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Area man James Ellis announced Wednesday that his only real friend is the Korean tour group that has been visiting museums and historic sites in the area for the past three days.
“You guys are basically all I got,” a visibly moved Ellis announced to the group of 30 Koreans during a mid-tour bathroom break at the Museum of American Aviation. “While pretty much everyone else has let me down, you’ve always been there for me, supporting me and offering nothing but love and kindness.”
“You’re not just my best friend, you’re pretty much the only true friend I have,” he continued, as the group of Koreans wearing matching white hats with the logo “TourAmerica” reassembled in the lobby for the continuation of the museum tour.
“I mean, I’m not saying I necessarily want to get married, but if I do, I definitely want you as my best man, for sure, no question,” he added.
Ellis spends a considerable amount of time with the Korean tour group. Whether they are perusing museum gift shops, taking pictures in front of statues of American generals, or just enjoying each other’s company during a tour of city hall and the Winona Bay Aquarium, the two friends appear to be virtually inseparable.
“We’ve told each other things we’d never tell anybody else,” remarked Ellis, speaking about his only friend and confidante, a group of mixed-age Korean tourists who have been traveling up the East Coast in a tour bus for the past week and speak little-to-no English. “We’re also comfortable with just being silent with each other. That’s how close we are.”
While friends and family have betrayed him in the past, Ellis claims his relationship with the Korean tour group is the most meaningful and lasting friendship he has ever had.
“They get me in a way no one else has or ever will,” remarked Ellis. “They’re different than the others. Different than Hank. Different than Monica and Jared. Different than that Norwegian tour group that stayed for a while but then just disappeared completely out of the blue without saying goodbye or leaving their email or phone number or anything.”
“These guys would never do that,” added Ellis. “We’re too close. I mean we’ve seen each other naked.”
