I'm Turning Japanese I Really Think So

I'll be gone for two weeks to Japan, co-leading an Academic Travel to the land of the Mitsubishi Eclipse, um, Rising Sun.

Our blog for that trip can be seen here, but there's not much there now, so expect a flood of uploads once we get back (not sure how much Net access we'll have on a bullet-train fly-by tour of four major cities and a few rural areas).

I applied to teach English in Japan when I was just graduating college, but never got in -- everybody was doing it, and the placements went to those who had a clue or two, or more, about Japanese history, culture, language. I now know what I wish I knew then, but still have never visited.

Meanwhile, like a kid in a hobby shop, this is my secret guilty pleasure, and already on my must-see destination list... I know what you're thinking: five thousand years of Japanese history and all you can think about is that? I'm just being honest. No, it's not all I can think about, it's just something that's very exciting for me.

Meanwhile, Janet from New York is coming to visit Rachel in my absence, and the children are still enjoying going to school.