I write this to you brimming with excitement as I sit waiting for my connecting flight to Manchester in the new Heathrow Terminal 5. I just landed about an hour ago and I must say, personally, it is such a weird experience returning back after a considerable period of time. Not to mention in that time you have experienced so many new things, such a different culture, and a different language. It's hard to realise if you return a slightly altered person. But I can definately say I'm making the most of being back in my home country, where the national language is the one I speak fluently. Even the little things like saying 'Hello' and 'Thank You' and really meaning it and having a nice fluent response back!
You appreciate all these little things. On my way through the security checks, one of the staff who was checking all creams and liquids were in the required plastic bags, started up a little cheeky conversation with me, as I put my stuff in one of the bags. 'I'm just waiting for a celebrity to come along. And when they don't do what's required, I'm going to sell the story to all the papers!' - wishing him good luck on his mission, I strained to think of any similar banter I had been part of back in Japan. Of course, sometimes it happens, and culturally speaking its bound to be a little different in tone and context, but for example, the last thing a staff employee said to me as I boarded the night bus was 'nihongo de daijobu desu ka' (actually addressed to my friend Mr Hosokawa who was seeing me off) - basically he was asking 'Is he OK with Japanese?' with a slight tone of concern in his voice, as though it was really essential I could understand the language in order to make sure I knew how to get on and get off the bus OK! Of course I replied to him with a 'Yeah, 'course no probs mate! What do you think I am, not-Japanese like innnit?' and swaggered on the bus. In Japan, you're constantly torn between the feel-good feelings of making Japanese people have confidence in your Japanese abilities and being able to cope with a pretty normal Japanese conversation, and the blow-to-your-confidence feelings when people have little to no faith in your Japanese abilities.
The fact is, who should really have to deal with such feelings at all? Once I arrived in Heathrow, I felt like I was on some kind of drugs. Still am actually. Maybe its the severe lack of sleep I've had, traveling for about 25 hours straight in restricted places, or the fact that when I'm in Japan, I think I realize now that my auditory and visual senses are heightened in order to try and make sure I understand everything. But now I'm in England, where I understand EVERYTHING I read and everything I hear - everything seems so vivid, everything seems so familiar and yet so foreign all at once. Shops have all changed their images slightly, people are people and yet they're not Japanese and they're speaking English - I might happen to eavesdrop on a conversation and I can understand what they're talking about. It's BIZARRE?! So, is this what living in a foreign country and learning a foreign language is all about? So that we can become more humble and more grateful for having the potential to enjoy communication and interaction so easily?... I'm sorry, I went all contemplative and philosophical, blame it on the lack of sleep and the fact I'M IN ENGLAND!
You appreciate all these little things. On my way through the security checks, one of the staff who was checking all creams and liquids were in the required plastic bags, started up a little cheeky conversation with me, as I put my stuff in one of the bags. 'I'm just waiting for a celebrity to come along. And when they don't do what's required, I'm going to sell the story to all the papers!' - wishing him good luck on his mission, I strained to think of any similar banter I had been part of back in Japan. Of course, sometimes it happens, and culturally speaking its bound to be a little different in tone and context, but for example, the last thing a staff employee said to me as I boarded the night bus was 'nihongo de daijobu desu ka' (actually addressed to my friend Mr Hosokawa who was seeing me off) - basically he was asking 'Is he OK with Japanese?' with a slight tone of concern in his voice, as though it was really essential I could understand the language in order to make sure I knew how to get on and get off the bus OK! Of course I replied to him with a 'Yeah, 'course no probs mate! What do you think I am, not-Japanese like innnit?' and swaggered on the bus. In Japan, you're constantly torn between the feel-good feelings of making Japanese people have confidence in your Japanese abilities and being able to cope with a pretty normal Japanese conversation, and the blow-to-your-confidence feelings when people have little to no faith in your Japanese abilities.
The fact is, who should really have to deal with such feelings at all? Once I arrived in Heathrow, I felt like I was on some kind of drugs. Still am actually. Maybe its the severe lack of sleep I've had, traveling for about 25 hours straight in restricted places, or the fact that when I'm in Japan, I think I realize now that my auditory and visual senses are heightened in order to try and make sure I understand everything. But now I'm in England, where I understand EVERYTHING I read and everything I hear - everything seems so vivid, everything seems so familiar and yet so foreign all at once. Shops have all changed their images slightly, people are people and yet they're not Japanese and they're speaking English - I might happen to eavesdrop on a conversation and I can understand what they're talking about. It's BIZARRE?! So, is this what living in a foreign country and learning a foreign language is all about? So that we can become more humble and more grateful for having the potential to enjoy communication and interaction so easily?... I'm sorry, I went all contemplative and philosophical, blame it on the lack of sleep and the fact I'M IN ENGLAND!
This is exactly what Heathrow Airport looked like from me eyes when I first arrived there......well, actually, it looked a little bit nothing like this to be honest...
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