カリフォルニア留学記 ちょっとスローにみちる流 (California Study Abroad Diary : A Little Slow Life, Michiru-style) by ショート・みちる (Michy Short) (Komine Shoten) *Japanese text only ~Ernie Hoyt

The Japanese title, [カリフォルニア留学記 ちょっとスローにみちる流] translates in English to California Study Abroad Diary : A Little Slow, Michiru Style. The book is written by Michy Short. She was born in Hokkaido in 1980. Her father is American and her mother is Japanese. She moved to the United States with her family in 1983. Her family moved back to Japan in 1985. She spent her elementary school years living in Japan. However, after graduating from elementary school, she decided to move back to the U.S. for her junior high school and high school years. 

She has previously written two other books in Japanese about her experiences in the United States - みちるのアメリカ留学記 (Michiru no America Ryugakuki) and みちるのハイスクール日記 (Michiru no High School Nikki), Her first book was about her initial experiences of moving to the United States and talking about the challenges she faced in junior high school. Her second book which translates to “Michiru’s High School Diary” continues her journey of living and going to school in the U.S. 

Michiru should have been in the 8th grade when she first moved back to the States and even though her father is American, Michiru could not properly write the alphabet, so she was placed in the 6th grade. The family would spend the summers back in Japan. 

When Michiru started high school, her father, who is an anthropologist, remained in Japan. She went back to the U.S. with her mother, younger brother, Rookie, and their dog Kuma. Michiru graduated from an elite all girls high school.

In this book, Michiru is now a university student. She talks about living alone for the first time, then moving into a share-house with friends. The house appears to have a revolving number of residents including a hippy, a wandering traveler, and a graffiti artist to name a few. She also talks about her first part-time job to help her support her university tuition and other expenses. 

Michiru has always loved drawing pictures and making things with clay. She decided to further her interest in art by applying to San Diego State University which has a strong art program. 

Michiru divides her book into four parts. In Part 1, she talks about starting life as a university student. She also talks about living on her own in her first apartment, getting a part-time job at a sushi shop, creating her first piece of art for a class at university, and of course she introduces the reader to San Diego State University as well. 

In Part 2, Michiru, along with a few of her friends decide to rent a house together and introduces the revolving number of housemates. The differences between the U.S. and Japan when it comes to the legal age of drinking alcohol and getting your driver’s license. She also writes about exploring a cave and camping on the Channel Islands. 

Part 3 covers things that Michiru is concerned about while living in the U.S. One is the price of health care, including going to the dentist. Some of her friends suggested going over the border to Mexico and having her teeth taken care of. Although she was a little reluctant at first, the pain was becoming too unbearable so she decided to heed her friend’s advice. 

Michiru’s book was published in 2005 so she was still living in the U.S. when President George W. Bush started the Persian Gulf War. Most American citizens were opposed to America going to war with Iraq as there was no proof that Iraq was involved in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Building in New York City, nor was there any proof or evidence of Iraq having weapons of mass destruction. Michiru would join demonstrations against the war. However, that didn’t stop President Bush from starting the war. 

Another thing which worried her about America was the fast food industry. One of her housemates had just Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. After she read the book, it made her think twice about going to McDonald’s. 

The final part of the book deals with her final years at university before graduation, what she plans to do afterwards, and what it’s like being a Japanese-American with Japanese citizenship and living in the United States. 

I often enjoy reading about foreigner’s who decide to come to Japan to study or make it their home, so it was refreshing to read a book about someone with a similar but opposite background. Michiru has an American father and Japanese mother. She is a Japanese citizen, but decided to move and go to school in the United States. I don’t know if she still lives in the U.S. or has moved back to Japan but in her writings she often states that she says she probably wouldn’t fit into Japanese society and doesn’t think she will move back. 

On the other hand, I am an American citizen but also have an American father and Japanese mother. Although I didn’t go to school in Japan, as an adult, I decided to move back to my mother’s home country to live and work. I also have no intention of moving back to the United States. And like Michiru, I am also often asked similar questions about which country I like better, the U.S. or Japan. I am just like Michiru - I love both countries. I consider both of them as my home. And like Michiru, I am unwilling to choose one country over the other.