Wine on the tatami
Posted on 12. Feb, 2007 by dimaks in Life
Last saturday night (10 Feb), the head professor of our research laboratory invited us to his house for some kind of a new year party. It’s actually a late celebration, though I heard that every year, the professor hold this generous laboratory-wide treat. We arrived to his place at around 4pm. By this time, the sky was a bit gloomy, with the cold winds intermittently slapping our cheeks and through the neighborhoods.
Upon entering the house and welcomed by the host, we sat on the tatami mat. Afterwards, each of us were given hot towels to warm up our faces and hands. Everyone sat down almost evenly distributed on the 4 tables in the room. By that time, everything was already in place – foods and drinks were already on the low japanese tables. After a short opening remarks from one of our lab-mates, the meal begun. At first, bottles of drinks were passed around – sake, beer and tea. And later, wine, whisky and bottles of lambanog (given as present to the host professor) were also offered. The meal continued while loads of various japanese dishes were being served one after the other.
What I observed in the Japanese parties (basically, eating and drinking and lots of chat) is that, after a while, people hops to different tables and initiate a conversation. And then there is the usual courtesy of pouring a drink to the table-hopper’s glass by the receiving group. Then the talk begins. This scenario gets interesting especially when one gets tipsy by the sake and beers. And you get to drink a lot because it is believed to be unethical to refuse a drink especially when a colleague pours onto your drinking glass. But of course if you will be driving later, you can always refuse and it is understandable.
I happened to sat at one corner with my academic adviser together with his wife on my right side while on my left were a colombian friend who is almost a doctor now and kurihara san. So expectedly, I was forced to discuss with my adviser about things concerning my research. He even remarked that it will be good if I can come up with at least one paper for this year and try to present in, perhaps local conferences, which of course I had to reply, “Yes, I will sensei” 
On the other side, colombian friend Mr.D, kurihara and myself chatted about travels, local traditions and a bunch of jokes to laugh the night away.
While the noise from laughters and conversations are invading the room, I needed to occasionally change my sitting position and style. My legs and ankles hurt by sitting on them against the tatami mats for sometime. Wines and whiskies were gradually invading one’s momentary state of minds, feelings and outward formats of word coming out from the mouths. Wine glasses and whisky and tea bottles were now randomly resting upon the tatami mats, while the drinkers breeze through spiraling depth of the night with the booze’s spirits. How temporal and fleeting it is? I suddenly thought on such short-lived joy and comfort of oneself. For sure, later on or maybe tomorrow, we will be facing our lives as individuals and walk it through without such quiet a big company and crowd. Each one of us will be threading a day with the usual bliss of life’s comfort or maybe torments of ordained suffering. Life is positive and negative and those between and around them. While the wine has no choice to be placed on the tatami, it bears the power to sweeten or at least, neutralize one’s current discomforts in life. It brings mysteries as well as realities.
The party was concluded, first by self introduction, since there were other Japanese guests who came a little bit late after we arrived, followed by a closing remarks from my academic adviser.
We thanked our party host for the sumptuous meal then headed back home.
It was raining.
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22 Comments to “Wine on the tatami”
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Dimaks is a part-time blogger born in Cotabato City, Southern Philippines. He loves a wide array of things: Martial arts, Scootering, Painting, Photography, Cooking and of course eating. Indulge with his blogging rounds!
Elaine
Feb 12th, 2007
What a nice party.
It makes me remember the time I had to research (for a Social Studies class) on how Japanese people accepted their guests during parties. It was interesting. Do you really plan or design those usually complex roads and transport systems they have? Must be a challenge, but not something you can’t handle I bet. You’ve made it there and that must mean you are more than capable. 
Good luck.
verns
Feb 13th, 2007
“Life is positive and negative and those between and around them. While the wine has no choice to be placed on the tatami, it bears the power to sweeten or at least, neutralize one’s current discomforts in life. It brings mysteries as well as realities.”
deep…I never thought of wine that way but you are right.
Richmond
Feb 13th, 2007
“While the wine has no choice to be placed on the tatami, it bears the power to sweeten or at least, neutralize one’s current discomforts in life.”
love it.
SeDuCtiVE_EyEs
Feb 13th, 2007
hi dimaks,
u married yet?
dimaks
Feb 13th, 2007
@Elaine,
My background is engineering but with my chosen field of expertise right now, I will be more inclined onto the planning side of things. Thanks.. will do my best to excel.
