sento and saving the printed newspaper

4 reasons to buy the paper and do our bit to resist the almost certain obliteration of the news in print under the tsunami of online abbreviations. in praise of articles that can be read slowly, carefully and gleefully in all their well-written glory, with a pot of tea and toast on the table. from today's saturday age newspaper (please if you can go out and buy it)...

amanda hooton's article on the uninitiated foreigner experience in a local tokyo sento: 

'The japanese woman at the desk looks at me in horror. "Bath?" I say. She says a great many things, none of which I understand. We both pause. "Bath?" I say again, holding up my towel. She says more things, frowning. Then she writes something down on a piece of paper: 380(yen)...the women in the baths have obviously seen me through the sliding door, because by the time I enter, they're all looking studiously in the opposite direction'.

john clarke on the 18 road rules in australia:

1) 'Place the key in the ignition and start the vehicle. Ease out into the traffic, using your indicators (check the manual). Once the vehicle has attained a speed of 15kmh, get on the phone.'

17) 'Country driving. The most efficient way to ensure that Australia's vital rural industries are working to maximum potential is to place a single bale of hay on the tray of your ute and emerge from a very small side road on to a main highway at a glacial velocity, sticking close to the middle of the road and rolling a smoke. If you run out of things to do, turn to the passenger's seat after a few minutes and have a word with the dog.'

jenny sinclaire's article on melbourne in literature:

'The curve of the Yarra between Swanston Street and Princes Bridge, the "electric blue water" of Fitzroy Pool or the way the bells of Melbourne's trams sit in the background of the soundscape...'

michigirls' woollen butterfly top (at www.nikkigabriel.blogspot.com. granted, this one would be just as charming when popping up in the inbox via michgirl's forecast):

'What you want to do is keep the butterfly as calm as possible to avoid stress and too much flapping about. The last thing you want to do is nick them. Personally, I like to keep my butterflies calm by singing to them when I shear.' 

b&w photos via the excellent pingmag article

coloured sento photo via wikipedia