Studying Japanese
My mother was adopted by a Malay family, so we never knew about her origins or ancestry. We suspected she was Chinese-Malaysian, as many girls were given up for adoption around the time she was born. We later found out that she's actually half-Chinese — and half-Japanese. So there was this motivation to reconnect with certain lost parts of my heritage that encouraged me to learn more about Japan and its language. I've always gravitated towards Japan and its culture, and I am fascinated by how the Japanese economy and society have advanced since times of economic trouble in World War II. Japan has such a rich history and contributes a lot to the world today, in terms of technology and culture as a whole. In December 2016, I went to Nagoya for an exchange program and lived with a host family for a month. There, I attended language classes and made a lot of new friends! I've been in touch with my host family since then, and I hope to see them this December. That's ...