Takuya Kamibayashi. We met in the cafeteria freshman year at GCSU. That would have been 2003. My memory slips me, but I recall I was having trouble with the waffle maker. It was close to catching on fire and you were next to me in line, and you starting laughing. And that's how we became friends :)
I don't want to forget anything about yesterday, so I'm documenting as quickly as possible to keep these memories in my head and heart always.
It may be another six years before I see you, so this is also my gift to you.
It's been six years since I've seen Taki. I met up with him yesterday in Monticello. I decided to take him to Juliette for lunch at Whistle Stop Cafe and to explore the nearby waterfall. It's on the way back to Macon, and Takuya is always ready for some adventure. I'm glad to hear he hasn't seen the movie Fried Green Tomatoes, even though I love the movie, I think it's more fun to create your own experience while you're there rather than just think and talk about what happened in the movie.
We sit down in the quiet cafe and have sweet tea and fried green tomato sandwiches and do lots of story telling.
We go to the waterfall. This trip turns out to be magnificent.
As were walking through the brush Taki says, "Jessica, you haven't changed a bit." Neither has Takuya. At any moment he breaks out into song, JUST like he always used to. Whether it's a Rolling Stones song, or some popular jazz hit I'm unfamiliar with, it means the world to me to be around him again.
Takuya walked on the waterfall and explored the algae and tree trunks. He found baby dragonflies that he would traipse back across the fall and show to me. He took them back to their tree homes so they wouldn't die.
One way I usually judge a day of exploration is by what what animals we find. We saw a huge turtle, one crane, one snake, exoskeletons of dragonflies and lots of dragonfly babies. Pretty great.
Taki wanted to go swimming. The air was full of the sound of rushing waterfall and the constant echoing buzz of the cicadas, but I still managed to say a quick prayer for Takuya that he wouldn't get any snake bites while swimming in the river. As you see in the picture above, we did discover a snake, but much later in the day, and thankfully, we spotted him and he didn't bother us.
Cicadas were landing all over us, our noses, heads- I was afraid we were going to swallow them. I tried to be still while Taki took lots of photos of this little friend on my shoulder.
Takuya loves to cook for his friends and family. We cooked and cooked and cooked and cooked, it was wonderful. He taught me how to make sushi, something I have been wanting to do for awhile now. They were pretty tasty, I must say!
Dinner Menu
Takuya's Design:
Chicken and potato curry dish served over rice
Ahi rolls
Avocado rolls
Cabbage cakes with BBQ sauce
Tay & Jess Americana Style:
Baked Vidalia Onion
Grilled Shrimp with lime and cumin marinade
The feast was delicious and refreshing to the taste buds.
It was everyone's first time playing Tornado Rex except for my husband and I. The first time we drew a T-Rex card, and the crazy tornado came flying out of the mountain punting and obliterating our little hiker men, everyone yelled in surprise. It's almost impossible to play regular board games after experiencing Tornado Rex.
Takuya, have a blast in Hawaii and back in Japan. I can't wait to hear more and more of your life stories soon. Taylor and I enjoyed every second with you. It felt like a holiday having you here with us,
a true reason to celebrate.
Comments
Post a Comment