Essay

Finding commonalities

By Kip A. Cates

音声ダウンロード

It's always exciting to find that you share something in common with others. Each discovery brings joy and excitement. "You play chess? So do I!" "You like the Beatles? Me, too." "You've been to Korea? So have I!" Each of these encounters forges a special bond, a shared identity and a new friendship.

As a young man, my big adventure was a trip around the world. I started from my hometown Vancouver and first crossed the country to Toronto. There, I met a guy the same age as me. "Where are you from?" I asked. "Vancouver," he replied. "What a coincidence!" I said. "So am I! Let's go get some coffee." Off we went to a coffee shop and became good friends. "That's interesting," I thought later. In Vancouver, he'd be a total stranger. Yet, in Toronto, we became instant friends because we were from the same city.

From there, I flew to England. In London, I met a young traveler. "Where are you from?" I asked. "Canada," he replied. "I'm from Canada, too!" I said. "Let's go get some coffee." He was a French Canadian from Montreal. Yet, in England, we felt a special connection just because we were from the same country.

Next, I went to France. In Paris, I met another backpacker. "Where are you from?" I asked. "New York," he replied. "You're from North America?" I said. "What a coincidence! I'm from North America, too! Let's go get some coffee!" We weren't even from the same country! Yet in France, we became friends because we came from the same continent.

After Europe, I decided to explore Asia. One day, I was on a bus to Katmandu. There had been heavy rains and the road was blocked. Hundreds of Nepalis were standing around, waiting for the road to be repaired. In the crowds was a blond-haired white guy. "Where are you from?" I asked. "Germany," he replied. "You're a Westerner?" I exclaimed. "So am I! Let's go get some coffee!" We found a nearby coffee stand and became good friends. He was from a different continent. Yet, in Asia, we felt an instant bond because we shared the same race and culture.

Much later, I got to Japan. In my first week, I decided to explore a busy shopping district. It was incredibly crowded with hundreds of Japanese. Suddenly, off in the distance, I saw a tall black guy. Our eyes met. We ran towards each other! "Where are you from?" I asked excitedly. "Uganda," he replied. "You're a gaijin in Japan?" I exclaimed. "So am I. Let's go get some coffee!" Instant friends!

Usually, when we meet other people, we only notice differences. Yet, there's so much that we share! Through travel, we can overcome barriers of race, region and nationality. Finding commonalities with people from other countries can help bridge cultural differences and expand your world.

他人との共通点を探すこと

若いころに世界中を旅して回った筆者は、各地で出会う人々と自分との間で何らかの共通点を見つけては、即座にその相手と友達になっていったそうだ。国や人種の違う相手との共通点を見つけるのは楽しいものだ、と筆者は言う。

The Japan Times ST: June 14, 2013