一風堂

NYに新しい一風堂が先日オープンしました。暇そうだったけどうまかったです。

7/28 yankees

Today's Yankee game was awesome.

Before their 6-5 win against the Rays this afternoon, Yankees honored 2009 MVP Hideki Matsui. He signed a one day deal with their minor league team and retired as a true Yankee. 

Fans were lined up by the gates hours before the game, making sure they got today's promotional item: limited edition Matsui bobbleheads. 

Significantly more Japanese people in attendance.

Now, the game details.

The Return of the Jeter. 

The captain not only started the game off with a solo homerun, but has broken the Yankees' streak of their 9 consecutive homerun-less games. Soriano also homered and ended the game with a sweet walk off single. Ichiro was also clutch today as he went 4-4.


My mom and I have a long history of going to Yankees games together. And most of the time, we've gotten lucky and have been able to see some memorable moments, especially Jeter's. We were there when we saw him hit his 3000th hit, and we were also there when he made his 2013 season debut, where he only played a game. Watching Yankee games is something we will cherish for a lifetime. 

Dream About a Friend

Now I know I often post my dreams here but they are all dreams that really made an impact on me. Real vivid ones that I could still recall even after months.

Yesterday night my dream, for reasons unknown, starred one of my friends who I mainly spent my time with last summer. She was a college student, two or three years my senior. The girl who I owed 67 pushups but never actually did. The girl who I gave my phiten necklace to. We spent a many days and nights talking about our lives, bumming out on the streets while taking in the evening breeze. But fast forward to this summer and we haven't even spoken a word to each other. If by chance she stumbles upon this post, I dedicate this to her, just because of the dream I had. You know who you are.


So it went like this.


I think I was at a mall. Now of course, it's a dream so I don't know the specifics. Just a modern mall. I was ensconced in a sofa in some kind of bookstore, studying some document. When I took a break from reading and took my eyes away from the paper I saw at a distance the girl eating with a friend I knew at some kind of diner. They were sitting at the bar, their chairs were facing my direction. The friend she was eating with I knew pretty well; we were coworkers at one point. He had a medium build with sharp eyes shaped like a flying saucer. At first I doubted that was her, eating with him, but it was them all right. I stared at them for a while, and finally her eyes met mine. However her reaction didn't change a bit. Not even a flinch. No wave, no smile. She remained in her composure, continuing to bite off of her chicken stick, all the while the guy talking to her. And it was a scornful look, as if to question why I was there. 

I got up and walked out of the mall and entered an apartment building into one of the hallways. God only knew why. It's dark, the lights dimmed. Different doors leading to different rooms. The rubbish room door in the corner and the door leading to the stairs next to it. A typical apartment hallway. For some reason I began to walk straight, destination unknown. I didn't even live there. Didn't have any key to any room so it was rather pointless. But while walking I felt a human spirit looming somewhere close. I was definitely not alone. Someone was there. I stopped and looked behind. A girl with a black sleeveless shirt, shorts, and a Longchamp slung over her shoulder was walking the opposite direction from me, her back facing my direction. The same attire I saw her wearing at the diner. It was her, I rasped. Slowly I decided to tail her, wondering where she was going. She didn't live in this part of the town so why was she here? I thought. Not even her friend that she was eating with lived in this area. Maybe visiting one of their friend's and I happened to coincidentally come to the same apartment building in the same floor. I made small steps, one by one. And after a while, the face of the same friend she was with earlier popped out from her neck. His face, no doubt. Those sharp, flying saucer pairs of eyes. His entire body then all of a sudden slimed out of from her neck, squirming out like an earthworm. He fell straight down and lay flat on his stomach then slowly got up and gave me an evil smirk. Realizing my presence, she turned around and gave me the same scornful look from before, with no word, no reaction, nothing. The boy didn't even say anything either. Two pairs of eyes pointing my direction in silence. The boy eventually led us all outside. I decided to follow them for some strange reason. The boy walking a few steps ahead of us. Meanwhile the girl and I were walking at the same pace however several feet away from each other. None of us said a word. In fact, the entire dream had no dialogue. 

