so the thing was today. i had a little thing i'd been working on memorizing for the last few days, but the jetlag and then nerves stopped me from being able to keep anything in my head for more than a moment. So my clever little hello went unsaid and i just powered through the presentation. It went okay; mostly just being here is fascinating and inspiring enough.

the best part came after the show, when a girl came up to me, maybe 15 or 16 years old. She was a student, she told me, and related to our artskool origins. She said that she wanted to design-- and she wanted to do it with great POWER!

Power, I asked?

POWER! She makes a fist.

POWER! I shout back. I make the Ultraman-taking-off-handsign. SHWASCH! (Maiko told me that's the noise he makes. SHWASCH!)

YES! POWER! She says, making another Ultraman handsign.

Here, I say, do this: i make the rock sign. She does. I rock-lock her. ROCK LOCK! i shout.

ROCK! she shouts.

POWER! I throw in for good measure. We bow to one another, both knowing that my work in japan is now complete.