Today I went to Yokohama (横浜) to attend a farewell party for my friends from Expo '92. Twelve of us plus their son got together. They will leave Japan for Spain soon. Farewell party is sobetsu kai(送別会) or soko kai(壮行会) in Japanese. Sobetsu (送別) means send off, soko (壮行) means to encourage the departure, and kai (会) means meeting or party. A farewell gift is called senbetsu (餞別).
It's been almost 18 years since we worked together at the Japan pavilion of Expo 92 in Seville, Spain. However everyone looked almost the same as that time.
When I have a reunion of high school or other group, I have the same feeling. It's so interesting. Without seeing a long time, we still feel we know each other very well. Time goes back to the place where we were easily.
During these 18 years, everyone had a different history of their own. There were 35 attendants there. Some got married and became mothers, others are still singles. Some live in foreign countries, others live in Japan.
Whenever I see them, I feel everyone is very energetic, and I get inspiration.
I am glad to have such good friends.
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