'So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it!' 🌸
- VENUS ZAUHAIR
- Mar 13
- 5 min read
These lyrics from Taylor Swift's music perfectly describe the new friendship I made with my SEA-Teacher friends. We come from 3 different countries, with 23 days of togetherness we shared under the same roof, under the same conditions really became memories that I will never forget throughout my life! They are Bea, Lara, Nyla, Beet and Galuh who make all these memories and stories even sweeter and harder to forget.
I remember Galuh and I arrived later than the rest of our batch. When we first came to the residence or Kou-ryu to, they gave us a short tour of the place and also helped us to adapt well during the early days of arrival.
There were many joys, laughter, tears, and stories that we shared together in one place. The joy we shared together because it felt so good to be able to go to Tokyo by train in Japan which was our first experience, laughter because of the behavior of each other that made us laugh happily, to tears of happiness when the last days we had to return to our respective countries to continue our own dreams.
There were so many stories that we experienced and shared together, starting from us having to learn together to the University of Tsukuba Tokyo campus using the train. Where we had to work together to choose which train we should take, which exit we should choose, to sharing seats on the train. It felt like we were in a team that had to solve a mission together, then would feel happy together on the way home because we finally solved the challenge together.
Then my trip on February 11 where it was a national holiday, and Lara invited us to go to Kawagoe because of the invitation of one of her students who volunteered to give us a tour of Kawagoe city. In the end, Galuh, Lara and Bea traveled together to Kawagoe by train and met Lara's student, Mao at Kawagoe Station. Mao gave us a tour of interesting places that are also iconic in the city, starting with going to a temple in Kawagoe. It was an interesting place because a lot of people went there on that day, and I tried to attract my luck through fishing! What an interesting experience!
Also Mao took us for a walk around the area to eat street food, which was very windy so it was getting colder. I chose to enjoy Taiyaki, a fish-shaped snack cake with cream as the filling of the cake to fill the stomach as well as warm the body because the Taiyaki is enjoyed after they are cooked, it was delicious! Next, we went to the Kawagoe Festival Museum. Mao said that every year in Kawagoe there is a lively festival, she participated in the festival last year! Inside the museum we got to see what the history of the festival is like, the museum is very safe for foreigners like me. They have a device to explain each item in the museum in English!
Then, we ended our day in Kawagoe by shopping and also trying out the famous Japanese photo booth that makes our faces even funnier! Mao taught us how to use this photobooth, also at that time there were a lot of high school students who came to take pictures using cute ribbons in their hair as well as carrying chocolates, Mao said they used these ribbons in their hair and the chocolate because Valentine's Day was coming so they took pictures for that. What a new experience I had!
It wasn't the last trip we took, because Nyla and Beet hadn't had the chance to go for a walk together yet. One day Nyla invited us to go to Shibuya, so without thinking I said yes because Shibuya is one of the famous cities in Japan and I want to go there! On this trip there were me, Nyla, Beet, Bea and Galuh. We went together after school was over, and we rushed to the train station. Beet was our transportation guide at that time, and we were a little bit running if it was chasing the fastest train because we were afraid of arriving at Shibuya too late.
After traveling for about 1 hour, we arrived in Shibuya. Our first destination was the famous Shibuya area, the Shibuya Scramble Crossing. However, at first, we were a bit confused and lost as to which direction we should take after exiting the station and arriving at the area! Even though it was just crossing the street, for some reason it felt so good. The four of us crossed 4 times and took pictures together, enjoying the crowd together! Then after we had had enough of the area we went out for dinner together, then shopping for souvenirs together since we were there during our last days in Japan. We took some pictures together at the photo booth and decided to go home at 9pm, and we ran together to catch the fastest train to get to Sakado early. It was a fun experience to spend together.
Although we only did 2 trips together in Japan, the experience made me learn a lot as well as have fun. Learning to be brave when things happen, it was also great to spend my time well in Japan with new friends!
The last thing we did together was have dinner together at Wakaba Walk, a shopping center near where we lived. We decided to have a bowl of curry udon which tasted really good that night, either I was hungry at the time or it was our last dinner together in Japan so I really enjoyed it. And we closed the day's agenda by taking a photo at the photo booth together for the last time, and returned to the dorm to prepare for our return to our home countries.
Until that morning when Bea and Lara had to leave early for the airport, I remember waking up at 4am. And they were ready for the airport, waiting for one of the sensei to pick them up and take them to the bus terminal. I gave them a little gift, as a keepsake gift as well as a sign that this friendship should never end. We hugged and cried together because it was so sad that we didn't get to spend much time together and the memories were so sweet that we will always cherish them. Then in the afternoon it was my turn to go home, Galuh, Beet and Nyla, we said goodbye at the airport. We promised each other that one day when we go to the country they live in, we would feel free to contact each other and make more memories together.
There is one lyric from my favorite singer that also reminds me of this friendship story,
And though it didn’t last
I hope our paths cross again
‘Paths’ by NIKI
Dear Bea, Lara, Nyla and Beet.
Thank you so much for sharing this journey and experience together with me, see you soon! So many memorable things we do together, miss you guys so bad. Hoping this friendship will last forever.
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