mango stains and cigarette smoke
I spent my morning/afternoon volunteering at a soup kitchen -- assembling food baskets, lifting, distributing fruit. The people in the group I went with were pretty cool, and we had a late lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe (my first time) and talked, and it was fun.
I went a few weeks ago, and I want to keep up going to this place at least once a month. Today they said about 400+ servings were distributed to mostly homeless people in Ueno. I haven't really done this sort of thing seriously since high school, and it doesn't feel like I did anything big or good but I am comforted by the idea that I spent some of my time for people other than myself.
In other news, I met up with an Air Force Reserves guy who had been in Korea for dinner and walking around in Akihabara/Asakusa. It was mostly getting lost and talking and me really realizing that you can learn so much from other people. There was nothing about him that particularly sucked me in but it was time mostly well-spent. From the reckless streak he showed, though, I wonder a little about the chances of him destroying himself somehow, too early. It's a crazy thing to see in a person.
I remain underwhelmed by Tokyo, though, and at a loss when asked to show it. Yokohama I can do, and Tottori I can do. Tokyo....
It's easy to forget that it's Christmas Eve, and surreal when you think about how much I loved this day and waited for it as a child. In some ways, I can see the future. If this next year goes as I expect it to, I will be home or in a new city alone around this time next year, and it will likely be much more miserable, just for reasons of timing if nothing else.
Bah humbug.
I went a few weeks ago, and I want to keep up going to this place at least once a month. Today they said about 400+ servings were distributed to mostly homeless people in Ueno. I haven't really done this sort of thing seriously since high school, and it doesn't feel like I did anything big or good but I am comforted by the idea that I spent some of my time for people other than myself.
In other news, I met up with an Air Force Reserves guy who had been in Korea for dinner and walking around in Akihabara/Asakusa. It was mostly getting lost and talking and me really realizing that you can learn so much from other people. There was nothing about him that particularly sucked me in but it was time mostly well-spent. From the reckless streak he showed, though, I wonder a little about the chances of him destroying himself somehow, too early. It's a crazy thing to see in a person.
I remain underwhelmed by Tokyo, though, and at a loss when asked to show it. Yokohama I can do, and Tottori I can do. Tokyo....
It's easy to forget that it's Christmas Eve, and surreal when you think about how much I loved this day and waited for it as a child. In some ways, I can see the future. If this next year goes as I expect it to, I will be home or in a new city alone around this time next year, and it will likely be much more miserable, just for reasons of timing if nothing else.
Bah humbug.