My blessed return to Japan

Just to let you know, I have returned safely to Japan. I type today from our friend's house in Kagoshima, having come from Osaka this morning on a night bus.

Thanks to Daniel W for dropping me at the OKC airport way early on Thurs morning. He even brought me some coffee, though I wasn't interested in it, given that I had stayed up all night and wanted to sleep on the plane. Appreciate the thought very much, though. I dozed from OKC to Detroit and then had my last American food, a lovely Quizno's sub at the DTW airport. On the plane, it was great! I got a whole row of 3 seats to myself, so that was really welcome news. I slept just over half the flight away and so got to Osaka much more coherent than I had been at my arrival in OKC after the overseas flight. I did miss the first meal since I was apparently asleep, but asked about it later and they gave me my tray to eat by myself, so I was grateful for that. At Osaka, I got to go thru the fast Customs line, that of the Japanese nationals, and they didn't even check my luggage. Awesome! Once there, I found a bus that would take me almost directly to where my friend Sho could easily meet me. So that was great too. I had arrived at about 5:45 pm in Osaka on Friday.

I was praising God for providing much for me on the way over here, and it was also really nice that my cell phone was working again (since in Japan only it has coverage). 'Twas also nice to talk to Aub over cell phone and not Skype. Sho met me at the bus stop and we ate some delicious Japanese pancake-things. Yum. Now, I guess I had not made it absolutely clear what I intended to do at Osaka, b/c Sho asked me halfway thru dinner where I was planning on staying while in Osaka. Oops. Turns out he lives in a dorm for 1st-year workers for his company, which is fairly common in Japan, and his room is the same size as a dorm room at Cate at OU (for those of you who know that type of room). Sho was, however, very gracious and invited me to stay at his place and even lent me his blanket to sleep on the floor. Due to the jet lag, I didn't sleep well that night, but even in a really comfy bed I probably wouldn't have slept much anyway. It's just hard for a light sleeper like me to readjust in one night to the time zone difference, to be sure.

OK, it's lunchtime here at the house, so I'm gonna finish this message later.