I took kumis to a standing bar

I took the kumis and went to my usual standing bar.

I bought kumis in Mongolia.
I had never drunk it before.
I didn't even drink it while I was there.
But, since I had it, I thought I wanted to try it.

I didn't feel like opening it alone at home,
so a few days after returning to Japan,
I took it to my favorite standing bar.

I asked the staff.

"Would you like to drink this?"
"It's liquor made from horse milk."

The moment I said that,
the air stood still for a moment.

Everyone was interested.

But they weren't exactly eager.

A little bit in small glasses.

They drank.

Silence.

"...What is this!"

A stir went through the room. Laughter broke out.

It's sour.
It's milky.
It's alcohol.

It feels like a flavor I know,
but no one can name exactly what it is.

"Isn't this good with wine?"
"It's like the whey on top of yogurt."
"It's like the animal flavor comes chasing after you later."

Something that was sold normally in Mongolia
became a bit of an event at a standing bar in Osaka.

It was interesting.

The feeling of having traveled far away
doesn't actually come while you're there,
but after you get back.

Going to the supermarket,
doing the laundry,
sharing an unknown drink at a standing bar,
that's when the journey finally blends into daily life.

The kumis
didn't go down that much.

But,
it was a night where I properly continued my journey.