fine
clear autumn sky
This is an article from a blog I used to do. One day, I wrote, “I love walking while drinking,” and I received quite a few comments.
I got a lot of comments like “I love it too”, “You’ll get caught in America”, “It’s a uniquely Japanese culture”, “It’s ok in parks”, “You’re an alcoholic and should go to the hospital”, “It’s essential for cherry blossom viewing”, “I wish there was a law against it in public places”, “You’ll get mugged”, etc.
If anything, it was probably overwhelmingly “non”.
As a solitary drinker who does not like to go out drinking, these comments really stuck in my mind.
I asked a few people close to me and they told me that it was amazing that they could drink not only alcohol, but also tea and water while walking around. In a way, it is a special skill, and I am only praised in a strange way….
For myself, especially on a wonderful fall day, like this time of year, I enjoy drinking while walking in the park or around town so much that I wonder why people don’t do it (or do they?). Plus, if you can come up with a good idea or write a haiku while walking, there’s nothing more to say.
You can find a lot of information about how to enjoy drinking just by searching the Internet. It is said that you should drink sake with courtesy and a proper collar.
Certainly, it is proper to drink sake in a kimono, with a tray of snacks and a stylish tokkuri (sake cup), or at a stylish bar counter, with a glass of Aera Scotch whisky on the rocks.
Walking along a tree-lined avenue with autumn leaves in the afternoon on a peaceful holiday, watching people enjoying themselves as they walk through the downtown area, I find myself in a pleasant idyllic mood, and suddenly I find myself buying cheap beer or highballs at a convenience store that catches my eye. But how enjoyable it is….
Of course, I try my best not to be one of those drunken people who sometimes walk around town spouting off expletives or staring at people as they pass by. I also don’t talk to people without thinking.
Furthermore, I try to drink in a white plastic bag so that others cannot tell that it is alcohol.
After writing all this, I began to think that no matter how many excuses I put forth, I would never get the approval of many people. I’m beginning to think that I’m not going to get many people’s approval, so I’m going to put down my pen.
Well, I’m not going to quit no matter how angry I get…
On the contrary, I’m going to publish a book someday called “Drinking and Walking” to compete with “Sakehouse Wanderings” (on TV, that is).
A short day, a bottle of sake in one hand, and a taste of autumn in the other
