When I woke up it was noon. Lately, no matter how much I sleep I can’t shake the tiredness. Every day I meet new people, chat, and before I know it my head is running full speed in Russian. Even so, I think my life right now is fun. There are hard times and moments of doubt, but I’m enjoying it anyway.
A slightly overslept breakfast with Elina
When I went to the reception, Elina was there.
She said 'osoyo,' and she already totally felt like a Japanese person (laughs).
We had breakfast together just like that. It was already past 12. While talking about trivial things, we discussed today’s plans.
Apparently a Japanese person was coming and would be on the bed next to mine. I told Elina, 'I’m a little nervous.' It’s not that I dislike talking to Japanese people abroad. But it makes me nervous. The feeling in me that 'Japanese people' = 'you have to follow the rules, you’re always being watched and judged' is ingrained at a nerve level. So I probably can’t really be myself.
Looking for an SSD at TSUM, and sushi of all things
I walked to the shopping mall TSUM. The purpose was to look for an SSD. I asked Elina for a recommended shop and headed there, but in the end I couldn’t find the SSD I wanted.
Apparently in Kyrgyzstan HDDs are the mainstream and SSDs aren’t sold much. Also, rather than big stores like home centers, it’s more like lots of small shops lined up. Some items didn’t even have price tags, so haggling over prices every time was necessary and it was pretty tiring. In the end I decided to buy it in Kazakhstan and gave up this time.
Then we went to the sushi place on the top floor. We ordered a Philadelphia and a fried roll, and they brought out so much I couldn’t finish it and my stomach felt like it would burst.
The movie date that fell through
Since we were there anyway, we’d talked about going to see a movie with Kanykei, whom I’d met the other day. When we checked tickets at the mall, the movie we wanted had no English version and only Russian audio. But if I was going to watch it, I wanted to see it in English. I told her that, and we ended up deciding to see a different movie.
The movie she suggested started at 19:50. But today I was scheduled to make fried rice from 21:00. There were only two hours, and it was raining outside. So we decided to 'just have a normal meal today.' When I told her there was a party, she said, 'Let’s do it another time.'
I thought, 'There are days like this,' and maybe it was partly my lack of planning. The discomfort of only being able to watch movies in Russian might have pushed the feeling of 'going on a date with her' away from my emotions. I was tired today, and honestly I was thinking of declining for another reason. I’m sure that vibe must have come across to her as well.
The date with her was really fun and I ended up smiling. But to be honest I was also a bit tired. I felt some pressure, like wondering how to bring up topics or whether I had to keep smiling constantly. When I imagined what would happen after the movie, I even thought that watching a movie together a second time might not be the best idea.
But things like this happen. It can’t be helped. The timing was just bad. This is also life.
I put on my raincoat and walked back to the hostel listening to an audiobook. It was a day with more learning than usual. I think placing myself in uncomfortable environments is exactly what’s important for growth. Not just staying in comfortable places, but putting myself in anxious, new environments and learning how to adapt. I want to actively learn that.
The fried-rice party that started in the basement
After safely arriving at the hostel, we were going to make fried rice. I had bought the ingredients last night, but everyone, including me, was tired, so making the fried rice was pushed to today.
I did a little computer work, and DJI’s storage was full so I moved the camera data. While waiting I got sleepy and took a short nap on my bed. Before I knew it it was 21:20. I checked Telegram and got a message from Liza: 'I’m making fried rice, come~.'
When I went downstairs, everyone had already started preparing. Someone was cutting garlic, Elina was washing the rice. The others, Roma and Liza, were just laughing next to us.
Even though Elina had her reception job, she found spare moments to cut chicken, returned to the reception when the phone rang, guided guests to their rooms when they arrived, then came back. She was super busy. In contrast, Liza and Roma were just laughing and enjoying themselves. Of course there’s a difference in whether someone is working or not, but watching from afar I found it kind of interesting. Seeing it from a bird’s-eye view, there’s this kind of scene.
My first-ever fried rice
We used 1.5 kg of rice. We cooked it in two batches of 0.75 kg each. Since I used to live in Georgia and often cooked large amounts, I already knew how to cook rice. So it went smoothly. But since it was my first time making fried rice in my life, I was honestly a little nervous.
While Liza filmed, I first fried the chicken, added garlic, added the eggs, then added the rice, seasoned with salt and pepper, and kept mixing. With 0.75 kg it was already impossible to make it with the feel of normal fried rice.
Still, when I kept mixing hard, everything blended nicely and a good smell rose up. When I asked for a taste test, Elina said, 'Delicious!' When I asked Liza she also said, 'Delicious!'.
Honestly, I was surprised. I’d become so used to the fried rice you eat at Japanese ramen shops that I didn’t think my own was tasty at all. That’s why those words made me really happy.
The fried rice was finished and we divided it into seven plates and ate together. It’s insanely good with cola. It really is more delicious when you eat it together. Maybe because we were tired, we couldn’t talk much, but making fried rice at a hostel in Kyrgyzstan definitely became a wonderful memory. I have nothing but gratitude for Elina, who planned it.
After a while, Elina and Roma tried making fried rice. I taught them while they mixed together and tried their best. We decided to store the fried rice we made without eating it.
Doing these small cultural experiences was really fun. It was a wonderful opportunity and it made me feel that this place is, to some extent, Home.
Two hours with a Colombian
After that, I talked for about two hours with a girl from Colombia. She was also traveling for about a year and had been to many countries. Lately she said she’s tired of the daily cycle of hello and bye, so she tries not to get too deeply involved with people. I really understood how tiring traveling for a year can be, and because we were similar we kept talking about that.
We came to the topic of needing to learn Spanish, and I introduced myself in Spanish for the first time. That was also a really good experience. She told me lots of tips about Colombia and the countries of South America: don’t walk around at night, don’t use your phone outside, stories about traveling in the US, and that she calls her mother every day. She really told me all kinds of things.
Even though it’s only a fleeting encounter, valuing that moment and being able to talk for two hours is amazing. When you travel you meet all kinds of people. These encounters are undoubtedly treasures.
