From our reception in Hitachi, you would think these people thought we were related to them, as if "sister cities" referred to real family members. It was that way for our three nights at Ibaraki Christian University and it continued on Saturday at the welcome party in the Hitachi Civic Center, where the UAB students met their Hitachi homestay families. The affair was akin to a big wedding reception, with food that stretched down a long row of tables.

That's Corey Fall there at the end. It just so happened to be his 20th birthday that day and a birthday cake just materialized from I don't know where, much to everyone's surprise, especially his.

Here at the party was a getting-to-know-you game that involved rounds of rock-paper-scissors. So much for the notion that Japanese are always serious. Hah.

Also at the welcome party was this delightful group of high school students whom Birmingham hosted two years ago when they were junior high school students. Their group leader then, Matsumoto-sensei, was with them, as was Moriyama-sensei, the group leader that came with them from the municipal board of education, but Moriyama-sensei was taking the picture. Patrick Stephens and several of his students who were such gracious hosts to us at Ibaraki Christian were also there, as if to pass us from one set of family members to another.

We all returned to the Civic Center yesterday for the Hitachi-Birmingham Sister Cities 30th Anniversary Celebration, which they held in the planetarium. We couldn't take pictures inside, which was too bad because you wouldn't otherwise believe what a spectacular event that was. I knew it was going to be big when I saw the mayor arrive, whose face I recognized from the picture he took with Sam Eto when he arrived from Alabama. It was a pretty big planetarium, packed with people for whom their sister city was apparently reason enough to come out on a Sunday afternoon. After a young people's swing band played some numbers, the planetarium showed the configuration of the stars that evening in Birmingham, then followed that with photos of the 30 years of history between our two cities. Hitachi Mayor Akira Yoshinari greeted everyone and then we watched Birmingham Mayor William Bell blown up on the big screen giving his greetings for the occasion. Next it was our turn. I led the UAB group to the stage and we demonstrated American shape notes by singing Angel Band in unaccompanied four-part harmony. I guess we were pretty good (although I could hear our mistakes). Then we sang a nostalgic old Japanese song in four-part harmony, and I swear, I heard at least one person wipe away some sniffles and tears. It looked to me like it was the Mayor, but maybe not. Then I was asked to represent Mayor Bell as Mayor Yoshinari presented me a beautiful Japanese painting. Mayor Bell, it's in the mail. That was followed by a 10-question quiz about Birmingham. I'm ashamed to say I got a D. I'm saying they were trick questions. Only one person got all the questions right, not one of us from Birmingham, but one of the 2010 Hitachi students to visit Birmingham.

This morning we went deep into the mountains to Nakasato Elementary School and Junior High School, where Birmingham exchange English teacher, Brian Stoney, teaches along side Japanese colleagues. After we left, I told some of our students that they now know what motivated me to become a teacher. I used to have Brian's job (assistant language teacher) in western Japan 30 years ago, in places just like this school. It was my first job out of college and it changed the whole trajectory of my life.

We were then taken to the Civic Center again where they had this kitchen for cooking classes and a sushi master, Monma-san, showed us how to make sushi rolls, the fancy kind.

The U.S. flag flew over City Hall today just in our honor. That was our last stop today, in order to pay an official visit to the Mayor.

Once inside, we took a picture with him, in front of another American flag on prominent display. While we were in his reception room talking to him, the picture was being developed and printed on a greeting card for each person in our group.

Tomorrow we head for Tokyo, where we'll go back to being just regular folks again, but not before being escorted in another municipal bus all the way there. The next time a Hitachi group comes to Birmingham, I'm trying to think how we could possibly even come close to the welcome that Hitachi has given us. Nothing's coming to mind. Get ready, Birmingham, because they'll be sending another junior high group next summer.