Meet Up with an Old Online Friend

Last Sunday, I had a meet up with my online friend. We knew each other more than a decade ago but we had never met each other in real life.

Few weeks ago, I stumbled upon his Instagram post. He posted some photos in Tokyo. So, I asked him whether he was in Tokyo. And yes, he is in Tokyo. He came to Tokyo as a visiting professor.

But when I commented on his post I was in my country, so only after I arrived back to Japan I sent him a private message.

"Oom, if you're free, let's meet up," I said. Oom is a Dutch word for uncle. I think I have always called him as 'uncle'. I don't even know his age, maybe we're in the same age.

"This Sunday, I'm free. I like going to the park."

"Okay. Anywhere."

"What about Hamarikyu Garden? I want to go there," he said.

🦒🦒🦒

I arrived around 2 PM in Hamarikyu Garden. I entered through Otemon Gate. My friend said he would be late for a few minutes. No worries.

When I thought the autumn has come, but it hasn't. I was looking for a place to sit and it needs to be under the shade. It was too hot last Sunday.

My friend arrived after around 10 minutes. I said to him I was not far from the entrance. I tried to call him but he didn't pick up. Later I learned, he even didn't know that Instagram has a call feature. 😔

I couldn't remember his face. He doesn't post his pictures on social media. He posted a few, a decade ago. But it was so long time ago, how am I supposed to remember?

I saw a guy with red shirt, he looks like someone who comes from my country. And yes, it was him.

"Oom, actually I forgot your face," I said. He opened his mask for a while and when I saw... hmmm, I remember now 😂.

We wandered around the park and drank cold matcha in the chaya. We went to Odaiba after that, drank bubble tea, and went to McDonald's. In total, we spent six hours together!

The feeling is like you meet your old friend. Even though we never met each other before.

He kept saying that he doesn't like to communicate with people, he is introvert, but he kept talking to me. He told me his first love stories, marriage, wife's illness, family, work, study, etc. We also talked about our online friends in the same circle.

He said he even surprised why he could talk a lot. 

"Maybe chemistry. Maybe we're in the same frequency," he said.

Maybe. I myself believe that I am introvert. There are people that I can talk much to, but there are other that I cannot. 

I don't know. 

It was a good meet up. I hope I can see him again, maybe in my country. 

Note:

chaya (茶屋) = teahouse