A long time ago, in the previous century in fact, I taught in Japan.  I taught in a small city jammed up into the corner created by the corner of Osaka and Nara Prefectures.  It had beautiful mountains that housed a huge Buddhist complex and a river which was probably mightier in years past.  It didn’t have the hustle and bustle of Osaka, a mere 1 hour journey by train, but it had friendly people.

In the years since, I have taught many Japanese students.  I’ve had students from Sapporo and I have had students from Okinawa.  A few times, I have taught people from the same Prefecture, but never anyone from the same city I lived in all those years ago.

Today changed all that.  Today I met someone who lives in that idyllic Japanese city.  She was even alive when I lived there, albeit rather young and probably not interested in English classes at all.

Funny, I could feel my connection to Japan slipping away.  Yeah, I had some treats, but fewer and fewer Japanese things were finding their way to me.  When they did, I wasn’t as interested.  Nothing was sparking my imagination.  Then this happens.

It brought back lots of memories from my time there.  I remember being the new arrival wandering around, mouth agape at everything.  I remember the beer vending machines.  I remember my first MOS Burger.  I remember drinking at Murphy’s Bar.  I remember the drives up the winding road to Koyasan.

Good omens indeed.