Before I met her, I regarded my foreign friends as FOREIGN friends, not as just friends, in any aspect. One experience, however, taught me that no matter where they from and were born, friends are friends with no difference.
I got to know her just a half year ago as one new class mate. We have taken several classes and spent some time outside the classes. One day I saw that she spoke Korean language fluently and was impressed by great efforts made by her to learn Korean language. I asked her how long she has studied it and she said, surprisingly, “never”. I didn’t understand her saying first, but she continuingly added, more surprisingly, she is Korean. Not until she said it for me, I never thought she is not Japanese because she perfectly looks like Japanese and speak Japanese like her own language.
this is current Korean pose, she said
It was actually a big surprise for me (may be, for other class mate either), but this changed nothing at all. She is just my friend, not foreign friend anytime from the beginning.
Now, I can say that I don’t need the term “foreign” when I make relationship with anyone, just talk and feel them, then, find how important for me.
Seems like you learned a very nice and important lesson here.
ReplyDeleteI would like to read more about your friend and your experience photographing her (as a foreigner).