What's on my mind? What am I thinking of after I graduate from high school? I will say to myself, “Go to a university and learn a matter of interest to my heart's contest.”I am interested in the language and culture of my own country, Japan, and of other countries. I have realized. I need to know a lot about my own country in order to comprehend overseas' cultures.

　This September, I got a chance to visit Egypt to attend the international conference on global environmental issues. A lot of students from all over the world came to this conference. Soon I made friends with students overseas and we had a good time talking or playing games every evening. However, sometimes I found it difficult to express myself in English. At the same time, I also found I can communicate with people from other countries in English without knowing their mother tongues. In order to communicate with people beyond the cultural barriers, I felt I need to study English much harder.

　Since the conference was held in Egypt, most of the participants were Egyptians. Most of them are Muslim. When I asked them about their religion, they were willing to answer. They also asked me many questions about Japanese culture. Through this communication, I got the impression they were quite different from what I had imagined through TV. Now I think English is a very useful language, but wait! If I had been able to speak their native language, I could have communicated with them more deeply.

　In the conference, I noticed some Egyptians were in their religious veils and others were in T-shirts. So one evening I said to them, “I have some questions about your religions. If you don't have to say, you don't have to answer”They said smiling, “Don't worry. Of course! Of course!”Then I asked,“Do you always have to wear those veils?”One of them in the veils said, “It's your own choice”I then asked,“Why do you wear them?”She said, “We are not supposed to show our hair to men outside home.”During this conversation, I was always wondering if my questions were socially or culturally acceptable. If I had been able to speak their language, maybe I would have felt more relaxed. Then I realized that knowing a language means knowing its backgrounds such as the customs and culture.

　I want to be able to speak foreign languages besides English in the near future. Hopefully, while I am studying at university. I would like to master different foreign languages in order to communicate with people from various cultures, because I want to come into contact with people all around the world. And I want to expand my experience : studying abroad and living in a different culture.

　In Egypt, I learned what I couldn't learn in my daily life in Japan, and I have found a way to my own questions about the customs of Muslim people. The direct communication with people will increase our understanding of each other. The present world needs to understand various races. When everyone notice the importance of mutual understanding, a peaceful world will surely come. I want to be an adult who can understand the difference of backgrounds of people I will encounter.