The moment I stepped onto the campus, the version of myself from my university days came flooding back. Those days were free and full of possibilities.
Today Elina is going to show me around her university.
Student days resurrected by the campus tour
I woke up at 12 noon. Elina had worked at the hostel until 9 a.m., then went to the university to take a test. The test finished around lunchtime. When I walked to the park near the university, she came to meet me.
Entering the university campus, something in my heart filled with nostalgia. Ah, I want to go back to being a student again. Back then I was free and anything seemed possible. It was full of possibilities; everything felt achievable. It might have been the golden time of life.
When I peeked into the classroom where she always studies, there were lots of Japanese books. There's also a floor for the Japanese language department, and teachers are based there.
The shelves were packed with Japanese magazines and novels.
Just being university students, everyone was young and full of energy. I think it's nice when classmates fall in love with each other. I don't regret anything, though—when I studied abroad in Russia I enjoyed every day to the fullest.
During the tour, we took a photo in front of a sign for an institute connecting Japan and Kyrgyzstan.
The comical adventure of searching for sunscreen
After touring the university, the sun came out. It had been forecast to rain, but it was clear skies. It got really hot. I’d forgotten to put on sunscreen, so Elina hurriedly guided me to go buy some.
The first place she showed me was a shop selling Japanese products. Japanese detergents and clothes were lined up, and even UNIQLO items were sold. The selection was very small, and I felt that buying Uniqlo in this tiny store would be pretty difficult.
Then we went to a cosmetics shop and bought SPF. As I walked after buying it and tried to open and apply it, it turned out to be not white but a skin-colored cream. This is makeup!
I said to Elina, "Do I need this? I don't need it, it's probably for women," and she laughed, "No, you're wrong, look closely, it's normal sunscreen." She's really talkative and always chatting about something. So I didn't need to speak much, which felt kind of nice.
While walking we talked about what personalities we like or dislike, and when judging someone, whether you prioritize face, personality, or body type.
The small library of the Japanese language center
When we arrived at the Japanese language center, there was a small library with a large number of Japanese books. I was surprised I could come here. Before coming to Kyrgyzstan, it was a place I had hoped to visit, so that dream had come true.
Books like Kazuo Inamori's 'The Way of Living' and 'The Elephant That Grants Dreams' were lined up, and I thought the selection was interesting. Even so, it wasn't the best library. Having bought books at Junkudo—a bookstore that occupies an entire building—left me feeling a bit unsatisfied.
Still—here in Kyrgyzstan at the edge of the world, this many people are learning Japanese. I was filled with amazement and gratitude.
There was also a Japanese teacher who teaches tea ceremony, and I greeted him briefly. As expected, when I meet Japanese people I feel judged and can't really be myself. I don't speak beyond what's asked. That was how I was when I was in Japan.
Of course, I can't succeed in this state. So I once again reaffirmed that I absolutely shouldn't place myself in Japan.
Unexpected similarities with Kyrgyz cuisine
After leaving the Japanese language center, we headed to a restaurant with a lot of Kyrgyz dishes. Together with Elina, we ordered fried pelmeni, fried lagman, plov, and a mushroom salad. We had planned to eat a lot at a Japanese restaurant, but we got hungry and filled up here.
Her MBTI turned out to be ENFP, the same as mine. That was such a surprise. So that's why she talks so much, huh (laughs).
A painful remark at the Japanese restaurant
When we went outside it was raining. We walked under umbrellas, but it got cold, so we decided to take the bus. The bus was packed and there was a traffic jam outside. It was the worst. We headed to Asia Mall and got off there. The store selection was really good—much better than the central TSUM. They even had New Balance, so I thought about replacing my T-shirt. I found a Kyrgyz T-shirt that I wanted as a souvenir, but I gave up because it didn't fit.
Then we walked for 30 minutes and finally arrived at the Japanese restaurant. This was the only Japanese restaurant in Bishkek operated by a Japanese owner. When we entered, a Japanese man said "Welcome!" and showed us in. There were about three other reserved tables, so I thought it was really popular. It was a proper authentic restaurant with Japanese ornaments and various other items.
After sitting down and taking a breath, the owner greeted us again with 'Welcome' and asked, 'Are both of you Japanese?' Elina was also thought to be Japanese. She introduced herself and told the owner that she was studying Japanese.
He said, 'You should learn another language. If it's only Japanese, it's really difficult to find a job. It's really hard right now.'
The atmosphere suddenly dropped. It's painful to be told something that crushes your dreams out of the blue. To confront someone who loves Japan and has spent so much time studying Japanese with that reality—it's kind of sad. I immediately felt antagonistic toward him.
I hate people who crush dreams or force reality on others to make them give up. I keep my distance from such people. I don't trust them even a little. I know that successful people or those who made their dreams come true would never say such things.
So I ordered tonkatsu and rice, and Elina ordered karaage and miso soup. Both the karaage and the tonkatsu had meat that was incredibly tough; the karaage smelled as if it were undercooked or off. The tonkatsu wasn't the taste I expected either. Paying 5,000 yen for those two dishes was outrageously expensive. Honestly, I was shocked. Elina felt the same and said, 'It wasn't very tasty, was it?' We said we'd never come back.
On the way home, her father called. A worried call asking when she'd be back home. Apparently she's been told she wouldn't be allowed into the house if she didn't return by a certain time. At 22 years old, I thought it's a bit much to be worried about like that. But surely he must be concerned.
Then we talked about recent romances. She was enjoying a lot, and I thought that was nice. We arrived at the hostel and said goodbye to Elina. She had submitted her resignation because her work at the hostel was very busy and hard, and the pay didn't match. Thinking that if timings had been different we might not have met gave me a strange feeling—a sense that it was a good connection.
Piano and karaoke, the best night
While I was playing the piano downstairs, the usual crew came in saying, 'How are you!' From there, I ended up playing the piano. Aya requested Radiohead's 'Surprise' and Lana Del Rey's 'Young and Beautiful,' so I played them. She was really happy, and another girl even filmed it.
After that, a karaoke party! With the usual members, we did karaoke. I sang 'Wonderwall' and some Japanese songs, and sang a little bit of a Russian song. Aya hosted, and everyone enjoyed themselves. I thought there's really nowhere you can find such a friendly receptionist. A hostel with that much autonomy that is so fun is the best.
We made fried rice, made onigiri, sang karaoke together. It was just the best hostel.
We went to a small shop and bought ice cream for everyone. At first I was a little hesitant, but I expected that no one would refuse when you do something for them. As expected, no one refused and everyone ate the ice cream. It was a small success.
Then I went back upstairs, took a shower, and wrote in my diary. It was 2 a.m., and I bought a ticket to Russia and applied for an eVisa to Tajikistan.
After that, Aya came and we talked about various things. She wants to go to Montenegro, and told me about its charm, and we watched travel YouTuber videos together from 2 a.m. Aya is really good at communication, and you can tell she talks to everyone equally. Despite different personalities, she gets along with everyone, which I thought was wonderful. But I also thought that it was her sincerity that made that possible.
I told her that this hostel was the best so far. I also said, 'You have such a beautiful heart.' And how wonderful Kyrgyz people are. She was really happy.
We decided to go to the botanical garden tomorrow, and on Sunday perhaps go to the mountains together!
If that happens, I thought it would really be amazing.
