国際交流

I was expecting to join a small gathering of lost foreign Tokyo-travellers when I drove to Tamagawa following the invitation of Mochan whom I met on CS. The alleged CS party turned out to be a Tamagawa riverside picnic with some japanese locals with extensive travelling experience abroad. It was like the winning the first prize. These people were so open-minded and keen on integrating me that I could not but feel at home. I think they, too, felt reassured because I spoke Japanese with them. At least they admitted that I had been the easiest foreign guest in a long time...
You can imagine how this experience boosted my self-confidence. I realized for the first time that I really could communicate in Japanese and make myself understood somehow to anybody about almost anything. Of course, I did not speak Japanese all the time. At one point I found myself discussing the fate of Southamerican immigrants in Japan with a girl who had stayed in Guatemala for about 2 years - in Spanish. Now, that is what I call 国際交流 (international exchange).