Green Shoots, and I Score

There are many reasons to relish the advent of Spring in New York City. One, obviously enough, is the departure, not a moment too soon, of the bitter winter weather. Aside from that, the whole city just looks so much better, the parks come into bloom, you can put away your bulky winter clothes, you can sit outside on the pavement cafes and drink, and (most importantly when you spend most of your time on a college campus) women tend to wear a lot less in the way of clothing. Naturally, this is something I wholeheartedly endorse.

It's 71°F right now (or 20℃ in proper temperatures), and that's reason enough to be elated, but I have another very good reason to celebrate. Back in February I applied for a grant from the Japanese-American Association of New York/Honjo Foundation, and this morning learned that they will be giving me the princely sum of $5,000 to do with as I please. I don't need to explain how absolutely over the moon I am about this. For one thing, it's about $3,000 more than I had dared to hope for, even assuming I did manage to get it, and for another, that sum is equivalent to one-quarter of my annual income. It may not sound a lot on the face of it, but consider, my JET friends, how you would feel had you just learned you were going to be awarded Y900,000. The more high-flying of my friends back home in Britain (or elsewhere) may wish to do the calculations accordingly.

This is a very, very good day.