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古い友人とバーをはしごする
去年の夏、雅子さんとルームメート3人は、それまで住んでいたアパートを出てそれぞれの道に進むことになりました。2人は南米のコロンビアで英語教師の職を見つけました。その一人、リンが一時帰国したのを機に、久しぶりに昔の友人たちが集まって——。
Bar-Hopping With Lynne
By MASAKO YAMADA
A little over a year ago, two of my roommates, Lynne and Rebecca, flew off to Colombia to teach at a private American school in Cali. I then moved in with my current roommates, and my other roommate, Amy, found an apartment for herself in Boston.
I knew that Lynne and Rebecca were going to return to Boston this summer — Lynne had written me a postcard a couple of months ago, and I ran into her sister on the bus from Cambridge to Boston — but I was still a bit surprised when Lynne called me a few weeks ago. The three of us were finally able to meet for dinner a couple of days ago. Lynne had also invited our common friend, Matt, and he invited his roommate, Aaron, so it turned out to be a small party.
We met at a Mexican-Irish bar-restaurant called Jose MacIntyres. It's neither very Mexican nor very Irish, but it's a popular, bustling place near the financial district of Boston. We weren't really concerned about having a gourmet meal, anyway, so I didn't mind the lack of authentic victuals (I actually like burgers and fries). We sat at a large table near the window and chatted away eagerly.
Because of the central location of the bar and of our table, the people at our table saw other people they knew at the bar. Some of those people came up to our table to talk with us, and a few ended up staying. One of the guys was especially tenacious. He showed little interest in what we were saying and he did not respond well to our asking him questions. I know that some people are introspective and shy, but he didn't even smile and nod along with the general conversation.
But he did insist on staying with us for the rest of the evening. It created a small moral crisis for the rest of us, since none of us really wanted him tagging along all night, but we knew that we couldn't ignore him. I think we subconsciously decided not to let the situation upset us, and we continued our conversation pleasantly, albeit without making too much of an effort to entertain him. He seemed to enjoy himself in his own way.
We went to two bars after the first one. I hardly ever drink alcohol these days, but at the insistence of the people around me, I had a few drinks over the course of the evening. The others had about two or three times more than I did, however, and the evening went on for about six hours. Given the size of the group, it was hard to maintain a general conversation at all times, but I was able to have a lot of small, personal conversations with the people sitting closest to me, and I was glad that I could switch partners whenever the timing seemed right.
Although Lynne — with her tales of faraway adventure — was more-or-less the guest of honor for the evening, I'd seen Amy only once or twice since we had moved into new apartments, so it was nice to talk to her as well. Matt and I used to hang out a lot together when he was in the Boston University physics department, but we drifted away from each other after he started working for a computer consulting company. I enjoyed catching up on his news, too.
Lynne has told us that in spite of all the negative news reports about Colombia she loves her job there. She's returning after the summer to teach for another year. She also talked about how much she missed Boston, however, and I was struck by her will to pursue what she felt was right, in spite of adverse conditions.
I was able to talk to her quite a bit over the course of the evening, and I realized — again — what a thoughtful, honest, responsible person she is. We talked about her younger sister's upcoming wedding, about her relationship with the other Americans in Colombia, about the plans she has after she returns, and, not too surprisingly, about guys. Even though we didn't spend a lot of time together as roommates, and although we haven't spoken to each other at all in the year since, the conversation was familiar and surprisingly deep.
I'm not the type that idealizes the good ol' days. But perhaps because so many of my peers are moving away, switching jobs, getting married or simply changing, my old friends seem very dear.
A little over a year ago, two of my roommates, Lynne and Rebecca, flew off to Colombia to teach at a private American school in Cali. I then moved in with my current roommates, and my other roommate, Amy, found an apartment for herself in Boston.
I knew that Lynne and Rebecca were going to return to Boston this summer — Lynne had written me a postcard a couple of months ago, and I ran into her sister on the bus from Cambridge to Boston — but I was still a bit surprised when Lynne called me a few weeks ago. The three of us were finally able to meet for dinner a couple of days ago. Lynne had also invited our common friend, Matt, and he invited his roommate, Aaron, so it turned out to be a small party.
We met at a Mexican-Irish bar-restaurant called Jose MacIntyres. It's neither very Mexican nor very Irish, but it's a popular, bustling place near the financial district of Boston. We weren't really concerned about having a gourmet meal, anyway, so I didn't mind the lack of authentic victuals (I actually like burgers and fries). We sat at a large table near the window and chatted away eagerly.
