BIG SUM

Wow.

I'm sitting at my desk trying to piece together a post but I've got absolutely nothing.

And it's not like I have anything to say. I just don't know where to begin.

2007 was the first time I spent an entire year in Japan and it actually feels like I've been here a while. Over the course of 2007 I've had the pleasure of meeting up with friends back home and hearing stories and it's crazy to see how much people have change.

In that regard, it's also crazy to see how much people try to FORCE change, which I find amusing to no end. Effort is for suckers.

But I don't want to digress. I seem to be on a roll.

Spending a year somewhere else does funny things to my mind. Especially being in Japan. The language barrier is still very much apparent, but I feel a certain comfort that I've never felt before.

A large part of that comes from being able to finally communicate with my Dad's side of the familly. Being able to piece together sentences that don't involve the word "delicious" or "bathroom" has opened up an entire new half of the family tree to me. Every time I go back, I meet relatives I hadn't met in almost a decade tell me about my history and show me pictures of me with people I barely recognize. We swap stories, remimisce and I always leave knowing a bit more about where I came from. It's so gratifying to finally understand so much, but at the same time it's extremely bittersweet to think that all this is taking place in the twilight of their lives.

But now I know, and knowing is half the battle!

I don't know what's in store for 2008. I've already decided not to recontract, but I don't know if that means I'm gonna go back to Toronto or find something else in this neck of the woods.

-Hitoshi "Ready or not, here I come!" Murakami