Some random thoughts,

Foreigners are always the last to know in this country. Doesn't matter what it is... doesn't matter how important it is... we're the last to know anything. Most recent example: Today, we're going to have a singing concert at the church involving the children attending the English classes. Last Wednesday, the organizer asked me to speak for it. "10-15" minutes he said. To begin with, I obviously need more prep time than the average Japanese person to give a talk in Japanese. A week to prepare? Doable, but difficult. And secondly, I'd like to see someone else do it. It's an opportunity to discover giftings, an opportunity that should be reserved for a Japanese church attender I thought. I brought up the concerns, but the organizer insisted that I do it. At the end, he said "Think about it." The following Sunday, after service I was going to tell him that I'd decline, but a different church member asked me how the preparation for the concert speaking was going. Apparently, there wasn't anything to think about. I was assigned the task even though I refused at first and intended to refuse again. Oh well.

Completely different topic. Michelle Wie, the Korean-American female teenage golfer who now has entered in 2 men's events. She's 13! 13! What the heck? LeBron James step aside. At least you were 17 when you were discovered by the national eye. When I was 13, I was like 3 feet tall, memorizing the Abbott and Costello Who's on First routine for my English class, and doing science fair experiments. Which reminds me, she's 13 and she's like 6 feet tall. That's like twice my height at the same age. I'd be afraid that she was gonna eat me. Now that's gotta be awkward for those already awkward junior high school dances.