Because of the central location of the bar and of our table, the people at our table saw other people they knew at the bar. Some of those people came up to our table to talk with us, and a few ended up staying. One of the guys was especially tenacious. He showed little interest in what we were saying and he did not respond well to our asking him questions. I know that some people are introspective and shy, but he didn't even smile and nod along with the general conversation.
But he did insist on staying with us for the rest of the evening. It created a small moral crisis for the rest of us, since none of us really wanted him tagging along all night, but we knew that we couldn't ignore him. I think we subconsciously decided not to let the situation upset us, and we continued our conversation pleasantly, albeit without making too much of an effort to entertain him. He seemed to enjoy himself in his own way.
We went to two bars after the first one. I hardly ever drink alcohol these days, but at the insistence of the people around me, I had a few drinks over the course of the evening. The others had about two or three times more than I did, however, and the evening went on for about six hours. Given the size of the group, it was hard to maintain a general conversation at all times, but I was able to have a lot of small, personal conversations with the people sitting closest to me, and I was glad that I could switch partners whenever the timing seemed right.
Although Lynne — with her tales of faraway adventure — was more-or-less the guest of honor for the evening, I'd seen Amy only once or twice since we had moved into new apartments, so it was nice to talk to her as well. Matt and I used to hang out a lot together when he was in the Boston University physics department, but we drifted away from each other after he started working for a computer consulting company. I enjoyed catching up on his news, too.
Lynne has told us that in spite of all the negative news reports about Colombia she loves her job there. She's returning after the summer to teach for another year. She also talked about how much she missed Boston, however, and I was struck by her will to pursue what she felt was right, in spite of adverse conditions.
I was able to talk to her quite a bit over the course of the evening, and I realized — again — what a thoughtful, honest, responsible person she is. We talked about her younger sister's upcoming wedding, about her relationship with the other Americans in Colombia, about the plans she has after she returns, and, not too surprisingly, about guys. Even though we didn't spend a lot of time together as roommates, and although we haven't spoken to each other at all in the year since, the conversation was familiar and surprisingly deep.
I'm not the type that idealizes the good ol' days. But perhaps because so many of my peers are moving away, switching jobs, getting married or simply changing, my old friends seem very dear.
Shukan ST: Aug. 7, 1998
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- flew off to 〜
- 〜 に向かって飛び立った
- Cali
- コロンビア南西部の都市、カリ
- current
- 現在の
- ran into 〜
- 偶然 〜 に会った
- Mexican-Irish
- メキシコ料理とアイルランド料理の
- bustling
- にぎわっている
- financial district
- 金融地区
- (weren't)concerned about 〜
- 〜 は気にしなかった
- gourmet meal
- グルメ向けの食事
- authentic victuals
- 本場の料理
- actually
- 実際
- fries
- ポテトフライ
- chatted away eagerly
- 夢中でおしゃべりした
- ended up staying
- そのまま居座った
- tenacious
- しつこい
- showed little interest in 〜
- 〜 にほとんど興味を示さなかった
- introspective
- 内向的な
- nod along with 〜
- 〜 に合わせてうなずく
- did insist on 〜
- 〜 するのをやめなかった
- small moral crisis
- ちょっとした心の葛藤
- tagging along
- つきまとう
- ignore
- 無視する
- subconsciously decided not to let the situation upset us
- 無意識のうちに、こんなことで自分たちの気分を台無しにされるものかと、決心していた
- albeit 〜
- 〜 ではあったが
- at the insistence of 〜
- 〜 に強く勧められて
- over the course of the evening
- その晩
- Given 〜
- 〜 を考えると
- at all times
- ずっと
- switch partners
- 話し相手を代える
- tales of faraway adventure
- 遠い場所での冒険談
- more-or-less
- 多かれ少なかれ
- guest of honor
- 主賓
- hang out
- 一緒に過ごす
- physics department
- 物理学部
- drifted away from each other
- お互い次第に疎遠になってしまった
- catcing up on his news
- 彼の近況を聞く
- negative
- 暗い
- was struck by her will
- 彼女の意志に打たれた
- pursue
- 追求する
- adverse conditions
- つらい状況
- familiar
- うちとけた
- good ol' days
- 古き良き日々
- peers
- 仲間
- dear
- 大切な