Applying for Greencard is like gathering up all of the pieces of your life and sticking them in an envelope. One of these required pieces to be photocopied and stuffed is a detailed story of the way in which you and your spouse met and how the relationship developed. This is ours:
February 11, 2010
How We Met
In late September, 2007, Tetsuya was working towards finishing his bachelor’s in Business/Finance at the University of Iowa and I was a sophomore, double majoring in Japanese and International Studies. At the time, I was attending third year level Japanese language courses with a particularly lazy teacher who preferred doling out work to resident Japanese students, or likewise, inviting them to come be interviewed during class time. A classmate of mine happened to be rooming with Tetsuya during that semester and thus invited him to become a “guest speaker” for our class. As students, we were to be prepared to interview each Japanese guest with various questions pulled from the unit’s key vocabulary list.
Albeit I’ll admit I was not looking for love at that particular moment, I couldn’t help but notice Tetsuya the second he entered the class. I could only hope to have the chance to chat with him during the interviews. As we were paired in groups of two to three, the guests duly circled from one set of students to the next. I never did get that chance to talk to him, because the teacher only called two rotations. As class ended, I frantically packed away my supplies, knowing that I might not get a second chance to chat with Tetsuya. I exploded out of the door after him and invited him to come and see me at the local pizza place, “Pizza on Dubuque,” where I was working. He didn’t seem too excited but managed to suggest politely that he’d do his best to show up.
I did see him that night.
Tetsuya later relayed to me that he had been drinking with some friends across the street from Pizza on Dubuque at a bar called “Deadwood.” It was a popular hangout for guys needing a cheap drink. The pizza place I had been tending, on the other hand, was slightly on the expensive side. But, it was, and still is today, a tasty pick for the hungry drinker at the ‘Wood, since they never do mind a plate of outside food so long as it comes from the P.O.D.
Tetsuya came to visit me, and although I was busy, I managed to stutter some of my atrocious Japanese at him, which apparently didn’t amaze, but did humor him quite well. He assured me we’d meet again.
We met in subsequent times, starring together in a low, low budget film done by our friend and then attending a Halloween party together where we shared our first kiss. We continued dating from there. It was November, 2007. I invited him to my mother’s house for Christmas where he got a good taste of real Iowan holiday cheer and the next year he basically moved into my apartment.
The next summer, 2008, we spent on the road together making pizza for Pizza on Dubuque’s mobile pizza gig known notoriously as “Pizza on Wheels.” We traveled the Midwest attending music festivals, camping in a tiny one-person tent together, caked with flour, tomato sauce and pepperonis. It was hectic, tiring and I think we’ll both agree, one of the best times we ever had.
We moved in together the next school year in an efficiency apartment, (only slightly bigger than the tent we were accustomed to), and Tetsuya began working towards graduation as I began preparing for study abroad at Chukyo University, Nagoya, Japan. I would begin school at Chukyo in April, 2009, but we would be separated much sooner. Tetsuya had found an internship at Konami in Los Angeles. He left January 3rd, 2009. I had spring semester off, where I worked and prepared for the big move to Japan.
Before I left for Nagoya, I took a ten-day break in Los Angeles to visit Tetsuya. He was renting a room in a suburban house in Redondo Beach. I had actually found the place for him on Craig’s List in December. Four miles from Konami, it was safe and ideal, although it was painted the most horrid shade of mustard yellow. During that period, we did everything we could to maximize our limited time together and Tetsuya promised me that he would see me in Japan in only some months. 10 days later, I left L.A. for Japan at the end of March.
Having been apart, first during the time Tetsuya was in L.A., then when I was alone in Nagoya, I was thrilled when Tetsuya came back to Japan and drove all the way from his hometown in Kumamoto to my very street in Shiogamaguchi, (over a twelve hour drive he managed non-stop). We went to bars, karaoke, love hotels, Utsumi beach and everything in-between. Then we took the long trek back to Kumamoto to meet his family. Every day we went fishing, came home and ate the fish we had caught mere minutes ago with Japanese shochu and beer. There, we got married, promising each other never to be separated again.
Now we live together once more, in a tiny Japanese-style efficiency apartment in Moto-yagoto. He works every day at a hotel restaurant and I work part-time as an English teacher at a pre-school in Gokiso. Our relationship has been full of ups and downs, but it has always withstood the tests we lay before it. I am confident that Tetsuya and I are capable of anything, so long as we do it together. Now our goal is to return once more to the United States where everything started. From there, it will all begin.
