Silly Girl

After a very long night’s sleep I awoke at 7am unable to sleep anymore. I finished yesterday’s entry and prepared my day in Niigata. Eventually I was all cleaned up and ready to go, so I walked out the door, said good bye to the other group of JCLP students gathering to go to Niigata, and started my hike to Sasaki station. Sasaki is just over 2 kilometers from the apartments and I took me about 30 minutes to walk the distance. I made it to the station with 15 minutes to spare so I relaxed until the train arrived. I got on the train and headed out to Niigata. I met up with An-san on the platform in Niigata station.

From Niigata station An led me to the Bandai district where most of the city’s shopping areas can be found. For the rest of the morning we wandered the malls and shops as I bought gifts for family and a few friends. She made a valiant effort to teach me Japanese as we shopped but I’m really a terrible student, so most of it was forgotten by the time she quizzed me later.

After getting most of necessary gifts we decided to get lunch. An asked if I’d had breakfast and I answered “No,” to which she gave me a mix between a horrified and surprised look. Here everyone eats 3 meals a day, but I never eat breakfast no matter where I am. We headed to another Japanese take on Italian dining where we enjoyed omelet on rice and hamburg steak. I finished early because I eat army style (thanks Dad) so An handed me her Chinese language book and made me read from that (aloud). Getting bored of the lesson in a language I didn’t really want to learn (not that I could, Mandarin Chinese is a nightmare) I opened the book to the back where there was a map of East Asia. I pointed to each country and named every one of them off, much to An’s surprise. After An finished I grabbed the bill and paid for the meal and we headed out.

More shopping followed lunch, we just made it inside as it started to rain. We wandered about, teaching each other more of our languages and buying souvenirs. Outside An pulled out her umbrella and tried to hold it over both of us. Me being 6 foot and her being the typical height of a Thai woman I just took it from her and held it over her instead. I was getting tired from walking and I was very sore from the kite battle so we decided to stop at a local coffee shop. It was here I called An a “Silly Girl” to which she extracted her electronic dictionary and typed in “silly”. The answer it provided was “baka” meaning fool. I would spend the rest of the night trying to prove to her that it was a good kind of silly not a bad kind. It was also at the coffee shop that I would discuss with An the realities of the coming week. We talked about where we truly belong and the pain of saying good bye. She was honest, and for that I am thankful.

She really is a silly girl, but she's also strong and kind.

After we stayed a bit too long in the coffee shop (as opposed to American coffee shops where one can sit and relax for hours, Japan is a country of efficiency, so the hour we spent there talking was really too long) we headed out to one more department store before heading back to Niigata Station. At the station we went to a couple of electronics stores and then a book store. Eventually it was getting close to the train’s departure time so we headed back down and bought tickets. While I was waiting for An to use the restroom Seth and his friend Takuya showed up. We talked and found that we’d been all the same places today, just at different times. An returned and everyone made fun of me in Japanese (I think) and then An and I headed for the train.

The train ride back was peaceful and pleasant. We talked all the way back to Sasaki Station where I said good bye and got off. I walked back to the 7-11 where I bought some dinner and then headed home to eat it. At home I discovered my microwave’s power cord was 2 feet short of the wall jack so I borrowed Robbie’s for a bit. Then I met up with Seth and Takuya and joined them at Saizeriya where I had a dessert while they had dinner. We headed home where I relaxed in Seth’s room the rest of the night.

Today was the first time in years that I was able to spend an entire day alone with someone of the opposite sex. But it felt more like a day enjoyed with a good friend then anything. I mean this in the best possible sense. The reason I call An silly girl isn't just to tease her (although that’s fun) but also because she really does make me laugh and smile. I love making people laugh and smile, and I love people who can make me laugh and smile. My deepest hope is that I leave a positive memory in An’s heart and that she remembers me for being a kind friend. It’s the best anyone can hope for.