私たちの周りにもたくさん国際人がいる。私は何カ国語も話せる、何カ国にも行ったことある。この国でこんなことした、あの国であんなことした、どこが切っても丸まる国際人だ。たとえば 世界を股にかけるビジネスマンとか海外留学生とかである 。 確かにそういう人達は日本の国際化の象徴的存在かもしれない。でもその人たちの話を聞くと、会社に“行って来いといわれたから”、その国の言葉や文化を勉強した。東京じゃつまらない、日本じゃつまらない、英語ぐらいしゃべらないとカッコ悪いという理由で外国へ行ったという方々多い。国際化のなか日本はこうあるべき、地方はこうあるべき、私たちの前で講演するのも、テレビ出てしゃべるのも、ほとんどこういう人たちではないでしょうか。その人たちはそれでいいと思うのですが、国際化＝英語、国際化＝海外というイメージが一部の人達が作った壁だと思う。

そういう国際人に比べて、大学時代私の隣の家に住んでいたおばあちゃんが立派な国際人だと思う。なぜかというと、私と話したおばあちゃんが、スリランカって一年中暑い国としった。冬になったら、ちゃんと冬の着るものあるの、ちょっと古いけどもらいなさいって服を渡した。おばあちゃんが英語もしゃべらない、世界のことをそんなしっているわけでもない。それは誰にでも優しいおばあちゃんが私にも優しかっただけの話。

　今日話すのは、そのエリートが話す難しい国際化ではなく、私たち一人一人の国際化についてだ。それも一つの出来事で私が思ったことだ。それはこの前松江にいったときの話。松江にスリランカ料理屋さんがあることが知り行ってきた。エスニック料理というとその国のマースターが作る料理というイメージが強い。でもこの店が少し変わっていた。マースター日本人だった。それもそんなに不思議ではないかもしれない。イタリアンパスターの日本人チェフがいれば中華達人の日本人チェフもいる。それと彼の違うところは、彼はスリランカ料理を勉強するためにスリランカに行ったわけではない。 青年海外協力隊員 としてスリランカにいった。スリランカでもとても田舎の地域の子供たちに二年間半スポーツを教えたみたいだ。その間スリランカの料理も勉強して、シンハラ語も（スリランカの一つの言語）しゃべる。私がご飯食べようとしたとき“手で食べますか？”とスリランカ語で聞き、スリランカと一緒で食べる前に手洗いするための、水のボールを出してくれた。言葉ではなく、その国の文化、その国の人の気持ちをわかるような、とても不思議な感じだった。

　今日彼の話を書いたのは、彼がスリランカの料理屋をやっているからでも、彼のかぼちゃカレー最高にうまかったからでもない。彼の行動は私たちに大きいことを考えてくれるからだ。彼のスリランカでの仕事の中では、料理の勉強はなかったはず。シンハラ語もあそこまで話さなくすんだと思う。でもその国の人の心を分かろうとしていたから、料理もできたと思う。シンハラ語も話せたと思う。難しい言葉で国際化を語る国際人と彼の大きな違いがそれだと思う。

　私たちの周りでは“今から国際交流します”国際化に触れましょう！はいスタートのような国際交流が多い。難しいテーマで“何とか何とか国際と日本”講演、テレビ番組も多い。それを見て、なるほど、そうなんだ、というところで終わっている。私たち、一人一人にできる国際化って、ないでしょうか。一般の私たちに、長い間海外言ってその国の文化に触れるチャンスが中々ない。それでも私に服をくれたおばあちゃんのように、心を開くだけで国際化をできるのです。大事なのは私たち、人間にたいしてどれぐらい 心を開けるかということだと思う。

　私はこの島で頑張らない国際交流をしている。それは、船で一緒になった島のおばあちゃんと世間話をすることかもしれない、直会でおじいさん達とお酒を飲むことかもしれない。なぜかというと、人の心を通じて国際化を始まると私が信じているからだ。その意味で私に服をくれたおばあちゃんも、スリランカの料理屋をやっているマースターの立派な国際人だと思う。

　Sorry I didn't write the theme of this article in English. Actually I don't know how to, because I don't know how to translate Ganbarimasu in to English. But I hope you will understand, what I want to convey through this article.

