現在日本滞在中。
二人とはその学校で1学期一緒に学び、その後彼らがそれぞれ別の機会に、バンクーバーの俺たちのアパートを訪ねてくれた。共に過ごした日々はそんなに多くもないのに思い出話が多い。やはり海外での同邦というものは過ごす時間が濃密だからかもしれない。
カオリさんはグループの中でも特に若く頭脳明晰な才女で、その後俺が転校した先の大学付属ESLコースでただ二人の日本人かつ一番年上と年若の生徒となった。自然と課題を一緒にやったり、アラブ学生たちの英語は文法支離滅裂でわからんよね！ ですよね！ と意気投合したりしていた。
カオリさんは俺の背丈の半分くらいしかないと当時思っていた。よく見ればそこまで小さくはなかったね。しかし当時と見た目変わらん（笑）。
彼女はその後4年その（うちのメラニーさんの母校でもある）セントメリーズ大へ行き、先に日本へ帰ったマサヒコくんと2年間遠距離恋愛をしてたそうだ。というか俺は二人が付き合っているとは一緒にいても彼が帰国した後も気づいてなくて、うちのメラニーさんに「そうなんでしょ」と尋ねられたカオリさんがイエスと言うのでえええそうなのとびっくりしてたのだった。
これがハリファックス英語学校のクラス。マサヒコくんの後ろで俺が英語ノートを見せ「ちゃんと勉強してますよー」とアピールしている。
野球をすると、柔道家マサヒコくんの打球は信じられないほど遠くへ飛んでいた。俺はカナダで野球をするとは思わなかった。間の女性もよく覚えてるなあ、名前は思い出せないがふんわりとやさしい子。なつかしい。後ろは韓国技術大学の先生だったと思う。韓国はとにかくエリートをガンガン留学させていたのだ。そういう時代だ。今の韓国の発展を支えてるのは、彼ら90年代の留学生なんだろう。 マサヒコくんは高校教師として長年商業と柔道を教え、教え子を大会で活躍させてたんだそうだ。あの頃のイメージ通りだよ、素晴らしい。
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そんな話をたっぷりと、俺の兄と甥っ子たちと弟が支える創業101年のうちの店で激ウマ焼肉を楽しみつつしたわけです。メラニーにも会いたかったです、ねえ会わせてやりたかったよ。メラニーと最初に会ったのがこの店なんだよ。兄貴の結婚パーティで彼女が酔っ払い、俺がギターを弾いて「イマジン」とか「ブラウンシュガー」とか大笑いしながら歌ってたのが出会いだったんだよ。
同行の息子くんは知らない話が当然多く、そうなんだーとニコニコ笑って聞いていてくれた。静岡のスポーツ好き青年なので、俺が鹿島アントラーズの通訳を一度やったことがある、ジーコ怖かったと話したら、すごい経験ですねそれはと笑ってくれた。ほんとカナダに移住しあの学校へ行ったおかげで、ちょっと他にはない経験をしてきたよねわれわれは。インクレディブルだよ。◆
We studied together at the school for one semester, and then they each visited our apartment in Vancouver on separate occasions.
Even though we didn't spend that much time together, we have a lot to reminisce about. Maybe it's because the time we spend abroad was intense.
The husband, Masahiko, was a kind judo player who coordinates the Japanese and Korean students at the English school. At around 30, I was older than the other students, but he always invited me out and about, and I had a great time in Halifax. We even played baseball together. Baseball!
Kaori was a particularly young and smart one in the group, and later we became the only two Japanese students in the ESL program at SMU university, the oldest and youngest. We naturally worked on assignments together, and we hit it off, saying, "The Arab students' English is grammatically incoherent and incomprehensible!"
I thought Kaori was only about half of my height back then. Looking closer, she wasn't that small. But she still looks the same now (lol).
She then went on to St. Mary's University (Melanie's alma mater) for four years, and apparently had a long-distance relationship with Masahiko, who returned to Japan earlier, for two years. To be honest, I didn't even realize they were dating, even when we were together, even after he returned. When Melanie asked Kaori, "Is that so?", she replied yes, and I was shocked.
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We talked about all this while enjoying some delicious yakiniku at a 101-year-old restaurant run by my brothers and nephews. They wanted to meet Melanie too. Yeah I wanted to have her see you too. This is the restaurant where I first met her. She got drunk at my brother's wedding party, and I was playing guitar and we sang "Imagine" and "Brown Sugar" while laughing out loud.
Their son, who was with them, naturally had no idea about many of the stories, but he listened with a smile and said, "Oh, really?" He's a sports-loving young man from Shizuoka, so when I told him I once worked as an interpreter for Kashima Antlers and that Zico was scary, he laughed and said, "That must have been an amazing experience." We really did have some unique experiences thanks to moving to Canada and attending that school. It was incredible.
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This is a class at the Halifax English School. Behind Masahiko, I'm showing my English notebook to show how hard I was studying.
I think it was Jang Wan, a Korean big company guy on the far left (he was super keener), who I often argued with. "Tomo, your grammar's wrong," I said. "That's why I'm studying, shut up! 😉"
The young man on his knees, wearing a black shirt and glasses, was the son of a former Korean diplomat in Saudi Arabia. He was very frustrated by his austere youth in Saudi Arabia, with no music or anything, but he respected me because I could play the guitar. "I'll teach you how to play guitar, no big deal. This is C. This is Am." Looking at the photo brings back memories.
When we played baseball, judoka Masahiko's hits flew incredibly far. I never thought I'd play baseball in Canada. I forgot the name of the woman in the middle, but she was a kind girl. Natsukashii. I think the person behind me was a professor at Korea University of Technology. Korea was sending a lot of elite students abroad to study. That was the era. I think it's those 90s students who are supporting Korea's current development.
Masahiko taught business and judo as a high school teacher for many years, and apparently had his students do well in national tournaments. He's just as I imagined him to be back then.
Thank you so much for coming all the way here. It was fun! Next time I'll definitely bring Melanie and Moay too.