We eventually entered a bubble tea cafe, and we sat down. None of us had bubble tea. We just sat down and I forgot what happened after that..

But then it continued from there. The next day I was back alone leisurely walking around the street with my iced coffee and take out from McDonald's and while waiting at the red light, a silver convertible drove by and there I saw the same girl and boy. The roof open. The boy driving. Both wearing sunglasses. They never saw me but I saw them. And it was them all right. My mouth was wide agape as I stared at the car zooming by until I lost sight of it. I didn't even notice that I had dropped my iced coffee. 


The dream ends there.

Perfect Ten, Tourism, Philip-Lorca diCorcia

We were sitting by the station plaza munching down our McDonald's burgers and fries.

"Ever see a ten in your life?" he ventured.
"Many, many times."
"There was one in my macroeconomics class," he said while shoving down some fries in his mouth. "We sat across from each other."
"How far did you guys go?"
"We just talked," he mumbled.
"You know I once went on a run with a ten across a bridge," I said. "Around junior year in high school. She was a ten, no doubt. Pretty obnoxious but a price I could live with. But then my impression of her changed completely after this one little thing."
He froze before taking another bite of his burger and looked at me straight in the eye. "What happened?"
"It may ruin your appetite."
"I don't care."
"We took a break after we went across. She blew her nose. Without a tissue."
His mouth was wide agape. "What the hell."
"I know. Her beauty drastically went down after I saw her do that. Now every time I think about her she is nowhere near the level of attractive at all. Didn't really matter since I never saw her again."
"Man that's a shocker," he said.
I nodded. "What about your ten? What did you guys talk about."
"Ah, just small talk."
"Lame," I blurted, taking a long look at my uneaten burger. "Should've done something. Gotta expand, take things a step further."
"Nah, I like to take my time."
"Life is all about timing. Next thing you know she gets married to a rich man as they decide to live in a luxury condo in Bali."
"Bali?"
"Just an example."
He nodded while he took a bite from his double quarter pounder.


If someone were to ask me what I've accomplished over the summer, I'd have no concise and reasonable answer so far. My summer days this year hasn't been the most eventful or the most memorable. June has past in a blink of an eye, America's birthday has passed and so has mine. July is approaching its end. I've met with some of my friends (none of whom were from my high school), read a decent number of books, wrote a bunch of unfinished stories, and trained at the dojang from time to time. Driving lessons here and there. My initial goals were to get my left ear pierced and get a job at my local bookstore. But my lackadaisical mindset only delayed those tasks. But my primary and ultimate goal for the summer is to earn my license.


Recently I've been spending my days watching movies at home. One by one, at least two a day. But one day, midway through a movie, on an impulse, I had the urge to go to the airport. The thought dawned on me, in the most random moment. Perhaps I wanted to fly, I had no idea myself. What was the point if you questioned your own thoughts? At that moment all I wanted to do was go to the airport. Not to depart to a city, but to just be there.

So I tried to grab a cab. Hailed one no less than a minute. I knocked on his window as he pulled it down. I told him I wanted to go to the airport.

"No good," he said.

I hailed another but the driver, with a bluetooth device hooked on his ear, also declined with a disgusted look on his face.

Losing motivation, I gave up.



I was leaning against the door on the train when a blonde entered through the opposite door at the next stop. She sat down on the seat closest to the door, literally right next to me. She began to incessantly stroke her silky hair with both her hands, the fragrance of her soothing conditioner wafting around me. Nice long legs and a slender physique. For a second I though she was someone I knew, but subtle features gave it away. I resumed to stare ahead of the door across from me, my emotionless face reflecting from the glass.

I bought some clear noodles at a Korean food court and a can of soda for the beverage and plopped myself down on a random bench outside. Getting tan from the sun, I munched away while taking in the city scene: your usual metropolitan drone where bustling cars and taxi cabs honked their horns, airplanes from above roared their Rolls Royce engines, metals clinked and clanked from construction, and police cars zoomed their way through the road with their sirens. Adjacent from where I was sitting food vendors were furiously arguing in their own language. Traffic officers were checking whether the cars were properly parked by the curb, and a pack of tourists all in identical colored shirts were slowly walking by the sidewalk, looking left and right at the buildings and pretty much every little detail you could imagine.


