SHOCK! S.I. Doshisha International Jr/Sr High School, Kyoto, Japan

"Everyone come over here, his name is Shin. S-H-I-N. He came from Japan. He will be your classmate" I still remember these words made by my teacher even though I did not understand English. These words were imprinted onto my heart. As I walked into the class with my ESL teacher behind, everyone stared at me as if I had come from Mars. This was the first day that I stepped into American school. I was in second grade. I was told by my parents to move to America an half a year before. Our family gathered in living room one day after dinner. I was lying on the top part of the couch wondering what it would be like. I had a blank image if what "America" was. I was not even aware that I lived in Japan. I had no image, but knew that it was something, something big. I did not brag about moving to America to my friends, but when my friend's parents knew, they often told me how lucky I am. I smiled back saying "thank you" as if I was praised for doing something. My parents asked me "are you sad because you will miss your friends?" "no" I answered with doubt in my heart. I wanted to say, "yes" but something denied me to. I guess I thought it would be an embarrassing thing. What unstraight thing thinking back now. My feeling toward society did not change but my lifestyle changed a little I was forced to go to English juku. Looking back, I spent a wasteful half year to learn some English words just for my parents satisfaction. I wish I could have enjoyed my last months in Japan more freely before moving. I was never good with English. One time, there was a Christmas party held by my juku, which my brother and I participated in. My teacher came up to me and asked, "How are you?" I somehow misunderstood it to be a greeting word, so I replied saying, "How are you?" without answering my feeling. We were taught to say, "I'm fine thank you and you?" after being asked, "How are you?" Japanese students around me gave me icy stares. Later on that day, my brother told me what I had done and I lost more confidence.

However, I was never worried about language. I did not think ahead. I could not actually think ahead because I was too young and I was incapable of thinking the country when I have no reference to make a image. I was enjoying the school year just like the other people in school. This continued until the day just before the last day of the school in march. Since there was one more person besides me moving in my class, my classmates gave us, "good-bye" party. It made me feel that I was being isolated. One day, a few weeks before moving, I was playing dodge ball with my friends on Sunday afternoon. I happened to dodge a ball by jumping and the ball hit my foot. I first landed on my tooth and it chipped. Half of my front tooth was gone and I had to go to the dentist with my father. After the treatment was done, the dentist told me to come back if it hurt. Then, my father made a big utterance. "We are moving to America in a few weeks. We can't come back." This assertion petrified me. I was felt that we are not going to be in Japan too long. The day to take off came. We spend our last three days at our grandparent's house since our house was empty. My grandparents came to the airport to say good-bye. It did not feel like I will not be able to see them for several years. All I had up in my mind was about the first air plane ride. I was nervous and praying that it would not crash. I enjoyed the plane ride. It was so empty since it was right after the Gulf War, and a lot of passengers were still afraid that it would get bombed. There were hardly any people on the business class. I was able to move from back row to front row to see the movie "Home Alone" on the huge screen. I was startled to observe the character that was about the same age as me, and the setting of the movie. The house in the movie was big as a castle and the actors were all American, talking in English! That was my second step of getting close to America. My very first step in America was in Los Angeles. Since we had a relative there, we stayed at their house. They took us to Disney Land and MGI Center. After three joyful days, we arrived at our destination: New York. A big long limousine that my dad's company reserved for us came and took us to the hotel that was located near by from the house that we were going to live. It was a six-door limousine. I felt so rich I thought I was going to the castle house in "Home Alone". The reason that the special Limousine came and picked us up was that it was a service from my father's company saying good- luck working in America. We never got that rich-looking limousine since that. It was a rainy day.

Our house had a huge yard. It was about three times the size of the house. Since there were only three bedrooms in the house, my brother and I had to share the room. I didn't really mind at all because we, including my big sister and my big brother, used to live in one room in Japan. I felt unfair to see all the other houses around were a lot bigger than our house. A few days later, I went to school. There, I was introduced. When I saw the monstrous looking elementary school building, I was frightened. I was able to live through since my brother entered fifth grade in the same elementary school with me. Our whole family met the giant principle. My first impression on him was that he had a very evil and malevolent looking face, but as we talked his kind and gentle smile relaxed me. He treated me well. Everything in American school was different from Japan: the people, the structure, and the system. I was the only Japanese. All of my classmates had blonde, brown, and even red hair. Their face structure looked nothing alike from my Japanese friends in Japan. I was not expecting such an environment like this. I was nervous to make contact with my mysterious classmates. I panicked and was so lonely that I was about to cry. One day, a guest teacher came and taught us games. Everyone had to participate ant it was my turn. Everyone stared at me and I did not know what to do. I started crying. I was very embarrassed. However, my first American elementary school life was not filled with all the bad things. My teacher assigned Nick Ewen to be my partner to aid me things that I don't know. He was my first friend. Even though I was scared to talk to my classmates, they talked me in very slowly and acted kind to me. However, I did not understand most of the words that they were saying. All I knew how to say was my name, my age, and where I came from. I was very amazed to observe how contrasting the Japanese school and the American school were, there was no class schedule. Everyone was doing whatever they want: postmodernism. There was a snack time, we were never allowed to eat or drink in school in Japan. The general statement that I could say was, American schools are more free and that you are the one who has to make the choices. In my second year in America, when I was in third grade, my dad bought us a basketball hoop in our driveway. From that time, I played basketball for hours everyday with my brother and our neighbor. As times passed by, I became better and better. In forth grade, I enrolled in a town recreation basketball team and I was able to interact with many people and became friends with most of them, even though I was not able to speak English fluently. To me, basketball had a special power to share the inside of me with others without using words, that is, I was able to communicate by basketball. At the same time, playing basketball made me physically and mentally fresh and relieved.

Soon, I became interested in NBA and that was a fun topic to talk about with my friends. I was able to homogenize with them. Basketball allowed me to assimilate with the society and made my life more comfortable in America. Going to America was one of the key points in my life. I experienced totally different things than my friends in Japan. Going to America was a big change. I am not able to judge whether this is a merit or not at this point in my life, but I am convinced that this shocking and difficult time I have gone through will be valuable later on my life. I would like to thank all of my friends there and to my parents who provided me the opportunity to have a special experience.

Ito, Shin (2000). SHOCK!. Retrieved March 25, 2001, from the Doshisha International Jr/Sr High School web site: http://www.intnl.doshisha.ac.jp/projects/3sa/2000/memoir/sa2/d13-shin.html

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