Monday, February 01, 2010
starbucks
I've been told that everyone has some place where they can go to get the memories flowing. For me, that would be one of the local Starbucks.
In our area we have three of them all within 5 minutes walking distance of each other. But the original one sits next to a big ferris wheel that makes "American Village" the notable place it is here amidst the tourist hotels, sushi bars, and gluttonous construction of concrete buildings.
In just the span of five years so much has changed, and yet the one thing that remains the same is that old Starbucks. I stopped in again today and tried my old favorite--a Halzenut ice coffee--they make it a bit sour here, with only 4 pumps of syrup instead of the 6 that I come with the drinks of this sort in the States.
And then it hit me: this was one of my first experiences when I came to Okinawa fresh off the plane, so to speak. First by bus, later by rental car, then my own car. I would drive here after work most days, studied database architecture here with my laptop, read books on religion or philosophy as I struggled to lose my faith in a respectable manner, and then later held meetings for the fledgling Okinawa Freethought Society I started. Here I met new girlfriends, talked to strangers, and hit on the female staff. Here I brought my girlfriend, then came alone after she returned to Tokyo when her stays came to an end. Later I had deep talks with friends when it became apparent that it was about time I married her or call our relationship to a close after 3 years. Here we came early on Sunday mornings after we were married as if we were trying to steal a quiet sunrise for ourselves. Here we read books as our first little one was growing inside the womb. And here we bring both of our boys now when they deserve an iced cocoa and daddy wants to read some more.
So there I sat today, listening to my iPod to an old piece of music I'd listened to those many years ago in the same chair. And it hit me like a freight train: I love this place.
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