Back To Baltimore

It has been five months since I was last in the United States, and I have done a lot here in Japan, with so much more to do. Recently, I went to Nara, to visit the oldest wooden temple in the world, at HoryuJi. It was a fantastic place, with an adjoining museum with lots of priceless Japanese art. I had the good fortune of meeting a very friendly and informative guide, who squired me around the place. I have pictures on a camera I need to develop, so when that happens, I will upload them. I have been to quite a few temples in the last few months, some in Kyoto and some right here in Osaka.

But, the next temple I will visit will actually be a church, a Greek Orthodox one. I will have the pleasure of witnessing the marriage of Dr. Viki Zavales and Mr. Steven Eggers, who will wed in the Cathedral this coming Sunday. For this event, I will travel to Charm City, and stay there for a week. I hope I can see as many of my good friends as possible, because it is doubtful that I will return to that fair city for another nine or ten months.

Finally, the good news is very good: my apartment rocks, it is nice and spacious. I think when I do move back to the US, I will somehow hunt down and carpet my new pad with tatami mats, they are reeeeeeallly comfortable. You can sleep on them, even. Also, I have renewed my visa, and it is now good for three years, so that means I can be in Japan for a little while more, maybe a year and a half. This is a great relief to me, as it took NOVA long enough to renew my contract and let me proceed withe the necessary paperwork. I got my renewal visa on the very day it expired, they cut it that close for me. However, all is well now. So, when I come to Balti, we can discuss your trip to Japan. You have a comfy, free place to crash, and there are so many things to do and places to go. See you soon!