Rakija. Don’t…
I did not learn much Japanese when I lived in Hiroshima, but I had a few phrases to get me through everyday life. My favourite word by far was ‘futsukayoi’, which is the word for hangover. It has a more literal meaning, which I had always thought was ‘two days hurting’, but I double checked with a gaijin blog to be absolutely sure:
The Japanese are renowned for drinking heavily, and they have their own unique expression for “hangover”: “futsukayoi”, which means “drunk for two days.” You might like to exaggerate the level of your hangover by saying “mikkayoi” (drunk for three days) or “yokkayoi” (drunk for four days) etc.
The reason my Japanese came back to me this week is because I am still recovering from an evening with Hula Hula legend Wolf, who is surely one of the coolest people in Dalmatia.
We met last year via the Total Hvar project, and I really enjoy his company. He is one of that rare breed of people who can light up a room with his mere presence, and we had a great time at the end of last year, as we realised we had both worked in the same five-star hotel in Munich in the 1980s, organising hookers for the same celebrities (you can read about it here).
We met for what I thought would be a couple of beers, and it turned out to be a few more than that, but with a Wolf twist – why not have a shot of rakija with every beer?
Although I am partial to the occasional glass of wine or cold brewski, I have never got on with rakija, and I try to avoid it at all costs. Occasionally I forget, such as the other night, and memories of Japan resurface.
Wolf, I salute you, you are a legend, but next time, can we just stick to beer? For anyone looking for the real 2013 party, book your flights for May 19-24, as Hula Hula will be celebrating a significant Wolf birthday in some style…
I am getting into training now.
