What to be above US280

Last Wednesday, for the first time I was in the middle of reverse commute traffic of US 280 on the way to church. It was a little bit flowing, and I assume LA is far worse than Birmingham.

But, still, it's waste of time and gas. Assuming the traffic is heavier in the morning, it's really bad. And wide spoken solution is to build a toll elevated road right above US 280. Commuters from Shelby County can use the toll road to get to downtown faster while local traffic of Homewood and Mountain Brook can use the highway with reduced congestion.

Don't you think it's funny? The fact that solution to congestion of highways is always another highway. Think about it. If you are looking at growth by the new highway, isn't it matter of time until even this new toll road will be filled as badly as it is now?

How many of those commuters to Birmingham ever think of commuter rails or other forms of mass transit? When you are stuck in the traffic on 280, imagine a commuter rail running above you, carrying hundreds of people just like you, free from traffic, much faster than cars barely moving.

Think in another way, One car with only one people in it occupies 6-7 times as large space as he  does in train. And cars from all around Shelby County gather on 280 and I-65. Don't you think it's smarter to have train stations in Pelham and Alabaster, where they can park their car and get on trains and 20-30 minutes later you are in downtown Birmingham. The terminal in downtown can be above the Amtrak station or underground.

Of course you have to pay for that project and it's expensive. But Rather than building a toll road that will get bad traffic, it would be better to have a solution that is built to last, such as commuter rails. If you want a rail connecting Birmingham and Montgomery or even Mobile, just extend the rail from Pelham. If trains get more crowded, simply increase the frequency of services, or add more passenger cars.

I know many are doubtful on transit system due to failing BJCTA, but transportation leaders need to think comprehensively.

Struggle in building network

I have been so blessed to have made so many good friends when I was at JSU. As a shy and quiet student, it is amazing how my life was filled with this many friends. It was the church and BCM. The pastors were so friendly and engaged to college students, and I could not thank enough to BCM friends for fill those days with fun and joy.

Now, the new life at UAB and in Birmingham is a little different.

The church that I go to is about 25 minutes drive from my apartment. As a graduate student, I'm in GAP (graduates and professionals) of the Sunday School, not in college class. There is no one from UAB BCM. So I see people at this church only on Sunday. Most attendees of the service live in Mountain Brook, wealthy neighborhood in Birmingham area and where this church is also located. I prefer this church over other church that many BCMers attend because this is a moderate size church. I attended the latter and it was overwhelming... too much, too big for me.

Fall and Spring were still fine. I still get to hang out with friends at BCM a lot. Now it's summer. Many went home. I started internship. I don't get to see friends during the week or even on the weekend.

I have been feeling in need of getting to know more people in this church for a while, but at the service yesterday, I felt it more strongly as I sit by myself, couldn't find a friend that I usually sit with. I guess she attended the first service and went home after Sunday School.

My Sunday School class is different from the one in Jacksonville, other than it's GAP. Most people there works. About half are married. A few are in UAB, but they are in the medical school (UAB medical school and other programs are practically totally different schools). A couple of them are seminary students at Beeson Divinity School in Samford. I don't think even in college ministry, UAB population is not big.

Unlike Jacksonville, where there is only one college, I'm in a church where I don't have much common factors with church attendees.

This church in Birmingham has similar air to the church I go to in Tokyo. There, I became rapidly engaged to the church activities, especially youth ministry. Now I came to a similar church and I'm struggling to find a place to be a part of. Of course there are several factors to this. I could not join Wednesday night Bible Study due to class. College ministry is distant from UAB BCM.

I am wondering whether I should go to another church. I mean I like this church. I like the pastor. I like the people at GAP class. It's just seem everyone is distant, comparing to the church in Jacksonville. Perhaps, I want friends that I get to hang out with often or feel connected.

