2020-07-18
みんなの声 What’s up?
プラハのウラニアさんからメッセージ（プラハからの便り＊下記）を受け取ったあすなろ学院生とウラニアさんの往復メールをご紹介する第2回。今知る限りの英語を使って思いを伝え相手の言葉を理解しようとする生徒たちと、第二言語の英語を駆使して国際舞台で活躍するウラニアさんとのコミュニケーションを数回に渡り掲載します。以前からお伝えしていますように、コミュニケーションにおいては文法上正しいかどうかより、思いや心を表し、人間同士として通じ合えることが大切です。その観点から掲載する文章にネイティブの校正はしていません。＊追記：ウラニアさんからの返信に対して書いたお礼のメールを追加しました（10月24日）。
![40633 [中高女子]](/wp-content/uploads/40633-中高女子.png){kind=small}
I think living in a city, which I don’t know very well is challenging. Were you afraid of it? And how did you make friends there? (R. 16 years old)
Hi R, and thank you for asking this.
I was almost 17 when I came to Prague to start my studies and at that time I was very excited to do so. I remember that I had no fear or doubts, as it was a dream coming true. Even the challenges that I had to face in the way didn’t take away my fascination of living and studying in a completely unknown to me city. The two most difficult challenges I had to face were the language and the unfriendliness of some people. In 1990 Czech Republic was just getting out from the communistic regime and many people were still thinking in the old terms and a king of xenophobia was around. It was the time that many young people in a reaction to the previous regime became followers of the far right movement “skinheads” and I have to say that it was a bit scary experience to meet them in the streets as they were against foreigners that had not fair complexion or blond hair with blue eyes. Luckily a year after the government took measures and all these extremist groups moved outside Prague. Today there is no xenophobia or any actions against foreigners in Prague.
My first friends where the students from the language centre that I was visiting.
We were a happy group of people from all the different parts of the world that came to Prague to fulfil their dreams.
After enrolling at the Prague Conservatory I became friends with Czech students
as I was the only foreigner back then in the conservatory. The friendships I created since 1990 are still with me, meeting for coffee or being in touch through social media and phone.
I had also the luck to be living in the dormitory of the Music Academy, where all the music students, Czech and foreigners, were living. There I met your teacher, Kyoko, with whom I haven’t see for so many years but is so nice that we are keeping in touch and hopefully one day we will meet again.
Being in a foreigner country it can be stressing at the beginning, but if you are there because you want it and you love the experience then nothing can stop you from enjoying the best adventures of your life and meeting people from all the over the world. All the problems or challenges have a solution, just love what you do and you win.
Wishing you all the best and the best of luck if you decide to live in a foreigner country. I am sure you will enjoy it.
Thank you for your question.
Best,
Urania
Thank you for responding me.
I was very surprised at the words that ‟I have little doubts, as it was a dream coming true.”
I don’t have a such a dream like you. My dream is to marry someone and raise children. Some of my friends say ‟I want to be a scientist” ‟I want be a nurse.” and so on.
Some of them look down on me because my dream is not like theirs. I was reluctant to talk about my future, but I decided to have a strong will like you. This is the thing that I want to do although I am different from others. My life is mine, so I live as I like.
Your message made me think about what I feel more deeply. I wish that I had as strong will as you.
I will do what I want to do. Thank you for giving power to me. I try to live with confidence.