I had a great opportunity to meet the Japanese Consul General for my region last week. He was giving a speech on Japan’s place in the world, economic status, etc. Unfortunately I missed the speech because I was in class at the time, at a different campus. I also thought that I was not going to be able to go, but it turned out they were having a reception afterward.  I managed to arrive on time and met my other friend there as well. My friend has been to Japan and attended the same language school that I would be at this Fall, and he is pretty much the reason I decided to attend that same school. We both were ushered by the staff to speak to the Consul General because apparently we were the only two people whose Japanese were adequate enough to hold a conversation . Everything went well from then, we had delicious lunch (brunch for me) consisting off sushi (more like fake California rolls), REAL yakiniku (yakitori, steak, and shrimp on sticks), and yakisoba with chicken. Everything came from a pretty high end Japanese restaurant here (Nori Nori). I was told by the Consul General that I looked Japanese, which was a highly appreciated and unexpected compliment. It’s not the first time I was told that, and I hope it serves me well in Japan. We shared small talks about his time in Japan (grew up in the Kansai area, went to Kyoto for college), coming to America (studied law and received diplomatic training at Harvard), and then receiving his current not too long ago. I asked if he had any plans to return to Japan, and he said that he wanted to, but because his kids have been here for a while, they might not fit in well once they return (even Japanese can be gaijin to their own people). I completely understand that aspect. Overall he seemed like a nice guy, and I managed to get a photo taken with him and my friend. Sorry for the bad quality, I had to scan it with my crappy scanner. Will try to have a better version up later.