The last time we hugged was January 26, 2022. And today is January 28, 2023. Two days apart — almost exactly a year.
And of all places, Prague, Czech Republic. I couldn't hide my own surprise at such a coincidence.
Heading to Masha's house, the cobblestones clacking underfoot
I met Masha back when I was an exchange student in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
We were in the same class; she invited me to her place and we all had a party. That day, when we said goodbye, she said, "Let's meet again in the Czech Republic or Russia or Japan."
I never expected we'd actually meet again in the Czech Republic.
She and Nikita now live in central Prague. I got a message that they had just come back from a trip to France yesterday, so I decided to go see them. It's a 20-minute walk from the hotel. I usually listen to music when I walk, so it felt like no time at all.
I walked along a road of continuing slopes. The hills alternated up and down and it was pretty tough.
Czech streets aren't concrete but cobblestones. Walking in New Balance shoes makes a dry clack sound. The sound felt good and made me want to keep walking forever.
I waited in front of Masha's house and she came out. It had really been a long time, and I was so happy we could meet like this. We hugged each other and I was invited into their home.
The golden elevator and an overly luxurious room
Masha's place exceeded my imagination.
The elevator was the kind where you open the door yourself. It had an air that wouldn't be out of place with a hotel concierge. When you go down to the first floor, you open a wooden door with a window and step inside.
Inside there was a large door, and beyond it many more doors. The kitchen was big, and the toilet and bath were in the same room. The toilet-paper holder was golden, and the bath was marble and gold. It felt like a European palace.
The living room had an enormous chandelier and high ceilings, a Lego Harry Potter castle, and a Christmas tree. Nikita's drums and guitar were also there. The bedroom and the view were so amazing that I wondered why it was all so incredible.
Of all the homes I've visited, it was the richest. It was insanely extravagant.
I asked how much it was and the rent was a whopping 170,000 yen. It was even more expensive than Montparnasse in France. Of course that's probably because of the space, but it was still a shocking price.
I thought this space must be way more than enough for the two of them, and I also thought Masha and Nikita as a couple were really interesting.
While drinking tea in the kitchen I asked what they'd been doing in the past year. Masha had traveled around Europe for four months on a pirate-like ship and hiked the Alps in France. All of it paid for by Nikita, who apparently works at home all the time.
I thought they were a free couple who don't interfere with each other. Not worrying even if one is gone for four months. They asked me why I chose the Czech Republic and what I'm doing now, and as I answered we never ran out of things to talk about.
Talks about the war and families living apart
Masha said she left Saint Petersburg right after the war started. She said she hasn't gone back for about a year. It was almost the same situation as mine.
There is a big gap between what you see on TV and what actually happens. She told me there was that same gap with her family, and that every time they talked it turned into a sort of toxic atmosphere.
Nikita said he has decided not to return because if he goes back to Russia he might be called up. I thought that was a really terrifying situation.
Listening to those stories, thinking about a war where innocent people hurt each other made me feel sad. I think it's pointless. I honestly felt glad to be in the Czech Republic.
After that I talked about what I'd seen in Georgia, Latvia, and France. Apparently Estonia and Lithuania have almost the same atmosphere.
Kozel in a noisy tavern
We got ready and decided to go out for a beer.
The nearby tavern was lively to the point of being loud. It was a day of a soccer match, Czech Republic versus some other country, and everyone was drunk and excited. You could barely hear the conversations.
We ordered beers and fries for the time being. The dark beer was really delicious.
Apparently Czech Kozel and Japanese Kozel are made differently and taste like different things. I honestly thought the local beer must be the best.
The Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption per capita in the world, 190 liters a year. That works out to 500 milliliters every day. And it costs about 90 yen for a 500-ml bottle, cheaper than water.
We decided this wasn't a place to talk, so we had only two drinks and moved on. By that point I was already a bit more drunk.
Craft beer and time on equal terms
Next we headed to a craft beer place. I tried a fruity beer — it was sweet and really delicious.
We still couldn't stop talking there either. I was pretty drunk so I don't remember the details, but it was just fun. We talked for about two hours, and as usual Nikita picked up the tab.
Both Nikita and Masha are ten years older than me. I wondered if they paid because they're older, but honestly I don't really know.
But they never made me feel like I had to be careful because they were older. They talked to me as equals.
That felt really comfortable. Because I didn't have to be careful, I think interesting conversations were born.
In Japan there's hierarchy and honorific language, and people who don't follow it are called "rude." I suddenly remembered that feeling of constraint. I think there's something interesting that can only come from being equals.
Promising to meet again
On the way out we hugged and said, "Let's meet again in the Czech Republic or Japan or somewhere," and said goodbye.
It was a wonderful time. Really, really. I'm glad I got to see Masha and Nikita again.
