Right There In Front Of Me

Thanks ladies (I think!) for the kick in the shin :)
OK. Kick received. Shin bruised even :)
I will finish my travel diary. Eventually.
Someday. Even when no one gives a hoot anymore - I will do it.

First...this.

There's been something really important that I've been meaning to do.
Something that I've really wanted to do.
For the longest time, it has been on my priority list.

Haven't any idea why I never got around to it. I think part of me really was afraid, at least a little. Sometimes, the people that you think most highly of are those people you don't want to disappoint. So maybe that's why I've suppressed the urge to do anything about it.

You know, come to think of it, our YJ-ssi has taken me on a worldwind trek around the globe for a little while, hasn't he? Thanks to him, I've had the opportunity to travel to China, cover wide territories over Korea, and now even Japan. Because of him, I've experienced such lovely sights and sounds, and be treated to such wonderful hospitality by Bae-sisters.

Dear YJ-ssi, KOMAPSUMNIDA! You've really opened my eyes in a beautiful way!

But L.A.sisters?
Who? haha

Can't believe I haven't met even one...!

Well...that was before yesteday.

Today is a different story. Not only have I met L.A. sisters, I am still full of excited energy of having finally done so. You've done me good, ladies! :)

Finally after all this time, I had a chance to have a proper meeting with two of the nicest ladies in Baeworld...Baba-san & Jill!

It was a sudden arrangement really. After another crazy work period where I just had to put on my blinders and dig in the trenches, I was starting to scratch uncontrollably with unease... it has taken me far too long to properly express my gratitude for all that baba-san had done to make my Osaka dream a reality. So, out of the blue, I asked baba-san & Jill to lunch over the weekend, and even without any notice, they graciously accepted. Thank you ladies! Now I haven't always blogged about all my meetings with other sisters because ... oh I don't know....I guess because I don't always know if it is always OK with the other person to do so or not...so I hope you both don't mind.

Anyone that knows me privately knows that I am really not that good about emailing people regularly. Sorry, it's another one key pathologic flaw of mine. Friends, just so we're clear, it doesn't mean I don't treasure my pals or am not thinking of them.

So...no, I really don't know these 2 ladies at all. Just that they've always made me feel like part of a cozy warm network for some unknown reason. Without knowing much about me, they've given me the benefit of doubt.
Score 1 for jill & baba-san!

Food? Dim-sum - for baba-san hasn't had dim-sum in one year (wah - talk about self-control! how can woman stay alive with no dim sum in one month, much less a year, huh? Score 2 for choosing something I love! ), for it was the closest good place to go from my workplace, for jill really wasn't picky about letting us make the choice. But it could've just been bread & water (hee, my standard meal [remember?] for all byj-related activities!) or swallowing air even, and we would've been ok.

Time? Noon.
And of course, these 2 take after BYJ (hmmm....learned behavior? haha)- Never late! Score 3! :)
I arrived a few minutes after noon (sorry, ..ummm...work...) and there they were already. In fact, baba-san had a prior arrangement until 11:30 am two cities away, and ...huh? she called me 10 minutes before noon from the restaurant to find out if I was already seated in the restaurant. Double-huh? :)
C'mon..baba-san...secretly....just between us...do you ever drive faster than the speed limit? hahaha :P
Sorry - just joking. I know you own a chopper :)
Ok, ok......I know you left your prior engagement early to get there. Thanks dear!

As I hurriedly parked my car and walked towards the restaurant scanning the crowd, I spotted these 2 ladies through the glass from the back...somehow, I just knew. Yes, the ones with the most welcoming smiles and the animated hand gestures must be them!

I can't describe it, you know. Meeting them was like meeting old friends - there was something very warm about these ladies. Suddenly, my "personal space" boundaries broke down, and hugs came ever so naturally. Truth is - no matter how loving you know most bae-sisters to be, you know there is usually something awkward and nerve racking about meeting new people. But I felt safe and secure from the start - perhaps because baba-san's peaceful and kind eyes had no ounce of judgemental quality to them whatsoever. She just let me be me.

Or perhaps Jill's wide smile never once left her face. Haha - you think YJ-ssi has it tough, smiling for hours on end? Try being Jill for a day! haha - having to smile at this piece of _______ for a few hours! (you fill in the blank haha). Hmmm...more learned behaviour, taking after YJ-ssi you think? Score 4 and 5!

Conversation topic?
Err.........are you kidding? :)
Actually, before a successful conversation could take place, Jill had to commit the brave act of snatching HRH away from me. I was completely distracted by HRH's images in one of Jill's new magazines and my nose was literally to it. She said, "Sorry - BYJ - there you go!" and away he went........tucked away in a bag, not to be bothering us again for the rest of lunch. Haha - sorry, YJ-ssi, are you breathing ok in that bag? hahaha.

What? YJ-ssi , what did you say?

What - you'll give us 2 hours? Gosh - you drive a hard bargain, but ok (!) you got a deal! Away you go!
Yes, of course you are always in our mind, but you cannot expect to be front and center every time, can you ? hahaha. Especially when us ladies are lunching, ok? :)

In fact, we started when the restaurant was just beginning to fill up with the lunch crowd. And ended when almost everyone left! You should've seen the waiters. They had to drop a hint, passing by every so often with that check at the end there and even dimmed the lights in VIP rooms. HINT, HINT! OK. We get the message, but .....err...we're not done! :) Well, I wasn't done anyway, but I hope the ladies' ears weren't ouching with pain from all the yakkety-yak!

My impressions?
I can't say what the ladies were thinking or feeling (snore? haha), but for me, I can't believe how easily conversation flowed, how we jived so well, how Jill would actually complete my sentences for me so many times as if she knew what I was thinking (wow!), how very selfless baba-san is when it comes to her fan attitude towards BYJ (we all have a thing or two to learn from her!), how many times we clapped from excitement, how Jill managed to sneak food onto our plates all the time (huh? errr...jill oh jill, what is this hump on my hips today??), how baba-san's understanding words and nods made me feel some comfortable in expressing myself freely, how? how? how?....!

And also how time could pass so quickly? We really proved once again that BYJ conversations have no limits or endings.

Ohhh....and oops! Almost forgot.
We actually had a surprise visitor in the middle of lunch!
Surprise, surprise - after hearing about our impromptu meeting, we received a surprise greeting call from.....sister Coco from Vancouver?! Wasn't that thoughtful?
Although they've all been friends for a while, it was the first time Jill & baba-san had conversed with her in real-life. So neat to watch the "choum" connection come down in front of me. And so sweet! As for me, it has been so long since I've heard this sister's calming voice - really brings back some good times, you know? So glad to hear you are doing so well, coco!

It never ceases to amaze me how YJ-ssi can forge so many relationships. And if you really think about it, this is really what the real relationships are and should be made of - common personalities, ideals, interests, etc., unimpeded by the superficial stuff such as appearances, skin color, or what bag they carry, right?

Ahhhh.....July 1st, 2008! Will come down in history as one of the more memorable days in my life! As YJ-ssi said in Osaka after the ride around the stadium, boy "I really should've done that sooner!" I've travelled miles and miles to meet Bae-sisters around the world, and there was this precious "family" right here in my backyard, right there in front of me!

Score 10/10, ladies! :) Thanks for a great afternoon!
By the way, how are you ears today ? :)

Well.....actually I take that back. Jill only gets a 9.9! She was naughty at the end, and she knows exactly why!

Thank you, thank you YJ-ssi, for bringing orchestrating such great moments in my life!