Japan family reunion... finally
In 1999, My good friend, Z and I decided to sign up for a two-week Japanese exchange student program just for fun. The 15 students who were chosen to partake in the program were sent to different Japanese families as homestays.
The process of assigning the students to the families was actually kinda simple. Pictures of the applicants gets sent to the Japanese families. From there, the Japanese families will select the student they want to "adopt temporarily" (reminds you of mail-order brides doesn't it ;)).
My friend and I were really lucky! The family who chose us wanted willing to adopt" 2 kids and by some stroke of luck, they chose me and my friend.
The experience was really enriching and touching despite the language barrier (The only words that we knew were: kore, meaning this and daijobou, meaning ok). As expected, I made a lot of mistakes which you kinda only see in movies, but it's cool.
When it was time for us to go, our father, who was always quiet and reserved, broke into tears and said that all the homestays never really go back and visit them, nor even write them a letter. We'll go and forget them, just like everyone else. It struck me that they really cared for us, and wanted to see us again. I didn’t think that they really took us seriously (all we did was make sign languages and some silly stuff), hmm… or maybe it was just the alcohol.
I tried writing them a letter before but I guess that their English was really bad. Last year, I tried calling them up but there was no one answering their phone.
I’m really glad that I’ll get to meet them again this year! I guess I’ll have to prepare the things that I’m gonna say… in Japanese. I’ll have my ever faithful dictionary with me, of course.
Can’t wait to see them! I’m so excited!
The process of assigning the students to the families was actually kinda simple. Pictures of the applicants gets sent to the Japanese families. From there, the Japanese families will select the student they want to "adopt temporarily" (reminds you of mail-order brides doesn't it ;)).
My friend and I were really lucky! The family who chose us wanted willing to adopt" 2 kids and by some stroke of luck, they chose me and my friend.
The experience was really enriching and touching despite the language barrier (The only words that we knew were: kore, meaning this and daijobou, meaning ok). As expected, I made a lot of mistakes which you kinda only see in movies, but it's cool.
When it was time for us to go, our father, who was always quiet and reserved, broke into tears and said that all the homestays never really go back and visit them, nor even write them a letter. We'll go and forget them, just like everyone else. It struck me that they really cared for us, and wanted to see us again. I didn’t think that they really took us seriously (all we did was make sign languages and some silly stuff), hmm… or maybe it was just the alcohol.
I tried writing them a letter before but I guess that their English was really bad. Last year, I tried calling them up but there was no one answering their phone.
I’m really glad that I’ll get to meet them again this year! I guess I’ll have to prepare the things that I’m gonna say… in Japanese. I’ll have my ever faithful dictionary with me, of course.
Can’t wait to see them! I’m so excited!
posted by charlotte marie at 8:44 PM
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