That's right. That is what I am, an alien. Let me tell you which planet I am from. It's called Planet Brookfield. (Ever heard of the place?) Although I am living in Tokyo, Japan, I am not a Japanese citizen. Therefore, according to the Japanese government I am an alien. What does this mean? Well, in short, a lot of paperwork and a lot of close, one-on-one interaction with employees of big government offices. (Fun fun!) I imagine my experiences here are not very different from those foreigners living in the U.S. And let me tell you, it can be very hard sometimes. For example...

I left the country for Spring Break. I thought it would be nice to return to an English speaking environment to recharge intellectual batteries so that I could hit the books hard with the start of the new school year. (In Japan the school year begins in April.) However, what I didn't realize was that before leaving the country I needed to get a re-entry permit. The purpose of the permit is to let the immigration officer at the airport know that its holder plans to return to Japan in the near future. (Apparently, telling them face to face is not sufficient.) Because I wasn't carrying this permit when I left the country, the immigration officer told me I had to hand over my alien resident card. She informed me that when I came back to Japan, I would have to return to my regional district office and get a new card. (Oh boy, I get to go back.)

Yesterday was the lucky day on which I returned to the district office. I was prepared for long lines, endless waiting, a stiffling atmosphere, and lots of papers to be filled out. What a surpise lay in store for me. First, let me say that there were indeed plently of papers to fill out. And I did have to do a fair amount of waiting in lines. However, what was different from my expectation was the atmosphere of the place.

Extra staff had been assigned to the office handling us aliens. The gentleman who took care of me was so kind and friendly. It was shocking. He actually came out from behind the counter to help! He efficiently double checked my forms and took my fingerprints, all the while smiling and asking me questions with an amiable tone of voice. He even cracked a joke or two! The next thing I knew, I was finished. The man who had taken care of me, bowed ever so slightly, and went on to the next foreigner. I watched him for a bit and he was again just as friendly. As I walked smiling out of the building I had only one thought, "Wow." We all have chances in our lives when we can give some kindness when it is most unexpected. Let's try and seize the day. Not only will we make the person we are nice to feel better, but I imagine we'll also feel better ourselves. Until next week, peace be with you. -Daniel Heller