Thanksgiving: First Encounters with Plume IS roommates

Keeping with my goal of one themed post for every month (last month's was Uncle's Taxi Ride for Halloween), here is this month's themed post. Its Thanksgiving, of course (someone needs to show that fat man that November belongs to turkeys, not reindeer). Unfortunately, with work, all the video games released this month, all the TV shows I've been following, The Magicians (just finished and on my way to buy the next book), and my general laziness, I haven't had time to write a Thanksgiving story. Instead, you'll just have to deal with some true stories this month.

Thanksgiving, or at least what I can remember about it from elementary school, was mainly about cut-out hand turkeys and vests made of paper bags. Its also about being thankful for what you have, but you don't want to hear those stories and, more importantly, I don't want to tell them. To get out of this, I'll also accept that Thanksgiving was about first contact between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans. No, I don't know if this is true but I'm the one writing, plus I need a transition sentence to put these themes together so I can finally start writing. Anyways, today you'll get some of the first meeting stories I had with my Plume IS dormmates (I think that's a real word) when I spent a semester studying abroad in Japan a couple years ago. If you're wondering why you don't see your name on this list, its probably because I have a different story associated with you (trust me, I have one for everyone I met at Plume IS), and this is just meant for those first encounter stories. More than likely, some of these stories may not be the first meeting but they are at least early enough that I'll believe they were. And if you remember things a little differently than I do (or a lot differently), please feel free to leave a comment correcting me on it.

Welcome to Plume IS. red circle=my room

Yutaro a.k.a. "Yuty"

Literally, the first person I met in Japan (not counting the customs officer who confiscated my beef jerky or the taxi driver who looked at me like I was playing a prank on him when I handed him the address to the dorm). Honestly, I'm just happy you were awake to let me in the door or I probably would've spent the night sleeping outside and freezing my ass off (if you don't remember, my flight that day was delayed so I ended up arriving after what was supposed to be closing time). Thanks to you, not only did I get to spend my first night in a bed, but I also got a quick tour around the dorm and directions to the Lawson at the corner to get some dinner. Unbeknownst to me, though he was our R.A., Yuty would come and hang out with us all the time, from just hanging out in the lounge to guiding us around. Meeting Yuty would also become the bookends to my trip as he was also the last person I saw before getting on the train to the airport, though that time was to smoke on my balcony after my room check. Just to let you know, if you're reading this, after standing for two hours on the train to the airport making sure my bags didn't fall over, I thoroughly regretted giving you my last pack of cigarettes. There are few times I can remember when I needed a smoke so badly as after that train ride.

Terry

When I think about it, I probably met Terry just a couple hours after meeting Yuty on my first day in Japan. After a four-hour delay, an 8-hour plane ride, a bus ride to Yokohama, a taxi ride with a driver who I swear never once checked his blind spot when changing lanes, and getting lost right next to the dorm, I was thoroughly exhausted when I got to Plume IS. By the time I managed to get some cup noodles and a bag of chips into my stomach all I wanted to do was sleep in my freezing cold room (I had yet to figure out how to change the temperature on the A/C). That's when I heard a knock at my door. After determining that I wasn't dreaming, I struggled out of bed to find this guy standing at my door. To this day, I'm still not sure what Terry said, only that it had something to do with "tomorrow around noon" and "forms". The next morning, not quite remembering if it was a dream or not, I ended up just sitting around my room to see if someone was actually going to come by. Turned out it wasn't a dream and we ended up going to pick up those Registration cards with Julia and Yesle (both of whom I rarely saw ever again). Surprisingly, Terry ended up living on my floor so it was pretty cool having someone just as new as I was living just down the hall (especially since the only other first-semester people I ever saw on a regular basis were Hui Hui and Jane and they lived two floors up, I think...maybe just one?)

Rahel and Ricarda

Its a kind of embarrassing story but I'm sure we can all look back on it and laugh. Well, I met the two of you in the hallway on our floor at quite literally the same time (that's right, did I forget to mention that both Rahel and Ricarda also lived on the fourth floor?). I'm pretty sure that I either asked the two of you a question about something or else made some lame joke which caused you to regret ever engaging me in conversation as these tend to be my typical reactions when surprised by people I haven't met before. Actually, it might have been the two of you warning me never to cook fish without warning everyone else on our floor first, possibly under penalty of death. Anyways, I can't remember quite what happened... just that I kinda forgot your names right after we met. Not that I forgot your names were Rahel and Ricarda, but that I forgot which name belonged with which person I just met (I promise I've gotten better at remembering names since then). So... for about a week I think that whenever I would refer to the two of you when talking with someone else, I would just say your names really fast so it would come out as "rahelandricarada" or "ricardaandrahel". Eventually I would get everything sorted out and we became good friends, the end (I assume you're probably swearing at your computer screen right about now...)

