Beach days and new friends

If you don't know already, summer in Japan is HOT!! Not only is the temperature high, but the humidity is as well. So, in my opinion, the best way to deal with it is to go to the beach. Which I do. Often. Like practically every weekend.

While at the beach, many people will stop and talk with me for a little bit because they don't get to see so many foreigners in this area and they're really curious. Generally, I don't mind at all, since it gives me a chance to practice my Japanese. Although there have been a couple occasions where I would have preferred certain people didn't talk to me at all. But that's the way it goes sometimes. 

Anyway....yesterday, I met a couple of really nice people! This couple had been sitting on the beach behind me and at one point we all ended up in the water at the same time. After a while the girl came over to me and said こんにちは (hello), and then told me she was studying English a little bit and she really wanted to meet and talk to me when she saw me. After that, we started talking a lot about various things (although we were talking mostly in Japanese even though she wanted to practice English...good for me though). Eventually, she saw her boyfriend come back with a bag of drinks and she invited me to join them. After talking with them for a while it was really interesting. She was 22 and is from Saijo, Ehime and is currently working at a bank. Erina also told me that when she saw me she told her boyfriend he shouldn't compare her with me (she said she likes my style....lol). Her boyfriend, Kota, is 25 and he's going to a university in Kagawa (apparently he wants to be a high school geography teacher...yes we may have started talking geo after I found that out) and he works supporting the international students  at the university. He is also a really rare Japanese person -- he likes the sun! They showed me the differences in their sunscreen - Erina was SPF 50, and Kota was SPF 2 (is there really any point in 2?? Might as well go without) They also decided that at some point they need to introduce me to some of Kota's international friends -- some Germans and a Korean. 

So basically we spent the afternoon talking and swimming together. I felt a little bad about intruding on their date, but they said it was all good (apparently they've been together 7 years and they both find it interesting and fun to talk with foreigners) and they were also worried about using my time on my day off. It was a good time though!!

My new friends Erina and Kota!

It also turned out that we were taking the same train and going to the same station to get home, so we went together. However we left the beach a bit late and missed the train we wanted and had to wait an hour for the next one. But even that was fine. We talked lots more, and some cats came and visited. One decided I would be a good spot to lay on. On the train ride home we talked a little more but then they both fell asleep. When we got to the station we had to part ways as we were headed in opposite directions. I think everyone was a little sad since it was a good time, but we said we'd meet up again some time, and I really hope we do!!