On Friendship

On my last night in Mexico, I took a ride down with the Canadians. We stopped to eat some food at a seafood stand. I ordered raw clams and raw oysters and a taco with a deep fried oyster inside.

It was a perfect day - the kind where the sun was out but it wasn't too hot. The wind blew a sweet sea breeze at us and it felt fresh.

The Canadians and I were both leaving the day after. We both didn't want to.

But then, when I thought about it, I said, "You know, it might be alright. I miss so many of my friends and family. My father wants to see me. My mother will make me my fresh coffee - Kona or Blue Mountain of course. Then, there's my kitty Jehpi (short for Jeh Pan - Trial in Korean). And I have my crazy brother. And then there's my Russian friend." I thought about them and smiled.

They look at me blankly.

"You don't want to see people back home?"

The guy said, "Not really."

The girl said, "Nope."

Hmmm, How odd? I thought.

When we back to the hostel, I made a call to my Russian friend. I told him about everything that was happening and my ups and my downs. I told him about my world and shared the moments I experienced.

After the call, I felt good and at peace and happy.

The hostel volunteer was sitting at the patio and I said, "I feel so happy."

And she said, "Why?"

"Because I talked to one of my best friends, and he was there for me. And there's no feeling like that in the world."

She looked sad and said, "I don't have anyone like that in my life. I tell my problems to my psychologists, but it doesn't seem to help."

Her eyes looked sadder than a puppy dog. I didn't know what to tell her.

We chatted some more, as the night deepened into darkness and the moon beamed brighter.

My flight was ok. I watched the Fast and the Furious on the plane. The first one. I never seen it before. And I thought it was the worst film I've ever seen. I guess a blockbuster these days are fast cars, girls, gangsters, bombs, shootings, fights, and lesbians kissing. Bread and circus, the Romans used to say.

When I got out of the plane, there were already problems: other people's problems, arguments, phone calls, and more stress.

Now you really know you're home, I thought.

When people say the grass isn't greener on the other side, that's not true. Some times it is.