It's funny, though, that I feel so connected in a small city of Jacksonville, and in Birmingham, where everything is closer, cars are main transportation as in Jacksonville, I feel a bit lonely. Maybe because the church is far? or different focus of ministry? Not even like in Tokyo either.

Even Schedule Requires Effort...

I always have trouble with scheduling, and it depresses me really bad.

One couple of my friends are getting married later this month. Mysteriously, the invitation disappeared and never reappeared. But I got to met them and put the date they told on my phone.

Then, at UAB, I was chosen for International Mentor Program, which supports incoming international students. I made commitment to participate required retreat and training. They asked me whether the date they set works for me. As I was looking at my paper planner, where the date asked was shown clear, I said I'm able to go.

Now, very recently, I realized these two events fell on the same date. Plus, I set the date of my oral surgery to extract wisdom teeth, which I already pushed to a month later.

Both of them are important to me. The friends who are marrying this month have been so good friends to me and I have been so excited about them getting married. But, the retreat was commitment and requirement.

Only if I had remembered to put the wedding date in my phone onto my planner, I would have said the date they asked on the retreat would not work. Even if they hadn't changed the date, at least they would've known I had other thing to do. But I told them otherwise. I said I could make it.

I know it's rude to them, but I think I have to choose the retreat. I cannot say at this point that I cannot be on the retreat and not being on it can jeopardize this one year of my international mentorship. The International Mentor needs teamwork too. I could not miss this opportunity to build  up relationship with other mentors.

Just one thing... Where did the invitation go? It's like its existence or molecules that consist of paper of the invitation just physically disappeared, without trace. I looked everywhere in my room, but couldn't find it. I know it happens sometimes, but the invitation? Such an important document! Just in three days or so after I received it in mail it was gone! Geez...

Thoughts from Driver's License Renewal

This past weekend, I went back to Jacksonville for JSU graduation. It ended up spending most of the weekend with some of my friends at JSU. We went to see Avengers, Civil War Inactment, etc. It was so much fun.

Then, today, Monday, I went to driver's license office in Jacksonville. It turned out to be something unpleasing.

They only gave me a license effective until next August, not for four years. The explanation was that my Form I-20, school document that proves my legal presence in the States, states that I am expected to complete the program in next August.

I was confused because when I got the first license, I was going to finish undergraduate program at the end of 2011, and they still gave me the license good until May 2012. It seems that as the Alabama Immigration Law was written, they also added regulation on driver's license for foreign nationals.

This may be problem because I am considering to graduate in December 2013, instead of August. For me to get license, I must have minimum of 160 days that I'm allowed to stay. If I decide to push back the graduation date to December, there is only five months of stay when I have to renew my license again. How am I gonna live in Birmingham without being legally able to drive?

I need to talk to school's immigration officer, but at least on the record, I need to push the date even further, May 2014. This will also require some paperwork. I need my advisor's letter and proof of financial support.

Good grief!!

First of all, why in the world does there need to be a limitation on international students getting a license? Especially in a state where you drive everywhere you go? Not sure if this is constitutional, but this is a kind of discrimination.

Anyway, this leads me into deep thoughts.

I realized there was only a little bit more than a year in the school. I spent five years in undergrad, so it's especially short for me. I need to look for job. Maybe OPT then H1B visa. Hopefully I can get permanent residency.

I know there are many talented people choosing to reside in the U.S. Comparing to them, I'm just working on MPA. I've never heard of any international student who gains MPA, authorized to work for nonprofit organizations and end up earning permanent residency.

There are something not appealing, but overall I love to live here. There are so many friends here. I don't want to leave this place just because I finish the school. There should be something more than that.

Not that I hate Japan. I'm proud of my country. But I feel the U.S... Alabama is the place where I belong.

I have been long wondering whether God wants me to stay in the U.S. or go back to Japan. I never saw that I would enjoy this place. As a Christian, I see the need in Japan of more believers witnessing the Gospel to Japanese people. I pray that God show me the path he wants me to take.