（打完桌球後，經過戶山公園時有一堆蟬在叫）
『這些蟲怎麼那麼吵？他們幹嘛叫？』
我努力試著想『求偶』的英文，但我想不起來。
『他們叫是為了……交配？』我說。
『所以他們一邊和彼此交配一邊叫嗎？』
我不是蟬的專家但我確定不是這樣。
----
（在Shiru咖啡廳，我們在聊塔哈過幾天要搭回密蘇里州的飛機）
『我一直很擔心，』塔哈說。『如果飛機墜毀在海中，我們全部漂在海上，我們要怎麼在冰冷的海水中存活？還有可能會有鯊魚。』
『你不用擔心鯊魚。他們只有在有人流血的時候才會過來。』
『但我們得從墜毀的飛機中逃出來，所以過程中我們可能會受傷然後流血對吧？』
『就算鯊魚來了，他們也會先吃屍體。』我說。『並不是每個人都能在飛機墜毀的時候生還。』
『好吧，但殺人鯨呢？』
『殺人鯨不吃人．那只是傳聞而已。』
『而且還有海豹。』
『海豹也不吃人，我記得他們只吃企鵝。』
『但我們是肉做的。』塔哈伸出他們的雙手。『如果他們想試試看呢？』
這真的是很適合在有人即將搭從東京飛洛杉磯的飛機時討論的話題。
---
我在桌球同好會認識塔哈，他大概是我留在同好會的原因之一。現在他要回美國了，而我還在同好會。真有趣。
總之謝謝你給我們的土耳其棉花糖（Pişmaniye）。我會為了你破掉的可憐桌球變強。從現在開始我的每一個發球每一個接球都是為了那個被你踩壞的桌球。你的桌球沒有死，它永遠活在我心中。
在聖路易，或伊斯坦堡，或東京再見吧。
-------------------
(Sorry Talha these are too hilarious I must write them down so I can remember it forever)
(After playing table tennis, in Toyama park lots of cicadas were making noises)
“Why the bugs are so noisy? Why did they do that?”
I am trying to recall the English word courtship but I failed.
“They used the sound for…… mating?” I said.
“So they are making noise when they are fucking with each other?”
I am not cicadas expert but I am sure this is not the reason they make noises.
----
(In Shiru café, talking about the plane Talha would take to go back to Missouri)
“I am always worried about that,” Talha said. “If the plane crashes into the sea and we all floated on the sea, how should I survive in the freezing water? And how about the sharks?”
“You don’t have to worry about sharks. They would only come unless someone is bleeding.”
“But we have to struggle out from broken planes, so we might get hurt and bleeding right?”
“Even though the sharks come, they would eat the dying body first.” I said. “Not everyone can survive plane crash.”
“Yeah, but how about killer whale?”
“Killer whale don’t eat human. It is just a rumor.”
“And that’s seal.”
“They don’t eat human. They just eat penguin I think.”
“But we are meat.” Talha showed out his arms. “What if they want to give it a try?”
This is a very good topic to discuss on few days before someone’s flight from Tokyo to Los Angeles.
---
I met Talha in the table tennis circle. He is perhaps one of reasons that I keep staying in the circle. Now he is going back to the US, and I am still in the circle. Isn’t it interesting?
Anywhere, thank you for the Pişmaniye you brought to us Talha. I would improve my table tennis skill for your poor broken ping-pong ball. Every serve every receive is now for the ping-pong ball you trod. Your ping-pong ball will never die. It will live in my heart forever.
See you in St. Louis, or Istanbul, or Tokyo.
