November 12 , 2011
Dear Dialho, Nice to meet you. I'm Marina. This diary written by Jessica was very interesting, so I read the whole thing. And while I was reading it, I realized that this is what Brazil is like.
Jessica and I were always together at the Brazilian school in Japan and it was a lot of fun. But my dad changed jobs and I had to move. So I transferred to a Japanese school. My mom and dad wanted me to study at a Japanese school. I enjoyed the Brazilian school too, but I liked the Japanese school even more.
I was born in Bastos, Sao Paulo, and when I was three years old, I went to Japan with my mom, dad, and my older brother who was 12. Nine years later, my mom's elderly grandparents needed someone to look after them.
As a result, my mother decided to return to Brazil. I wanted to stay in Japan, but my father and brother were both busy with work, and they thought it would be impossible for me to go to school and do the housework by myself, so I ended up returning to Brazil with my mother.
I'm still not used to life here. At first, I went to school, but I couldn't make friends because I didn't understand Portuguese well and couldn't speak it well. I hated going to school and stopped going. My mother had a hard time taking care of my grandparents, so she told me to stay home and didn't tell me to go to school.
But Jessica gave me strength! She was a girl who had been living in Japan just like me, but she suddenly came back to Brazil, studied hard at school, and had lots of friends, so I decided to follow her example.
Although it's too late this year, I plan to go to school regularly from next year and study Portuguese thoroughly. Of course, I will also do my best to master Japanese so that I can go to Japan again someday!
Jessica, I need to be motivated, I need to do it!
No Natalie lives in Maringá, but I don't know what to do, even though I know my grandmother .
Valeu, my friend! Beijos, Marina
(Thank you Jessica for your support! Thank you for everything!
I'm looking forward to going to Malinga for Christmas and meeting "Bachan"!
Thank you so much. See you soon. From Marina
December 23 , 2011
My dear Diallo, I'm so glad, so glad Marina wrote this to me.
I was moved when I read this. The Portuguese part at the end is perfect! Marina, you're doing great!
And Marina-chan is coming over for Christmas! Mommy talked it over with Marina-chan's mother and we decided. Of course, Mommy is bringing her over.
I'm going to clean up my room and welcome Marina-chan. I've decorated it with a lot of things from when I was in Japan, including some presents from Marina-chan.
Another big piece of news: Mommy is getting married!
The wedding will be in March next year at the church in Maringá. It will be the first time for Mummy to wear a wedding dress, so she is very excited. I can't believe it!
It's not that I can't believe Mommy is getting married, but I find it strange that she's marrying my daddy again!
The two met at university, and Mommy graduated two years ahead of Dad, but she couldn't find a job and decided to go to Japan to work. Dad was still a student, but he dropped out of university to go to Japan with Dad, and Dad and Mommy quickly got married. However, it seems that they only submitted a marriage registration to the city hall.
Malinga's mommy's mother, that is, Bachan, was disappointed when she found out about the marriage over the phone. So now she's looking forward to her mommy getting married in a wedding dress at the church, and she seems very happy. And she's going to make a pretty dress for me too.
Mummy is coming over for Christmas and Daddy is coming over for New Year's Eve.
As I told you before, when I was two years old, my dad left my mommy, returned to Brazil, married another woman, had a child with her, but soon separated from her.
What does it mean that my separated mommy and daddy are getting married again? I wondered, but it's a "grown-up" thing. I'm really happy. We're going to be a "family" again.
My dear Diario, there are much better things to come!
FELIZ NATAL! 1
Note
1. Merry Christmas!
© 2015 Laura Honda-Hasegawa
