... I mean, why not? ... (84/365, 25 Mar 2022)
It was a Friday like every other working day. Well, sort of. I had to go to campus for a 15 minute meeting. Yep, 15 minutes. Anyway, when on campus...do campus/office/work things. Always a never ending stream of things to do. Yes, I have to prepare for another year of teaching I was not expecting to do, another year is about to begin.
And so it went. And before I knew it, darkness fell and my plan to get the budding cherry blossoms fell through. Never mind, I thought, I'll get the tulips, using flash photography (having done this a few years ago to interesting effect...), but no go. The wind was too strong to even be able to focus.
That left me with just a couple of options near the station on the way home. But even then, the wind... goodness it was blowing a gale as they say. A couple of snaps and then on the train, on the way home, wondering about dinner--stop and eat in, pick up takeaway as has been the norm for so long--and then it happened, in my notifications a message from a friend, won't you join us for a drink? Now the story here is just one of those 'you wouldn't believe'...except it happened.
Remember, at the start of this evening, just a moment before, I was wondering what to do for dinner...I was on the train, on the way home...
The night before, last look at emails before bed (as you do), a blast from the past loomed in the inbox. Long story short, a friend from my exchange student days got in contact, had found my name etc via Google. I was an exchange student at this particular uni in 1984-5...that long ago. And so with the usual 'let's catch up' sign off, we signed off...
The notification on the train tonight, the very next night, was from this friend...'I happen to be (at our uni station) in a pub with a sensei from the uni...'...pretty easy to make a quick change in train rides...and off I went.
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| Too windy |
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| The only flower not being blown around |
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| Ochazuke (with plum), the best way to finish off a pub meal |
Quite amazing really. The conversation was pleasant, the sensei is, like me, head of International Relations, she is overseeing the uni's 100 anniversary next year, would I mind being interviewed (so yes, a bit of an ulterior motive but, meh). Sure why not. My friend and I just sat there most of the rest of the evening in disbelief...ah, I think there will be more. Stay tuned, as they say.
So the pics in the windy, portside precinct on the Canon EOS M5, 18-150mm, doing its best, and the pub pics on the iPhone 12 mini.
