Interstitiality

Saints Softball is on!

Well it looks like the Seabury/Garrett game is on. See you there!

One Out of Two Ain't Bad

Last night's game with the Cavemen didn't go so well. We lost 21-8. Our defense was horrible, and our offense was absent. I went 1 for 3 in the third spot. Not too good for slow pitch softball. Hopefully Meatloaf's 70's hit, "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" will be prophetic for the Seabury Saints. The teams that I have played on are now 1-1 in their openers. The Saints play Garrett this Friday on Robert Crown Field at 3:00 p.m.

Opening Day Stats

Decent start for the season. We, the Hackers, won 12-10. I went 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs. Glad we won our opener.

Softball Season

Today, is the official "opening day" for my softball season. My first league game is today. The team I play with on Tuesdays is called the Hackers (the manager works in a software company). I am very ready to begin the season, but it looks like we may have to wait for another day as rain is in the forecast. If we can't go today, then tomorrow will be my official "opening day." Tomorrow the season starts for my Wed night team, the Cavemen. Somewhere I detect echoes to that insurance company commercial: "Slow pitch softball, so easy that even a Caveman can play it."

I'm shopping around for a new bat. The front runner so far is the Easton Synergy. This is one serious bat!

BRRRRR

Weather does not usually determine my mood or well-being. I love to be outside but am perfectly content to sit around the house, spend some time with the family, watch T.V., play video games, etc. Today’s weather, however, is ridiculous. Here we are, a couple of weeks before May, and the temperature is in the 30’s! I cancelled softball practice for the Seabury Saints because snow showers were in the forecast. Snow showers! Yuk! Looks like a movie day at the Yamada house.

Of Course!

We had a couple of big events at Seabury this week. The Winslow Lectures (have a blog cooking on this topic) were this week as was the installation of our new Dean and President, Gary Hall.

So what package arrives today, the day after Gary's installation? My academic gown for graduation. It came six days earlier than expected, which is a good thing. If it had come seven days early, I could have worn it yesterday.

It fits great. I'll post a picture tomorrow. I'm too lazy right now to get the camera and hook it up to the computer. Hey, it's Friday.

Also went to dinner tonight at our new favorite Japanese restaurant, Sunshine Cafe. The place doesn't look like much on the outside (or the inside for that matter); but, the food is very good, and the prices are very reasonable. They don't serve sushi, except for California rolls and Inari (a.k.a., football sushi, see picture below). The food and establishment speak of family. Good stuff! Not a lot of vegetarian fair, for those of you who lean that way.

Language Bit

No big surprises here. Small reflections of places in which I have lived (CA, NJ, and IL).

Kabuki Lady Macbeth

On occasion, I write about hybridous stuff. In fact, the name of my blog, Interstitiality, suggests that I am quite devoted to things in-between. Last Friday night, I had the opportunity to see Kabuki Lady Macbeth at the upper stage of the Shakespeare Theatre on Navy Pier. It was something else! The stylized voicing and sharp movements, characteristic of kabuki, combined with Shakespeare’s language and plot made for a truly creative rendition of this well-known tragedy. Shozo Sato, a renowned Japanese theatre artist, created Kabuki Lady Macbeth. It was well worth the price of admission, even if Michelle and I went for free thanks to Chuck Barker’s invitation.

What's in a Name?

I'm a "young" scholar. By young, I do not necessarily mean my age, though I am the youngest person age-wise on the Seabury faculty. I am just getting my scholarly feet wet. So I still get excited when I see other people referring to my work, written or oral.

I was quoted extensively in the Association of Theological Schools journal, Colloquy. Many of my comments came directly from my final address at the Consultation of Asian and Asian North American Faculty at ATS member schools. To be honest, I think I was the only participant who sent ATS my full manuscript as they had requested. Still, it was an honor to be one of the final speakers along with Sang Hyun Lee and Kwok Pui-Lan.

I also found out from my colleague at Garrett, Cheryl Anderson, that an essay that I wrote on Dinah and Shechem (Gen 34) was favorably reviewed in the online addition of the Review of Biblical Literature. The essay can be found in Charles Cosgrove's edited volume, The Meanings We Choose: Hermeneutical Ethics, Indeterminacy and the Conflict of Interpretations. The book, by the way, contains an excellent essay on hermeneutics by AKMA.

As scholars we don't get paid much for what we publish. Usually all we receive is our name in print, or, better, we get credit for coming up with some idea. Yes, I believe that scholarship, at its heart, is about furthering ideas. But, if scholars were honest, I would be willing to bet that a key motivating factor is recognition. Even if it is a small taste, it's nice to get it all the same.

DOH!

Michelle and I are hosting a final four party this weekend. Here's a brief update/correction.

The party will be at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 2nd not 6:00.

The source that I was looking at for the times of the games listed them as ET, and, of course, we are in the central time zone. So any of you in blog land who plan to come. Make sure that you come an hour earlier than I originally said (if you want to catch the Illini).

DOH!