A visit from Japan

Two days ago my old college roommate, Alex, called to tell me he was back in Western Mass for the night. Given that he's been living in Tokyo, Japan, and that I hadn't seen him in five years, his call was a more than pleasant surprise. He had come stateside for the holidays, and brought his fiancee, Sei (pronounced "C"), with him. We met at a local watering hole for about two hours and caught up. Even though it had been a while since we last hung out, our conversation and rapport was natural and easy.

If we are fortunate, we are able to meet and forge relationships with people who seem to possess a similar cosmic ethos. Alex's visit was inspirational and invigorating. I was glad to see him happy and well.

I don't know how this entry relates exactly to classroom pedagogy, although teaching is largely about cultivating relationships and making connections. I still keep in touch with some of my former high school and college teachers. It feels good to re-establish those bonds from time to time, because they have been meaningful and important to my personal and professional growth.

In an effort to expand and enhance my posts, I've uploaded a picture of Mt. Fuji. Blogger allows me to decide the photo's orientation and size. This is the "medium" size. I like it. What do you think?