What I also remember is not understanding why Dorothy wanted so much to go home, to where her aunt and uncle lived. "There's nowhere like home" (in the movie, it's "there's no place like home") is central to "The Wizard of Oz." But I thought it was so much more fun to stay in Oz with all those wonderful friends. Maybe it was because I was only 10 years old at the time.
Later on, I had a similar reaction to the Odyssey, which is about the Greek warriorUlysses' long journey home after the Trojan War. The journey lasted 10 years and in those 10 years he faced many dangers, but he also had some wonderful experiences. He was even promised immortality by a goddess who was his lover. But still he wanted to go home to his wife and son. Meanwhile, I'm reading this and thinking, "Take the immortality, man!"
Having said all that, guess what I did on the day I finished my last course at college? I packed my suitcase and straight away I left New York for home. People said, "Kana, you should stay a little. Kick back and relax. Or you can get yourself a job here." I ignored them. I can't explain why but I just wanted to go home.
Still, I don't think a person has only one home at one time. Some people have a second or third home, and I'm not just talking about having a cabin in the mountains or a cottage near the beach. Some people make a home for themselves in an art form, whether it be painting, poetry music. It's a place where they can feel at ease to be themselves.
And no matter where you are, friends can also provide a home for you, through love and friendship. It saddens me when people constantly feel like strangers or outcasts no matter where they go. But at the same time, I'm hopeful, because every journey has its ups and downs. If you are able to love and cherish something even just a little bit, you have reached your destination, you have reached home.
Q1 Kana didn't understand why Dorothy wanted to go home because she thought:
A1) The journey home would be tiring.
A2) Staying in Oz would be much more fun than home.
A3) Staying in Oz would make her famous.
正解： A2) Staying in Oz would be much more fun than home.
Q2 When Kana finished her final course at college, she:
A1) Found a job in the States.
A2) Immediately left for home.
A3) Went on vacation.
●英字新聞社ジャパンタイムズによる英語学習サイト。英語のニュース、よみもの、リスニングなどのコンテンツを無料で提供。無料見本紙はこちら