Jane

Its a pretty short story, but memorable since you would actually be the first person I met outside the dorm. If anyone reading has been paying any attention, all the settings for these previous stories take place within the walls of Plume IS. But back to the story. I'm wandering around the Lawson Hyaku-en (it differs from the typical Lawson because EVERYTHING is only 100 yen), grabbing food like cup noodles and coke as well as a couple of random things like chopsticks and bowls. Its still only my second week in Japan and I'm still getting used to everything as well as still going through a whole mental list of things that I need to survive when suddenly this girl comes up to me as I turn into the aisle. I'm pretty sure its because I was still in the daze that comes from living in a new place, but I seriously only remember you hurrying right to me to ask if I was living in the dorm down the street and I think mentioning that we should find the other first-semester people to hang out together (unfortunately, I forgot what your room number was so I couldn't call you to come out with Terry and I).

Ben

Okay, no joke, I know I've asked you several times, but how is it that you are only in Japan for a semester and everyone in my dorm (not your dorm) knows you? So I got to Japan and even before I met up with you again, whenever I tell ANYONE I'm from Hawaii, they immediately ask, "Do you know Ben T.?" (since we already had a Ben in Plume IS, I guess you became Ben T.). The only thing I could figure was that you must've gotten in with the local Shin-Kawasaki yakuza and now control the flow of prostitution, drugs, and manga in and out of the city. But, back to the story. The dorm goes to Ueno Park (I think) for Hanami when I hear everyone start yelling and shouting as you turn the corner. In complete awe, I still have no idea how you did it, but, seriously, you should've just asked if you could move into our dorm.

Allison

I think the first time I met Allison was the first week of classes when I tagged along with Ben and Allison on their own exploration of Daikanyama. By this point I'd gotten used to the fact that Ben knew everyone in my dorm better than I did. I'm assuming I got in the way of most of the pictures both of you were taking that day. Mostly, I remember walking around Daikanyama, taking pictures and wandering into interesting shops. It was actually a discovery to me that even the smaller sections of Tokyo itself could have their own distinct personalities separate from each other. I think this trip was definitely the inspiration for using my Thursdays to explore when I could.

The Okonomiyaki Party (I think I spelled that right...)

A lot of you might be wondering why I'm not writing about our first encounter... well, I can honestly say its probably because I met a lot of you at the dorm welcoming party. Let's see, I remember being surprised by just how many people spoke German in our dorm (Thomas, Yuty, Dinah, Rahel, Ricarda, Stefan). as a side note, I did try to take German back at UH, but that went so horribly that I ended up dropping the course. Just the same, how many people spoke Korean (Suel, Amy, Terry, Hyemin, Julia, Yesle). I remember confusing Lindsay for Michelle since everyone kept asking if I met Michelle when I mentioned that I came from Hawaii. I also met Michelle. I remember going for ramen with Austin, Jon, Sunny, L, and probably some other people I'm missing after we ran out of Okonomiyaki. And I remember Sunny laughing for the longest time, though I cannot remember what was so funny.

The Ashtray

Honestly, I don't remember the first time I used the ashtray outside the dorm. Originally I used to smoke down by the river while I wrote crappy stories (none of which I've even looked at since I got back). but it turned out to be a good friend to visit every once in a while. I would go down with my pack of Marlboros, a bottle of coke, and a bag of chips just to sit on the ground, write, and occasionally scare anyone who came down to toss their garbage out at night in that barely lit area.

Drunken Alan

What can I say about drunken Alan? I remember I first met him (as did everyone else) at Allison's birthday party at this Izakaya we went to.

photo courtesy of Allison, I think...someone took it

I don't remember a whole lot about the first time I met drunken Alan except that he gave away a lot of my cigarettes that night and that he almost made us miss our train because he decided to sit down on the platform and didn't want to stand up when the last-fucking-train-that-night finally arrived. Magically, he left the next morning and I made it to class the next day.

The Sovereignty (part 3)

“Peter, is that you?” The smile on my face disappeared and I immediately turned into a caught child. Standing by one of the cars was Jeffrey, his blue police uniform fitting perfectly like an obsessive-compulsive robed in anal-retentiveness. It made sense that his Power would be to sense danger or anything else that disturbed the status quo. From the day I accidentally told Blaine about Jeffrey’s ability he’s used every moment they meet to use his mind control on him, failing everytime so far.

“Jeffrey could get us out of this,” I said, looking sideways at Blaine. He looked back at me and winked.

Blaine dropped the two bottles. As they shattered and caught everyone’s attention, he took control of Jeffrey just long enough for him to give the warning for everyone to drop to the ground. And why wouldn’t they believe him, his only power was to sense danger after all. Every cop dropped to the ground and tried to bury themselves in the dirt.

            The two of us bolted down a side alley and turned down the next street, ducking into a hole-in-the-wall convenience store. When I was sure none of the cops followed us, we headed home. Blaine headed just up the street to his apartment not even a block away (which I think is the real reason he likes drinking at Gray’s Tavern). I, however, needed to go up several blocks back to mine and Jeffrey’s apartment. It took another half hour to walk there, but I needed the time to calm my nerves as well as the money I saved from not hailing a taxi.

