Kansai Scene

There are many opportunities to practice Japanese around  HPAC and in various situations in daily living.  But as I try to find more ways to augment my learning, I've occasionally explored a website for English speakers living in this region of Japan which has classifieds for language exchange.  Ideally I could have an hour where the sole goal was to focus on the language itself, not the content being conveyed.  I've yet to find the perfect post, nor have I had the courage to place one myself.  Perhaps the time will come when I'm truly ready.  But in the meantime, there are plenty of interesting nonlinguistic propositions to read.  Kansai Scene

In the midst of apartment ads and numerous job openings for English teachers, these posting are filled with loneliness.  One person self-defined, looking for another person self-defined as such.  Race, age, often given, marital status preference sometimes included and requested, but often not really an issue.  Loneliness seems to transcend companionship.

What or who can answer loneliness?  Is it someone of a certain age, or race?  Or someone who possesses the qualities so often named in these postings?  What is it to be "open-minded," to be "smart," or "fun-loving"?  And sometimes we meet people face to face and search them in the same way.  Who are you?  Can we answer one another?   What are we asking and how are we asking it?  And how do we answer one another?

As the days get shorter and shorter I wonder if there are more postings of this nature.  Certainly in me I feel the internal rearranging of fall.  What is shifting and what sort of foundation can support it?