When I was a university student in Tokyo, I was tutoring a brother and a sister, who were high school students. I taught the girl math and the boy, French. I taught them once a week for three years, and the family and I established a good relationship.
I left Tokyo and the teaching finished. Once in a while, I visited the family.
Then the boy went to Los Angeles and studied for five years (I once met him there) followed by studying in Paris for three years majoring in business. I completely lost contact with them.
The boy, now grown up, found me on the web and sent me an e-mail. He is now running a company in an area very similar to mine. He wanted me to give him some advice.
It was a big surprise after 17 years!
He visited me today at my institute. He became older but I felt as if I had seen him yesterday. We talked about each other. The girl became a dentist.
The technology his company possesses is unique and useful, and I decided to help him.
I took him to Ohajiki, a local chicken restaurant. We had a nice talk again.
His visit made me busier, but it was a very good visit.
It’s amazing to think that people’s lives can be so connected… through all sorts of twists and turns. And for him to end up in a related area is quite amazing. Even if you’re that bit more busier, life has a funny way of turning out. You’re doing a good thing.
So how was his French these days (and how’s yours these days). Ah – I wish I had such linguistic genes!
It was a big surprise to receive an e-mail from him, but his running an industrial company in the similar area as mine was a bigger surprise.
I think the internet made the world’s connection closer; he found me on the internet, too.
My French was OK when I was teaching him; I was learning it at a private French school, too. Now it is rusted, but I still can somehow handle it.