Entries this day: AM_Meditation Lunch_with_Ami Train_convenience Work_Momoka ami_and_met_Naoko

AM Meditation

9:10am JST Friday 25 May 2007 (day 13575)

Meditated for about 8 minutes this morning. I'm sleepy.

Lunch with Ami

1:14pm JST Friday 25 May 2007 (day 13575)

Found myself in Nakameguro at 12:20, during which time Ami would likely be at lunch, so I called her to confirm connectability and headed to Roppongi to meet her.

I'm getting a bit better at navigating the Roppongi area; it's big.

She led me to an AM/PM (convenience store) amidst high dollar women's shopping area (clothes, essential oils, stockings, watches, all in small sparkling shops) at which I bought some foodage which I munched as she answered hypothetical questions "what would you do if (you had [1 year / 1 hour] to live (hang out with friends) (hang out with you)) (you could live anywhere (she didn't answer, but I said Costa Rica, Australia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Easter Island))..."

The time was short, just about 30 minutes, so I wanted to talk a lot longer than we were able.

Heading back to the station, I asked if she had ever practiced meditation. She had not, but expressed interest. We'll practice next time we meet.

Train convenience

1:42pm JST Friday 25 May 2007 (day 13575)

Haha. I've just arrived in Shibuya from Roppongi, without actually going up nor down any stairs nor escalators or anything. Normally the Hibiya lines stops in Nakameguro, which would necessitate waiting for the next train on Toyoko line to come, or to take the stairs down, over, back up to the other direction.

But, this Hibiya line train was headed all the way to Kikuna, which meant I could take it a bit past Nakameguro (I think to Toritsudaigaku), simply walk across the platform to the Shibuya-bound train. Perfect!

Work Momoka

10:00pm JST Friday 25 May 2007 (day 13575)

Re-met a woman named M____ during first lesson today. She had an R hanging from her necklace, and I asked if it was for her daughter, R___. No; it's for Momoka, who died three years ago.

She thought I had been referring to the locket with Momoka's picture in it.

I stayed with the topic. How old was she? She would be 10 years old if she were still alive.

Brain cancer got her at age 5, was detected at age 6, killed at age 7.

I gently listened to her story, noted that she remained genkily good spirited the whole way through.

Later, when she was like, "English is difficult.." I was like, how do I say this???

"Compared to what you've done, English is not difficult. You lost your daughter and remain in good spirits. That is difficult."

I hope/trust/pray she took it in the blessing way I meant it. She cried a bit and said, "I cry every day."

"I know. And it's okay. You should cry a little every day."

ami and met Naoko

12:13am JST Saturday 26 May 2007 (day 13576)

Headed home after hanging out with Ami (and Naoko) for a bit in their friend いさお's bar in Nakameguro. He fixed me a drink based on Ami's request for a "sweet drink." It was certainly in the right ballpark, but it had a little grapefruit juice. Eeek. I hadn't specified clearly enough. こんど。 But, the cool thing: the drink was served in a little bowl with saucer, like a kid-sized bowl of ramen. First time I had ever had a mixed drink in that manner.

Got some funny-ass pictures with Naoko. She was pretty much drunk, and pretty much crazy. Ami and I kissed on each other a lot as Naoko was chatteringly repeating her words in some incomprehensible story.

I think I'm really starting to like Ami.