My friend Yochan

I'm off to Tokyo to attend my best friend's wedding. Yoshie is my Japanese best friend who I met in the Philippines in 2005. It's pretty funny how the world just connects people. We actually met inside a jeepney. This might sound like a love story but I tell you, everything is just plain friendship and sisterhood. Anyway, here's how we met. When I got on the jeepney, I saw this young Japanese girl and was kind of intrigued of her because she was eating Taho. Taho is a Filipino streetfood that looks something like this 

Photo taken from Wikipedia

But then I had to get off the jeepney because I need to buy some medicine at the drug store and so I didn't think I would see her again. In my head, I was wishing that I really wanted to be her friend. There's this gravitational pull towards her that I don't understand during that time but it's just too strong! 

It was my first day of class in the University of the Philippines and I didn't know anybody. But on the corner, there I saw her, Yoshie! And I mustered up my strength to ask her if she remembers me, that we actually rode the jeepney together... and she said, Yes! My professor then asked if I could be her student tutor so I could guide her and translate the class discussions. Our class is carried out in English and Filipino. And so we got really close and we just became good friends after that. We had so many trips together and every time is just so awesome. I really love Yoshie and I wish her the best in life.

Yoshie in my mom's farm

Yoshie and I in Bontoc (super old pic, gosh! 2005!)

Yoshie and I in Vigan (2005)

Yoshie and I in Davao (2009!)

Yoshie and I in Nikko (2011)

Yoshie and I in Odaiba (2011)

My friends in Tokyo (All of them I've met through Yoshie!)

Yoshie and I in Hiroshima (2012)

I guess the Hiroshima trip would be the last trip that she and I will ever make. But I'm so grateful to have found a wonderful friend like her. I would do my best and hope she will like the song and the speech that I have prepared for her wedding day. It never crossed my mind that I would be able to attend her wedding! Wow, everything feels so surreal. Thank you Japan :)