CHENNAI: Youngmi Lee Sakamoto greets us with a warm smile and a perfectly pronounced Vanakkam, eppadi irukeenga? (hello, how are you?). She’s grateful to her bi-weekly spoken Tamil classes for the progress she’s made with the language in two years. On a sunny Wednesday, taking some time off her Tamil class at Advance Academy in Anna Nagar, she talks to CE about her experience in the city, adapting to a new lifestyle, overcoming culture shocks and her love for the people here.
My second home
Youngmi moved to Chennai in 2018 and has been living in Anna Nagar with her husband Dai Sakamoto and two-year-old son Neiro Sakamoto. “My husband works for Tsubaki India Power Transmission Pvt Ltd in Oragadam. We had to shift from Japan in 2018 for his work. My son was only four months old. It was overwhelming to accept the changes in the beginning. Now, I can’t express how much I’ve gotten used to Chennai. Surprisingly, the last time I visited my home in Japan, Neiro and I missed Chennai. He’s more familiar with Indian faces that he would burst into tears looking at our people in Japan,” shares Youngmi.
It’s been a year since she signed up for Tamil classes. From alphabets to small sentences, Youngmi has effortlessly picked up the dialects and meanings. She shows us the notebook bearing her neat and legible handwriting. Below every Tamil alphabet is a corresponding Japanese translation for it. There are Tamil months, colours, days, and more.“I love the language. I can manage to give and receive instructions at supermarkets and at cash counters. I can understand a few sentences and words that people commonly use. I also help my husband with translation these days,” says Youngmi, a homemaker. Youngmi’s family is particular about sticking to moral values and discipline. She practices punctuality and time-management, one of the core values of the Japanese.
Embracing differences
“The major problem I’ve encountered with people here is a sense of timing. Nobody is punctual. We’re disciplined at home and strictly adhere to timing — breakfast at 7 am, lunch at 12 pm, dinner at 7 pm, and I sleep at 11 pm. My husband and I have a contradicting palette. I love south Indian sambar, samosas, and spicy food. He’s fond of mild spices and home-cooked food. The rice and meat we cook at home are outsourced from Singapore. I also enjoy sushi. There are many sushi bars and Japanese restaurants in the city,” says Youngmi, who loves to dress up in simple kurtas to suit the weather. “I also tried wearing the sari for my son’s half birthday — a ceremony celebrating the baby’s sixth month. I had a tough time walking around in it but it was special.”
Unlike regular souvenirs, Youngmi buys a skincare cream called placenta for her friends back home. “It’s cheaper here. We use the cream to reduce spots on the skin. People here laugh when I say it but this is what I buy for them. Converting yen to Indian rupee used to be cumbersome. Sometimes I wouldn’t see the cost and it would turn out to be expensive. I can easily calculate it mentally now,” shares Youngmi.
She finds the people in Chennai to be friendly, kind, helpful and caring. “It’s an individualistic society in Japan. There are only nuclear families. People don’t pay attention to what society thinks and their lives are predominantly self-centered. Here, I’m glad to see big families gathering during occasions. There’s a sense of belongingness and togetherness,” she thoughtfully points out.
Youngmi loves travelling with her family. Taj Mahal in Agra is her favourite destination in India. She’s also visited Goa, Kerala, Varanasi and Andaman. Within the city, she’s been to Kapaleeswar temple, Vandaloor zoo, Marina beach, and Mahabalipuram. “I’m not a big fan of crowded places. The traffic snarls and rash driving is something that puts me off. I only wish the city traffic is more regularised so pedestrians get equal space for walking,” she opens up.
A purposeful life
Youngmi frequents the Indo-Japan Chamber of Commerce. She enjoys attending wire basket weaving classes there regularly. She plays badminton on Thursdays and attends Tamil classes on Mondays and Wednesdays. Mornings are dedicated to Zumba.“I’m a graduate in Theology from Evangelical Biblical School in Osaka, Japan. After my studies, I was working as a caretaker with disabled people in Nara, my birthplace.
Just when I was preparing to go as a missionary to Africa for service, I met my husband through a common friend and got married,” says Youngmi, who practices Christianity. She has three brothers and her parents live in Nara, Japan. She’s Korean and her husband is Japanese. “My husband’s contract was initially for three years. It might get extended. Whenever I go back, I’d want to be a pastor. I want to serve people,” says Youngmi with a glint of hope.