The other day i was walking down Cook Street into the village where i work, and there was a brown cardboard box with the word "FREE" written on it with a black felt pen, in all capital letters...

i promptly crossed the street through the traffic (Johannes always hates it when I do such things) to get to this box, stuffed full of could-be treasures.

when I got to it, i saw that there were many things to be had, most, not so good. not worth crossing the street so dangerously for, anyway.

in the box were computer keyboards, an old mixing bowl, kids toys, and many, many celebrity biographies...from John Lennon to Barry Manilow. needless to say, i left those items in their rightful boxes. i found two items however, both which reminded me of you. one, was a yellow-ocre colored camera bag, broken zipper and strap aside, a great find. it's one of those old leather ones, rectangular in shape. i've been using it for my camera amongst other items people carry around, wallets, sunglasses, scarves, cigarettes. i like it.

next, i saw a book entitled "everything you need to know about Japan". i thought of you, as a new resident of Japan, and i thought to myself, how could this one book possibly tell a resident all they need to know? a book could never tell you all the great little alleyways to smoke in, or restaurants to chat with the owners in, or the videostore to find your favorite movie on vhs, with all the scratches and tracking problems that make for a classic memory?

i hope all is well for you in that new home of yours. i think of you in these little creative moments my mind sometimes conjurs up for me.