day 44! tatsuya's house (?)

On account of our messed up sleep schedules, we didn't get around to do anything for most of the next day either. I think we slept at around 6am so....

The plan for today was to meet up with my old friends from school. Towards the end of my second semester I hung out with a group of kids that....mostly grew up outside the states, but then moved back to Japan when they got older. Which means that they had a lot of Western culture pounded into them, but had to completely repress it when reintegrating back into the Japanese society. I don't envy them for it, I can imagine how hard it would be in a place like Tokyo. Anyway they're all super awesome, and really great people. :) They're one of the groups of friends that I still hold close to my heart, I think, even though I don't communicate with them regularly (I'm completely shit at staying in touch). My sis met them, when she came to visit me, and we all had a good time together....

So when I figured out my dates for Japan I messaged them and let em know I was coming, and wanted to see if any of them had time to meet up? But of course, being the awesome people that they are, they tried to coordinate a get together for everyone to meet up at the same time -- which I agree, would be infinitely more fun. Also it just so happens that one of the guys, Takuya, had been in France for two years, and he came back to visit Japan for the first time in those two years, and his visit happened to overlap with mine. :D Coincidence!?!? I think not...!

In the end, everyone is so busy that there was no single day we could all meet up, but it seemed like people were split on the 18th or 19th. So Tatsuya (note: different from Takuya) hatched a plan to meet up for dinner on the 18th, sleepover at his generously offered place, and continue the hangout until brunch on the 19th. That way whoever could make whatever time could just join us when they could. I thought it was really awesome and sweet of all of them. 

When we got to the restaurant (late, cuz we got lost), it was just Tatsuya and Takuya there. Omg they looked so the same! Tatsuya I'd seen briefly, 2 years ago, when I came to visit Japan, but Takuya I hadn't seen since my study abroad 4 years ago. :') It was sosososoososososo good to see them again! Actually, before we met up with them I was completely freaking out about it (Kurt can attest to that...). I have problems with severe social anxiety, not so much with new people, but with friends. I won't get into it since this is just a travel blog but suffice to say that I was really worried that the whole thing would be terrible and that I'd go home feeling disappointed and awful about myself (don't ask me how that might come about, I was just...afraid it would). But seeing them, after the first 5 minutes or so, I was already glad I came. :)

And then Yuta joined us!! I hadn't expected to see him til later in the evening, if at all. And omg, I love all of them but I definitely feel closest to Yuta. :D So I was beyond elated to see him again. Near the end of dinner Taiga showed up as well and he's got another special spot so I was super super happy to see him too. :)

Taiga, Yuta, and Tatsuya from left to right. I don't know what we talked about, nothing in particular I s'pose. Just caught up with each other, talked about old times, discussed random things. Whatever it is that people talk about. :)

Me and Takuya -- thanks for taking pictures Kurt! Otherwise I wouldn't have any. :)

And a blurry pic of the 6 of us, as taken by the very unskilled waiter.

Dinner was really expensive btw, cuz Tatsuya's a high rollin' banker, I didn't even eat anything so I was like T^T....

After dinner, the plan was to go back to Tatsuya's house and hang out, and some others (Arisa, Ayano) would join us. Unfortunately Yuta had to go back home to do some more work (seriously everyone here is crazily busy..) so he left. And then after we got to Tatsuya's place, Takuya had to leave cuz his uncle came home or something, and you can't say no to family. :o So then it was just me, Kurt, Taiga and Tatsuya, who has a really nice and spacious apartment (by Japanese standards anyway). It was a little quiet and awkward I guess, but we just hung around and chatted, and at around midnight, Arisa showed up! Completely smashed. lol. Tatsuya started playing Mission Impossible 3 and that gave us all something to stare at while we slowly fell asleep....

A pic of this cute little bunny Tatsuya got from his girlfriend. It's so cute, when you pick it up out of the cup, the bottom is a fuzzy duster that you can use to dust things -- monitors, desk, whatever. :)

Anyway I had a lot of fun seeing these guys again. I was really anxious that they would be different or that I would be really different but after we started talking it sort of felt like old times. Except now we're all older. :)