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 …
夏に感じる文化の違い
March 19, 2014 • Laura Honda-Hasegawa
今年のブラジルの夏は、70年ぶりの猛暑となり、とても大変でした。街を歩いていると、皆、真っ赤な顔をして、汗をかきながら、動きが鈍くなってへとへとでした。そんな中、昔から暑さが苦手な私ですが、今年は比較的楽に厳しい日々を乗りきることができました。その理由は、私が日本の夏の過ごし方をブラジルで実践したからです。夏になるとブラジルと日本の生活習慣の違いを実感せざるを得ません。 42年前に私は日本に留学しました。一人娘を旅に出した両親は「日本の冬の寒さ」を心配していましたが、私は…
「オメデトウゴザイマス」は、ポルトガル語になったの？
Jan. 22, 2014 • Laura Honda-Hasegawa
1月第1週の日曜日の朝、教会へ行く途中、ジョアキン君に出会いました。ジョアキン君とは、かわいいビーグルのワンちゃんのことで、初めて会ったのは3年前でした。 「Feliz Ano-Novo!」と、わたしが新年の挨拶をすると、飼い主さんは「オメデトウ」と、丁寧におじぎまでしてくれました。わたしは、とても驚きました。普通ブラジル人は頭を下げて挨拶する習慣はありませんし、「オメデトウ」は「アリガトウ」や「サヨウナラ」程、知られていないと思っていたからです。 そして、2日後の朝、…
