(Seven Stages of Alzheimer's Disease from www.alz.org, the Alzheimer's Association) There was another slow but steady change … Jan was losing interest in meeting new people. When we moved back to Tokyo in 1995, the list of friends started out long, but in a few years ended at almost zero. Part of this was living overseas. Most journalists and business people are sent to a foreign posting for two or maybe three years. We made friends with other new journalists who, like us, had just moved to Tokyo. Then they moved on, as did the neighbors in the apartment building who were our buddies. In two to three years almost all had left. But we stayed. As fresh faces showed up, it was harder for us to connect. We were not the new people dealing with a strange new place. We had dealt, thank you, and our interests had moved on. Our excitement quotient for exploring the usual first timer “must-see” temples and tourist sites was nil. A few friends with a deeper investment in Japan stayed on for several years, yet in time they all finally left.
