Frank
Hello, this is Frank.
Lately, I’ve noticed more and more people heading overseas again—a trend I’m genuinely happy to see. After all, we’re not living in an age of isolation, and staying cooped up only leads to a gloomy mindset.
Many of my students are now using their paid leave to travel to Southeast Asia, North America, Oceania, and Europe. You’d think it’s always fun, but that’s not always the case.
For example, one of my business class students once traveled to Russia. When they tried to enter a local bar at night, they were told, “No Japanese allowed!” After asking for details, it turned out the bar wasn’t generally anti-foreigner—the owner just happened to dislike Japanese people. Another staff member apologized, saying, “Sorry about that,” clearly embarrassed by the situation.
Travel brings all sorts of experiences. After journeying around the world myself, I’ve come to believe that communication skills are the single most important asset you can have.
Take Miami, Florida, for example. In the northwest part of the city, Hialeah, you’ll find a large Hispanic community, and Spanish is spoken everywhere. On my way to Central America and the Caribbean, I spent a few days in Miami and found that speaking Spanish was a huge advantage.
I enjoyed lively conversations with taxi drivers, who ended up giving me discounted fares.
At the hotel restaurant, chatting with waiters and chefs in Spanish got me complimentary fruit and drinks.
Maybe this is a stereotype, but Japanese travelers often come across as wide-eyed tourists, nervously scanning their surroundings, or as overly serious businesspeople who get upset with taxi drivers over things like the meter not running.
When I see this, I want to ask: “Aren’t you forgetting something important?” That something is communication skills.
This doesn’t mean you need to be fluent in a foreign language. What matters is having the attitude to enjoy communicating—even if your language is broken.
You can have all the English certifications in the world, but if you can’t connect heart-to-heart, those qualifications are just wasted potential.
When you travel abroad, don’t just sightsee or shop. Try to chat with as many people as possible. Enjoy the art of communication.
――Qué tenga buena suerte! – Good luck to you!
Some time ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Hidehito Higashitani, former host of NHK’s Spanish language program and former president of Kobe City University of Foreign Studies. I even visited his home, which was filled with Spanish charm, and enjoyed delightful conversations with him and his wife. I was so captivated by Dr. Higashitani’s beautiful, refined Spanish that it reignited my own passion for learning the language.
If any of my blog readers are interested in learning Spanish, I highly recommend a beginner-friendly textbook. It’s incredibly easy to understand and truly helpful—just check out the reviews on Amazon.
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Writing about Spanish makes me want to visit Latin America again. There are so many things I want to do these days, it’s hard to choose.
――Gracias por leer mi blog hasta el final.
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If you’re interested in my published books, feel free to check them out here.
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