Wishful Thinking
Wishful Thinking
By Peddler of Dreams
One minute, you thought to yourself
Wow, I’m going to Japan
The next minute
Unfolded slowly yet quickly
22 complete strangers thrown in the pit
In the dark as to who each other were
Grouped to dance and sing
Cooperation started the whole thing
Meeting here and there
Reminders everywhere
Managed the little scratches on the wall
Still we united to work through it all
One almost didn’t make it due to a piece of paper
Another was a mere substitute
But Fate brought us all together
For a reason we will yet discover
A lot is missed
Takashima, Nakamura, Eto, ____sang, schedules
The adoring smile of grandpa koji and panic-stricken Sisa-sang
Are there any questions? Then translations
We would like to express…Iro-iro arigato gozaimasu
Boring seminars that turned to fun just by looking at everyone’s faces
Roll calls, complete! Long bus rides, automatic toll gates
Dragging your body off the bed, blending water temps
Packing, unpacking and the never-ending packing and unpacking
Winona Ryder-ing eggs, cheese, bread, jams from the cafeteria
Buffets, Mylkayla, a surprise gift over lunch
Dinner at Julius’, sharing, first impressions, heaters
Drinking sessions, hoarding the wine, collections for Sake
Dancing over udon and eating it afterwards
Mahiyahee… Mahiyahoo… Mahiyahaha…
Penetrating Japanese TV and broadsheet
The never-ending laughter
The never-ending pictures -sashin sashin
The language that we only speak of
Well… with the toss of hair
Perfect! Fun! Kakosa. Buds. Official Photographer.
Akihabara. Nipponbashi. Tara na biyahe tayo. Indeed.
Noodle romance. Pink earmuffs. Bags of chocolats!
And the list goes on,
Lake Hotel, in-house seminar, 3-day homestay
Hotel Rhiga, yaku-yen Store, a quaint mexican place
A kindness that will never be forgotten
Mount Fuji, Japanese friends, Tokyo University
Wonders of the ubiquitous world
Where imagination is reality
The Kagawa Elementary School
And the most heartwarming welcome received from strangers
A huge and overwhelmingly thrilled crowd
Dancing PBB on the stage and them dancing with us
The excitement in their eyes and the joy we felt
Sharing their excitement
Things I miss most
A sweet smile, group in laughter
Twinkle of the eye, moments to share
The smell of group love in the air
And the tender sweet hugs I get
I wish I listened more, sang more
Danced until every bone in my body hurt
I wish I woke up earlier or slept later
I wish I talked more and laughed harder
Japan revived an old flame
A childhood memory, eagerness to interact with strangers
Long forgotten talents, appreciated efforts
Quiet walks along unfamiliar streets
In a sea of unfamiliar faces, yet we’ve found home in each other’s eyes
Nothing can ever get me down when I think of my days in Japan.
Not a 2-hour bumper-to-bumper, or boxes of things to do at the office
Not a missed gimmick, chika or birthday
Not a lost wallet, nor a fat belly, nor a huge dent on the car
Disappointments are of forgotten history
Appreciation of life has reached new heights
Every minute spent mad or upset is a minute of happiness you might not get again
Fate has shown me so much beauty and I feel so blessed to ever be stressed.
Japan has reiterated this in my life.
Embarking on different adventures
One quite lovely as the next
Same can be said with the people I shared it with
I wonder what I did right to deserve being part of this group
A smile opens the door
But friendship begins when the bad times start
That which little disagreements we have sorted out, has made the bond stronger
Friendship doesn’t end in beautiful sunsets, hearty buffets
It doesn’t end at the bus stop or at the airport
It stems long after the good times are over
My encounter with Japan, so many sights we’ve seen
The taste of different adventures, of being most welcomed and attended to
The kindness of people, the generosity of the orgs
The solidarity of our group, the love and connection between us
Has touched me beyond compare
It’s like a part of me was left in Japan
And I’ll never be the same
It was a journey most of us wished it would never end
It matters not coz we had the time of our life.
At least through a small window, we got a glimpse of paradise
Where hearts rejoice and love is shared generously
How we ever so fervently wish
That another adventure begin
Now if we get another chance to
Seal that happiness forever and never let it get away
Moments that take our breath away
Will we ever be lucky to find that kind of bliss again?
If only
Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/78/Japan_Random_Pics
