Three Evenings Ago

They were showing some Hong Kong drama series on cable TV and they had some scenes filmed in Japan. I wasn't exactly watching it; my mom was. Then I heard "doumo arigatou", and quite suddenly, I found myself missing Japan.

I miss the weather there, so unlike Singapore's hot and humid climate; I miss smoking there, where each breath taken in alternates and contrasts between cool and warm; I miss too, how the sun can shine down on you even as the breeze that blows is cold. *sigh*

I remember coming out of a warm bath, wrapped in a light yukata, with the steam rolling out of the small bathroom around my feet, and then quietly stepping past my mother's sleeping figure on the tatami mats to climb up on the windowsill to sit on the extended ledge. There, I could stare out at the lake right opposite of the ryokan I was staying in. It was night-time and traffic on the the single lane two-way streets was minimal, and all was peaceful. I just had to light up; it was so right. And then two little fireflies appeared as if to complement the scene and the mood. That was such a moment straight out of a manga. XD

And those are just two of the many things that comes to mind when I recall that country in my mind's eye. Maybe it's because I was there longer than my other trips, maybe it's because it is a country and culture that remains most fascinating to me, but whatever it is, out of all the countries I've been to, my memories of Japan is still the most vivid and memorable. I miss Japan.

P/S Ken-chan, where are my Hello Kitty... products? Or TarePanda lighters? OK, guess you really didn't have the time to get them. =p But one question, if you weren't gonna get anything in the first place, why ask me what I want? Pffft.