...

Um...
though you told that you shouldn't read a book in a bath,
I really love it!

The way of reading a book in a bath
here
http://snbrand.com/?p=2012