School festival and a new friend.
Well, sorta a new friend.
Three years ago a guy named Takehiro graduated from Kozukata, a music major that absolutely loved to learn english. He used to follow the ALT around everywhere, practicing with him just about everyday. He's currently going to uni in California.
He came back to visit last winter, thats when I first met him. We talked for a bit, he's REALLY cute, and he told me he'd be back in the summer.
Well, he's back. And a friend from the states came too. I was really taken aback to see a strange foreigner at my school festival. "Who's that?!? What's he doing here?!? I HAVE TO TALK TO HIM!!!!" is what basically crossed my mind as I practically started running at him.
His name is Keith, and he's been in japan for 5 weeks now. He was in tokyo for a while and has done all the touristy stuff, and is now in Iwate, partially because he doesn't know anyone who has visited here, and thats where Takehiro is from.
I'm not sure I can describe how refreshing it was to talk with him, even for just the hour we did. It was an immediate recongition of a similar culture, chatting it up like we were best friends, just because of our common culture. I have to say it again, because it was amazing... two americans had an outstanding experience together, souly because they were americans in a foreign country.
Talked about sports, weather, stereo-types, politics, music, movies, made crazy cultrual references about brittney spears and Calvin Kline and the smell of locker rooms. Doing these things made my heart feel light. That description just doesn't do it justice, because it was more then light, like it renewed me somehow, re-affirmed my culture, comforted me in knowing I'm not as different as they make me out to be here...
Its strange, the power of culture, how natural it is to us, and how we feel it change but rarely ever pin-point it as being culture. I know I miss my culture, even as I enjoy another, but I can't tell you exactly why or how...
But the school cultural festival was fun. It was more about culture for me then any of the students probably realize.
And I've had a theory of mine re-confirmed again. The Chinese thought it, the Japanese think it, and at least one french guy too: Americans really are some of the friendliest people. We may have wars, pollution, bad enviromental policies, and dozens of other complaints, but, we are friendly. Not such a bad thing.
Three years ago a guy named Takehiro graduated from Kozukata, a music major that absolutely loved to learn english. He used to follow the ALT around everywhere, practicing with him just about everyday. He's currently going to uni in California.
He came back to visit last winter, thats when I first met him. We talked for a bit, he's REALLY cute, and he told me he'd be back in the summer.
Well, he's back. And a friend from the states came too. I was really taken aback to see a strange foreigner at my school festival. "Who's that?!? What's he doing here?!? I HAVE TO TALK TO HIM!!!!" is what basically crossed my mind as I practically started running at him.
His name is Keith, and he's been in japan for 5 weeks now. He was in tokyo for a while and has done all the touristy stuff, and is now in Iwate, partially because he doesn't know anyone who has visited here, and thats where Takehiro is from.
I'm not sure I can describe how refreshing it was to talk with him, even for just the hour we did. It was an immediate recongition of a similar culture, chatting it up like we were best friends, just because of our common culture. I have to say it again, because it was amazing... two americans had an outstanding experience together, souly because they were americans in a foreign country.
Talked about sports, weather, stereo-types, politics, music, movies, made crazy cultrual references about brittney spears and Calvin Kline and the smell of locker rooms. Doing these things made my heart feel light. That description just doesn't do it justice, because it was more then light, like it renewed me somehow, re-affirmed my culture, comforted me in knowing I'm not as different as they make me out to be here...
Its strange, the power of culture, how natural it is to us, and how we feel it change but rarely ever pin-point it as being culture. I know I miss my culture, even as I enjoy another, but I can't tell you exactly why or how...
But the school cultural festival was fun. It was more about culture for me then any of the students probably realize.
And I've had a theory of mine re-confirmed again. The Chinese thought it, the Japanese think it, and at least one french guy too: Americans really are some of the friendliest people. We may have wars, pollution, bad enviromental policies, and dozens of other complaints, but, we are friendly. Not such a bad thing.