A couple of years ago, I wrote a humorous column about life in Japan for a publication in Germany. I stopped when I actually moved here; it just did not seem enough of a challenge anymore. The publisher sent me a nice farewell message, mentioning in passing that my work reminded him of the columns a certain Don Maloney used to write for The Japan Times in the 1970s.

Now, I might have replied: "1970s? That was a bit before my time, old man." But that's not how I was raised, so instead I said: "Really? Cool! Tell me all about it!"

Also, the '70s were not really before my time. Before my time in Japan, certainly, but not before my lifetime.