Oggie and the Dragon

Yesterday a most pleasant surprise rocked up in Tokyo. My very long time ago colleague and Beijing buddy, Oggie, came to Tokyo. We hooked up in Shinjuku with Junko and her colleague. After some standard Izakaya stuff, Junko suggested Absinth. And why not? Why not Absinth on a thursday night in Tokyo? We let her lead us to a basement near the citizen registery (convenient if you need to change your status to disabled after going blind from drinking A). Che Guevara loomed large over the entrance. The place was shoddy to say the least, it felt like China - sanitation wise. The bar, and yes this was only a bar, had only a counter and six bar stools. Russian cartoons were pojected on a screen, Che hung around on a flag behinde the bar, a dildo in formaldehyde (?) was perched on top of a jug of 60% fire water. Behind the bar stood Dragon, slightly round and bald propietor of this bar, wearing - yes, you got it - a Che t-shirt. Dragon poured some absinth in tall shot glasses. Oggie looked suspicious: It is supposed to be green, and why is there ice? I thought they held a spoon with sugar over the glass and lit fire to it. Dragon said he had the green stuff too, but that this was better, and I have to agree that it was a rather pleasent drink. That it fucks with your head is an added bonus. Oggie finished his fancy absinth and asked for the green stuff. And I want you to lit it on fire, no fucking ice. Dragon smiled and embarrassed smile: I don't do fire, it is a house-rule. Oggie looked at him quizzically. Why? Dragon looked like a child who has been caught red-handed stealing from the cookie-jar: Eh....My last bar burned down, so...ahem...I don't do fire.

LOVE TOKYO!