@verns,
Good, now I’ve struck a chord using the wine
@Richmond,
now get those wine!
“Another one bites the dust”
@SeDuCtiVE_EyEs,
Eh?
kathy
Feb 13th, 2007
During my first years of stay here, parties with my Japanese friends/labmates were a torture for me – I couldn’t understand half of what they were saying when they were sober, none of it when they were drunk!
tina
Feb 14th, 2007
so this is how the party goes.. grabe.. ha.. kung andaming tables na ivisit mooo wooo… dami mo rin mainom hehe. nice.
Happy Valentine’s day!!!
rhodora
Feb 14th, 2007
Cheers, Dimaks! Happy Valentine’s Day!
verns
Feb 14th, 2007
bwahahahaha…uhhhmmmm
Dimaks are you single and available?
*wink wink*
hahahaha sorry natawa kasi talaga sa tanong dude! Sagutin mo na kasi hehe
dimaks
Feb 14th, 2007
kathy,
Those initial months or so are really some kind of torture ã§ã—ã？
But they have passed and now, look.. I am happy to be able to go to the barber shop by myself and ask for a haircut, to the drug store for a specific medicine ..to restaurants for a meal. But true to that of Japanese being drunk
tina,
There is the trick to it, before you go to other tables, be sure to bring your own glass, filled up and drink it slowly. Yes, delaying tactic lol.
rhodora,
Salamat po.. happy hearts day to you, God bless to your family.
verns,
For that sake, i’m olredi dobol and not abaylabol
verns
Feb 14th, 2007
hahahaha ayan! Di ko alam na married ka na pala
herb
Feb 14th, 2007
i’ve never been a drinker but when i got here to japan, i found myself drinking more than i usually do~!
but drinking can be fun, given the right company. (^__^)
dimaks
Feb 14th, 2007
verns,
Ok, 1-down trivia
herb,
yes, the spirit they say
Ms`Ma|ambing
Feb 14th, 2007
eherm…
cheers!!
lol..
daan lang.. *winks*
dimaks
Feb 14th, 2007
Ms`Ma|ambing,
eherm.. *winks*
Jaypee
Feb 15th, 2007
You’ve got yourself an anonymous admirer my friend!
Ms`Ma|ambing
Feb 15th, 2007
@Jaypee
lol..
she’s broken hearted by now..
kung sino man siya..
*winks* @ dimaks
aCey
Feb 15th, 2007
hey, wine on the tatami sounds romantic. haha. a late happy valentine’s day!
dimaks
Feb 15th, 2007
Jaypee,
I’m flattered, lolz.
*winks* @ Ms`Ma|ambing
aCey,
well, I think it will be more romantic with your love one drinking together.
Does it?
annamanila
Feb 17th, 2007
Beautiful picture .. austere (like most Japanese art is) … ano ba yung flower like thingie sa gitna ng crystal dish. mamya pa ako mag-comment du sa sunset pics.
Para tuloy akong na-nostaligic for Japan. Can I remember here? Isa lang .. tungkol sa sake: International fellowship night nuon sa Nagoya International Training Center. Bigla na lang sila naglabas ng 2 bamboo poles. Anna-san, you know how to dance bamboo? Eh madunong naman ako basic steps. So praktis kami nung isang Pinoy. Ok naman. Tapos andar na yung stage fright ko. Pero during the dance itself … wala talagang jitters. Ang galing galing ko …asking and teaching the other foreigners to try the steps pa, akala mo tunay. Sabi ko .. paano nangyari yon? Eh I remembered, minutes before the performance, someone offered me a cup (di ba sa cup linalagay yon?) of sake … and wow, feeling bayanihan dancer na.
Ty for allowing that nostalgia.
annamanila
Feb 17th, 2007
Omg .. it’s wine, it’s wine. Duh me. Sige, I already duhed myself, ha? haha. All best, Dimaks .. tingnan ko na yung sunsets.
dimaks
Feb 17th, 2007
annamanila,
You meant tinikling? Amazed ang mga hapon dito 
Yung flower-like thingie, design lang ng plate yun, hehe. And sake is almost always the finale they would offer you due to the existence of various beers around.
Wow, culturally relevant pala ang nostalgia ninyo sa Japan. Welcome po