in koiwa...

My neighborhood, Koiwa, is famous for its izakayas, bars and nightlife, and from the moment I got here 3 months and a bit ago, I just knew I'd be fitting right in! This was confirmed by one of the regulars at a random standing bar that I frequent only a few weeks after I've settled into my new habitat.

Regular:
"You know what, Eiko? It seems like you've been living in Koiwa all your life! A true Koiwanese, you are! You fit right in!"

 Me:
 "Thanks, I guess. Although I'm not sure if I'm suppose to take that as a compliment or not. What's the definition of a Koiwanese anyway?"

Regular:
"Well, ... that's a good question. Everybody you see here in this bar is a Koiwanese, I guess."

Me:
*looks around the happy customers trying to figure out 'Koiwanese', when all of a sudden, one of the customers rushes out of the bar, just barely in time to puke all over the sidewalk. To this, the customers mumble amongst themselves things like 'There he goes!', or 'He'll feel plenty better now that that's over with!' or 'That was me just yesterday!'
Both my eyebrows shoot up and after making my 'ew' face, I turn to the Regular and shake my head in a disapproving way.

Regular:
*nods in a knowing, 'yep, that's right' manner, added with a mutter, 'Koiwanese'.

 Although I haven't drunken to the state of puking since coming here yet, I have been drinking quite a bit more since the move. Also, since Boris and I are the new residents of Koiwa, and since she works at one of the popular izakayas here and I drink at every other place, our faces are well known, and our names are spoken of frequently. We are, in other words, famous, unfortunately.

One of the bar tenders at a place I like drinking at has taken an intense liking to me and has kept it no secret. He makes it a point to tell this to the regulars that come to his bar, and also has no shame in telling me so too. Usually I would be a little freaked out by this, but something about his almost childlike jealous fits that he silently throws when seeing me even just talk with random people is quite amusing, and I find it difficult to take him seriously. One night while Boris and I were having a drink at his place, he had asked out of the blue if I had found a BF yet. To this, I honestly replied that I was happily single.

Bar tender:
"Yeah right! You're just saying that to spare my feelings, aren't you?"

Me:
"Uh, no, not at all. I'm just not in the mood for a BF right now, and perfectly fine without. "

Bar tender:
"Good! Because if you ever get a BF and you bring him here, if I ever see him, I WILL punch him!! I really will! " (eyes almost bulging out of sockets, mouth all tight, hand in big fist)

 But after a disapproving look from me, he forced out a laugh, making a joke of it all. It was funny!

Me:
*giggles*
"You're funny!"

Bar tender:
"I'm serious." (in a serious tone)

Me:.
...
sips at drink