must be blooming somewhere, so the next chance I get, I’m going to ask a member of the Japanese Citizens Association. Though your father isn’t really keen on my joining the Japanese Citizens Associationor the Japanese Women’s Group, for that matter.
It’s still cold here: you can’t go out without a coat. The wind off the Aare River is chilly, and the cold so bitter it makes me lonely. I’m wearing the beige coat that we bought on sale at the Odakyu Department Store. I’m sure you remember. It’s really too light for this weather, but I’m constantly getting compliments on it. Some people even ask me where I bought it. The people here really dress well. They carry themselves properly and always seem dignified.
Bern is as pretty as a fairy tale but it’s much smaller than I had imagined, and this really surprised me at first. I was also surprised to find people from so many different countries living here. When we first arrived I walked through the streets amazed at everything I saw, but lately I’ve grown a little tired of it. Most of our money is going toward your allowance and school fees, so we can’t really buy anything and have to live as frugally as possible. Yuriko is angry and claims it’s all because you got to stay behind in Japan. But don’t worry about it.
You’ve got to rely on your brains to get ahead.
Our house is in a new area of the city. Karl’s hosiery factory is one building over. Across from us is a building with tiny apartments, and alongside that is an empty lot. Your father’s pleased because we are within the city limits, but it feels like we’re on the outskirts to me. If I bring it up, however, it makes your father furious. Wherever you go in Bern the streets are orderly, and all you find are tall people speaking an incomprehensible language. Moreover, everyone is really aggressive.
This has been quite a lesson for me.
Just the other day I had this experience. I’m always careful to obey the traffic signals when I cross the street, but still you have to watch for turning vehicles. As I was crossing a car came so close to hitting me that the hem of my coat was caught 3 7
N A T S U O K I R I NO
on the bumper and the lining tore slightly. The woman who was driving stopped and got out of the car. I thought she was coming to apologize but she started yelling at me instead. I didn’t understand what she was saying, but she kept pointing at my coat and railing on and on. Maybe she was saying it was my fault for trying to cross the street with my coat flapping open! I told her I was sorry for the trouble I had caused and went home. When I told your father about it that night he was furious with me. “You should never admit to being in the wrong!” he said. “The minute you do, you’ve lost the battle.
You should have at least gotten money to mend your coat!”
That’s when it dawned on me that your father’s refusal to accept blame comes from living in this country, and so this too has been a lesson.
Three months have passed since we got here. All the furniture we shipped has finally arrived, and this has offered me a bit of relief. But the furnishings don’t really suit the modern apartment we have. Your father is out of sorts about it. “We ought to have just bought furniture here!” he complains. “This Japanese furniture is worthless.” I tell him there’s no way he can get money for new furniture, so he should just stop going on about it. But then he gets even angrier and says we ought to have discussed it beforehand. I think your father’s gradually reverting to his old self. He’s always angry. Now that he’s back in his own country, he’s even more concerned about doing things the right way, and he gets aggravated by all the mistakes I make.
Recently he and Yuriko have been going out together a lot without me. This seems to make Yuriko very happy. She gets along well with Karl’s oldest son (he also works in your uncle’s factory) and they spend
It’s still cold here: you can’t go out without a coat. The wind off the Aare River is chilly, and the cold so bitter it makes me lonely. I’m wearing the beige coat that we bought on sale at the Odakyu Department Store. I’m sure you remember. It’s really too light for this weather, but I’m constantly getting compliments on it. Some people even ask me where I bought it. The people here really dress well. They carry themselves properly and always seem dignified.
Bern is as pretty as a fairy tale but it’s much smaller than I had imagined, and this really surprised me at first. I was also surprised to find people from so many different countries living here. When we first arrived I walked through the streets amazed at everything I saw, but lately I’ve grown a little tired of it. Most of our money is going toward your allowance and school fees, so we can’t really buy anything and have to live as frugally as possible. Yuriko is angry and claims it’s all because you got to stay behind in Japan. But don’t worry about it.
You’ve got to rely on your brains to get ahead.
Our house is in a new area of the city. Karl’s hosiery factory is one building over. Across from us is a building with tiny apartments, and alongside that is an empty lot. Your father’s pleased because we are within the city limits, but it feels like we’re on the outskirts to me. If I bring it up, however, it makes your father furious. Wherever you go in Bern the streets are orderly, and all you find are tall people speaking an incomprehensible language. Moreover, everyone is really aggressive.
This has been quite a lesson for me.
Just the other day I had this experience. I’m always careful to obey the traffic signals when I cross the street, but still you have to watch for turning vehicles. As I was crossing a car came so close to hitting me that the hem of my coat was caught 3 7
N A T S U O K I R I NO
on the bumper and the lining tore slightly. The woman who was driving stopped and got out of the car. I thought she was coming to apologize but she started yelling at me instead. I didn’t understand what she was saying, but she kept pointing at my coat and railing on and on. Maybe she was saying it was my fault for trying to cross the street with my coat flapping open! I told her I was sorry for the trouble I had caused and went home. When I told your father about it that night he was furious with me. “You should never admit to being in the wrong!” he said. “The minute you do, you’ve lost the battle.
You should have at least gotten money to mend your coat!”
That’s when it dawned on me that your father’s refusal to accept blame comes from living in this country, and so this too has been a lesson.
Three months have passed since we got here. All the furniture we shipped has finally arrived, and this has offered me a bit of relief. But the furnishings don’t really suit the modern apartment we have. Your father is out of sorts about it. “We ought to have just bought furniture here!” he complains. “This Japanese furniture is worthless.” I tell him there’s no way he can get money for new furniture, so he should just stop going on about it. But then he gets even angrier and says we ought to have discussed it beforehand. I think your father’s gradually reverting to his old self. He’s always angry. Now that he’s back in his own country, he’s even more concerned about doing things the right way, and he gets aggravated by all the mistakes I make.
Recently he and Yuriko have been going out together a lot without me. This seems to make Yuriko very happy. She gets along well with Karl’s oldest son (he also works in your uncle’s factory) and they spend
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