Friday evening and Kyoto by 8.20pm, Otsu by 9. Ben, Richelle and Dan in a German bar, knocking back Jagermeister and laughing it up. Good friendships kick back off exactly at the point when goodbyes were last said - no awful, clumsy silences here. Apart from when booze inspires an unprovoked attack on a friend's breast. Snapped a pivotal button on my trousers too. Karma.

And Saturday - Kyoto again. Can't get enough of it. Random shopping, games arcades and ramen. Booking ourselves in for tattoos, a promise made some weeks ago whilst staring fearfully at a recently traitorous sea.
Richelle appears, the night begins. 5 seconds to choose a drink from the vast menu regardless of familiarity with the beverage, can't change your mind and must drink the whole drink. Jungle Fantasy and Gin Back imbibed. What the hell are we drinking? Craving Guinness, a stroll to an 'English' theme bar is in order. Pints of the black stuff and video strip poker - Richelle's name still on the highscore board since the last time she played. Dark horse.
Chatting with the group of Japanese to our left. Get's real messy. Litres of beer in school science-lab beakers. Impossible to drink without spilling magnificently. International relations. Canadian, English, American and Japanese all sodden in lager, red-faced and grinning. The United Nations could take a leaf out of this book. Then Dan has absinthe. Materialises in his hand. We're losing people, they're falling all around us. Quick, pool the money. Guarantee a taxi before this gets out of hand. A blur. A 5 second ultimatum, but Shihomi's mouth too distracting. 'Get your own taxi then twat'. Must run. Sorry.

Sunday - today. Scrambled eggs on doorstep toast. Huddling in Ben's front room. A DIY haircut. Cigarettes smoked. Richelle on a marathon tea-drinking binge. A little snow outside but warm in here. Coffee and isotonic sports drinks from a bowl. Half a movie then home. Away from these people I care a great deal for.

Tomorrow: Joto Junior High.