Now let me drift aside a little bit and talk about my thoughts on tourism. In general being a tourist is a wonderful thing. At first, especially if you come from another country, things may seem off, or, somewhat uncomfortable. You might not even be able to speak its native language! I know since I've been in that position before. But that didn't really matter. To me, it didn't matter really much where you were going or what you were going to do; just being in that specific city itself brought joy. And although there can be some haters, a.k.a, the locals, it's best not to mind them at all. Locals tend to detest tourists since some feel they really get in the way and become a 'nuisance' to them but wake up locals, tourists are one of the reasons why we are able to gain funds for our city!! We can't hate on them! They are what keeps our city in great shape minus the capitalism and all of those hidden transactions going on. Anyways, no matter if you are in a random alleyway in Boston or climbing up one of San Francisco's rolling hills, tourists are happy that they are actually, undoubtedly, there, finally standing on their own two feet at the place they dedicated a whole chunk of their time planning to travel to. It's a sense of accomplishment. That 'we did it guys!' kind of feeling. At least, that's how I felt.

And I guess you don't have to be a tourist in order to feel that way. I wanted to go to the airport for no reason at all. If I wasn't going anywhere, and I wasn't picking anyone up at arrivals, and I wasn't sending anyone off at departures, and I didn't work there, what was the point? It was the joy of being there, taking in the airport ambiance, where we hear flight announcements from the speakers and the portmanteaus rolling against the ground along with the planes taking off and landing every minute while hearing its loud engines rumble against the windows. Those airport vibes.



Once I finished eating, I dazed off a little bit while sipping down a can of ginger ale that was beginning to feel lukewarm. With nothing much to do, I lit up a cigarette and kicked back, blankly staring at the car parked in front of me for reasons unknown. After a few puffs, I glanced at the clock on the statue. 1:30.


I dialed the girl from college. Four rings was all it took.

"What, another moon?"
"Am I speaking with Ms. Lunatic?"
"Jerk... How's tricks?"
"Same as ever. Scorching hot here in the sun."
"Uhm why don't you chill in the shade?"
"What's wrong with tanning?"
"Twenty bucks says that you're going to dehydrate."
"Say, you got any time for me?" I ignored.
"Who do you think you are, hunh?"
"A man."
"More like a little baby."
"More like a man who is holding on to his youth."
She snickered. A beautiful little laugh. "I got a few hours."
"How about I meet you at the station plaza in a half hour?"
"Sounds like a plan," and she hung up.


I went to a nearby Lawson and bought a pack of gum. Perhaps I had an oral fixation. I lingered my way to the magazine stands. On the cover of one magazine was a Japanese actress I've never seen before and beside that a pop magazine with Selena Gomez smiling adorably on the cover. Curious, I flapped over them, eyeing over some of the latest gossip. Not anything worth noting in the celebrity world. Of course, next to all of that were the latest installations of Weekly Jump.

I ended up buying a Hemingway short story collection book. I sat on the bench some more and hummed various ballad songs while thumping through the pages of Hemingway. The girl lived pretty near from where I lived yet no so near that we could see each other every single day. A fair distance.

Time passed and at one point, a loud voice came out of nowhere with a mildly aggressive thump on my back.
"BOOO!"
Seeing my terrified reaction, she laughed.
"Wutchu reading," she asked, playing with my hair from behind.

She was wearing a sleeveless white shirt that had a vintage image of a row of palm trees at dusk, and tight blue jeans. A cream colored handbag was loosely hanging on her arm. Oversized shades. To complete the look she wore a fresh pair of black Tom's. Bangs pinned up. Her same woody fragrance lingered around me.

