With my older son now poking his way through the college-application process, pursuing schools mostly in the States and often being mistaken for a nonnative English speaker, I am uneasily reminded of a time 20 years past when I too applied for higher education from within Japan.
That odd episode still grapple-hooks my gray matter in a way other memories don't. The following correspondence, for example, I never needed to file for future reference. The words just stuck on impact.
Dear XYZ University,