odds and ends

At school recently, I saw a lizard with a blue tail. I thought that was pretty exciting, but then I saw two tanuki outside one of the classrooms. I brought a camera with me this week and took some pictures. Pretty cool, eh?



Several times a week Shawna and I walk down to Hotto Motto or Seven Eleven for lunch, taking the same route every time. As we walked down the hill yesterday, an old man came out of a barber shop and gave me this piece of origami. At least I think he gave it to me. He was muttering in old man Japanese, and I couldn't really understand him. I said "thank you" many times in Japanese, and we continued on our way. I'd like to say that things like this only happen in Japan, and while they seem to happen more often here, strangers like to give me small gifts. It's a nice if not slightly odd part of my life. Anyway, without getting all philosophical, here's the photo.