  Internationalization or Globalization (again I don't know which one is better to express Kokusaika) is a word that we hear so often. There are dozens of TV programs about internationalization of Japanese society. And there are many scholars, pundits who are lecturing about the internationalization of Japan. It's good news that people are getting aware of this topic. But sometimes, the usage of word Kokusai is very funny. Sometimes you can find Pachinko Parlors with the name of Kokusai Kaikan (An international hall)

  There are many complex debates on the internationalization of Japan. But here in this article I do not want to talk about that complex topic and frankly speaking I'm not that smart to talk about it. Here in this article I will write about the internationalization of public people, like you and me.

  As we know, there are many internationalized people around us. They speak so many languages; they have been to different countries, and they have done some wonderful things in the international caliber. For example the businessman who visited many countries for his company and the students who go abroad for studies. We call them internationalized people. But my point is do they really internationalized? I have heard many stories like this, for my 6 years in Japan. “I studied about the culture of that country because my company said me to do so”. “I went abroad because Japan is so boring”. “It's a shame that you don't speak English, so I went abroad for learn some English”. Can we say these people are internationalized?   But there is an image in Japan, internationalization = English, internationalization = overseas. I think this kind of image was built by those charismas as I mentioned above.

  But I would say one thing; I believe the Obachan who lived next to my home in university days is more internationalized. I remember a one incident. After sometimes, she came to know about me, and she came to know that Sri Lanka is a hot country where winter does not exist. So in the season of winter she came to me and ask“ Do you got enough clothes for winter and give me some winter clothes” . She never been to abroad or she doesn't not speak English, but I don't think many internationalized elite can do the same act. In the other sense, knowing about the world is different from understanding the feelings of the person.

  Last time when I was in Matsue city, I had a chance for go to a Sri Lankan restaurant. But this restaurant was slightly different from the many other ethnic restaurants, because the chef was Japanese. He is making Sri Lankan foods, and he is fluent in Sinhalese. He was in Sri Lanka for two and half years, but he didn't go there for learn about Sri Lankan food. He was there as a JICA staff. In Sri Lanka he was in a remote village to coach sports for the children.

    Today he is running a Sri Lankan restaurant. In the other sense he is try to convey his intercultural experience through his occupation. I was surprised by the way he talked to me, way he served me food, he him self ask me “Do you want to eat by hand? He served me a bowl of water to wash my hands. I have been to many Sri Lankan restaurants which run by Sri Lankan. But they didn't ask me, are you going to eat by hand?   I didn't wonder for the delicious food or way he handles the Sinhala language, but I was surprised by his understanding of the culture.

  There are complex debates about the internationalization of Japanese society. There are many lectures, TV programs about this topic. We watched those things, but most of

Us don't think that each and every one of us can do something for internationalization. For example there are many programs around us for strengthening the international understanding. It can be cultural exchange event. We meet with foreigners in Japan. We spent time with them, and we come home, automatically we just forget about it in few days. I also had participated for these kinds of events. I had a nice time there, they were good experiences, but they did not inspire me to think about inter cultural exchange or internationalization. Unfortunately we are moving forward to this kind of intercultural exchanges.

    In my view point, the Obachan of my next door and the Japanese chef of the Sri Lankan restaurant are wonderful internationalized people. As I said they are not pundits of the international caliber. But they enlighten us to think about one thing. That is each and every one of us can do something for Kokusaika. The conservative thinking makes us to think that international is something very complex. But those two stories have proved us still we can do many things with out knowing many things about internationalization. It is not important how much you studied about cultures ,or how fluent you in languages , its all about how much you can understand the feelings of others and how much you can open your heart towards others.