Website © 2003 by Tyler Carey
All Content Creator-Owned

Ken Ueno's European Travelogue '03


8 - Laundry Day

In the alley around the corner from Delta Hotel is a laundermat owned by the Columbia Hotel. There is a sign on the door that says to retrieve the key from the hotel reception. The hotel is on the left side of the alley, the laundermat is on the right. After entering the door to the hotel, there is steep stairway the leads up two flights to a glass door. Behind the glass door is a control room. The Chinese man sees me on his monitor and buzzes to let me in. I tell him that I want to use the laundermat. He gives me the key and tells me to return the key there. He says to not let anyone in. Only people with keys get in.

There are only five washing machines in the laundermat. And three dryers. I look on the wall for instructions. There are too many vowels, but all I need to know is how many coins to put in for the detergent, wash, and dryer, respectively. As I sit listening to 'Trane's The Father And The Son And The Holy Ghost on my I-Pod, groups of dirty American frat boys, English hooligans, and young Spanish try to open the door. They knock on the glass trying to get my attention. I ignore them, as per my instructions from the Chinaman. I am surprised by the amount of time that passes until late-night revelers in need of fresh clothes finally read AND comprehend the sign on the door.

Pre-rinse, wash, and dry.

Holy, Holy, Holy, but are we ever really clean? I think of the bitter scent of yellow rubber. The irony of the scent of yellow rubber. One puts on yellow rubber gloves to wash a load of dishes. But the scent of yellow rubber is like a stain, an ugly tattoo that permeates under several layers of skin. You smell it for a the rest of the day. No rite of purification will undo its history. It is uncleanseable like sin.

Now to return the key to the man in the control room.

I have a travel guidebook. Upon leaving every country (and knowing that I shall not return to that country on this trip) I rip out that country's section from the guide book. I do this to conserve space in my carrying bag and to make the load lighter. I shall rip the Netherlands out of my book tomorrow.

See Features for Previous Journal Entries.