On the broadcast of the radio program “IZONE Honda Hitomi and World Get You” (last Thursday 21:30-21:45) on Thursday, September 24, 2020, on RADIO BERRY FM Tochigi. This was the final episode of “Honda Hitomi and World Get You,” and featured the experiences of “My Son Rock,” who is studying in Japan from Vietnam (“IZONE Honda Hitomi’s World Get You” will be broadcast on “B・E・A・T” every Monday at around 16:25 from October).
Honda Hitomi: This time, we’ll be talking to…
My Son Rock: I’m here from Vietnam. My name is My Son Rock.
Honda Hitomi: Wow. Your Japanese is very polite, “I’m here” and “I’m here.” My name is Honda Hitomi.
I may not have used the word “I’m here” much… (laughs).
So, let me introduce My Son Rock’s profile.
My Son Loc decided to study abroad because he wanted to learn Japanese and Japanese business knowledge. He wanted to experience Japanese culture. He is currently 24 years old, but he is already married, and his wife and son are waiting for him back home.
He is currently a fourth-year university student. He aims to work at university while juggling part-time work and studies, and to get a job at a company related to Japan and Vietnam after graduation.
What! He has a wife and son at 24 years old?
…Wait. How many years are there between us? Hmm. He’s only five or six years older than me, but he’s already a father. Wow, that’s amazing…He’s so young, yet so mature.
But he has such a strong desire to “study in Japan” even leaving his family behind in his home country…that’s a great decision. If you have small children, it must be really hard not to see them every day…If I was this age and had a child, I would want to see them every day…yeah. There are so many international students who work part-time to earn their own tuition fees…
Wow. I think it’s really wonderful.
Good things about Japan and bad things about it
Mysonrock: The good thing about Japan is that the scenery changes with the seasons.
The bad thing about it is that Japanese people often work too much and get stressed.
Honda Hitomi: …Ah. “The seasons change” and “There are four seasons”…huh. I thought that was obvious. Ah, maybe it’s not so obvious… Well, I thought that every country has “winter” and “summer”. A little… yes. Sorry, I haven’t studied enough… After all, it’s hot and cold and we’re busy with a lot of things, but maybe that’s also a good thing about Japan.
And there was a comment that “Japanese people work too much”…well, I guess that’s true. Recently, there have been quite a few social issues about “working too much”. Personally, what I feel now that I’m working like this…I guess because I’m so busy, I don’t really “work” or have the “idea of working”…I wonder. Even if the schedule is tough, the sense of accomplishment afterwards is that much greater, and I really enjoy working a lot, or rather, working as IZ*ONE, so I think it’s very rewarding.
Difficulties in Japan
Mysonrock: The language barrier and differences in values and customs had a bigger impact on me than I expected, and my feelings toward my dreams wavered several times.
However, I overcame these difficulties by making efforts such as valuing dialogue with Japanese people, making detailed plans and executing them, and always trying to stay positive.
Honda Hitomi: I see, differences in values and customs.
Even though we’re all Japanese, we’re all different, but if you’re a foreigner who was born and raised in a different country…that’s true, isn’t it? The pain of not being able to empathize at all because of differences in values…I see. I think I understand that too.
I really feel the language barrier too. I can’t express what I want to say well. The frustration of not being able to express myself directly…really. I can now speak a little bit of Korean, but there are still parts of me that are like that, so I can really understand that frustration.
And the three things that Mysonrock did were “valuing dialogue with Japanese people,” “making a solid plan and executing it,” and “always trying to stay positive,” but it’s easy to say, but it’s hard to actually do it.
I also think that “the importance of dialogue” is really important. With Korean… a language like this, you can learn intonation and things like that by actually talking to local people, rather than just learning it from a textbook, and I always speak with anxiety, wondering, “Ah… is this really Korean?”, so I tend to be quite negative, but I think “always trying to stay positive” is wonderful. I think it’s very difficult to “stay positive.” That’s why I think all three are things you can’t do unless you’re strict with yourself. At 24 years old, always trying to do such difficult things… I really think “I have to follow your example.”
Message to family
My Son Loc: Anh, how are you? Are you eating properly every day?
I want to see you and your mother, but I’m too busy to go back to Vietnam.
But don’t worry, my father is doing well and working hard every day.
Honda Hitomi: Wow, that’s a touching message… I’m crying. Wow… I want to see my family in Japan too. I’m sure Anh must want to see his father… No. I’m sure he wants to see his father more than his father thinks.
My Son Loc is working hard in Japan, away from his family. I want to help My Son Loc… I don’t know if I can do this, but I’m in the same position as him, not being able to see his family. For each other… I mean. Let’s work hard together, with the loneliness of not being able to see our families, towards a big, positive, bright future.