Kobe

Back in high school, a trip to Kobe, Japan did not push through because of the 1995 earthquake. My classmates and I were supposed to go to Kobe on an educational tour sponsored by the city's local government. Due to the cancellation, they sent us an apology letter and a miniature japanese umbrella.

I forgot all about that near miss until we passed by Kobe. The city where my favorite baskatball player got his name. I didn't get to go around the city, I just caught a glimpse of it from the rapid train to another city in Southern Japan.

Famous for its prime beef, it didn't fit on our hectic 7-day round-about the land of the rising sun. Maybe the next time I'm here, I'll definitely swing by. And after what I've seen, heard and experienced in the land of the rising sun, there'll surely be a next time.

Though, I was not given the opportunity to visit Kobe before, I am thankful to pass by it 15 years later. Sometimes the answer to our prayers is not really "No" it is somtimes "Not Yet".

But sometimes we have to prepare ourselves for the "Not ever" reply.