So after what felt like hours of walking in Asahikawa, I finally made my way to my Couch Surfers (CS) bar (yes he owned a bar) with the assistance of Google maps. Thank god Steven showed me how to use that app during my trip cause otherwise I woulda been screwed!!!
I arrived shortly after 18:30 and was greeted nicely by Doug (won't use real names here)..
He shook my hand which felt like it lasted longer than needed.
Then he gave me a once over, as in looked me from head to toe right in front of me and immediately I felt uneasy. So whatever, I don't make much of it, I drop my bags, take a seat at his bar and start chatting to him about my travels plans, etc. He was honestly great to talk with in the beginning. He was eccentric to say the least, thought he could be gay, reminded me a lot of Alan Carr with the way he spoke.
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| (This is Alan Carr btw, not my Couch surfing host)URL: https://www.google.ca/search?q=alan+carr&biw=1366&bih=662&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwiqv4vXkY7QAhUj7IMKHVRqA6wQ_AUICCgD#imgrc=1ncD4UFaSL7dcM%3A |
Then as the night progressed, two Japanese men came in and I was informed by Doug that they were regulars. Very friendly and super humble they were. The one guy worked in the army doing some top secret stuff that even Doug didn't know much about. Doug informed me that all my drinks were taken care of thanks to the army gentleman. I never got any weird vibes from either of the guys, they just seemed super friendly and honestly so happy that there were foreigners in their town.
Anyways, I honestly can't even remember the exact moment when things between Doug and I went extremely downhill as the man drank many many beers to say he least but he started becoming aggressive, rude, condescending and all the traits that may be surfaced when one becomes intoxicated. He began calling me a dumb ass, saying I didn't know shit, telling me to fuck off and just all together rude. I honestly just sat there biting my tongue and he could tell I was pissed cause he would just start jabbing me and say things like "oh is someone getting angry with me? "Has anyone ever told you, you're super uptight? Am I allowed to even touch you?..." omg I wanted to walk out right there and looking back I don't know why I didn't.
Thank god there were two other couch surfers with me whom arrived around 9pm and told me they intentionally were trying to extend their time away from Doug before having to see him again. They were also just as annoyed and the one guy blatantly said "it's a good thing English isn't my first language because I would probably beat you if I understood everything you are saying" These 2 Israeli guys had spent the previous night with him and said it was much worse than what was happening now. I honestly couldn't believe it...I couldn't remember the last time someone had insulted me so much to my face and just wouldn't stop. I am actually getting annoyed and agitated just thinking about it.
What was even more astonishing was that the 2 Israeli guys thought Doug used CS to get travellers to come to his bar and spend money. They told me that the previous night they each spent 6000 yen ($78 CAD) on drinks (which they thought were covered as Doug kept insisting they keep drinking). Btw a nice hostel costs about $27/night, so when I found out about that, my jaw dropped.
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| It's quite a cute and cozy bar minus the barman |
So at one point he was like "Bonnie did you even read my profile on CS?" and I responded, "uhh of course I did, I also read your reviews before requesting". And he was like did you read the part about being familiar with"bar culture"? And honestly it did not ring a bell.
So I tell him that and he starts like freaking the f*** OUT!!! So yeah fine that is totally my error for not having read the part about his home and "bar culture" but my god the man would not let it go. Again calling me typical Canadian, and how Canadians aren't smart, they don't read etc...How I had the audacity to even request to stay with someone without having read their whole profile?! I wanted to shoot him in the face. Oh yeah and he kept saying how I had an "American accent", and I wasn't speaking proper English etc etc...whatever insult you can come up with, he used on me. Anyway by the end of it, I just agreed with everything he was throwing at me and that irritated him to no other... I honestly just couldn't win with him. Seriously it shocks me what alcohol can do to a person. Cause like I said, before he drank, he was quite a lovely person.
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| This is the bar with blurred out Doug |
Anyway the nice Japanese men were there just sitting quietly and paying for our drinks and food consumed (one actually left to buy us Haggen Daz icecream!!! I almost died when he came back with it- such a nice gesture and expecting absolutely nothing in return) Eventually they left the bar leaving me with Doug, the Israeli guys and Doug's wife. If only those Japanese men knew what bullshit Doug was saying, they would never step foot into his bar again, that I am sure of.
So at 1am, the night ended when a random man arrived at the bar who later took us home. It's interesting in Japan, you can actually pay people to drive you in your car if for whatever reason you cannot drive.
So I got back to Doug's place and he insisted I sleep in the living room away from the Israeli guys and I was like HELLLLZ NO BROTHA! I will sleep with these random men I just met tonight because I feel safer with them than in a room all by myself with you lurking god knows where in the vicinity...
In the morning, it was like angelic Doug was back. He was completely normal and polite and even offered to take me to the train station. We first dropped off the guys at the highway because they were going to hitch hike back to Sapporo. For a brief moment, my whole self became very aware that it was just going to be me and Doug in the car once the two guys were gone and I honestly didn't know what to do. Luckily, Doug just drove me back and we chatted like normal people, no insults no rudeness of any sort. We exchanged our goodbyes and he wished me safe travels before turning and going.
Weirdest and freakiest experience I have ever had in my life.
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| this shot was taken from the table I was sitting at |
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