On his way back home from Seoul, Tim stopped for a few days in Tokyo, a city where we lived for three years in the ‘90s (as well as a year in Yokohama and three in Okinawa).

I had wanted to accompany him on this trip with a stop in Okinawa to see old work friends, so Tim got an estimate from the State Department travel agent. My airfare would have cost more than $5,000, whereas Tim’s was $1,700 on government fares (which I can’t use unless I’m on his orders). Needless to say, I simply couldn’t pay that, especially to three places that I’ve either visited or lived in. I didn’t even bother having him get a quote for Central Asia -- Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan -- all of which I’d like to visit and where he’s going soon.

Temple guardian, Seoul, posted earlier: