You've got a friend 2

Yesterday an unexpected happened to me and the sorrow of the incident struck me.
And it resulted making me understand the meaning of the lyrics that I sang with my friends on the day before we parted.


While we stayed in Chicago, as my colleague informed me by email that my work had run into trouble in Japan, I became depressed and failed in disguising the dismay.

Then, my friends worried and encouraged me.
“Kyo, what happened? Tell me.” (Matias)
“You are spiritless, aren’t you? What's wrong?” (Tom)
“Kyo, are you tired? Look at that beautiful lake!” (Lana)
“Don’t worry! Let’s go!” (Elena)
“Kyocito, you look serious today. Are you OK?” (Daniel)
“Kyo, don’t be serious!” (Claudia)
“My princess, how many times did you sigh today? I’m not happy when you're not happy.” (Mario)
“When you're low in spirits, everyone becomes anxious, so you have to be high!” (Sho)
“What is the problem? You're intelligent enough to resolve it!” (Bambo)

Their smiles and cheers saved me from the grief.
It was not long before I found myself laughing with them.


Though I felt sad yesterday, I remembered that memory and came to feel like laughing.

When I'm down and troubled, all I have to do is to think of them.
Soon I can recall their smiles and cheers, and they brighten up my mind.

I hope they have the same remedy for the grief as mine.
If they face the trouble, I sincerely want to cheer them up.

Dream with Angels

Sometimes I wonder if I was in dreams for 2 months because the days I spent with 16 friends in Orchard Downs were dreamily filled with delight.

Every morning in Orchard Downs, I got up with pleasure of the prospect of seeing my friends.
I was so glad
to hug my friends saying “Good morning”,
to go to the university by bus talking with them,
to attend lectures, conferences, and library-tours together,
to attend various parties in campus,
to go home by bus singing with them,
to cook and have dinner chatting with them,
to wash the dishes dancing with them,
to visit their rooms to eat many kinds of ice cream together,
and to kiss them saying “Good night”.
Every night in Orchard Downs, I fell asleep with contentment of having been with my friends.

Whenever I said to them “Good night”, they embraced me tenderly and replied “Good dreams with angels.”
After all, I might have dreamed with 16 angels.

You've got a friend

Taboo Questions

Today I went to the English school.
Today’s lesson was “Deflecting questions”.
I studied how to deflect taboo questions.

The examples of taboo questions are following.
“How old are you?”
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
“Are you married?”
“Do you have children?”

I’ve been asked those questions so many times by my friends in Illinois!
I recalled the terms of my curious friends, and I felt very funny during today's lesson.

I’ve answered every question honestly in Illinois, not because I haven’t had the skill to deflect the nasty questions but because I've purely wanted to make myself understood to my precious friends.

Adaptability

Right after I came back to Japan,
I was astonished I had forgot many things.
For instance,
how to work deftly,
how to use Japanese honorific words and flattering terms,
how to keep company without hugs and kisses,
and how to live in the Japanese common life-style.

Gradually I recalled them, and I got to used to them.

I remember I had difficulty in getting used to the foreign life-style
when I arrived in Illinois at the beginning of last September,
but 3 days after, I found I fell in love with the life.

Now I know the goodness of the both lives.
Anyhow, the adaptability of mine was quite unexpected for me.
I got confidence to adapt to any lives in the world!

Speaking English

I went to the English school, and spoke English after an interval of 2weeks.
Still now I can't speak fluent English, so I need patience,
however, I noticed I'd come to like English!
As I really wanted to communicate with my friends, the desire could change my notion.

Wisdom Tooth

Next week I will have my tooth out.
The tooth is named "unknown-to-parents" in Japanese, and "wisdom tooth" in English.
The tooth started growing when I was studying librarianship in Illinois.
I thought the name of "unknown-to-parents" was certainly true because I wouldn't inform my parents not to worry them.
As I talked to my friends about my tooth, Elena said to me "Wisdom tooth? You are really getting wisdom just now!"
That's right. I was actually learning a lot at that time.
Then Mr.Lee taught me, "We call the tooth 'love tooth' in Korea. It is time to fall in love with someone!"
Is it true or not? ─ I do know the answer.

Special Messages

Last Wednesday morning, when I opened my email box, I found lots of messages from various countries.
My friends did remember my birthday and they sent me hearty messages.
I was really surprised and impressed so much.
They made my day.

See Them Again

When I was 8 years old, my great-grandmother passed away.
At that time I learned great weight of the fact that “I can’t see her again”.
Since then, I had been afraid of any partings.
Even if the parting didn’t mean the death, I had suffered from the pain as I had assumed that “I can’t see the person again”.

But my precious friends taught me “We can meet again however far we live!!”
Now I know I can see anyone I like as long as the person and I are alive somewhere in this world.
Now I can believe I can see them again.
Yes, I will go to see them!

Rosy View

I learned from my friends who have rosy view
to do “what I want to do” rather than “what I have to do”.
Now I am able to enjoy my life with doing “what I want to do”.
But I’m not sure if the sense of value is appropriate in Japan….

Last night the student staff in my library held a Welcome Back Party for me.
And today I will attend a Wedding Party of my colleague.
Party Time again!