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I want to highlight a recent post by an acquaintance living in Amami, of his daughter's 2nd-grade class lunch and his visit to it. It's just a small slice of everyday life in Japan, but I love it.

We've never been invited to have lunch at Anthony's school, but much of what's described in that post – how the kids take turns doing different chores, and dress up with gloves and aprons and masks – matches what I know of Anthony's first-grade class.

The Amami Islands are in the East China sea in the far south of Japan, between the mainland and Okinawa (much closer than Ishigaki Island where we visited recently, but still plenty far away). Amami holds a special place in our heart because it's where Fumie's late grandmother is from.

Anyway, “Amami Superman Photography” is a blog by an American guy, Earnest Barr, who has lived there for some time. His daughter is a year older than Anthony. I've conversed with Earnest over email, and have enjoyed his blog and its stories and pictures for some time, but I've never met him or even seen a picture of him. I find it funny that through our emails I sort of know him, yet could coincidentally sit down next to him on a park bench and exchange idle conversation without even realizing we know each other.