“United Airlines flight 1715 arriving from Tokyo just entered gate 23 at SFO International Terminal,” the overhead monotone voice echoed throughout the airport flooding with rushing people. I exited from gate 23 to walk upon what seemed to be a flawless reflection. It was transparent, but it had a fluent motion. Was it a waterfall? I never seen anything like ... Read More »
Sirens blaring, fighter planes soaring, and the cries of thousands, this was the everyday life and struggles of Japanese men, women, and children. It was a life filled with bombings, hunger, and loneliness. My grandmother, Kimiko, was just five years old when World War II broke out. It was one filled with terror and misery, a world in which ... Read More »
My mother, Ayumi Hirano is now 45 years old and was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1971. At age 19 she traveled to the US to study English at a language school in Seattle, Washington. There, she studied English at least six hours a day. The first few weeks in Seattle were very difficult. She was nervous, depressed, and homesick. ... Read More »
When you’re a seven-year old girl whose knowledge of the English language consists of “hello,” “thank you,” and “peach,” you don’t really know how to react when your parents tell you that you are moving to America for one year. Perhaps it was because you didn’t need to know anything about America, living in a small city in Tokyo. Your ... Read More »