"English Changed My Life"
Haruo Furukawa
Congratulations on the 35th anniversary of LIOJ!
I offer the LIOJ my hearty congratulations as a learner, also I sincerely say thank you to the many instructors and staff members of LIOJ who have helped me with my English education for a long time.
If I'm permitted to write my experience here, I would like to describe two valuable experiences as the result of studying English at LIOJ.
When I remember my youth, I regret that I spent the period of my education during the War. So our generation could not afford to spend time studying English. That's because a war broke out between Japan and China when we were just in elementary school, and later the Second World War began when we were just high school age. So we grew up in a long period of belligerence. What's more, we were required to help in production at a munition factory by a national order, and we got a military training by military officers in high school.
Therefore, I think, most students of my same age are not good at English. But I still thought about English study after the end of the War because we had to advance quickly the culture exchanges between Japan and America.
I have felt strongly about the necessity of English conversation since the time I went to see an international exhibition for our businesses in Los Angeles in 1985.
Five years later, I became a student of English at LIOJ in April 1990. It truly was the first in forty years for me. The instructor was Jojo Astillero. He came from the Philippines.
At first, I didn't understand at all. "What is he saying?" "What is he asking?" "What should I answer?" My back covered with perspiration from the stress throughout my studies. I was shocked at my poor English and lost confidence. I ought to give up studying English! I thought often about it!
A month later, my English conversation gradually improved, and I regained confidence in myself.
In 1991, Our instructor changed to Sarah Parsons. She came from Minnesota in the USA. She was a good teacher and we often had the dinner together so we developed a good relation between teacher and students. Four years after Sarah returned to her home in Minnesota, I visited her house in the summer of 1995 to make my dream come true. I had been planned to travel to the American mid-west.
Sarah and her all family welcomed me warmly and she gave me a lot of trip data and advice. Moreover she arranged to lend me a car. I employed a university student in Minnesota at her introduction as my assistant. His name was John.
We left Minneapolis to do a circular trip of middle America early in the morning of August 24. We proceeded toward Kansas City, Missouri, and from there we went to Iowa. I was astounded by the wheat fields which spread out endlessly before me. After that, we visited every place by taking turns driving. John and I went to Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and other places. We returned to Minneapolis again safely on September 4.
Our journey was just fantastic - more than my imagination - and the total mileage was 6,500 kilometers.
I was happy to accomplish this dream at my age, and I believe it is thanks to English conversation that I could talk during travelling to John even with my poor English.
I believe this delightful experience can only be enjoyed by a person that has studied English.
In 1993, I took English lessons from Julie Evans. She came from New Zealand. She was a skillful English teacher. So we could easily understand her lessons. Also, we often heard her talk about New Zealand. Therefore, I began to feel interested in New Zealand. I had dinner a couple of times with Julie and Mary Ann Maynard. About five years after she returned home to New Zealand, I purchased a small house there. What was my motive for buying a house there? In April 1994, I stopped over at her house while travelling in New Zealand. Julie and her family gave me a hearty welcome and we had a chat about various topics. In the middle of our conversation, I felt like I wanted to get a house because I came to like to New Zealand. There was a lot of nature, fantastic scenery, a good environment, peaceful and quiet, and other things.
In June 1998, I was determined to purchase a house in Tauranga, New Zealand. I wanted to have some property for my resort home there, and also there intended to make it a trading base for my business in future, if possible.
I went to New Zealand again and requested Julie's father to help me to purchase a house. After a month, I finally could buy a house, thanks to Mr. Evans.
I believe it was a great accomplishment to my property in a foreign country.
I have stayed several times for rests at my house in New Zealand since then. However, my greatest pleasure is still to continue my friendship with Julie, Mr. Evans, and the family.
I sometimes think it's unfortunate that I seldom have opportunities to speak English in my daily life, but I need to speak English all the time when I stay in New Zealand. So I know I have to always study English as long as I can.
Therefore, I can say that LIOJ is important to my education.
June 2003
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