Naked Sunday

I have no pictures for this post, and after I tell you why, you'll either be relieved or disappointed. Actually, most of you might be relieved, which honestly hurts my feelings a little.

If I haven't told you how comfortable the Germans are naked, I've been remiss. But here's the thing - Germans think nudity is no big deal. Which is why you can see into the showers at the gym, there are FKK beaches, there are no paper gowns to wear at doctor's offices, and you can see pictures of breasts in magazines and store windows.

In contrast, I think nudity is a big deal. When I'm near naked people I don't know where to rest my eyes (look at his face, look at his face), and being naked in front of people is much worse. I'm not especially comfortable with that unless we have a *very* close relationship. What can I say? I'm an American. I'm a prude. The two go hand in hand.

My discomfort with the naked human form is a source of great amusement for the Germans. And, in an effort to cure us of our prudish ways, Kristina took Jenny and me to the sauna yesterday. The difference between German saunas and American saunas is that clothing is forbidden in German saunas. And they're co-ed. That's right. I spent yesterday sweating naked on a bench with my friends while other naked people lounged nearby.

Overall, I guess it wasn't so bad. After I hung up my robe the first time it got progressively easier. And at some point I was just too hot to care. There are two observations I would like to make. The first is that it's quite unsettling to fall asleep in a lounge chair (outside the sauna - I was wearing a robe) and wake up to a naked man stretching over you to hang up his towel on a hook above your head. Penises across the room are one thing. Penises dangling before your eyes are another. The second thing is that that naked men are funny. While I was drinking my after sauna milchshake I had a view of the pool outside. Every single man walking around out there walked with his hands on his hips and his pelvis thrust forward. Not being a man, I can't be sure, but it certainly looked like some sort of method to establish territory.

I'm a little worried about what it might mean if I get too comfortable with being naked in front of strangers. Afterall, I'm eventually going back to the US, where nudity is closely linked with sex. It could lead to problems.