2013.09.07 Sat.
I’m back to NY and fall has come! It is a time of “Hello!” to new comers, and “Welcome back!” or “Good bye” to friends (of course I know it happens every time, every season under the Big Apple, but…).
Immediately after being back to NY, I started the Fall semester with jet lag, finding that some of friends of our class are still working abroad (for global internship), some had already graduated in May and no longer there. On Friday, I met a friend from Burma (he graduated another school in May), spent just an hour with a cup of coffee before he’ll go back to his country. He got a job in his home country, with great passion for the future of Burma where a lot of changes are happening towards development and democratization and market is opening to foreign capitals. It won’t be an easy task to handle power games between and within countries and seek for decent society, there must be light and shadow. But anyway, I send my best cheer to him and other Burmese friends, hoping they’ll be fine and seek for their dreams.In turns, new students have come to campus, including my friends from Japan. I was surprised that already one year had passed since I came to NY. It is now a funny memory, but during the first semester I felt pretty nervous and depressed. Now I know rainy days never stay. On Saturday, I met one of my friends from Japan and had lunch. We studied at the same undergraduate college but it may be already about 2 years since we last met, though we had Skype talks. Given her interests and personality, the mood in this city may fit her.
Artists, designers, businessmen, students with ambition and dream come from everywhere and leave here anytime. Hard competition and huge disparity, but still this chaotic, crazy but lovely city welcomes everyone. Nothing normal, nothing special. We are allowed to do anything, and with any luck, can enjoy 15 minutes of fame.
始業の前日に帰ってきて、時差ボケを引きずりながら低空飛行で新学期を開始。来週からようやくブルックリンへ移る。
夏の間に幾人かの友達がクニへ帰ってしまっていたことを知る。代わりに新しい顔ぶれがわんさかやってくる。この街では毎日のように人が吸い込まれては吐き出されているから、そんなことは珍しくもなんともないはずなのだけど、季節や学期の変わり目はやっぱり別れが目立つ。とにかくみんな達者でやっとくれ。僕も、そうだな、あと半年。マンハッタンは相変わらず過剰に狂った街だと思うけど、だからこそ…何やったって良いのだ、ここでは。