...smiles...

well, as you may have guessed, it's been a tough week.

not made easier by the fact that i haven't had any contact with friends - except texting.

no - i am not in self-imposed exile, it's just because of work.
i'm teaching WAY out in kanagawa, so don't have time (energy?) to see people.
But tomorrow will come soon...and then the weekend.

one thing i have found in the last week is smiles & friendship.

and sometimes from very unexpected places...

last saturday night, my friend & me decided to go out to our regular bar.
he also said that we should do fireworks by the river as a kind of closing to one period & opening to the this new chapter.
anyway, we went to the convenience store & nothing....argghhh.
this is japan - it's now september and firework season has finished.
therefore, no fireworks.
nothing.

not to be deterred, my friend & i decided that we would enjoy ourselves despite this hiccup.
so, had dinner, then went along to our bar.

at some obscene hour in the morning, the bar master comes along and says 'look!'
there outside in the street - FIREWORKS!!!
the bar staff had heard that we couldn't find any, so they went out on a trek for fireworks & found some! amazing!
so off we all went to the river and spent an amazing hour doing sparklers & senko hanabi.
wonderful wonderful evening.
not at all expected & even more lovely because of that.

yeah - life isn't wonderful, but it's not shite either.