When I was in Grade 6, primary school, my mother and I went on a tour of Japan. It was the first time I had travelled overseas. On the summer trip to the island nation, I got a taste of the Ginza, Tokyo, admired the spotted deer, and had a fun time at Disneyland. What impressed me most, however, was a stewardess on the flight back to China.

I was seated comfortably on board. An air hostess came up to each and every passenger, me included, inquiring patiently about refreshments. She was doing her job as usual, but in my heart her smile appealed a lot to me. I found myself being carried away by the way she was. She is Japanese, so she was speaking English to make herself understood. At the time my English was not very good. Although I could not follow her speech well, her gentle demeanour and melodious voice held me spellbound.

After a few brief exchanges, I was infected by the stewardess’s sweetness and light. I decided to pen a note of thanks to her in English. My language ability rather inadequate, with the help of some fellow passengers, I got the note finished. I went up and presented it to the stewardess to show my appreciation of her service. In the message, I expressed my wish that she could give me a reply.

To my amazement, she did write back. Her hand was delicate. In the message, she said that it was her first work trip to Wuhan. She told me that she was planning to study Chinese in China. She pasted some cute stickers on the note. In addition to the slip of paper, she gifted me a souvenir of her airline, ANA.

When it was time to disembark, I went up and hugged her.

The note and the souvenir are still kept in my drawer back home. They are reminiscent of the elegant Japanese stewardess. I am one of her thousands of passengers, but she is unique to me.

Through the stewardess, I felt warmth between strangers. The encounter also inspired me to learn the foreign language well.

It is my sincere hope that I will be able to meet the Japanese stewardess again sometime in the future.