I snapped this picture with my Lomo "actionsampler": a flimsy, plastic camera that takes four pictures sequentially within one second.

I was catching up with a friend who was on her second year, teaching English to kids in a very small town not too far from Nagasaki, in southern Japan. We compared notes over coffee. I updated her on my time since returning from North Kyushu while she talked of her future plans after teaching. She told me that when the exchange program is over, she doesn't want to go back home. I understood. Being out of your shell for at least a year can do that to you. I am still unsure about where I want to settle down.

The holidays were short: before my nine day vacation even started, I already pencilled in friends' names on a calendar. It was good seeing everyone. It was good to be in good company.

December didn't end well, personally. So I remind myself of that picture. The air wasn't comfortable. It was too cold. But the sun gleamed on our faces. The sun did so more than once over the break when I was with one friend or another.

Here's to a better and brighter year.