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English

August 19, 2017

I like to travel, especially going abroad. As my country is an island, I have some yearning to know foreign countries. In addition, I want to enjoy other countries' culture, history, food, etc. But I am sometimes frustrated because I don't speak any other languages except my mother tongue. Every time I go abroad, I end up returning without communicating with the other country's people. It is regrettable as I really want to talk with them. I tried to learn English many times, but each time I gave up. It is not easy to continue learning English to become conversational level. Maybe English is too different from my mother tongue.   So when a friend of mine asked me to go abroad with him, I immediately agreed. He speaks English fluently. Furthermore, he offered me a free ticket. He works for an import company and has a lot of job trips, which gives him a lot of mileage. He didn't have enough time to use his mileage before it expired, so he asked me to go with him to XXX (the county's name) together. He reserved our hotel and my ticket. He said that he needed to go to a different country for work and could wait for me at the airport in XXX. My flight was comfortable. Thanks to my friend's mileage, I experienced Business Class for the first time. The flight attendants came to me many times and serve me various things. The only thing that I regretted was that I could only say to them "XX please." and "Thank you." I arrived at the airport and my friend was waiting for me. We went to the hotel and stayed there for four days. It was like a dream. We enjoyed good food, beautiful scenery, historical sites. I thanked him for his hard working and we gave a toast to his company. During the trip, I asked him to ask the taxi drivers, shop clerks, even customers in the bars about their lives and other things. They were frank, and I was able to learn something that I wouldn't have known otherwise. I was very happy.   On the last day, he saw me off at the airport, he had another job trip. I thanked him for the trip very much. I promised him that I would take him out to a good restaurant in our country. He laughed saying I didn't need to but would accept the invite if I insisted. My return trip was comfortable in Business Class. Stewardesses came many times and served me various things again. When the airplane was about half way to my country, an announcement from the pilot sounded. I couldn't understand it because it was in English, but from the commotion from the other customers and from a few words that I caught, like 'storm' and 'change', I thought that this flight would go to another place. I remembered that at the counter in XXX, the clerk mentioned something about the weather but I didn't understand. Although, there was nobody who seemed to speak my language in Business Class, I was sure that there were some compatriots in the Economy Class. I could ask them what was happening. The airplane landed at a different country, and the passengers in the Business Class started to get off. I did as well. Soon a staff from the airline company came and started to lead us. I wanted to go to the Economy Class's place, but I had no idea how to go there. We went to a waiting room for Business Class customers and soon a representative came and started to explain about the situation. I couldn't understand, but, maybe we had to stay one night and take a flight the next day. After his explanation, the passengers started to move. I went to the representative and read a sentence from a trip conversation model book, "Do you … have a … person … who speaks XXXX (my language)." He said, "No, sir, I'm afraid not." I perfectly understood his sentence. Looking at me in a sad expression, the representative made a call, and soon after a woman in a flight attendant uniform came. She was the person who served us on the plane. She gestured for me to follow her. While following her, I was thinking. Maybe she would stay at the same hotel that the airline company had prepared. It was the first time for me to experience this type of thing. Maybe the airline company was supposed to pay the cost for the stay and the next flight. We got to the hotel which was on the same premises of the airport, and she received two keys and gave one to me. I asked the same question that I asked the representative if there was somebody that could speak my language. The stewardess replied, "No."   Looking at me in my sad face, she said something. She demonstrated eating something, maybe she said about dinner. I was hungry and before I could reply, my stomach growled. Both of us laughed. Her smile was pretty, rather different from her professional one on the airplane. At the restaurant in the hotel, she looked more attractive. It was strange that we were facing each other at the table without any verbal communication ability. I ordered a dish and a beer. She ordered something and a glass of wine. Maybe to change this awkward atmosphere, she asked me how to say 'Thank you.' 'Excuse me.' 'Good morning.' 'Good night.' and some other simple phrases and words. It was very fun. Finally we finished our food. When I was about to use my credit card, she gently stopped me and signed the bill. Maybe the airline company would pay for it. To myself, I thanked my friend for the Business Class again. Before separating, she gestured and said something. After a moment I realized she wanted my name card. I handed my card to her. Fortunately I had an English version in my case. I said, "Good night." And she said it in my language. Her mischievous smile was charming. When I got into bed, I thought that tonight was because I was in Business Class. I thought that I might have a chance to talk with her again the next day. Unfortunately, I never met her again. I went to the airline counter the next morning and took an airplane to my country. I expected to see her on the plane, but she wasn't there. Now I've started to study English in case of receiving an email from her. Although it is a very slim chance. And if she did email me, I might need to explain that I'm not rich and about the complicated situation about why I was in the Business Class in English. But, for now, I got momentum to continue to study English.

*yearning :あこがれ
*mileage :マイレージ
*otherwise :他のやり方では
*compatriot :同国人
*premise :敷地
*growl :ゴロゴロ鳴る
verbal :言葉の