Guillaume and I met Kohei-kun and Yoshida-kun to hike up the very steep slopes of the Oku-Tama area on this clear autumn day. The area, which is the headwaters of the river which supplies much of Tokyo's water supply, is characterized by extremely steep mountainsides, on which are grown wasabi and yuzu (citrus fruits that are used for teas, candies, and bathing). Due to the nice weather, the trails were crowded with elderly (though strong) hikers, as usual. Some of them commented on the international flavor of our group, with an American, a Frenchman, and a Japanese who spent much of his childhood in Britian, talking in a mix of all three pertinent languages.
Later at night I was amused by two Irishmen at the station, arguing over which of the two had a stronger Irish accent, and both vying for my vote. Living abroad like this really makes one feel like a citizen of the world, as you're just one amongst many from all different countries and cultures.
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