The Mullet Returns

I got my hair cut today, and do to my poor Japanese skills and the inability of my hairdresser to copy a picture I am once again stuck with a mullet. Some of you may remember the previous mullet that I got while in Thailand . . . this one is much worse. First of all, I somehow managed to find the one salon in all of Japan (maybe all of Asia) that doesn't give you a little head massage while shampooing your hair. Actually, he (yes, he) didn't even shampoo my hair, he just wet it and that was all! Then I repeated some simple phrases that I learned, "lots of layers, please," and, "about the same length, please." I then showed him pictures of women with perfectly normal, beautiful, non-mullet-like hair. The next thing I knew I had a mullet.

Maybe I'll grow to love the mullet, and appreciate the humor in having one, but right now I'm going to hide in my room and eat chocolate. Eventually I'll put up some pictures of the mullet, but right now I'm too embarassed.

On a happier note, I went to the stone spa last night after work with my manager, Keiko, and the head teacher, Ayuko. It was actually really fun and relaxing. You change into these cotton pajamas and then lay in a sauna-like room (only much better) where there are stone slabs in individually partitioned rows. The stones underneath you are heated, so it kind of feels like when you lay on the cement after swimming on a warm summer's day. You do three 10 minute sessions, with two 5 minute breaks in between. Afterwards you take a shower, and get to use this powder room where they have all kinds of sprays and lotions for you to try. Then you sit out in the lobby and drink a refreshing cup of tea. The whole experience was so relaxing, it's nice to feel pampered once in awhile.

Oh, one more thing! If you know any fun tongue twisters, send them my way! I taught some to my students as a warm up activity and they loved them. I already have the following:

• Red leather, yellow leather
• She sells seashells by the seashore
• How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
• Unique New York

Have fun saying those, and let me know if you have any more!