Internationalmatt's Blog

End of an Era- Uncle Yoshio Will Move Back to Japan

In my Sunday morning class Yoshio my friend from Japan shared that he will move back to Japan in November. Yoshio has been working here in Lincoln for a Japanese company that has a production facility here. His nickname is Uncle Yoshio which he was given by the young people who come to my Saturday and Sunday groups. The nickname began on a cool Saturday morning when a group of us were waiting for Yoshio for an Omaha Zoo trip in the late Spring 2009. I suggested the young people yell “Uncle Yoshio” when he got out of his van. When Yoshio arrived, our young friends yelled “Uncle Yoshio” as soon as he got out of his van.

me with Yoshio

The nickname is fitting because Yoshio has a big heart and enjoys doing things to help our young friends. He has anonymously helped when I asked him to, helped drive our group on fun excursions such as the Omaha Zoo or Mahoney State Park, and treated people to lunch. He has stored boxes and other items for International Students over the summer while they are back home. The way I would say it is that if Japan would send more people like Yoshio to work here, it would be wonderful. In many small ways he has been a great Ambassador of his culture. I also know he has done a lot to help Japanese students living in Lincoln.

Yoshio at lunch with friends from China, Russia and Vietnam

Yoshio moving away represents the end of another era. There was a stretch of time that my weekend groups had friends from Belgium, Brazil Congo, Germany, Japan, and Korea. All of my weekend friends then were either Graduate Students or Post Doctoral from UNL or were working here. That era came to end when Isis moved back to Brazil in March and Jochen and Julia moved back to Germany in early August. Yoshio was the first one in that group and will be the last one to leave.

me with Yoshio, Brigitte from Belgum and Julia and Jochen from Germany

The one constant in life is change. Transitions come and we can choose to embrace them. Yoshio embraced the change of the makeup of my weekend groups as friends moved away and younger friends from China and Vietnam started coming. He has helped them to feel welcome and has been a good “Uncle”. Yoshio- thank you for being a good friend

Yoshio with his young friends from China

Yoshio with some young friends from Vietnam

September 13, 2011 - Posted by internationalmatt | Belgium, Chinese friends, Cross Cultural, Cultural Ambassdors, Experiences of international friends, Globalization, International Friendships, Internationals, Japanese friends, Vietnamese friends