And so it goes. Sayonara to a friend soon. One of the repercussions of living in a foreign land is, that although you meet many wonderful people, you lose them as they pass through. Two or three years passes very quickly and you become friends and then have to say goodbye. But it's worth getting to know them and last week I was invited to a farewell event where I met new people, and had the chance to see a friend before he was on his way. You have to smile at that.
The last few weeks have seen my cousin (and family) come into town for the first time, the son of an old friend come by, a great couple of dinners and a night in a live bar (music, before you think anything else) and an old friend who we began work in the same day in London quite a while ago. He's transferring to Tokyo for a couple of years, he'll have a wonderful time but I'm pretty sure it's going to take a little cultural adjustment as it were. But it will be a wonderful time.
Didn't see the smiley face in the stars, rain was a little heavy for that. Boys' day in the mountains is on hold and I had to shut a friend up by putting my hand over his mouth. Funny one was being asked, for the first time in many years, to sign my credit card before I could pay for my bullet train ticket at Tokyo Station, then signing the ticket, and then the conductor checking the signatures matched. I guess he was just doing his job but it did make me smile. Letting things go is a lot easier than being a little frustrated in Japan you'll find. So it goes.
Oh, and I got absolutely soaked walking home a few weeks ago until a lady saw me. looking akin to a drowned rat... She ran into her store and brought me out an umbrella. It wasn't going to help, I was already swimming in my clothes. And she wouldn't take any money for it. But she gave me a wonderful memory and I'll pay it back someday, somewhere.
