Staying with Sakai

My colleague Sakai generously offered me to stay with him while I continue to look for my apartment. He is staying in East Beirut in an old but renovated unfurnished three-room apartment. The apartment has an 80s feel to it, which made me feel like I was back to my childhood years when my family was staying in our Clementi flat.

So here I was, after leaving Singapore more than a month ago, without a home and suitcase packed ready to go. I moved into Sakai's aparment on the 16th evening after work. His place was very conveniently located near Spinneys, a large supermarket, and ABC, a mall and cineplex. I really wished that my future apartment could be near these amenities but seems like its difficult to find such housing on a budget. I'm not as lucky as he is.


Sakai only furnished his apartment with the most basic items and left most of his apartment empty. One of the rooms was never used. I moved in to the small living room because there is a sofa bed which I could use. There was nothing else in the small living room except for an eerie looking, aged cupboard (no one knows who it belongs to and how old is it!), a foldable table and two chairs. It felt like when I was living in a military camp where I had absolutely nothing and everything I have was right beside me.


But at least I get music because Sakai likes to blast his L'arc en Ciel or Ken Hirai CD on his mini hifi every night after coming home from work. It was kind of pleasant actually as we chilled out on the balcony and singing to the tune of Laruku's Blurry Eyes.

Sakai has great neighbours too. Maria and her roomie leaving next door invites him over for meals. Nabir and his brother living upstairs also invites him for meals and takes him out sightseeing. Last Friday evening, Nabir dropped by Sakai's place while we were chilling out on the balcony and shared with us his experience of staying in this same apartment during the civil war. We could still see the bullet holes in the next building from where we were sitting.

Hopefully, I'll get such wonderful neighbours too! I think I wish for too many things!...

Blurry Eyes
歌：L'Arc～en～Ciel

遠くの風を身にまとう　貴方には届かない
言葉並べてみても また視線は何処か
窓の向こう
変わらない予感は続いている
あの日々さえ曇って…

籠の中の鳥のような　虚ろな目に
触れている午後の日差しはまるで
貴方を外ヘ誘う光
変わらない予感は続いている
あの日々さえ曇ってしまう

めぐり来る季節に約束を奪われそう
この両手差しのべても心は離れて

Why do you stare at the sky
with your blurry eyes？

めぐり来る季節に約束を奪われそう
この両手差しのべても心は離れて

めぐり来る季節に大切な人はもう…
振り向いたその瞳に　小さな溜息

…心は離れてゆく