WHat a friggin Day!!
...
Last night saw Spiderman 2 in Tsukuba at an excellent theatre for only $11. Liked it better the second time, as I thought I might.
Woke up, walked around Tsukuba Center (yep, I got pics), and Tsuchiura...got a little nostalgic.
Then I went to Toride to get some Okonomiyaki...I went crazy witht he camera and filmed every step of the process for those who don:t know the glory of Okonomiyaki (`As you like it` yaki). Hung out with Meg, my ex-student, at the video store (telling her to watch LOTR and Before Sunrise which is called Koibito ma-de `Distance` (The Distance Until Lovers!)) and buying the first 3 issues of GTO in Japanese (cause it:s better that way...and gets me in trouble when I speak like that), and then walked back by myself to the train station...passing by the neighborhood of someone I have been looking for the whole time I have been here. SHe is the mother of one of my former students AND a coworker at the City Hall. SHe is also the first voice on my answering machine (Jay knows what I mean). Anyway, I went to the City Hall and she wasn:t there. I was wondering if Iwould bump into her by walking through her neighborhood. No luck.
Then...this is too freaky. I was about to walk past Tagashira elementary but didn`t want to cause I saw some kids out in front. HOWEVER, the sun was so horribly, terribly, incredibly painfully hot that the shaded street in front of the school was too tempting. A car pulled out of the school and I moved aside to avoid it (sidewalks are a rarity here, so walking in the street is common). Out of habit, I looked at the driver...and met with the most unique eyes...of my friend! She recognized me, and I pointed at her with gusto.
A reunion...and completely by chance...so many factors could have kept this from happening, but alas. She got out and we chatted for about 15 nminutes while her confused son waited in the car (friends of his would ride past and ask what up with the random gaijin talking to his mom). Eventually, I went back to her house to see if her duaghter was there. She was not, though she called me on the phone later tonight and sent me some text messages. Thrusting a bag of chips in my hand (to go along with the hot corn on the cob that my okonomiyaki mamasan gave me earlier), she gave me a ride to the station. I`m going to go see her on Thursday for some King Arthur.
It occurs to me that she is a good reason why i am like the Tool in Love Actually...as I have always had a wee crush on her, despite the age differemce, marraige, and four kids. SHe is just so damn cute! Bad Coleman!
Part Two of the day next post!
Last night saw Spiderman 2 in Tsukuba at an excellent theatre for only $11. Liked it better the second time, as I thought I might.
Woke up, walked around Tsukuba Center (yep, I got pics), and Tsuchiura...got a little nostalgic.
Then I went to Toride to get some Okonomiyaki...I went crazy witht he camera and filmed every step of the process for those who don:t know the glory of Okonomiyaki (`As you like it` yaki). Hung out with Meg, my ex-student, at the video store (telling her to watch LOTR and Before Sunrise which is called Koibito ma-de `Distance` (The Distance Until Lovers!)) and buying the first 3 issues of GTO in Japanese (cause it:s better that way...and gets me in trouble when I speak like that), and then walked back by myself to the train station...passing by the neighborhood of someone I have been looking for the whole time I have been here. SHe is the mother of one of my former students AND a coworker at the City Hall. SHe is also the first voice on my answering machine (Jay knows what I mean). Anyway, I went to the City Hall and she wasn:t there. I was wondering if Iwould bump into her by walking through her neighborhood. No luck.
Then...this is too freaky. I was about to walk past Tagashira elementary but didn`t want to cause I saw some kids out in front. HOWEVER, the sun was so horribly, terribly, incredibly painfully hot that the shaded street in front of the school was too tempting. A car pulled out of the school and I moved aside to avoid it (sidewalks are a rarity here, so walking in the street is common). Out of habit, I looked at the driver...and met with the most unique eyes...of my friend! She recognized me, and I pointed at her with gusto.
A reunion...and completely by chance...so many factors could have kept this from happening, but alas. She got out and we chatted for about 15 nminutes while her confused son waited in the car (friends of his would ride past and ask what up with the random gaijin talking to his mom). Eventually, I went back to her house to see if her duaghter was there. She was not, though she called me on the phone later tonight and sent me some text messages. Thrusting a bag of chips in my hand (to go along with the hot corn on the cob that my okonomiyaki mamasan gave me earlier), she gave me a ride to the station. I`m going to go see her on Thursday for some King Arthur.
It occurs to me that she is a good reason why i am like the Tool in Love Actually...as I have always had a wee crush on her, despite the age differemce, marraige, and four kids. SHe is just so damn cute! Bad Coleman!
Part Two of the day next post!