"Hemingway," I responded.
"Eww. You're such a bookworm." she sat down on the chair across from me. Elbows propped on the table, hands resting on her chin, gazing at me as if intrigued by my appearance. In sheer reflex, I shut the book and placed it on the table. The more I looked at her the more I began to realize how long I have missed her.
"It's been a while, Sean," she smiled. "It's been a while since I've seen that baby face of yours."
"Ashley," I rasped. "You look great."
"Don't even say it. I look like such a bum today. But thanks," she scratched the edge of her nose. "You know those days where you just can't decide what to wear?"
Before I even opened my mouth, she barked. "Who am I kidding. I'm asking a dude... A tee shirt and shorts and you're pretty much good to go."
Exactly what I wore.
"Easy stuff for you."
"It's not just that," I said. "You gotta make sure you match. Obviously you gotta be conscious that colors don't clash. But sometimes you have so many options yet you just can't find that perfect combination. Like Starbuck's and their frappucinos."
"Oh my god I could totally go for one right now. Plus I'm dying over here. I don't know how you can manage to sit your ass down here in this killer heat."


Whereupon we made our way to a Starbucks and ordered to our leisure. Feeling uninspired, I had a green tea frappe while she had a Neapolitan frappe. Tempted to see how her's tasted, I took a sip from her frappe. And, just for the hell of it, she took a sip from mine. We plopped down on a table and took a breather. A Teruo Nakamura-esque fusion jazz song was playing on low volume from the ceiling speakers. Finding the right moment, I began.

"Remember when I became your alarm clock and told you to take a look at the moon the other day?"
"The invisible moon, in my case," she emphasized. "Of course I do."
"Well it seems it's playing tricks with me too."
"What do you mean."
"I'm in my apartment and the moon was clearly visible, I go outside and it's gone."
"Maybe a cloud was covering it for a brief second?"
"Thought so too but it wasn't the case."
She was mixing the whip with the straw of her frappe and began to laugh. "You sure this isn't a dream?"
"Not to my knowledge."
"The things you do late at night," she shook her head. "Why didn't you just shake it off and go to sleep?"
"Couldn't sleep. That's how I found out about the moon."
She leaned back on her chair and adjusted her sunglasses that sat just above her forehead. As usual, she had on little to no makeup.

"The moon's just fed up with you distracting my sleep," she said. "A girl needs her sleep and the moon knows it."

At that moment there was nothing I could do but just stare at her.

"That's right, take it. It's tired of you staring at it all the time, unlike everybody else who just ignores it most of the time. You put it on the spot and make it feel uncomfortable. Think about the other side of the perspective for once. God, Mr. Lunatic, how could you."

I blushed, the edges of my mouth slightly smirking.

"But hey, cool story bro."

I smiled at her, then at the ground. We both took a moment to let the music catch into our ears. One by one customers entered and exited. In sheer reflex, I checked my watch. Almost half past three.

"Wanna watch a movie?" I suggested.
"I can't," she pouted. "I gotta be back in an hour or so for class. Then I've gotta attend my sister's party. I'm all yours tomorrow."
"How is class going for you?"
"It's going. Just numbers, numbers, and more numbers."
"Descriptive."
"Right? Call me the next Austen."



When the time came, we split off at the intersection where I was again left alone with my green tea frappe grasped in my hand. Once I finished sipping the dregs of it I headed home and washed my face with soap. The streak of hot weather was unbearable especially when it came to waiting for subways underground. Time then relentlessly scurried away. I read the paper, watched an episode of an old drama (clueless as to what was really going on), ate some rice crackers, listened to Jay Z's latest album, and lolled around on my bed. Before I knew it the sun was sinking. Never thought two hours would fly so quickly. 

Nighttime arrived and I found myself outside in the streets amongst couples. In addition a group of women were loitering around the block. Women in wedges, women in floral and bright summer dresses, women with their boyfriends and fiances. The headlights of a parked car shone a little butterfly fluttering its way around. Nearby bars were filled with drunk men. Locals were walking their dogs. With no plans, I sat down on a bench a little walk away from the block. Right then I figured that I was in a Philip-Lorca diCorcia photograph. I can imagine him walking up to me, no, from a distance, taking candid snapshots of my figure, using the neon-lit deli sign as the backdrop. My right leg would be resting on my left, cigarette would be slipped between my fingers, arm would be resting on the bench. My eyes slightly narrowed, deeply reminiscing and fantasizing about life in a solitary scenery.

