Back From Japan

We got back from a 16-day tour of Japan with Overseas Adventure Tours (OAT) on Wed. night - thank to Joel Hamberger for airport pickup services of 2 very jet-lagged people who had been traveling for 24 hours. We left Kyoto to head for the airport at 12 noon on Wednesday and arrive back home at 10:30 Wednesday evening when it was almost noon Thursday in Japan - the kind of stuff that makes my hair hurt. And trying to follow the Mets I had to turn off airplane mode and use data every morning to check the scores - and we had 2 couples from Kansas City on the trip who had their own rooting interests - and will probably be facing them in the Series.

I hope I don't fall asleep while doing the UFT democracy workshop at the MORE conference tomorrow - but no worries as Michael Fiorillo and Arthur Goldstein (NYC Educator) will be there to give me a shove.

We loved Japan for so many reasons - which I will go into at some other time. All I will say is that I now understand it when people say that coming back from Japan where everything seems to work so well to the US is like going to a 3rd world country. Nothing like traveling on subways where you can eat off the floor or a bullet train going 200 mph to give you that feeling.

Here is today's column for The Wave I wrote Tuesday morning - when it was Monday night here. Oy!

School Scope: A (Very) Brief Message From Kyoto
By Norm Scott

I’m writing this from Japan on the morning of Tuesday October 19 which is the evening of Monday October 18 back in Rockaway. I’m still jet-lagged and confused after 2 weeks. I have to get the score of the Mets game while they are playing at 10 AM in the morning. And as I get ready to head out for our final day of touring the Giants are just getting started with their Monday night football game. Let me know how it comes out. Anyway, we expect to be back in New York on Wednesday night, October 21, which will really by Thursday morning October 22 here in Japan. And last night was the first night I slept a full 8 hours. I’m too confused to tell you more about our trip. All I know is that I have missed tons of rehearsals for the RTC production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Producer Susan Jasper has been sending me emails that they own me once I get back – my first rehearsal will be Thursday night October 22 which will be Friday morning October 23 over here. I need a big jug of sake.