Since I left America, it has been a month already. Although I am getting used to Japanese life little by little, but I still think about American life. Such as foods, holidays, family, and friends. I really miss them.
Especially friends, I do miss them, because I could make a lot of memories with them at school, after school, weekends, and everything. But primary I have three big memories with them. First it is about playing sports. Second it is about talking with people. And third it is about knowing culture. From these events, I could know a lot of important things, and I am so grateful to them. And they make me want to go back to America again.
First of all, it is about playing sports. When I went to America, I couldn’t speak English at all. So it was really hard to make a friends at the school, but I could make friends so soon. It’s because I had played soccer in Japan,so I started to play soccer in my American high school too.
Although I couldn’t speak English, I could play soccer with them. Language was needless .We just played soccer and we could be friends ,and I started to speak little by little. And when I started to speak English fluently ,they started to teach me some slang words which we are not able to learn from our text books.
Eventually,I could be a young American guy a little bit thanks to them. Also they are calling me”bro” which means brother. In America people call their friends bro.I felt like getting close with them, and whenever I passed by them they came to me and do “bro hug”, it was really cool.so I would love to do it in Japan too.In the last day of soccer season,they gave me a photo and message from all of them.It was really moving and amazing.I really appreciate all of them.
Second,it is about language.Throughout playing soccer,I could speak English very well.However my English was not perfect at all.I started to be able to speak but I couldn’t make them understand myself.People told me that I had an Japanese accent.And they don’t know what I said.It was really frastrated,because I did want to have a conversation with them and I knew I could speak English but I just couldn’t make people understand.And honesty I was shocked because I hadn’t thoght I have an accent,rather ,I had never considered the word “accent”.And when I was depressed with it,I could meet with friends who were born in other countries.They had an accent too,but they could speak English very well and they can have a conversation with American naturally.I was really impressed,and I tried to understand what is the diffrence between me and them.And one of my friend told me that he studied English so hard to speak English and he is having a confidence right then.So from that day,I started to have a confidence.Although people didn’t understand me,I didn’t give up.I just tried tried tried.Then,my English was getting better and better,I finally could have a conversation like I did with my Japanese friends.
Finally,I could speak English fluently.I really enjoyed a life in America.And since they knew I am able to speak English,they gave me a bunch of questions.Such as “ do you like Manga?”,”Does Ninjya still alive in Japan?”,Do you eat dolphin?”etc.These were really interesting questions because most of Japanese people don’t care about them at all.However other country people do.And when they asked me,I couldn’t answer because I didn’t know perfectly.However if I ask about their own country,they can answer so easily.Rather they talk about their country and they suggest me some places to visit.Then I knew that I didn’t know and wasn’t interested in Japanese cultures.But thanks to them,I noticed I do need to know about Japan more,and I started to have interests in our own cultures.At the same time,I wanted to know about other country’s cultures too.
And now,I came back to Japan,and I am going to go to university.At university,I would love to use my experiences from 10 months in America,and I would like to be a person who can connect Japan especially Tohoku and overseas.Throughout a memories with my friends,I started to be able to speak English,and I could have a confidence for myself,and I could have new interests.I am really happy to be able to have that experiences.So I would love to say thank you for every one including my family ,my American family ,my friends,AFS Japan,AFS America,and Japan Society Michinoku scolarship .
2013年8月 アメリカ派遣
AFS59期生／ジャパン・ソサエティーみちのく応援奨学生 中村駿介
▼留学中のレポート 気さくな友達に恵まれた学校生活
▼寄附 ＞ みちのく応援奨学金
▼高校生・10代の年間留学プログラム
アメリカ年間留学情報 アメリカ国別情報
この記事のタグ ： みちのく応援奨学金