Unforgettable Day

When I was fifteen years old, I visited New Zealand on a school excursion.


I stayed at a farm. In here, I was taken care of my host family whose names are Shirley and Owen Pearce. I called them “papa” and “mom”. For only three days I stayed here, but our relation was so good. We have sent letters with each other until now.

One day I was sprawled out on the carpet with watching TV. Papa came to me and said “you are noisy girl!” he kicked my hip and was laughing.

I answered “I know. Yeah, I am noisy but cheerful! How nice!” We were laughing together.

Tuesday, he took me out to shopping. We visited a souvenir shop. It was so excited, and I bought many things. In those things, I bought a present for my host family. It is a photograph stand. I wanted them to put our photo into it.　

Last day, I had to go back to Japan, I got ready to return and got into his car. That moment, mom shed tears and waved her hand as if she hurries me up. But her real feeling was sad, I want to think so.

When I get into a bus , I had to say “Good bye.” I cried again and again, the tears welled up in his eyes. I felt a person’s warmth and kindness.

I wanted to stay here with my host family ever after.

After three years , now we are still good family. We are not real family, but I think we are family.

That caused me to decide to be a mediator between Japan and New Zealand. The day changed my life. I didn’t like English before that. But now, I am in the department of English and American literature at our university.

I do like English, so I am deeply grateful to my host family for changing my life. I want to study English more and become an English speaker like a native speaker. That is my dream.

So it is the day that I cannot forget.