Life is all about finding the right pair. Finding yourself in the right spot with the right people. In sports, a competitive and challenging opponent much to your level only makes the match more valuable and the win more satisfying, the loss more dramatic. Regardless if you win or lose, it is undoubtedly a much more rewarding feeling than facing off an opponent that is below your level of skill and gives only half their effort. Not to steal a word from the Fast and the Furious, but the people who you choose to be around lets you know who you are. Practicing with opponents on your level pushes you even further to greater heights. And that's what you need in order to improve. Don't stay constant; urge to rise. 

Same scenario with our friends, boyfriends and girlfriends, acquaintances and coworkers. The more you spend time with them, the more similarities you will start to share. Take the boyfriend/girlfriend as an example. When the couple starts to spend time, say, shopping, they'd start to realize their own trends and habits. Flip flops over Stiletto heels, jeans better than skirts, Lacoste over Armani Exchange. And usually what happens is the girl's fashion starts to change based on her boyfriend's opinions and preferences, and vice versa. The guy might want her to wear more jewelry and accessories while the girl might want her man to wear less t-shirts and more polo. We inspire each other more than we could ever imagine.

19

Forgive me for my morning face.
勘弁して下さい、朝起きたばかりの顔。。

banana photo bomb!!!

My Animal Crossing buddies also greeted and wished me a happy birthday yipeee

どうぶつの森にもおめでとうしてくれました。

Beach day with the TKD crew

Originally my friend and I were supposed to execute a flying side kick in unison but our timing was bad and the photo turned out like this... LOL not bad though.

友達と同じ時間にキックをするべきだったんだけどタイミングが悪くてこういう状況になってしまった笑

The final outcome

そしてやっと。

first driving lesson

We were sitting in the car, parked at the curb. Instructor in the passenger's seat, me on the wheel. Engine running. I took a long look at my surroundings: the buttons, the dashboard, the mirrors, the stick shift, and the steering wheel right in front of my chest. The instructor looked at me with a light smile and began to go over the fundamentals. I could tell that he has gone over this situation with many students before as he nonchalantly pointed out each and every feature in the car as if there wasn't anything special. In my case, it was a whole another experience since I've never sat down on the driver's seat in my entire life let alone feel the grip of a steering wheel in exception to those racing games at the arcade. 

"Buttons by your door adjusts the windows. Go ahead and test them out," he said. 

Whereupon I opened and closed the windows. 

"To your left of the wheel controls the winkers. Push it down to go left, up to go right."

Whereupon I followed suit and played with the controls. 

"The lever on the right controls the headlights and beams. Since we're driving during the day we don't need them now."

There was nothing I could do but nod, still startled that I was about to drive. 

"Now, by your feet is the brake and the axel. This is automatic so there's no clutch. Go ahead and have a feel for each of them."

Whereupon I did what was told, first pressing down on the brake. Then the axel. Since the gear was on P, the engine revved up and the car remained in place. Surprised that the axel was more sensitive than the brake, the engine revved pretty loudly. 

"Now you can see the difference between the two," he said with a smirk. "Ease up on the gas. Try again."

This time it was at a decent pace. 

"Good. Now grip on the steering wheel. Hands should be in a nine and three position," he said. "Then turn the steering wheel all the way to the left then all the way to the right. Make it one smooth motion."

Whereupon I did and it seemed to go well. All the while the engine was monotonously running, the car almost seeming as if it was begging to move.

"The center is the horn. Test it out."

I pressed against the center of the Toyota symbol with my index finger.

"It's not a button," he laughed. "Press along the center with your palm."

I did, and the car made a loud honk as it echoed through the block, faces from passersby immediately looking my way, an elderly woman jumped. 

