Girls and Friends

This morning I was riding the boat with Yuki, a guy who works at a coral-growing place on Aka. He’s in his twenties and says he has five girlfriends on the mainland (and he seems kinda serious about it). He was asking me if the letter I was reading (from Amanda) was from my girlfriend. I said no, it was from a friend. “Girlfriend?” he asked again. I explained, as best I could, that she is a girl and my friend, but not my girlfriend. Then I told him I don’t have a girlfriend. He asked the requisite question, “do you like Japanese women?” “Of course,” I said.

He proceeded to list off qualities of mine: running, fishing, cooking (he couldn’t think of more, but I provided some) and asked why I was still single. This is not an easy question for me because I get it a lot from men and taken women. I have flaws and good qualities, like everybody, but I don’t know what it is that keeps Zamami girls so disinterested.

Last night I was finally going to have the girl over whom I have a crush on. She had a rare day off from the busy life that is the dive industry and she seemed excited about making pizza and going to eisa afterwards. But she stood me up.

Sometimes I think Peace Corps was an easier experience for me because there wasn’t even the possibility of a girlfriend. It might be better to have an excuse than to be rejected.