Dwarfed Body Parts

This weekend, Suk and I took what we like to think of as our last "getaway". We spent one night in Kamakura at a hotel called The Society. We go there every year, and it had been about 18 months since our last visit.

I made the mistake of not packing any maternity clothes, when I am, in fact, at the point where I need to be wearing maternity, lest I get mistaken for someone who doesn't know how to dress herself.

Since we have a digital camera, I was able to immediately view any photos taken of me among the scenery of Kamakura. Well, to my surprise, I have now developed these humongous boobs, which sort of spread out to each side making way for a little round belly and beneath that, wide hips and big thighs. If I am not mistaken, the wide hips and thighs were there before, but they were not quite as "out there." I started to feel sorry for myself, and I began asking Suk questions like, "Do you think people realize that I am pregnant? Or do you think they just assume I am fat?" Well, I suppose he didn't quite know how to answer this, so he said, "If you had super skinny legs and small breasts, then of course you would look pregnant. But, you don't have super skinny legs and small breasts." Thanks. Ever heard of the simple answer, "Of course you look pregnant, honey? How could people NOT realize that?"

Later that night, we went our separate ways to bathe in the hotel's bath. Suk is lucky because every where you go, there are LESS men around. Sometimes, he is the only one bathing. As for me, there are always lots of women. There are just more of us in this world.

Right away, I started to feel more uncomfortable than usual. I thought the fact that I am pregnant would mean that people would do double-takes at my huger than huge breasts. As if that thought wasn't bad enough. When I got to the changing room, there was a mom with her teenage daughter and (what looked to be) 9-year old son. Okay, 4 or 5 years old is understandable. But 9?

The bath itself was so full that all the shower stalls were occupied, and after my initial rinse, I had to wait over an hour for a shower stall so I could actually wash myself. I waited in the baths, but could only submerge my body in the coolest bath (pregnant women have to take care not to let their bodies get too hot), which was usually full. I finally secured a spot in there after waiting for about 40 minutes. So, I sat on the edge of the other bath with my big boobs hanging around my stomach while that 9-year old boy's mom helped him to shower 4 times. This last sentence will make more sense later in the story.

Now, this whole time, I was not feeling relaxed at all. I should have just left and gone back to the room. But, I was determined to follow through because I like the soap and shampoo that the hotel provides for the showers. Instead, I sat there watching everyone like a hawk until a shower stall opened up. I was practically seething.

Here is what I noticed. These people sure like to waste water. They wash their hair for 20 minutes. Then, they wash their bodies for 20 more minutes. Then, they rinse off and putter around for several more minutes. Finally, they get up and make their way over to the bath for a soak. Before they leave their shower stall, one of their cronies (perhaps a family member or a friend) comes and waits until they're done, and they take over the shower stall. This happened over and over, and often the original water-hog returned to her shower stall after a short soak, and repeated the process all over again. This is what I meant about that 9-year old boy getting washed down by his mom 4 times. While they soaked in the tub together, the teenage daughter was tediously washing her hair and body.

So, finally, I got a shower stall and I tried to take my time, but I just can't seem to stretch a good hair-washing into 20 minutes. And, here is the part where I finally say something funny about the size of my boobs. When naked in a room full of naked women, you cannot help but compare yourself a bit. These Japanese women have breasts about the same size as my husband's. Meanwhile, when I wash, I actually have to lift my breast up in order to wash beneath it. This was not an issue for me before. Now, my breasts have not only grown, but they are also quite heavy, and they dwarf my pregnant belly, which makes me feel even more self-conscious. Okay, back to the ofuro dilemma.

I left the ofuro and went to the changing room, where the little family was still changing their clothes. The 9-year old boy was all dressed and ready to go, but his sister was taking her time. I thought to myself, "Why in the hell is he still hangin' around?" There are about 10 other women in the dressing room all in various states of nakedness, and he is just standing there. Why doesn't his mom tell him to go and wait out by the vending machines?