自分のチルアウトは何だろうかと考えてみたら、
家のベランダでの日光浴だった。
そしてそこから南の島へとひとっ飛び。
Essay
2024.06.21
photo_Toshinori Okada
Text_Toshinori Okada
今回のコラムは「yoff」の特集テーマに合わせて“私のチルアウト”から書きだそうと思う。自分のチルアウトは夏の朝、家のベランダにボンボンベッド(屋外で使える折りたたみ式のベッド)をだして、海パン姿でゴロゴロすること。近頃の夏は朝といってもかなり暑い。汗が噴き出す肌を陽光がジリジリ焦がしている。この感覚がもう南の島なのである。ボブ・マーリーを聴きながら目を閉じれば、どこからか潮風が吹いてくるような錯覚を覚える。
いくつかの南の島に行ったが、好きなのはグアムとサイパン。湿気を嫌う人もいるけど、自分は気にならない。それよりなにより、フライトが4時間くらいだし、時差は1時間ほど。島内の主要な施設では日本語が通じ、街には普通に居酒屋がある。そして、なんといっても海がきれい。言葉で緊張することも、食事に悩むことも、時差ぼけになることもなく、珊瑚礁の海が楽しめ、そしてここは海外だ。サイパンならマニャガハ島までバナナボートで渡るのもいい。スキューバダイビングやジェットスキーを楽しみプールサイドでビールを飲みつづける。感動的なほど美しい夕焼けを眺める頃には、世の中のなにもかも許せる、大らかな人になっている。これほどリラックスできるところは他にはない。
毎年のようにサイパンに行ってた頃、ビーチでマリンスポーツの客を物色している現地の若者と仲良くなった。ある日、その若者がウミガメをつかまえたから食べにこないかといってきた。カレーで煮込むらしい。ウミガメって食べられるのか?天然記念物に指定されている場所もあるし、なんかやばいことになっても困るぞ。ということで、そのときは丁寧にお断りしたが、そんな面白い誘いがあるのもサイパンの楽しいところだ。
いいなぁ、行きたいなぁ、南の島。でもいまの円安と仕事の忙しさからすると行けそうにもない。そんなわけで今年の夏も、ベランダのボンボンベッドの上で妄想しながら、自分なりのチルアウトを楽しむことになりそうだ。
My chill-out activity turns out to be sunbathing on my balcony.
From there, I can mentally transport myself to a tropical island in no time.
For this column, keeping with this yoff issue's theme, I'll write about my own chill-out. My chill-out is lounging on a folding sunbed on my balcony on summer mornings, wearing swim trunks. These days, even mornings get quite hot. The sizzling sunlight on my sweaty skin makes me feel like I'm already on a tropical island. Closing my eyes while listening to Bob Marley, I can almost feel the sea breeze.
I've visited a few tropical islands, but I particularly like Guam and Saipan. Some people dislike the humidity, but it doesn't bother me. More importantly, the flight is about four hours, and there's only a one-hour time difference. Japanese is spoken at major facilities, and there are izakayas in town. Plus, the sea is beautiful. I can enjoy the coral reefs without worrying about language barriers, meal choices, or jet lag. In Saipan, you can take a banana boat to Managaha Island. Enjoy scuba diving, jet skiing, and drinking beer by the pool. By the time you watch the stunning sunset, you'll feel like a generous person who can forgive anything. There's no place more relaxing.
When I used to visit Saipan every year, I befriended a local youth scouting for marine sports customers on the beach. One day, he invited me to eat a sea turtle he'd caught, cooked in curry. Can you eat sea turtles? In some places they're designated as natural treasures, so I politely declined, but such quirky invitations are part of Saipan's charm.
Oh, I wish I could go to a tropical island again. But with the weak yen and my busy work schedule, it's unlikely. So, this summer, I'll be enjoying my own chill-out, imagining tropical islands while lounging on my balcony.
My chill-out activity turns out to be sunbathing on my balcony.
From there, I can mentally transport myself to a tropical island in no time.
For this column, keeping with this yoff issue's theme, I'll write about my own chill-out. My chill-out is lounging on a folding sunbed on my balcony on summer mornings, wearing swim trunks. These days, even mornings get quite hot. The sizzling sunlight on my sweaty skin makes me feel like I'm already on a tropical island. Closing my eyes while listening to Bob Marley, I can almost feel the sea breeze.
I've visited a few tropical islands, but I particularly like Guam and Saipan. Some people dislike the humidity, but it doesn't bother me. More importantly, the flight is about four hours, and there's only a one-hour time difference. Japanese is spoken at major facilities, and there are izakayas in town. Plus, the sea is beautiful. I can enjoy the coral reefs without worrying about language barriers, meal choices, or jet lag. In Saipan, you can take a banana boat to Managaha Island. Enjoy scuba diving, jet skiing, and drinking beer by the pool. By the time you watch the stunning sunset, you'll feel like a generous person who can forgive anything. There's no place more relaxing.
When I used to visit Saipan every year, I befriended a local youth scouting for marine sports customers on the beach. One day, he invited me to eat a sea turtle he'd caught, cooked in curry. Can you eat sea turtles? In some places they're designated as natural treasures, so I politely declined, but such quirky invitations are part of Saipan's charm.
Oh, I wish I could go to a tropical island again. But with the weak yen and my busy work schedule, it's unlikely. So, this summer, I'll be enjoying my own chill-out, imagining tropical islands while lounging on my balcony.
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魔法がかかったような鮮やかな空。
a.椰子の木とカヌーと夕陽にうっとりする。
b.海風に吹かれながらの読書も格別。
c.南の島では神秘的な光景をよく見かける。
d.この色合いがたまらない。