The Robbery

            I woke up the next day with the sun already shining bright through the open window and the sound of rush hour traffic already dying down. I was on the couch in the same clothes I wore the night before. Even though I knew no one was home all day yesterday, the apartment was still spotless and smelled like cleaner. It was part of Jeffrey’s morning routine to wipe down certain dust collecting parts of the room with disinfectant such as the coffee table and all the door handles. He also like to spray his chair and the couch with air freshener, which from the smell I think he did this morning even though I was sleeping on it.

            On my chest I found the notepad Jeffrey used to write messages he thought were important. I have not forgotten about last night. The two of you better start working on your excuses. And change your clothes before you go to work. Have a nice day. I tore out the page and crumpled it up before tossing it on the floor. When I first moved in with Jeffrey in my freshman year in college, I would throw his notes on the floor just to annoy him. Unfortunately, now I think Jeffrey just sees it as my reply that I got his message.

            Except for its unusual cleanliness, the apartment looked like it was put together with your typical My-First-Apartment starter kit. Everything in it from the fridge and microwave to the bulky TV set and the couch I was currently lying on was second or third hand, some from places that made me itch from just thinking about them. Standing out from the collection of used furniture was Jeffrey’s chair – a black, leather recliner he bought with his first paycheck. No one except Jeffrey sat in it. No one.

            Dragging myself off the couch, I wandered down the hall to my room. Resolving my pants from last night were still okay for another day, I grabbed a clean shirt and the only tie from my closet. After making a mental note to buy a new tie I headed out the door.

            With an hour before I started my shift, I walked over to the deli just a little farther up the street. However, along with an empty wallet, I only found about two dollars worth of coins and a couple of pepper shakers. I used the coins to buy a bag of chips and walked to the bank. Two Supers flew by, heading up the street. Three police cars heading in the same direction with sirens blaring pulled over to the side to allow the iconic blue and silver motorcycle to pass. It had no flashing lights or sirens, but when Captain Shield was on the road, everyone got out of the way. The motorcycle parted traffic where it could at this hour and cut through the rest like a surgeon operating with a battle axe. After all, when you’re invulnerable to most bodily harm, you don’t care about bouncing off a car or three (or five by my count before he turned at the next block). Looks like The League is out in force, I thought as I straightened my tie and walked into the bank.

            Inside, the afternoon lines were already starting to form. I hated working on payday Fridays. By closing time, I had been complained to seven times about how slow the lines were moving and why we didn’t open up another window. After the first couple of times explaining how I had no control over how many people we had working, I gave up and just nodded in agreement. Unfortunately, there were about twenty people still in line and the manager didn’t allow us to leave until everyone was helped. I swore silently as I called the next person to my window.

            Don’t get me wrong, I needed the overtime pay like a prostitute needs johns. The extra pay was the only way I was able to make rent as well as pay off a portion of my student loans every month. Still, I hated dealing with so many customers just because the boss refused to open anymore windows, leaving just two tellers everyday to handle the lines and complaints.

            I handed a customer three hundred dollars in crisp, twenty dollar bills when I heard the crash. Both of the security guards stood from their seats on either side of the door. Ex-League members from what I remember. The lights flickered and my hair stood on end. The air crackled and it felt like I was inhaling fire. One of the guards blasted the other with a lightning bolt, cutting his right arm clean off. No blood, only the smell of cooked flesh. Then he ran head-first into a wall, leaving behind a bloody stamp and falling unconscious to the floor. Standing at the entrance stood a figure in a large, completely buttoned-up black coat, the hood pulled over his (at least I thought it was a he) head. He, or maybe she, wore a demonic, green and red mask, complete with yellow fangs sticking out from the mouth and mirror lenses over the eyes.

            There was something in the demon-mask’s walk as the figure moved into the center of the lobby, a playful showmanship in its strut, like a magician about to make the entire building disappear.

            “Ladies. Gentlemen. Victims. Though you may not recognize me, I assure you that I have the full backing of The Sovereignty. As you should have guessed by now, I am here to rob you.” The figure waved its arms in grand gestures as he/she spoke with its voice masked electronically, alternating between the deep bass of a thunder’s boom and the high-pitched squeal of a thirteen-year-old boy-band groupie. “Now, on the ground,” the demon-mask said, lowering its hands. Simultaneously, all the customers dropped to the ground, the looks of fear disappearing from their faces.

            I looked down just in time to see the light from the neutralizing wave emitter at my feet turn from green to off. I kicked it once, twice. Nothing happened. A duffel bag hit me in the face. “Fill that up,” the figure said after tossing another bag at the only other teller. “And don’t even think about touching the silent alarm.” And now I was fucked, I thought as I realized my finger had been firmly placed on the button since the demon-mask walked in.