February 11, 2010
How We Met
In late September, 2007, Tetsuya was working towards finishing his bachelor’s in Business/Finance at the University of Iowa and I was a sophomore, double majoring in Japanese and International Studies. At the time, I was attending third year level Japanese language courses with a particularly lazy teacher who preferred doling out work to resident Japanese students, or likewise, inviting them to come be interviewed during class time. A classmate of mine happened to be rooming with Tetsuya during that semester and thus invited him to become a “guest speaker” for our class. As students, we were to be prepared to interview each Japanese guest with various questions pulled from the unit’s key vocabulary list.
Albeit I’ll admit I was not looking for love at that particular moment, I couldn’t help but notice Tetsuya the second he entered the class. I could only hope to have the chance to chat with him during the interviews. As we were paired in groups of two to three, the guests duly circled from one set of students to the next. I never did get that chance to talk to him, because the teacher only called two rotations. As class ended, I frantically packed away my supplies, knowing that I might not get a second chance to chat with Tetsuya. I exploded out of the door after him and invited him to come and see me at the local pizza place, “Pizza on Dubuque,” where I was working. He didn’t seem too excited but managed to suggest politely that he’d do his best to show up.
I did see him that night.
Tetsuya later relayed to me that he had been drinking with some friends across the street from Pizza on Dubuque at a bar called “Deadwood.” It was a popular hangout for guys needing a cheap drink. The pizza place I had been tending, on the other hand, was slightly on the expensive side. But, it was, and still is today, a tasty pick for the hungry drinker at the ‘Wood, since they never do mind a plate of outside food so long as it comes from the P.O.D.
Tetsuya came to visit me, and although I was busy, I managed to stutter some of my atrocious Japanese at him, which apparently didn’t amaze, but did humor him quite well. He assured me we’d meet again.
We met in subsequent times, starring together in a low, low budget film done by our friend and then attending a Halloween party together where we shared our first kiss. We continued dating from there. It was November, 2007. I invited him to my mother’s house for Christmas where he got a good taste of real Iowan holiday cheer and the next year he basically moved into my apartment.
The next summer, 2008, we spent on the road together making pizza for Pizza on Dubuque’s mobile pizza gig known notoriously as “Pizza on Wheels.” We traveled the Midwest attending music festivals, camping in a tiny one-person tent together, caked with flour, tomato sauce and pepperonis. It was hectic, tiring and I think we’ll both agree, one of the best times we ever had.
We moved in together the next school year in an efficiency apartment, (only slightly bigger than the tent we were accustomed to), and Tetsuya began working towards graduation as I began preparing for study abroad at Chukyo University, Nagoya, Japan. I would begin school at Chukyo in April, 2009, but we would be separated much sooner. Tetsuya had found an internship at Konami in Los Angeles. He left January 3rd, 2009. I had spring semester off, where I worked and prepared for the big move to Japan.
Before I left for Nagoya, I took a ten-day break in Los Angeles to visit Tetsuya. He was renting a room in a suburban house in Redondo Beach. I had actually found the place for him on Craig’s List in December. Four miles from Konami, it was safe and ideal, although it was painted the most horrid shade of mustard yellow. During that period, we did everything we could to maximize our limited time together and Tetsuya promised me that he would see me in Japan in only some months. 10 days later, I left L.A. for Japan at the end of March.
Having been apart, first during the time Tetsuya was in L.A., then when I was alone in Nagoya, I was thrilled when Tetsuya came back to Japan and drove all the way from his hometown in Kumamoto to my very street in Shiogamaguchi, (over a twelve hour drive he managed non-stop). We went to bars, karaoke, love hotels, Utsumi beach and everything in-between. Then we took the long trek back to Kumamoto to meet his family. Every day we went fishing, came home and ate the fish we had caught mere minutes ago with Japanese shochu and beer. There, we got married, promising each other never to be separated again.
Now we live together once more, in a tiny Japanese-style efficiency apartment in Moto-yagoto. He works every day at a hotel restaurant and I work part-time as an English teacher at a pre-school in Gokiso. Our relationship has been full of ups and downs, but it has always withstood the tests we lay before it. I am confident that Tetsuya and I are capable of anything, so long as we do it together. Now our goal is to return once more to the United States where everything started. From there, it will all begin.
No comments:
Post a Comment