July 13 , 2003 - page 2

deduced that the kids had no stereotypes about America, and to me that was a great thing. I concluded my lecture by discussing some of the finer aspects of Kentucky.

The kids were clueless when I talked about barbecue, but I guess that’s understandable since they’ve never been to Moonlight in Owensboro, Kentucky. I then opened up the floor for Q and A. The kids’ questions were really interesting and some were funny. One industrious little girl fired off the first four questions before the other kids warmed up. One boy

asked me if I thought Japanese girls were pretty, and when I said yes everyone erupted in laughter. After Q and A was over, I taught them an American game, “Romeo and Juliet.” The kids had a great time playing the game, and I joined in the fun too. Next, we took pictures and the kids presented me with a paper crane necklace. It was so cool; the kids really respected me and asked when I was coming back. All of them even followed me out to the car to say goodbye. I had a blast and certainly won’t forget them.

Baseball Fever
My faithful readers know all about the strange affinity Japan has with baseball, and for those that don’t know about it, let’s just say Japan is crazy about baseball. Since baseball is so