Senpai

Today I went to Shanghai Asian Manor to eat some xialongbao with a friend for lunch.

The thing is, it wasn't just a friend, and it wasn't just a lunch.

It was a goodbye lunch with my very special friend, mentor, and senpai, Mirina. Mirina senpai is quitting her job in New York and flying back to Japan, where she will be starting her job and fulfilling her dream of working for an education company.

Mirina is special in so many ways - but primarily because she's probably my "oldest" friend in New York City. Not because she's actually old age-wise (I think she is sort of? lol), but because she's the only person right now who I could think of who was there for me in Manhattan the summer of my Junior year, when I was interning in Atalaya, when I was new to the city, lonely, and overworked. She took me to a bunch of restaurants and bars, and always was an amazing company. And most importantly, she continued being a great friend and senpai ever since I moved to the city last July. I still credit her for finding my favorite pasta place in the city. (the Supper! I'm so excited to take the next lucky girl to this place for some meat pasta, red wine, and quality time!)

But anyways, what I really appreciate about Mirina is how unapologetically frank and open she is about everything, and nothing is ever taboo as a conversation topic between the two of us. She has always been open about numerous extremely personal things, including family affairs, trysts, and sexuality. Speaking to her has always been refreshing, she's always on to something interesting, and I always learn of good food or desserts after hanging out with her. Heck, she's the first woman I've ever shared about the Taoist method on male ejaculation (Google it if you must, not terribly safe for work). This attests to how open and comfortable we are with each other.

And yet, our paths must diverge, at least for now.. Thank you for everything, Mirina senpai. I'll miss those days we share exploring restaurants together, from taking the Ikea ferry to go to the Brooklyn Crab to going to this janky hole-in-the-wall place in Chinatown to grab some tasty hand pulled noodles and to buying chestnut pasta in Eataly. I am truly grateful to have met you and known you and to have had a lot of fun together with you. I wish you all the success and love and happiness in Tokyo, and I look forward to continuing our epic culinary adventures and wonderfully inappropriate conversations sometime soon. And I'll miss you.

Ja, mata ato de, senpai. Arigatou..

R