I'm an alien, a legal alien, I'm an Englishman in Japan

This week, I went to my school’s annual cultural festival where I watched, amongst other things, a Junior High School performance of the story of Peter Pan. It was actually really good, made all the more special by the addition of Pikachu as one of the main characters.

Also, an extraordinary sequence of events to tell you about. It started with me going to the Naka Ward Office to pick up my Alien Registration card (Yes, it really is called that), which is a card that foreigners staying in Japan must carry with them. It’s very shiny and official looking, but rather disappointingly confirms once and for all that I am definitely Stephen Morris and not a famous football icon. Not that kids need to know that of course.

Then on Saturday, Dave, Nils, Michael and I went to watch a really good 'folky-sounding' band play. Towards the end, the band played a cover of song by Sting, in which the chorus goes 'I'm an alien, a legal alien, I'm an Englishman, in New York', although the singer changed New York to Japan for our benefit.

Then lastly, today I was reading through part of the book of Ephesians and read ‘In Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ’ and a few verses later ‘So then, you are no longer foreigners or aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household.’ 

Crazy, huh?! Anyway, I was reminded that although I may be an alien in Japan and be far away from home, I am not far off from God. This certainly cheered me up and the timing of it reminded me of my favourite Proverb: A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.

Anyway, have to go now because Nils and I are about to catch up on Spooks. We’re on episode 4 and loving it! Take care.

PIKA…CHUUUUUUUUUU!