One of the saddest things about living far from home is that you can’t attend reunions. I moved to Japan immediately after graduating from university and so far have not been able to attend a single reunion. Another one of the tough things about living far from home is being homesick. I haven’t been home in a couple years and although I love my life here and I love my new home town, I sometimes miss my family and my childhood friends.
Last weekend I attended a hockey tournament in Nagano prefecture. This tournament is hosted by the Tokyo Canadians, a friendly but competitive team of Canadian ex-pats living in the Tokyo area. They host this annual tournament, which is a friendly, open invitational tournament (anyone can join!) Usually about half of the attendees are Canadians. This makes for a wonderful reunion of sorts, although we might all be meeting for the first time. Even though it may be our first time meeting each other, we have a shared childhood culture.
We watched the same childhood TV programs, we played the same games, we sang the same songs. It is such a wonderful chance to reminisce with new friends who understand where we come from. As I said, I love Japan and I love my new friends, but it is such a wonderful opportunity to remember my youth, to make new friends, and to play really fun hockey. Thank you Tokyo Canadians for giving me this chance every year.
Edward, Smith’s School of English Otsu
Leave a Reply