Isogashii
I'll be busy (isogashii) over the next two weeks. My friend from Japan arrives tomorrow and will stay with me until Friday. In preparation for her visit I've been getting into my car on the passenger side, driving on the wrong side of the road, and on Wednesday I bowed to the clerk at CVS. The other day as I was walking out of my therapist's office she said to me, "I guess I should say "good luck"!" I replied, all in Japanese, "Actually, you should say "gambatte." It means both good luck and stay strong." We stopped and looked at each other, both equally shocked that I was speaking Japanese. I'm in between again. Half there and half here. It's uncomfortable but familiar. I'm looking forward to seeing my little friend-chan, and I hope I can be a good hostess. My fridge is hilariously full; I went ahead and assumed that other people need more than instant oatmeal packets and Cosmo mix to survive. I asked my sister to please come raid my fridge of everything perishable the minute I leave town.
On Friday I head out to the great Pacific Northwest. I'll be in Portland for TequilaCon and then up to Central Washington to see family. My friend Shoo Shoo is meeting me in Portland, and we haven't been together since she visited me in Japan in 2003. The agenda includes lots and lots of laughter, possibly a little reminiscing about our time together at the scary Bible College, and absolutely no puking. Shoo Shoo was kind enough to nurse me through a little overindulgence in Las Vegas several years ago and now seems to find a way to work it into most conversations. "Who do you think will be the Democratic nominee in the Presidential race? Remember when we were in Las Vegas and you threw up in that wastebasket?" Not this time, Shoo. Not this time.
I can't wait to see my wonderful Portland again, and it's been since 2005 that I've seen my family, so this should be a good trip. I'm sure I'll find time to check in here and there over the next two weeks, but for now I'm off to try to finally get some sleep. Speaking of sleep, I had the WORST nightmare the other night. Ann Coulter was . . . . Oh, never mind.
Can't wait to meet you next weekend!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your friend's visit and your upcoming travels. ;)
It will be nice to meet you at Tequila Con!
ReplyDeleteLord, Ann Coulter. Can't someone sew her mouth shut?
ReplyDeletesounds like you have lots of great times coming up. good for you!! funny that i dreamed of that vicious scrawny ho too. dreamed i kicked her flat ass :-)
ReplyDeletethanks for the meeting inspiration ~ i'm going tonight. i'm trying this morning to refocus on what takes me back to that feeling of being centered and calm and at peace in my head and heart, despite what's going on around me. i miss that. don't even know it's going til it's gone.
have a great good time. damn, i wish i could speak japanese!
No puking is a good mantra to have this weekend. But it's always nice to know you've got a good friend with you just in case...
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to meeting you in Portland! :)
Why isn't there a word in English that means both good luck and stay strong? Oh well, then "gambatte" to you over the next couple of weeks. Sounds like you're going to have a wonderful time!
ReplyDeleteAs for Ann Coulter--a nightmare indeed!
I thought her name was: Ann Nightmare Coulter. And she is. I think we need to stop giving her the time of day, quite frankly. She is so old news.
ReplyDeleteActually, I'm looking forward to talking with you about the "scary Bible college".....and I wasn't even there with you! It's going to be a blast to say hi.
So there with you on the no puking goal.
ReplyDeleteWe'll see how that goes on Saturday. =)
Have oodles of fun my dear. Safe travels and if you see Ann whilst you're out and about, have your friend hold her down and you kick her in the head for me.
ReplyDeleteThanks babe,
kb
Gambatte what I nice word . I think I am going to start using it as much as I possibly can !!! Please have a bunch of fun for me in Portland and Washington. I really hope the "No Puking" mantra holds true for you. Tequila (shudder shudder)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post at my blog -- would love to meet you too! And I think D-bud would to (unless he already knows you). Have a safe trip and perhaps when you get back we can talk about how Ann Coulter really is a c... OK - despite loving the word, I do know when not to use it...like here. :)
ReplyDeleteI wish I remembered even a fraction of the Japanese I learned from my travels there. :-(
ReplyDeleteSo glad you are making the trip across the country for TC'07 - I look forward to meeting you!
ReplyDeleteSo sad to miss that! And not to meet Shoo! Dammit. I'll be working.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend!!