Feel like a lot has transpired in the past month or so. For one thing, today I went to a monkey mountain and it was pretty great. Monkeys all the live long day. Monkeys just chillin' and doing monkey things while climbers/tourists walked around. Monkeys suddenly snapping, screeching, growling, and biting each other in the ass. Climbers/tourists being startled and realizing that movies about monkeys turning evil and taking over society isn't as much of a laughing matter as they once may have thought. Shit's scary.
There was also cold air, temples, AUTUMN LEAVES, a RAINBOW, and other natural things you just don't get in the city. There was also a zip line.
There have been other visits (both toward me and by me) in the past while, too. Other than those, though, probably the most spirited part of the past while were two new friendships and one torrid companionship. So of course, this cannot last. It's over because of outside forces--loss of employment and subsequent lack of work on their parts, then America beckoning, begging their return (as living in Osaka with no money is a little tough).
It's just so. SO. rare to find people you connect on F-U-N levels as soon as you meet them. I suppose common pop culture interests have something to do with this... but not even, really! Just loves of dancing, shootin' the shit, laughing, and eating/drinking on the cheap. Same/similar humor wavelengths play a part (I still don't like Family Guy, but I forgave the two of 'em for this because they are such funny, fun, smart, geeky people in most other ways).
The torrid affair itself was an extension of one of the friendships, although I guess it was mostly right from the beginning, and helped along with being intoxicated. But it was just as good while sober and with colds. I'd forgotten how intoxicating it was to be held and all that, and to receive messages and feel needed. So again... it's over.
My guilt over / appreciation for the fact that I have steady work leaves me here, sittin' and shiverin' underneath a blanket. It was strange going into hangout and hangout-hookup (guh. what a stupid word) relationships knowing from the start that they'd be temporary, because of that impending employment doom and those damn plane tickets home. But it was so much fun with those dudes. I'm really sad that it can't be recreated at a later date, short of some miracles and time warps.
But maybe it's time for me to speak more Japanese. Even though the chances of finding fast friends like this in English were already stupid low.