So I had my lovely house that didn’t feel quite like a home yet. In fact, I was sleeping using a black sweatshirt as a makeshift blanket. Not knowing what to do I moseyed on over to the Storyhouse Cafe. Seeking advice from my new found friend Chris.
I walked in to find that Chris had his hands full with customers, there were two Japanese women in the corner enjoying their brunch. Being a creature of habit, I ordered the same thing I had last time. The familiar atmosphere and BLT Bagel set staved off my homesickness for a little bit longer.
“Where are you from?” a voice came from the corner where the two Japanese women sat. Looking to my left and then to my right I slowly pointed at my face.
“Who me???” curling my eyebrows up, I had to make sure she actually was referring to me. It was an irregular occurrence to have strangers interested in my presence.
“My name is Ai Higashi, nice to meet you” I zoned out as I thought of what her name meant. . . Love East. . . east love? Was I Will Smith in a movie looking at collateral beauty. . . was this person a ghost or a representation of love itself. . . no, I was just being dumb. I really did like Japanese names though, their meanings were so pretty.
Returning to the real world I introduced myself.
“Hello I’m Marco”
Once Again My Luck Carries Me
After hearing of my tale Ai offered to show me around Matsumoto, over the next week or so she showed me where things like Daiso(Hyakuen Shop), Tsuruya(Grocery Store), and Nitori(Household Goods) were located. Being the nice person she is she even took my picture when we stumbled along one of the reasons I had come to Japan in the first place.
All those years of being to lazy to make multiple trips to carry groceries from the car to the kitchen payed off as I walked down the street carrying entire stores with me. The whole time I was thinking of how much my parents had really provided me when I was living with them. As a kid having things like silverware, toilet paper, cookware, etc. was given. But when you had to buy all those things yourself you gained insight and appreciation.
When I returned to my apartment I’d realized how much information about living in a certain area that I didn’t have at my disposal in my new location. In Tacoma, I knew where music shops were, shortcuts, good restaurants, and electronic stores. Although I had much to learn about my beloved city comparing my knowledge to Tacoma and Matsumoto would have been like comparing the information contained in a library as opposed to an information pamphlet.
Humble Beginnings. . . Am I a Buddhist Monk?
Back at my apartment, I laid out everything I’d owned. Other than my laptop, clothes, and camera everything I had to my name was pretty practical.
- One Pan For Boiling Water
- A Rice Cooker
- One Bowl
- Two Sets of Chopsticks
- One Mug
- A Fryingpan for Cooking
- A Knife
- Soup Spoon
- A Futon
It wasn’t much, but I was finally feeling like this place could be a home after all.
