I had a professor in my MATESL program who said "look at the international students sitting next to you. Think of them as Ginger Rogers. Everybody went on and on about what a good dancer Fred Astaire was. But Ginger did everything he did, but backwards and in high heels. That's what the international students have to do to earn their degree."

Sometimes that echoes in my mind during every day life here in tokyo. "backwards with heels on." I feel like that when the kindergarten sends home 5 sheets of paper covered with notices I have to read and I am tired, or when I send Mia to school with black socks on because I couldn't hear the teacher announce it was time to change to white socks for summer.....

or when all the mothers are standing at the gate animatedly talking to eachother and I haven't a clue what to say.

I make a lousy ginger rogers sometimes.