Names abbreviated to protect, well, everyone.
JA: Have you seen JT today?
Me: Can’t say that I have.
JA: Well, she has this big…mark in the middle of her forehead. And as I was talking to her, I actually stopped to look at it. Then, you know, I tried to keep going, but…man, I don’t know if it’s a bruise or what. So if you see her…
Me: Try not to stare?
JA: Yeah.
If my work was a sitcom, at this point we’d cut to a scene where I’m staring at the mark on JT’s forehead. That hasn’t actually happened.
…yet.
Update: Hours later, I suddenly remembered something.
Me: Did it occur to you when you saw the mark on JT’s forehead that today’s Ash Wednesday?
JA: …no it did not. But now that you mention it…
How about we went to the conveyor belt sushi place after the evening service tonight, and the waiter talked to my FOREHEAD!
Then he starts getting all spastic with his hand, pointing in a quick line across the middle of his forehead, and stumbling over how to ask me what it was on my head.
Hindsight always gives me my best comebacks, damnit.
I told him we’d just left the Ash Wednesday service at the Cathedral. He said, “Oh, okay,” not seeming any clearer on the subject, “I saw some guys with some stuff on their head a few weeks ago, but, I guess that wasn’t the same thing.”
As I said, hindsight always gives me the best comebacks. UNFORTUNATELY.
My two personal favorites I came up with after the fact were:
Lean in really close to him, and say, as I look around quickly to see who’s listening, “We’re in a cult.”
OR
Make a really puzzled face, and say, “What? What’s on my forehead? Hey, what IS on my forehead?!” as I touch it, find the ashes, and FREAK OUT about something being on my face. Frantically wiping my forehead, I’d look at David, and shout, “OH MY GOD, IT’S ALL OVER YOU, TOO!!”
OH well. At least we haven’t been kicked out, so we’ll check out conveyor belt sushi when you’re here! :D
We went to a sushi place after church, and got asked by the waiter.
After we finished there, we went to the grocery store and there was the occasional stare.
Kaitenzushi! I haven’t had that since Hakodate in 2001. Do they do it the same way, where they count the different kinds of plate to total your bill?
Apparently there’s a place in Atlanta, too. Also a dim sum place that Charles says he’ll take me to next time.
Can’t wait to try all these great restaurants in England you keep talking about!
So are you supposed to keep the ash on your head all day? JT ended up wiping hers off, because when I saw her later it wasn’t there.
Yep, the plates are white, and have little color/price coded rings around them, and the people add up the plates to total your bill. It’s AWESOME GOOD. :D
http://www.sakushi.co.uk
Well, hurry up and get here!! ;) I’ve already been making a list of possible places to go, and things to do. Soon we need to talk about what YOU’D like to see while you’re here, so I can start to figure out an easy schedule that will STILL fit in tons of good food and picture taking opportunities!! :D
You’re supposed to keep the ashes on all day, yes. It’s quite possible that your friend’s ashes just wore off, they can do that very easily, actually, especially if they’re the dry kind. We used to get very black, very dry ashes in grade and high schools, that usually wore off or were extremely fade at least, by late afternoon. We got ours at 7:30pm this time, though –probably closer to 8 or 8:30pm) and they were wet, so they were thicker and “stuck” better. They were grey, though.
I DID wipe mine off before I went to bed, though, which I suppose is acceptable? I don’t know if David went to sleep with his on or not, though, I can’t remember.