Two days ago I suddenly received an e-mail from a Hokkien-Chinese Malaysian friend of mine that she and her husband would be staying in Tokyo for a week. We met first in Petaling Jaya, a surrounding city of Kuala Lumpur just one month before the 9.11 in 2001. It was originally my research purpose, but since that we have developed our friendship.
Some years ago, they moved to Hong Kong for her husband’s work. She sometimes sent me how she encountered and resolved the problems concerning her children at school in Hong Kong. I learned a lot from her as to how difficult it has been for her to raise her three teenagers in a different environment from Malaysia, although they belong to the Chinese national. These matters are rarely mentioned in academic articles and writings, because they are personal and more subjective.
This time, however, we will not be able to meet each other due to the sudden notice from her. I have something to do here in Kansai area, too. But I did invite her to come to Kyoto or Osaka or Nagoya, my home town.
I look forward to seeing her again either in Hong Kong or in Malaysia in the near future.
