Thanks for all the kind comments on Tatsuya. We saw him off last night. It might have been more emotional for us if his 24 current and former schoolmates hadn't shown up at the airport! We could have got a good game of touchy footy or cricket going. Half the kids, even the boys were bawling (actually I don't think the girls were!) He lost it a bit giving everyone a hug goodbye, and I suppose it must have hit home to him as hard as it possibly could that he is very popular and greatly loved here. Let's hope the quiet and lonely first few weeks in Australia aren't too hard. I had a long hug with him and let him have a good cry. I told him to be strong. He said he was. Told him to sieze this opportunity with two hands and use it to forge his identity as being firmly of two countries and two cultures. Not half Japanese and half Australian, but fully Australian and fully Japanese. He said he would. I was so impressed by the words from the Prophet I posted yesterday. So I told him that Mum and I are just a bow, and you are the arrow, and now we are releasing you to fly straight and true and make your mark in the world. He nodded, and I think he understood.
For a laugh, you might want to try looking at the boys' blog when run through Google translator. Don't ask me to explain!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
6 comments:
You'll have to keep us up to date with how Tatsuya is getting on. I guess we could read the boys translated blog but I'm not sure if that would help :-)
I'll volunteer to inculcate him into the Aussie culture.... hehehe be careful what you wish for :-)
Seriously if he gets a bit lonely amongst those Novacastrians, I'm not far away when we go up to the lake.
I think the translation needs the new Google Japanese English to English, Grammar translator (beta).
2P will have him opening for the Japanese cricket team before long.
Nice farwell, I must remember the line about being fully Japanese and fully Australian to say to my boys when the time comes. Great stuff Stephen.
Remain a strongbow keep your temper and don't become a crossbow.
I also love that line about being fully Japanese and fully Australian as my wife comes from a non-English speaking background and was born overseas.
There is a very good chance I will be in Tokyo for work in early February. I am working hard to get there.
They are some lovely posts about your son. It's a fantastic opportunity you have given him which I'm sure he will fully embrace.
Post a Comment