Memories in Rhyme

I flew a lot last year and always had my headphones on. It’s my habit to listen to music while walking or sitting in a vehicle. It feels like shutting out the rest of the world and retreating into your own mind with your thoughts.

On flights lasting more than 10 hours, I usually only listen to music while reading books or before falling asleep. On my last flight to Japan, I spent the final four hours reading The Last 10 Years by Ruka Kosaka, which was adapted into a movie in 2022. The film has an excellent OST, which I listened to while reading the book.

On my last day in Tokyo, my sister and I went to a Korean BBQ (don’t ask me why), and they had a great playlist featuring second-generation K-pop music playing in the background. One of the songs they played, "Fool" by Bigbang, has been on constant repeat for me recently. The restaurant was small and looked like a typical Korean BBQ, but it operated in a very unique way. It was all-you-can-eat, with two meat cabinets on either side of the shop. The meat was served on plates, and there was a separate noodle cooker so you could take the noodles and cook them yourself right at the table. There were also ingredients available for making Korean mixed rice . It was just as we were about to leave that they played the song. I don’t know why, but I think about that moment quite often.

New Year’s Eve in Japan was calm. It is their tradition (as I was told) to visit the shrine on New Year’s. They didn’t fire fireworks. After New Year’s Eve in Tokyo, the next morning we took the Shinkansen to visit the south of Japan.

When we reached Kyoto, we went immediately to the Inari shrine. I’m not a fan of Grimes, but when my sister and I walked through the alley leading to the shrine, the sky was a light orange-pink, and everything felt so ethereal. It reminded me of the beginning of "Genesis" by Grimes.

While I was walking toward the shrine, I listened to a lot of songs, but one I would recommend to you is "Fox Rain" by Lee Sun Hee, an OST from the Korean drama My Girlfriend is a Gumiho. When I was little, my mom rented the CD, and I watched the drama on the small TV in her bedroom. I can’t clearly remember what the show was about now, but it used to be my favorite.

Osaka might be my favorite city of the trip. I miss it a lot now that I’m back in the US. The city was beautiful and less crowded compared to Tokyo. People there were so fashionable, and the food was amazing. On the second day my sister and I were in Osaka, we went to Universal Studios Japan. It was the best thing ever—can I say that? I’ve been to both Universal Studios Japan and Tokyo DisneySea, but I enjoyed Universal Studios Japan so much more. The queues were long, but we had a really great experience. The song I would recommend for Osaka is...

My sister and I parted ways on January 9th. I took my flight back to the US, while she flew to a different country. The trip had a significant impact on my healing journey. It was my favorite trip of the year. I really enjoyed both the countries and the people there. Moreover, I had the chance to meet up with my siblings.

On the flight back to Chicago, I listened to the new album by The Marías. I’m so happy they are getting popular now. My favorite song is still "Heavy" from their CINEMA album.