Happy Friday

It seemed like most of this week was an uphill battle but now that my major commitment for the day is finished and I'm back in the quiet office, everything is downhill from here. I am planning a quiet night of unwinding with a run, some supper and sleep. Saturday doesn't get too much more interesting except that I'm getting ready for the Shikaoi Badminton tournament on Sunday. I have been making friends as my skills steadily improve. Next weekend, instead of running or playing badminton, I'm going on a hike in the mountians with my new badminton friends. They don't really know what to do with me but having a common love is a strong connection. Another cultural crossroads is how loud I am on the court compared to the polite Japanese. To me, this stems from how big Canada is; there is always room to shout and carry on. Where as in Japan, such behavior is discouraged because it could be disruptive to many people. In Canada, there is always room to move along if one doesn't like it. This option is not available on an island as small as Japan. That is about all the insight I can muster for a Friday.