I have been very pleased to meet twice in the Charity Concerts with members of Japa Vietnam. I, first, came to Japan as a foreign student already 10 years ago. Time passed very fast, and this invaluable experience helped me not only with my studies, but also shaped much of my life.

I cannot say whether it was a short or a long experience, and if they ask me about my happy times, honestly speaking, I could not give an answer. It is not that I have spent my time uselessly and there is nothing to regret. On the contrary, I am very grateful to Japanese people that helped me so much to overcome all kinds of difficulties. Since my arrival to Japan, many persons took care of me. They were elder people helping me in my first part time jobs, professors during my studies, Catholic Sisters and other persons related to my actual work. All of them, like if they were my family members sympathized with me, gave me assistance and even strict guidance.

Since my childhood I dreamed to do studies in Japan. The image I had of Japan before coming and the one I hold now are very different. Today's Japanese society is a "working society" that goes on working as a robot. Of course, everybody agrees that people have to work in order to survive, but the actual TV and Newspapers' News are surprisingly very painful to hear. Japan is a very convenient society, but everybody has to pay a big price. People will think I am selfish, but in spite of being a foreigner I, sometimes, wish that the old times of Japan would come back.
Actually, many young Japanese can not give an answer when somebody asks them, what is most important? Maybe, unconsciously, they have lost human compassion and consideration for others. I feel that modern society disregards family bonds, friendship, respect between professors and students and neighborhood links.

One cannot sense a warm family atmosphere in well-to-do houses. Children desire their own apartments to live independently, or, if not, to have private rooms and build there their own worlds. And again, parents spend most of their time outside their homes, under the pretext of supporting the family and, as a result, children and parents do not find time to converse and they cannot know well each other. Riding on the trains, signboards, like "Life is important" or "Let's put an end to suicides" catch our eyes. It is a sad reality that, people desiring to live die because of wars and disease, but people who could live think of committing suicide. Reflecting on the causes of many problems in Japan I find out that almost everything has to do with family issues.

Schools do not teach real human love or assistance to people in need, respect to the elders and understanding of human suffering and sorrow. Most probably we are mistaken by believing that we are free to make use of our lives as we wish. This is why I wish people to realize the importance of human life. People are born in affluent societies as well as in poor environments and unless one goes through different experiences it would be difficult to know the real meaning of life.

I was born in a large family of 10 children and when I was 1 year-old my father was killed at war. The government changed and we lost all our possessions. During Primary and Secondary School I suffered from bullying, because my family was poor. But, I and my little sister never thought about the reasons why we had to live that way or why we were not like the rest of other children. On the opposite, we always thanked our mother who took care of all my brothers and sisters. I never had the opportunity of attending private lessons, but, in spite of that, every year the School gave me a Certificate of merit. At present all my family does successful business and never forgets the difficult times we had to bear.