Ohayo Bondia II
When I was little, I spoke a mixture of Japanese and Portuguese. When I entered elementary school, I naturally began to distinguish between Japanese and Portuguese, and I began to enjoy writing documents in Portuguese. Now, 60 years later, my greatest joy is writing in both Portuguese and Japanese. Through this series, I hope to share stories on a variety of themes. I hope they will reach you like a refreshing morning greeting.
Read Ohayo Bondia (Series 1) >>
Stories from this series
"Bachchan" is a popular word
March 20, 2023 • Laura Honda-Hasegawa
When I was still little, my mother would show me pictures and tell me about my grandmother, saying, "Laura's grandmother lives far away." Then, when I was 12 years old, I visited my grandmother's house for the first time. There were my grandparents, four single uncles, two granddaughters who were being looked after by my grandmother, my uncle and aunt and uncle's family and their five children who lived in a house built on the same property, so there were …
In Brazil I was always “the Japanese”, but in Portugal I became “the Brazilian”!
March 13, 2017 • Laura Honda-Hasegawa
The other day I read “ Astro ”, written by Hudson Okada and published on this website and, at the same time, I remembered an event that happened to me years ago. I was born in the Capital of São Paulo, daughter of a Japanese father and a Nikkei mother, daughter of Japanese immigrants. Therefore, my features are Japanese, so much so that when I'm in Japan, as long as I don't open my mouth, everyone thinks I'm a native …
I want some Japanese fabric too!
Oct. 7, 2016 • Laura Honda-Hasegawa
I was deeply moved when I read the story of Mia Nakaji Monier, which was published in Discover Nikkei on September 21. As soon as I read that Mia had found a Japanese fabric store, attended sewing classes there with her mother, and made various things together, I felt a connection to my mother's life. I looked back fondly and thought, "Oh, there was a time like that for us, too." My mother was born and raised on a farm …
Exploring the meaning of "JAPA"
April 8, 2015 • Laura Honda-Hasegawa
I believe words are living things. When people's way of thinking and living changes, words also change. About 60 years ago, when I was a child, there were very few Japanese people living in the city of São Paulo, so "Japanese" people stood out in many ways. I still remember that at that time, most Brazilians had a unique image of Japanese people, such as "They don't understand Portuguese," "The food is different," and "They have strange customs." Since I …
Cultural differences felt in summer
March 19, 2014 • Laura Honda-Hasegawa
This summer in Brazil was the hottest in 70 years, and it was extremely tough. When I walked around the city, everyone was red-faced, sweating, and sluggish, exhausted. I've always hated the heat, but this year I was able to get through the harsh days relatively easily. The reason for this is that I practiced the Japanese way of spending the summer in Brazil. When summer comes, you can't help but feel the difference between Brazilian and Japanese lifestyles. 42 …
Has "Omedetou gozaimasu" become Portuguese?
Jan. 22, 2014 • Laura Honda-Hasegawa
On the first Sunday morning of January, on my way to church, I met Joaquin, a cute beagle puppy that I first met three years ago. When I greeted him with "Feliz Ano-Novo!", the owner even bowed politely and said "Omedetou." I was very surprised. Brazilians don't usually have the habit of bowing their heads when greeting people, and I thought "Omedetou" was not as well known as "Arigatou" or "Sayonara." Then, two days later, I met Joaquin again in …
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