In my first summer as a college student, I met a group of Campus Crusade for Christ people. While I did find them interesting for many reasons, one of the things that struck me was how close they were. These kids were picked from different parts of the country, and had really known each other for a few months before I met them, and yet, they were inseperable, and acted as if they had known each other for years. If Facebook is to be belived, they are still quite close. Maybe not as much as they were when I met them, but they do not treat each other as you would a mere aquaintance. At the time, I assumed this was due to them being Christians. In my experience, many Christians are friendly and open. For us non-religious people, I thought, it takes much longer than a few months to develop such a bond. I think I will be proven wrong on this assumption.
To be honest, I was very pessimistic about making friends here. My biggest fear was actually the other Americans. I was terrified that they would be weaboos, or people who are only interested in the most basic of things Japanese. They're the people that think that by watching hours of anime and clearing Japanese 101 they've become an expert on Japan. To be quite honest, I find these people unbearable, and if the Americans were going to be like that, then I wanted to have nothing to do with them. I was planning to have a bleak and rather lonely year in Japan.
You can imagine my surprise, then, when I made friends here. The Americans are not at all what I thought they would be. True, they have an interest in Japanese pop culture, and possibly pursue hobbies which the average 日本人 would never think about. But their interest has far more depth than anything frivolous. Although a lot of it goes over my head (KPop, JRock, host clubs), it is quite clear that this is not just a passing fancy. And I was also relieved at how they interacted with Japanese culture, something that they may or may not have experienced first hand. What really surprised me was when confronted with foods they had never eaten before, only rarely did they pass on it, or declare that it was inedible. Indeed, with only a few exceptions, they have been most enthusiastic about trying new foods. And it is also worth mentioning that at the ゆかた祭り, they embraced it quite openly. They bought yukata that I felt were worth the money that was spent on them, and had patterns that were very attractive. And none of them fought me when I made it obvious that I did not want to see them wearing shoes, or have their hair down, or something else that would make my ancestors cringe in their graves.
Nine months ago, I can promise you I would not have believed you if you told me how important these people would become to me. How, I would ask, is it possible to become so attached to people you've only known for a few months? How could they become important to you, seeing as they're so unlike you? Why would they be so important to you; you will soon become seperated from them, and in some cases, may never see them ever again? I definitely think that all of us having an interest in Japan has a big thing to do with it. That is one of the common interests we all have. If it wasnt for that, I would have never met these people. And below that, there are the less common, but not less important, similarities, whether it be music, food, or people.
But what really ties us all together is that we've all been there together. We've had to stick together to deal with all the crisises that come with living in unexplored territory. We've cried over relationship problems, and we've laughed at the craziness that comes with mistranslations. We've taken the same ridiculous classes, and also shared countless meals. You know the bond that develops between soldiers on the battlefield? It's a bit of a stretch, but we've been soldiers on this battlefield we call 留学, and we are so very close to victory.
I want to stay in touch with all these amazing kids that I've met here. Facebook and tumblr are poor substitutes for meeting in person, but it's better than nothing. I dont know what the future brings, so I wouldnt rule out that we'll move apart, and on in our lives. But I'm going to try my damndest to keep that from happening. These friendships are so precious to me, and that is something I will always treasure. Thank you, my dear, dear friends.
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