He went over some other minor details about the car and then, we were ready.

"Let's buckle up and hit the road," he said, strapping his seatbelt on. 

My heart began to pound but I took a deep breath. My two hands were gripped tightly on the wheel, right foot lightly pressed on the brake. 

"Now shift to drive," he said.

I shifted the stick shift to drive, somehow released my foot off the brake, and the wheels started to go forward on their own. I pressed on the brake. 

"Look at your mirror and make sure no cars are coming behind. When you're ready start going."

I looked, and, before I knew it, I pressed on the axel and got out of the curb, driving. A gleam of sweat started to run down my temple as I couldn't believe that I was operating this car. My two eyes on the road, hands on the wheel, foot on the axel. I'm driving! 

The instructor all the while seemed pretty relaxed, not concerned about a thing. His seat was slightly reclined back. 

"Make sure you stop at the curb to that white line," he said. "Right now just focus on going straight."

I made sure to make no abrupt stops as I eased up on the gas when I was approaching a red light at the end of the block. It was a whole another feeling driving a car. You're in control. You're no longer a passenger. You're the pilot. 

A few blocks later, he told me to make a right turn. It was my first turn. I stared at the red traffic light in nervousness, afraid that it would turn green. Once it did, he told me to stop at the center of the intersection and wait for any incoming passersby and cars. I waited, and turned the steering wheel all the way and before I could say a word I managed to make a smooth turn. 

"Perfect," he said. "Not so bad was it?"

I let out a huge sigh in relief. 

After a few blocks and turns, I felt a little more relaxed. For some reason, though, my heart couldn't stop pounding rapidly. My face was still a little tense.

"Breathe," he said, laughing. "You're doing fine."

We drove along the neighborhood while he corrected some things for me every now and then. It was a scorching hot day in the high 90s thus there were no slippery roads or any other conditions I had to keep an eye out for in addition. 

While driving straight, the instructor said, "You're not half bad especially for a beginner who has never driven before."

"It's going better than I expected," I mumbled. "I guess those video games were not put to waste."

The more I thought about it, driving a car makes me feel as if I had never ever been in a car before. The feeling isn't the same. All the years I've been in the backseat or the passenger's seat, just staring outside the passing scenery, carefree. But when you're the driver, you gotta be able to go through a lot of technical procedures and pay attention to the road and make turns. My past impressions of being in a car has changed, in a good way of course. 

In the end I failed to pull over, the front wheels partially on the sidewalk. With total nonchalance, he took over the wheel and skillfully backed up correctly. Overall my first lesson was slightly petrifying yet exciting. It's fun, driving around when you're in control of the car. Well, many more lessons to come. I still have a ways to go. 

some old memories

I was on the train, gazing outside the passing scenery. The last time I was on this train was about six months ago and now I was on the same train about to visit friends whom I haven't seen for almost a year. Slowly the memories from last summer started to shoot back from my conscious grasp. Familiar buildings, neighborhoods, and markets with Chinese characters, zooming past my view. It was the same route. Nothing dramatically changed. I listened to some music and thumped through a book during my commute just like I always did six months ago.

Looking around the train, the passengers were all asian. The caucasians and hispanics and blacks all seem to have gotten off earlier.

When I arrived and set foot on the station platform the struggle was real. Hot air immediately attacked my face. I climbed up the stairs to the street level and before I knew it, I found myself jumbled amongst a huge crowd of pedestrians. People were babbling in English, Chinese, Korean, and Spanish. I inevitably take a whiff of fish and seafood. The sidewalks were clogged with people and the roads with cars and buses. Traffic jams everywhere. Freely walking here in this little town was close to impossible unless it was late at night. Struggling to find a way to pass through, I always wondered if there was a better way to organize the town so that it didn't get this crowded.

Feeling hungry and attempting to get away from the hectic traffic, I made a detour and entered a McDonald's. There on the line next to me was one of my coworkers from last year. We exchanged greetings and made small talk. She seemed more mature since the last time I saw her. 

