My experiences in NZ #29

Hello there.
I’d love to continue from where I ended last time.

Yesterday, I shared that I was heading to Napier with you.
By the way, are you guys familiar with “Napier?”

Napier is famous for exporting pulp and is used to make tissue in Japan. Because of this, one of the products was named “Nepia.”

Aside from the tissue story, I finally arrived at Napier and reunited with my acquaintance’s stepson, Hiro. On the way to his host family’s place, he showed me around the town and dropped by the beach. It was beautiful scenery.

When we arrived at his homestay, three family members welcomed me with big smiles: the host mom, a seven or eight-year-old boy, and a three or four-year-old girl. They all were very friendly. Furthermore, the kids were adorable, and the girl immediately loved me.

After a while, the host father returned from his work. He looked slightly strict because of his mustache but also gentle. In addition, his grandfather or grandmother was Japanese, so he was a Japaneseophile.

I stayed at their place for three or four nights; I don’t remember correctly, though. During the day, the kids went to school and kindergarten, and Hiro had no classes then. So he showed me around the town by bike. We visited a winery. Since he was only a fifteen-year-old boy then, he wasn’t permitted to drink alcohol, but I could taste some there.

While cycling, he told me a surprising story. His host family had hosted a Japanese student before Hiro, and that student’s mother was a famous Japanese actress. In addition, that student was also renowned for bad behavior. It seemed she sent him to NZ. However, his attitude had never changed, and rumors in the neighborhood due to his waste of money, “a dangerous guy came over from Japan” like that. I have no idea what happened to him after that, but he was arrested several times. Holy cow!

I enjoyed staying with them. On the morning I left, the little girl cried and begged me not to go, but I couldn’t accept. If it was possible, I wanted to take her with me.

I hope they’re all living happily ever after.

That’s all for today, and to be next time.
See you around.