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Today’s Top Story…
Have you ever just sat back and thought about how much of your life is, or has been, affected by two simple words? “Yes” and “No” are two of the first things that you learn and most likely they are two of the most used words in anyone’s vocabulary. The reason that I am bringing this to your attention is because I have been asked to make a choice that requires me to state one of the two terms listed above.
“Do I want to stay in Japan for another year?”
Honestly, like so many other things, I don’t know. I am enjoying this place just fine, but is this were I want to spent another year of my life?
Since coming here I have spent quite a bit of time on this question and have found that my answer varies day to day. Today feels like a “yes” day, but tomorrow could easily be a “no.” Who knows?
I know that if I were to ask my mother what she thought she would most likely tell me “no,” and that is an answer that I could easily listen to. But am I then selling myself short?
What do I have to gain?
What do I have to loose?
Next year I would come home for Christmas. Next year I would be more prepared for class. Next year I could maybe save some money and actually travel.
Then again next year I could be attending school in the states and working towards my masters degree…in what I do not know.
“Life is full of important choices,” or so the poster with the collection of beer cans from around the world tells me. Is this one important? Is it a life or death situation?
Who knows?
Not me.

In other news…
I went to church last Sunday. It was a nice mass conducted by a kind looking old priest. I think he was Spanish, French maybe, I’m not certain. But I do know that his accent made it a little difficult for me to understand his Homily. Although I did gather that it had something to do with either paying or praying…or maybe it was prancing. Something like that. Another nice ambiance was the music. It seemed as though all of the songs were older hymns that were written in the key of uncertainty, or perhaps it was just this parish’s interpretation, I’m not certain. But I do know that I have never been privy to such a group of confused cantors. It was fun. They didn’t know whether to start or stop, or what key to sing in. Thus many people just didn’t sing and those that were I think took every other line for a good laugh; I know I did.
Either way it was an enjoyable event and it definitely reminded me that God’s work is done through ordinary people that can’t really sing worth a nickel and priest’s that stumble over their words when giving a sermon in a second language. Who’s to blame the man? I can’t read, let alone speak, in any other language besides my own.
Another interesting side note: I haven’t seen so many white folks in one place since I left at O’Hare. The ratio of cracker to wafer was defiantly a close one…

And Now in Sporting News…
In a quest to hurt and alarm as many Japanese folks as possible I threw my hat into the ring for the 31st Annual Tiger Bowl held at a local University (a two-hand touch American-Football tournament). I was drafted into the only team containing foreigners, the OTC Rangers (I don’t know, so don’t ask). All together the 12-man team consisted of about 5 who had played before and the rest not having a clue what they were supposed to do. After a quick tutorial we were set to play, or at least they told us that if we wanted to remain in the tournament we had better play.

The first game was against a first round winner (we had a bye) that contained some University Alums and a few younger guys. We received and held onto the ball for almost the entire first half while marching down the field. With about 2 minutes left in the first half we scored what would be our only touchdown of the day. It was pretty.
The second half was a battle between our astounding defense and poor offense. We didn’t score again, but we didn’t need to, as the clock quickly moved through the second half leaving us the victors due to our first half score. We were in the championships.
With an air of lethargy and Sapporo wafting about the Rangers they settled in to rage war against the defending Japanese National Champions…high school champions that is. Okay, so I felt kind of bad going up against a bunch of youngsters, but they lined up against us and they were acting as though they really wanted to go at it. So we did. And youth prevailed in overtime scoring off of an 8-yard quarterback keeper. Those guys were fast. One highlight from this game would have to be a defensive fumble recovery on the one yard line by yours truly and the many elbows that I intentionally threw in the face of these little wise-asses. I don’t know what they were saying, but I didn’t like their looks.

In the end I found that, like most Japanese social functions, there was a lot of tradition/ceremonial mumbo-jumbo associated with such events. We had to constantly bow and constantly line-up to hear announcements and what not. And at the end of the day each of the three top teams took a minute and said something about the day as they handed out the awards. And as I stood there a little tired and dismayed at loosing to the younger and much smaller opposition I heard what I thought was my name being called out. Then I heard it again and looked up this time only to see my teammates telling me to go to the front. I didn’t know what to think. When I got up there the MC handed me a certificate and someone told me that it was the MVP award. I was truly surprised…I didn’t think that I had been the best player out of these 70+ men surrounding me. But they thought that I was, so happily and with much excitement I turned around a held up the award and was then told that I needed to get my plaque as well. Plaque? Wha? It’s nice. But I’m not totally convinced that MVP doesn’t really mean Most Visible Player as opposed to Most Valuable Player. Eh, who am I to question it? I am pretty good…at least in Japan.

So for those of you that are keeping track of my exploits over here in the Orient I have now buried a deaf-person in Rugby and intentionally knocked over and elbowed high school kids in two-hand touch Football. Call me what you will but I know what I am: an accomplished sportsman and an MVP recipient at the 31st Annual Tiger Bowl.