I finally found my way into the office, which was located in a small mall. The mall was a deserted one, where almost half of the space was empty. Free rental space available signs were posted everywhere along the empty storefronts. Food courts, small accessory stores, and this campaign office were the only attractions and close to nobody was in the mall but the employees and a few locals grabbing some grub at the food court. What a waste of space, I thought when first entering the place.

I opened the see-through door and curiously examined the room. Campaign posters were taped along the wall, and foldable tables and chairs were placed here and there. Two volunteers with oversized glasses and baggy jeans were rapidly discussing about the SATs in the corner and working in the back were faces of familiarity. Not everyone in the office I recognized but the one's I knew I greeted. One of whom was Chinese however was able to speak fluent Japanese. W, my other friend, was there, organizing posters. Realizing my presence, he made his way towards my direction. By the way, I was wearing a blue t-shirt with slim denim jeans and my knapsack filled with books of all sorts.

"Long time no see," he said, patting my back remaining as calm as ever.
"Nice to be back in this little town," I said. "How have you been?"
"Same old. Just another day in the life."

The fluent Japanese speaker and I were later told to pick up some documents at a residential building a little walk away and we dutifully strolled to the place, talking all the time in Japanese. The very act of walking around this town took me back, where I used to canvass with a few of my good friends and knock on some doors. We'd get lost and even stop by a cafe to get some bubble tea for a little break. After we'd hand in our results sheets and sign out of the office as soon as possible and chill around the neighborhood until the sun set. We'd sit down on a bench in the middle of the block in the late hushed AM hours, talking about our lives. Since the town was limited in activities, that was basically the only thing we could do: just talk while plopped down on a bench. All of those memories, while I was walking with her, flew back in my mind. Nostalgia hit me everywhere. At one point I was totally left off guard until she tapped my shoulder in concern.

"Are you okay? You haven't talked at all," she asked, in Japanese.
"Yeah, my fault. Just dazed off a little bit."

Not to mention it was a scorching hot day. Wearing jeans was a mistake, I thought to myself. 

Later W and I went on a little stroll to deliver some packets. I tagged along as we caught up with each other. We talked about what friends who haven't met for almost a year would talk about. What our summer plans were, interesting stories, and the like. In the end he treated me to a drink at Dunkin' Donuts. One of my best friends right here.

When we came back I happened to meet a couple of new workers. My plan was to leave at 4 but the increasing number of familiar volunteers coming to the office and getting sucked into an interesting conversation made me stay until the evening.

Now the initial reaction when I told people that I was Japanese in this town was startling. A mix of ooh's and ahhh's, and eyes that bespoke envy and curiosity (...possibly even hate deep down in the inside). They'd ask me, while in awe, tons of questions nonstop. They'd blurt out things similar to, "Oh my god that's so cool" or "I wish I was you". They'd become stereotypical and even ask things like, "Don't you guys have like high-tech toilets?" or "Do you eat sushi everyday?". Now I get annoyed after a while but then again it was something I had to deal with. It wasn't Japan for god sakes. Seeing a Japanese here was a rarity as it was predominantly populated with Chinese and Koreans. Seeing me in this town, a majority would automatically assume that I was just a Chinese or a Korean kid. But being neither usually surprised them as they would oftentimes ask these ridiculous questions on and on as if I was some famous celebrity. But thinking from the time I've spent last summer to now, I can't say I've met a single Japanese. Only seniors who had relatives from Japan and the Chinese girl that was fluent. No pure Japanese here in this town as far as I knew.

It was close to ten and it was then that I figured I'd better start going home soon. W had already left for the day and so had the girl. I left the office with one of the volunteers I worked with last year. The sun had set as the rain fell down. As the endless droplets of rain were hitting against our umbrellas, we walked towards the main intersection.

"So why did you decide to come back today?" he asked, avoiding a puddle.
"Well I promised W that I'd come visit sometime late June."
"And it's July."
"It's July."

We said our seeyas and I headed down the stairs to the trains, homebound. I don't know when I'm going to see this town again.