One Year Later

A year ago, I lost one of my closest friends, Rodger Swan.

Tonight a number of the Keio University exchange students displayed international solidarity in a chain of virtually 24 hours of Skype sessions. The vast majority of us are dealing with the loss of our friend alone, separated from others who knew and loved him as we did. Tonight, we were able to reconnect and share a few stories. Being able to get back in touch with the people who share the good times that I had in Japan with Rodg was a great comfort in these difficult times. It was a positive experience for all of us who managed to chat and something Rodger would have approved of.

Of course, those of you who know me will already have heard me tell a million stories about Rodg. One year on and he is still very much missed, and certainly not forgotten. Either by those who were lucky enough to know him in person, or his countless youtube fans. As Rodger always did, I’ll leave you on a positive note. This video was filmed with Rodg, myself, Esben and Kris in one of our favourite spots – Minato Mirai in Yokohama. Enjoy, and we’ll see you next time.

One Week

Just over one week ago, my Keio dormmate and classmate, walking buddy, UFO catcher tutor, fellow cocktail drinker, all around playboy Rodger Swan suddenly passed away in Iwate, Japan.

The public outpouring of emotion all over the internet just goes to show what a truly remarkable person Rodg was. I know that many people subscribed to his videos and feel like they knew him. I don’t doubt that they loved him as much as I did. But I feel that ever bit slightly more honoured to have shared a year with him.

Not two days would pass without an e-mail in my inbox appearing from Rodg. We always started off saying ‘just a short one, I’m about to do such-and-such’, but these e-mails ended up being novels that bounced back and forth between our inboxes sharing all aspects of our life.

With so many people writing tributes and making videos on youtube, I felt that my writing a blog would just disappear into the internet ether. But it’s 3am, I can’t sleep and Rodg is on my mind.

On the morning of January 26th in the UK, I received a phone call from Interac offering me the place in Niigata, and I posted excitedly on Rodg’s facebook that we weren’t too far away. My post was the last ‘normal’ post on his facebook. I checked on his page later that day to see the post from his parents.

I’ve been watching all of the youtube tribute videos tonight, and it’s unnerving that I have appeared in every single video in the form of video footage or a photograph with Rodg. I’m not offended and I don’t think it’s weird… it just seems to have affirmed to me what a big part of my life I have lost.

Like many of my fellow Keio friends, we’re all so young to have never experienced this kind of loss before, and we are all so far apart, scattered across the globe. How can you comfort a crying friend over skype or msn?

But, as a friend of Rodg’s, vlogger Kevin ‘Tokyo’ Cooney, pointed out, we have to stay positive. Rodg changed my life for the better. My adventure to Japan was originally an escape from my past in the UK. The people I met at Keio, like Rodg, reaffirmed my faith in humankind and in friendship. This is what has driven my search for employment in Japan, so I can one again build a life in the country and with the people I love.

So here I am, blogging again. And I know that if this very long entry was about something as trivial as shoes. Rodg would have read every word.

Doing what we did best. Being silly together.