So I sit on a park bench near the Yasaka shrine in Kyoto today, logging a geocache, what else. A very old man comes to talk to me and asks if he can practice his English with me. I say of course - I always do - and we go through the typical practice-English conversation - where I come from, do I like Japanese food, have I seen the mount Fuji. He asks whether we still have trouble from the volcano, apparently mixing up Finland and Iceland. After a few minutes of talking he asks me if he can show me something.
In his pocket there is a paper folded very carefully. He unfolds it and gives it to me and asks me to read it out loud. I read
"For whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people - whither thou goest I will go"
I look up and say "That's from the book of Ruth" and he says "yes, the book of Ruth". I continue "But I also know it from a song" and he smiles and says "yes, me too". He folds the paper again and puts it in his pocket and shakes my hand, very seriously, and thanks me for talking with him today.
Thank you for the discussion, Komota-san.
