(un)Happy birthday to… me
Well, yesterday, April 18th, was my birthday and, gotta admit, thought it would be a lot more depressive. Truth is: I never been that much of a birthday freak. I think I stopped caring about birthday parties at 13–14 years old. By that time, usually was lunch or dinner with my parents, others were a coffee at Starbucks with some friends. Never a big celebration that demanded invitations.
Still, my first birthday in Japan was… sad. Won’t say depressive, but I think it was a lot more on sadness way. Worked the whole day and after that, bought a piece of cake and a more expensive bento… damn, remembering it now, I think yesterday’s were a whole lot better.
But to compensate, my second birthday in Japan was quite fun. Actually, remembering my last post, I quoted “no man is an island,” and in fact, in my last job I made a few friends. Went nearly all day offs someplace. Actually, there were a Aeon Mall really close to where we lived (most brazilians lived in the company allocated buildings), so nearly 80% of the time, we went to spend the day there. Also, I made my weekly groceries at that mall supermarket. The other 10% was in the neighbor city called Tachikawa (there’s actually an anime featuring Tachikawa’s train station, the anime is called “A certain magical index”).
As for the RL picture:
One of the most interesting things — and that I loved about Tachikawa station — is that everything is suspended. There’re two layers of city there, you actually enter the buildings from the 2nd or 3rd floor. It is quite surreal. Also, there’s a freak’n big park there, awesome restaurant that serve one of the best pizza’s I’ve eat in Japan… and… japanese pizza is bad, like… really bad. But that just me being spoiled by São Paulo’s pizza… São Paulo have the best pizza in the world, also one of the best places to eat… so, not a very fair fight there.
Anyway, the rest 10% was basically going somewhere, usually at Tokyo’s centers for some event. There’re all kind of events in Tokyo. Like Brazilian festivals, out of and in season Oktoberfest, barbecue fests, all kinds and all types. Indian, Vietnamese, African, Mexican, Chinese, all kinds… damn I’ve been in some of those.
Continuing... I’ve never made any close friends with foreigners here, though. I mean, close work colleges and all, but to go out on day offs, not one. Work at a factory is strange in some ways, people don’t tend to mingle with different races, that happens of course, but it’s not common. Language is a barrier too, specially at a factory that feels like a babel tower, and everyone is minding their own life.
Outside work I’ve made a japanese friend, my language teacher from the volunteer center, that offers free languages courses (you have to pay a small fee actually, it can vary from place to place), got quite close, so me and him usually went of to chat when the center was closed. Also, english speakers everywhere around Japan end up being friendly, no barrier there, so… there’s that.
So, my second birthday was quite cheerful, we went to a all you can eat brazilian barbecue restaurant. So, lot’s of laugh there.
This third birthday here… well, yesterday some brazilian folks from the factory called me to dinner, that was cool. It wasn’t a completely forgotten day, but last saturday was special.
Once again some brackets. I decided to come to Tokyo because a friend of mine was moving from England to Japan, he arrived around 4 or 5 months after I got here. He works for an international bank, so it’s a very different world from mine. Actually he lives in the second most expensive place in whole Japan, so… If I had a hat, I would be taking it off right now.
Respect, brother.
Well, he did met this wonderful South Korean girl and it’s getting married. Hurray! But also his section is moving to Singapore, so both of’em are leaving Japan… (not so) Hurray!
Anyway, he called me to meet one of our high school friend that moved here around a month ago (Hurray, again!) and kinda made a small reunion in his apartment. I got to know one of his co-workers — a fine young gentleman from US — a friend from college of his (soon to be) wife’s — another incredible beautiful and intelligent South Korean girl — and our friend from high school days — a short girl with a huge brain… I mean, she graduate in medicine and works for a huge international tech company — and, although it was just a friendly reunion, at the end they actually surprised me with some candles and singing happy birthday… to me!
That made me REALLY happy. And, trust me, since I arrived here, I can’t really remember the days that I felt that happy and alive.
BUT that wasn’t the best part. Before the cake and spark candles… There was food. His wife made Korean food! I mean, first time eating korean food! Actually, it has some quite long time I’ve eating home made food!
And it was freak’n delicious. I think I’ve only eat that much in an all you can eat restaurant. Some Korean drinks too, some nice chatting, some nice company, awesome home made food, meeting some old friends, making some new… perfect day, I gotta say.
Plato would feel proud of that dinner table that night.
So, all in all… this wasn’t a sad birthday. Maybe a little depressive, but ain’t I always depressed? Sometimes, I feel like Ulisses and his melancholy. Trying to revive that Ithaca that he left, but that only existed in his memories.
