Sunny-side-up and Respect
Day 3 in Bukhara. I was supposed to wake up at 8:30, go to the bazaar, and then visit ruins a 25-minute walk from the apartment, but I was so sleepy that I slept until 11. Sonya woke me at 8:30 but I couldn't get up right away.
Even when the two of us make plans, they don't end up happening as planned. There's something amusing about that.
When I woke up in the morning, Sonya made a fried egg. Bread and butter and the fried egg for breakfast. I felt grateful that she always cooks, but all I did was sit in a chair and wait.
So whenever dishes accumulate I make a point of constantly washing them. To me, that's respect for my partner. At the supermarket I'm also the one who actively pays.
Is this what living together means? It may have been a good opportunity to learn that this is what sharing a life is like.
It's fine because it's just ten days, but I wonder what would happen if this were forever. Surely it would be completely different. There must be times when it's annoying. But I think that's one of the important parts of living as a human being.
Alone time is important
With Sonya we gradually spent more time together, but we didn't have to be doing something together or talking all the time; yesterday we spent about four hours in different rooms doing different things.
She was in a great mood then. So I really think it's important for both of us to have time alone.
I think a partner is a part of myself. That's why if my partner is in trouble I want to help, and I want us to live our lives helping and improving each other.
Strawberries and Napoleon at the bazaar
After breakfast we headed to the bazaar. In the car we hardly spoke. Just being together felt comfortable.
Once we arrived at the bazaar Sonya bought spices, walnuts and some kind of nuts or fruits—gifts for her grandmother and coworkers. I, as usual, didn't buy anything until the end when I bought strawberries.
I had about 10,000 yen worth of Uzbek soms, so I wanted to spend something. Strawberries were still expensive: 180,000 soms per kilogram.
Ridiculously expensive. But no matter where you looked, there were overwhelmingly few strawberries being sold.
I wondered whether they were imported after all, or if they're priced high because they're not local. I was thinking about things like that.
While walking around the market we found some delicious-looking samsa, so she bought one and we tried it together on a nearby bench. It was very salty but still tasty. Sonya said she could understand why it would make you want to drink Coca-Cola.
There was also a Napoleon nearby. One slice was a bargain at 5,000 soms. It was crispy and very delicious. Being able to share food like that and say 'this is good' or 'this isn't great' to each other—those moments were very pleasant.
We bought Coca-Cola and successfully got the strawberries. Trying everything in Russian was a lot of fun. Sonya kept recording the whole time.
Leaving at 3:00 became 5:00 — that's so like us
We took a taxi back to the apartment. Sonya was in a great mood and I wondered why she felt so good. Maybe it was because she had more alone time and could use her time as she liked? (laughs)
After arriving at the apartment we just flopped. We had said we'd leave at 3 pm but ended up falling asleep on the same room's sofa for two hours. We finally woke up at 5 pm. I liked that—that's so like us. I'm glad our values matched.
The mindset of 'if we're tired we'll just sleep and it's okay if we don't do what we planned.' Japanese trips are always busy. It's like 'see this place, then go here' with a packed schedule. That's not travel, it's just exhausting.
I brought the strawberries to Sonya. We ate them while sitting and lying on the sofa. She seemed delighted.
Russian tuition and parental leave
We talked about Russian tuition and such. In Russia, tuition is basically free, but it seems to be only for the top 50% who get good exam scores. If you want to get another degree you have to pay for it yourself. I also shared that my university cost 1.6 million yen, and we agreed that's expensive.
We also talked about parental leave. In Russia it's apparently three years. You receive some money from the government, so three years is really long—it's very supportive, I thought. Japan only offers until the child is one year old, so that's really short.
I want to go back to Besh Qozon
By taxi we went to the restaurant Zolotaya Bukhara in the center. I ordered chuchvara, plov, and some kind of spinach sandwich.
Sonya had mashed potatoes, kebab, and tomato salad. The taste was mediocre, I couldn't call it good. No matter where we went, the first Besh Qozon we went to in Tashkent was the best—the tomato salad, the plov, and the tea.
I'm glad to have a reason to return to Tashkent. There's only one reason: to go to Besh Qozon.
A movie-like night in Bukhara
I had a lovely time with Sonya. As we spent time together I felt us becoming more and more intimate. But once we grew close, it was time to say goodbye again. I guess that's life.
Being with her felt peaceful and unpressured. That's why it was truly comfortable. I'm sure she felt the same way. I never get angry; I'm always calm. Well, that's me saying it myself, but (laughs).
After leaving the restaurant we walked the city. Bukhara's old streets, stone architecture—everything felt like another world and very fresh. The atmosphere at night was completely different from the day; it was a very quiet town.
Sonya and I walked through the quiet streets as if immersed in a movie. She bought a cigarette at a small shop and immediately smoked it outside. I thought she looked different and cool when she smoked, so I started filming, but she told me to stop (laughs). Like a Russian meme.
A friend you can walk home with in an hour
We walked back to the apartment. I think only someone like Sonya would walk a whole hour to get back. If I were traveling with other people they'd definitely call a taxi as soon as we left the restaurant.
We also talked about MBTI and LoveType16. Sonya was an INFJ 'boss cat.' I'm a boss cat too, so our love styles matched. It was a good opportunity to get to know each other better by looking at the site and discussing personality traits.
I was truly happy to feel her attitude of carefully looking at each one to try to understand me.
Sonya returns to buy food for the cat
We stopped by a supermarket and bought breakfast for tomorrow. Sonya felt that a cat outside was pleading with her to give it food, so she went back and bought only cat food and fed it. Most people would ignore it, but I liked that about her—those small things.
Back home we discussed sending money. Sonya's bank is a company called МИР and due to sanctions it's currently impossible to send money. So it ended up that we'd have to send money from a friend's card. I joked that when I visit her home I'll get free shashlik (laughs).
The last night — having people around is what makes life rich
Thinking that tonight was the last night we'd share made me realize how quickly the trip went. It felt like a sensation I hadn't had in a long time. Everything felt real and human and very enjoyable. Traveling peacefully with a friend, sharing time and getting to know each other through the journey—being able to travel while sharing emotions was truly wonderful.
There's a different kind of fun than solo travel, and there were many things I did—things I wouldn't have done—because Sonya was there. So life can't be built by oneself alone. It's because there are people that life becomes richer, I thought.
The unpleasant things, the uncomfortable things—everything included. That drama itself is part of what enriches life. Traveling with Sonya was a really good experience. Thank you.
