It's Tuesday, August 20, 1991. Ohtawara-shi, Tochigi-ken, Japan. It's raining.
I'm still sick with dysentery. The one woman for whom I would gladly kill a yak for her supper—Kristine South—is leaving my place at noon. While she probably has no clue as to how much I adored her, she did like me, (and in fact admitted as much to me last year—2010—saying she would have slept with me back in Japan).
Great. Tell me now after we are both married to other people! It is pretty funny, and hey, at least I know in 2011 that I wouldn't have been shot down in 1991 if I had tried to make a move. My move pretty much involves me getting closer, touching arms and legs (with arms or legs) and seeing whether or not the other person moves away. Then you look into their eyes, and lean forward for the kiss.
At least that is what I would do if I ever had to make a play for a woman. Here in Japan, I never did. The women all made plays for me. Kristine hasn't, but I think that is because I'm sick.
I walk with Kristine out to the nearby bus stop. We hug (best hug ever, as of 1991), and say our good-byes. I'm pretty sure I leaned forward and down (Kristine is maybe about 5'-3"... maybe), and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
By the way... she looked really hot in the rain.
A hug and a kiss on the cheek... memories to last a lifetime... especially if I write this down in a diary or something and then 20 years later put it in a blog, whatever that is.
My buddy Matthew comes over at 3PM, and we watch some videos each of us has had sent over. Matthew, Kristine and I are one of the 1,500 assistant English teachers living in Japan and who work with the JET (Japan Exchange & Teaching) Programme. Matthew happens to live in my town... Kristine some 500 kilometers further. That distance is really a pain in the butt... almost as much as my dysentery.
At 5:30PM, we walk over to Matsuri restaurant for dinner - but the place is closed. Too bad, I was going to buy him dinner, because, as fate would have it, I'm feeling better. I guess the medicine Kristine got me did the trick. Just not fast enough.
So, we head over to our favourite fast food restaurant, Mosburger. You know, I haven't seen Matthew since August 5th when we were in Tochigi-ken's capital city of Utsunomiya giving a speech together on How To Survive In Japan. I then took off for Thailand. Nailed a couple of beautiful Thai babes (one at a time for days, and then together). Came back with my mom in tow... spent time with her, my friend John (also from Toronto) who all came for a visit (though John left yesterday) ... and there's a new woman, Karen, who wants to be my girlfriend.
Karen, from North Bay, Canada, is also on the JET Programme, having arrived less than a month ago.
And then there is Ashley. She's from Augusta, Georgia, and was my girlfriend for pretty much the entire first year. We broke up and got back together so many times that we eventually became friends-with-benefits.
Ashley had been visiting home these past few weeks... but she's back in Japan as she calls my place at 6PM and asks me to met her at Nishinasuno-eki (Nishinasuno train station) at 7PM.
It's really raining hard now as I ride my bicycle out to her place, where I pick up her bike and ride both over to the train station. If it is at all possible for it to rain harder, it does. I am literally soaked through and through.
Ashley arrives at 8:30PM. An hour and a half late. I figure she just missed the trains, because Japanese trains are never late! Really. Who cares about the lateness... at least Ashley's back.
She looks tired, and she's put on some weight. Okay, she looks really fat. It's a good thing she's pretty... but what the hell?! Her weight gain was striking... but she was still a sight for these sore eyes. I guess I still love her... and want more than a friend with benefits. I think.
I help her move her stuff to her apartment in Nishinasuno-machi (Nishinasuno Town). I stay for five minutes (because she's really jet-lagged), give her a peck on the lips and leave.
I ride home in the rain... its let up a a bit, but it has gotten colder.
I try to go to sleep at 10PM, but I'm restless... more so when Matthew calls at midnight.
Somewhere weaving a tangled web,
Andrew Joseph
Today's blog title is by Bob Marley & The Wailers: NOCRY
I'm still sick with dysentery. The one woman for whom I would gladly kill a yak for her supper—Kristine South—is leaving my place at noon. While she probably has no clue as to how much I adored her, she did like me, (and in fact admitted as much to me last year—2010—saying she would have slept with me back in Japan).
Great. Tell me now after we are both married to other people! It is pretty funny, and hey, at least I know in 2011 that I wouldn't have been shot down in 1991 if I had tried to make a move. My move pretty much involves me getting closer, touching arms and legs (with arms or legs) and seeing whether or not the other person moves away. Then you look into their eyes, and lean forward for the kiss.
At least that is what I would do if I ever had to make a play for a woman. Here in Japan, I never did. The women all made plays for me. Kristine hasn't, but I think that is because I'm sick.
I walk with Kristine out to the nearby bus stop. We hug (best hug ever, as of 1991), and say our good-byes. I'm pretty sure I leaned forward and down (Kristine is maybe about 5'-3"... maybe), and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
By the way... she looked really hot in the rain.
A hug and a kiss on the cheek... memories to last a lifetime... especially if I write this down in a diary or something and then 20 years later put it in a blog, whatever that is.
My buddy Matthew comes over at 3PM, and we watch some videos each of us has had sent over. Matthew, Kristine and I are one of the 1,500 assistant English teachers living in Japan and who work with the JET (Japan Exchange & Teaching) Programme. Matthew happens to live in my town... Kristine some 500 kilometers further. That distance is really a pain in the butt... almost as much as my dysentery.
At 5:30PM, we walk over to Matsuri restaurant for dinner - but the place is closed. Too bad, I was going to buy him dinner, because, as fate would have it, I'm feeling better. I guess the medicine Kristine got me did the trick. Just not fast enough.
So, we head over to our favourite fast food restaurant, Mosburger. You know, I haven't seen Matthew since August 5th when we were in Tochigi-ken's capital city of Utsunomiya giving a speech together on How To Survive In Japan. I then took off for Thailand. Nailed a couple of beautiful Thai babes (one at a time for days, and then together). Came back with my mom in tow... spent time with her, my friend John (also from Toronto) who all came for a visit (though John left yesterday) ... and there's a new woman, Karen, who wants to be my girlfriend.
Karen, from North Bay, Canada, is also on the JET Programme, having arrived less than a month ago.
And then there is Ashley. She's from Augusta, Georgia, and was my girlfriend for pretty much the entire first year. We broke up and got back together so many times that we eventually became friends-with-benefits.
Ashley had been visiting home these past few weeks... but she's back in Japan as she calls my place at 6PM and asks me to met her at Nishinasuno-eki (Nishinasuno train station) at 7PM.
It's really raining hard now as I ride my bicycle out to her place, where I pick up her bike and ride both over to the train station. If it is at all possible for it to rain harder, it does. I am literally soaked through and through.
Ashley arrives at 8:30PM. An hour and a half late. I figure she just missed the trains, because Japanese trains are never late! Really. Who cares about the lateness... at least Ashley's back.
She looks tired, and she's put on some weight. Okay, she looks really fat. It's a good thing she's pretty... but what the hell?! Her weight gain was striking... but she was still a sight for these sore eyes. I guess I still love her... and want more than a friend with benefits. I think.
I help her move her stuff to her apartment in Nishinasuno-machi (Nishinasuno Town). I stay for five minutes (because she's really jet-lagged), give her a peck on the lips and leave.
I ride home in the rain... its let up a a bit, but it has gotten colder.
I try to go to sleep at 10PM, but I'm restless... more so when Matthew calls at midnight.
Somewhere weaving a tangled web,
Andrew Joseph
Today's blog title is by Bob Marley & The Wailers: NOCRY
