This past week my friend Beth came to visit to see what country life is like in Japan. I picked her up from Oita station on Thursday night, and we spent the next couple days checking out the sights and eating good food. I showed her around my schools and even my neighbors, the Fujimuras, treated us to a great dinner. So it was a really fun time for all. Here is a picture we took at the Usuki Stone Buddhas, which where carved into a cliff side a long, long time ago. After Japan, she'll continue here round-the-world travels. Good Luck!
Now, on to the bad part. Another 49ers pitcher was in the news recently, and it wasn't good. Erik Walker was out canoeing in Virginia, went under, and didn't come back up. I actually interviewed Erik for a piece in the school newspaper. He was having a great season, on his way to setting several school records. I got the impression that he could be quite a character at times, but he also seemed like a decent guy, which can be rare among talented baseball players. It just shows how fast things can go. One minute you're enjoying the outdoors on a beautiful fall day, the next minute, tragedy. Sometimes all it takes is one wrong step. In addition to being a good person, Erik also had potential as a baseball player, excelling in his one year of low minors ball. Sadly, we'll never know what the outcome might have been.