A Glimpse into Natsumi Hamai

Kind and agreeable, my host sister Natsumi Hamai laughed when I asked to interview her for this blog. “Ii yo,” she said, settling down by the coffee table across from me, having served me strawberry milk and a donut. At 24, she’s already an exceptional hostess, but I suspect this is only the beginning. My host mother and father describe her as bright and easy going, a “my pace” girl. I wonder if this comes from working at the bakery where she’s custom to welcoming consumers with a smile and non-intrusive greeting. Although her gentle disposition might suggest otherwise, Natsumi is not your ordinary Japanese girl.

Natsumi has one passion in particular that has been shaping her life, and that’s travel. Indeed, the reason I know Natsumi today is because of this hobby. In high school, her year spent studying abroad in Australia opened her up to a world of new experiences. Since then she has been to Thailand, Canada, Korea, and Seattle creating a global army of friends. Upon asking Natsumi what she learned abroad, she thought carefully before answering, “I learned to thank family.” She went on to explain her humble answer: until you leave your house, you don’t realize all the little things your family does for you and what a big difference they make in your daily life. Because of her experience abroad and because of her easy-going nature, I consider Natsumi to be noticeably more open-minded and understanding than other Japanese women in her age-range.

Towa, Natsumi’s beloved pooch loyally sits by her side, eyeing her plate piteously. She pats him mindlessly while watching for my non-verbal cues politely. She has an uncanny ability to read into my posture and expressions and intuitively predict what I’m thinking. As we nibbled our donuts and sipped our milk, Natsumi and I went on to discuss deeper and more personal questions. Natsumi’s favorite saying is “ichigoichi” which roughly translates to “a once in a life time chance.” This goes hand in hand with her most important belief, to try everything. Her mind set that you may only get one opening to do something, so try it while you can, is admirable and courageous. Natsumi patiently takes the opportunities that become available to her without complaining during the stretches of unwavering monotony. To emphasize her relaxed nature further, Natsumi’s only wish is for good health to her and those around her, while insisting that how and when she dies is of no concern as long as it’s painless. She does mention, however, that as much as possible, she’d like to travel before her end.

I honestly mean this when I say it, Natsumi is hard not to like. As angelic as she seems, she still has her human pet-peeves. Natsumi values sincerity and those who follow through with their promises. She’s frustrated by people will frivolously cancel their appointments with her last minute. As someone who places significance on choosing occasions wisely, she hopes people will respect her time.

Natsumi looked into her glass of strawberry milk and blushed as I pressed her for any last words. I leaned forward, my pencil in hand. At long last she says sheepishly, “What’s this assignment for again…?”