鴛鴦夫婦
Checking back through my archives, it doesn't look like I've told this story. I was listening to Raindancer by Erutan (or katethegreat19, which is the name I originally found her by on OC ReMix, though the fantastic The Rose General) and the lyrics reminded me of the last enkai we went to with softlykarou's co-workers.
The lyrics themselves aren't incredibly inventive:I will always love you
I love you
and with this kiss I make this vow
to love you forever
Like birds of a feather we'll be
You with me
but they do lead into the story. At the going-away party, they told us about how they always admired us and were a little envious of our relationship. In Japan, the kind of obvious affection softlykarou isn't common--and I'm not talking about PDA, I'm talking about stuff like saying "I love you" before falling asleep or before leaving for work, or when talking on the phone, which is when her co-workers would always hear it. Or how softlykarou made me lunch every day (and still does 💖). They called us 鴛鴦夫婦 (oshidori fuufu, literally "mandarin duck couple," but figuratively "lovebirds") and gave us a banzai as we walked out.
In many parts of East Asia, mandarin ducks are the model for married couples, since they supposedly mate for life and stay by each other's side, even in harsh weather.Midnight sleep was broken
But no friend to brush away the cold tears!
I envy the Oshidori which has ever its mate by its side.
-Lady Dainagon, quoted in the journals of Murasaki Shikibu
And hey, we both stayed here during the last winter,
鴛鴦夫婦. That's us.
Here's the song if you'd like to listen:
The lyrics themselves aren't incredibly inventive:I will always love you
I love you
and with this kiss I make this vow
to love you forever
Like birds of a feather we'll be
You with me
but they do lead into the story. At the going-away party, they told us about how they always admired us and were a little envious of our relationship. In Japan, the kind of obvious affection softlykarou isn't common--and I'm not talking about PDA, I'm talking about stuff like saying "I love you" before falling asleep or before leaving for work, or when talking on the phone, which is when her co-workers would always hear it. Or how softlykarou made me lunch every day (and still does 💖). They called us 鴛鴦夫婦 (oshidori fuufu, literally "mandarin duck couple," but figuratively "lovebirds") and gave us a banzai as we walked out.
In many parts of East Asia, mandarin ducks are the model for married couples, since they supposedly mate for life and stay by each other's side, even in harsh weather.Midnight sleep was broken
But no friend to brush away the cold tears!
I envy the Oshidori which has ever its mate by its side.
-Lady Dainagon, quoted in the journals of Murasaki Shikibu
And hey, we both stayed here during the last winter,
鴛鴦夫婦. That's us.
Here's the song if you'd like to listen:
Click to view