Some years ago, Allen Say wrote a children’s book called “My
Grandfather’s Journey.” In it he
describes his grandfather’s two loves, Japan and America. The grandson telling the story also falls in
love with America, and moves back and forth between the United States and
Japan. But his biggest problem is
that while he is in one place, he longs for the other.
This is my experience.
I am happy here, but I still long for my friends in the places where I
have lived before. I miss my
wonderful Japanese friend Okanosan, who helped me with my housekeeping and
became an honorary grandmother to my boys when they were very young. She was a
classical music lover who almost fell down the stairs laughing when she walked in
on my boys watching Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny’s version of Wagner’s “Ring of
the Nieberlüngen.”
I miss my Primary (LDS Sunday school for youngsters) class
in England, where one eight-year old
perfectionist used to sing “the Lord can depend on me” and then added “sometimes.” That boy set the bar
high for himself!
I miss my little sister, with whom I had a wonderful visit
over the holidays. She has
endured many things and hopes to be able to endure all things, and teaches me
to be a better person. I am
grateful for her influence in my life.
But I love Kazkahstan as well.
I love the sense of safety here.
It is safe to be a child here in Kazakhstan – they are shielded from the
ugliness of the world by their parents and teachers alike. It is safe to show affection for a
child – nearly every student of mine greeted me with a hug on the first day
back at school. It is safe to
greet a child – in fact, most children greet us first, whether or not they know
us. I am safe as I walk to
and from school. It’s only the
distance of 6 or 7 city blocks, but in many places in the world, that is more
than enough distance to be risky.
I love the sense of calm here. Yes, a blanket of snow definitely contributes to that
feeling, but winter here seems to have the additional effect of slowing people
down. People are not in a hurry to
accomplish tasks. Yes, there is a
lot to do, but the pace seems more relaxed than it did in October or November. People work with fewer complaints, and
students understand that we can succeed if we help each other, and we are ready
to work again, even while we celebrate the “Old New Year” – the celebration of
the New Year following Russian Orthodox Christmas.
This year, that celebration came on January 14th,
our principal’s 50th birthday.
Quite a momentous occasion, New Year and a culturally significant
milestone birthday. Jim and I were
part of a not-quite-spontaneous celebration and enjoyed our time in singing,
clapping, and listening to the good wishes teachers had for each other and for
our principal.
I am grateful for the loves of my life – the United States,
France, Sweden, Japan, England, Netherlands, Korea, Italy, Tonga, and now
Kazakhstan. Each love has enriched
the other, and although I sometimes long for the green of Tonga, or the trains
of Tokyo, or the nearly endless fields of daffodils near Feltwell, England, or
the awe-inspiring scale of history in Italy and Korea, still, I love where I
am, and I am grateful for the lessons I am learning here. Many happy returns from the wintry calm
of a noble land and people.
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