Happy Birthday

Today is my friend Atsuko's birthday. She made the first few months I lived in Japan bearable, and in quite a coincidence, today I found out I'm going to go back to Japan in the next couple months.

I was trying to think of a favorite moment in Japan, something that defined the four years I spent there, and all that keeps coming to me is the sound of the sweet potato vendors, singing their song--like wolves howling Albinoni--and pushing their carts through town in the dead of winter.

And the smell of the temples. Off-hand, I can only think of one thing that smells better than Japanese temple incense.

It's way past time to go back.