I had my first personal experience with Japan nearly 32 years ago to the day.
I was a long-haired skinny 18-year-old from tiny New Buffalo, Michigan (pop. 2,000), the first one in my family to go to college and generally unsophisticated about world affairs. As I checked in at the East Quad dorm reception desk to start my freshman year at the University of Michigan, I learned that my roommate, a guy named Andrew Mylnarchik, had already arrived.
I figured the guy's parents were Polish or Slavic; I grew up with a lot of kids like that. So imagine my surprise when I opened the door to my room and saw a 6-foot tall Japanese guy standing there, smoking a cigarette and drinking a glass of Scotch.
Oh, Toto, we don't know where we are. Wrong room, maybe?
My new roommate stuck out his hand. "Hi, I'm Andrew Mylnarchik. I'm from Tokyo. Pleased to meet you."
And thus began the most unlikely of friendships that brought together two young kids who were literally and figuratively worlds apart from each other.
I shared that story with several members of our delegation last night as I introduced them to Andrew-san at the Friends of Indiana reception that Governor Daniels hosted at the conclusion of our stay here.
Here's the quick backstory: Andrew grew up in Tokyo. His dad, Roy Mlynarchik, is a first-generation Russian-American; drafted into the Army from Harvard during World War II, he was stationed in Tokyo at the end of the war. Given his Russian language skills, Mr. Mylnarchik was quickly recruited by the State Department, and served our country for 40+ years in Tokyo. (It was good to see him again this past weekend; still sharp and engaged on geopolitical events.)
Well, as these things happen, Roy fell in love with a Japanese woman, married her and had a son, whom they named Andrew. Andy went to St. Mary's International School in Tokyo, and when it came time to go to college, decided that U-Michigan was the right place to go. I'm sure he never anticipated the culture shock of living with me! (Actually, I am sure, because he's told me that several times over the years.)
After graduation, Andrew moved back to Tokyo and began a distinguished career in the financial services and banking industries. The last time we saw each other, before this weekend, was in 1987, when Andy spent a long weekend with Kathy and me in Indy. But over the years we've stayed in touch, first by cards and letters, and then more recently with email. So this trip provided a great chance for me to meet his family and see Tokyo and surrounding areas with an excellent tour guide. And true to our deal, Andrew refused to spill the beans when Governor Daniels and others asked him last night if he had any good dirt on me from our college years.
I'm going to share one other story with you about Andrew that also has an Indiana connection, or more accurately stated, a Purdue connection.
But first let me tell you a fact that will become more relevant in a bit: did you know that of all the colleges and universities in America, Purdue has one of, if not the highest number of international students enrolled in its programs? And Indiana University has a very large number of international students as well. Each year, thousands of bright, connected, ambitious international students spend time in our state, learning not just about their fields of study but also a little bit about Indiana, which they take back home with them.
So I'm up at Purdue last spring, speaking to a group of upperclass students in a Krannert business school class. I had lunch with about 20 of the students afterward, and what interested me was the fact that more than half of the students were from other countries, and particularly Asia. One of the students asked me a "brain drain" kind of question: did I think it was a bad thing that so many of the international students were going to go back home, and not stay in Indiana.
Not at all, I told them. Sure, we'd love to have these smart young minds stay in Indiana, but it's also pretty naive to think that most of the international students will do that. So I'm happy to have them spend time here before going home, for at least two reasons: first, we're sending potential ambassadors for Indiana all over the world, and as those students become business, civic or government leaders, we will have good friends to work with in those countries. Second, I pretty much told them the same story I shared with you at the beginning of this post; and I reflected on my own experience of having had a roommate from Tokyo, and how good it's been on many levels to have maintained that friendship.
The lunch ended, and one of the class' graduate assistants came up to me. "I know your old roommate," she told me incredulously. After college she'd moved from Texas to Tokyo, and interned at a firm where Andrew worked. "I recognized his name right away, and he's still exactly as you described him."
So just because it's a cliche doesn't mean it's not true: it is a small world. And my personal lesson from 32 years ago has been reinforced by the lessons we continued to learn on this trip: people who live on opposite sides of the globe, but who share similar values, goals and aspirations, can build long-lasting friendships that continue to teach us, engage us, and nurture us.
By the way, 32 years later, Andrew and I concluded that we pretty much look the same as we did as young men. We haven't changed one bit, other than perhaps for our failing eyesight.
I was a long-haired skinny 18-year-old from tiny New Buffalo, Michigan (pop. 2,000), the first one in my family to go to college and generally unsophisticated about world affairs. As I checked in at the East Quad dorm reception desk to start my freshman year at the University of Michigan, I learned that my roommate, a guy named Andrew Mylnarchik, had already arrived.
I figured the guy's parents were Polish or Slavic; I grew up with a lot of kids like that. So imagine my surprise when I opened the door to my room and saw a 6-foot tall Japanese guy standing there, smoking a cigarette and drinking a glass of Scotch.
Oh, Toto, we don't know where we are. Wrong room, maybe?
My new roommate stuck out his hand. "Hi, I'm Andrew Mylnarchik. I'm from Tokyo. Pleased to meet you."
And thus began the most unlikely of friendships that brought together two young kids who were literally and figuratively worlds apart from each other.
I shared that story with several members of our delegation last night as I introduced them to Andrew-san at the Friends of Indiana reception that Governor Daniels hosted at the conclusion of our stay here.
Here's the quick backstory: Andrew grew up in Tokyo. His dad, Roy Mlynarchik, is a first-generation Russian-American; drafted into the Army from Harvard during World War II, he was stationed in Tokyo at the end of the war. Given his Russian language skills, Mr. Mylnarchik was quickly recruited by the State Department, and served our country for 40+ years in Tokyo. (It was good to see him again this past weekend; still sharp and engaged on geopolitical events.)
Well, as these things happen, Roy fell in love with a Japanese woman, married her and had a son, whom they named Andrew. Andy went to St. Mary's International School in Tokyo, and when it came time to go to college, decided that U-Michigan was the right place to go. I'm sure he never anticipated the culture shock of living with me! (Actually, I am sure, because he's told me that several times over the years.)
After graduation, Andrew moved back to Tokyo and began a distinguished career in the financial services and banking industries. The last time we saw each other, before this weekend, was in 1987, when Andy spent a long weekend with Kathy and me in Indy. But over the years we've stayed in touch, first by cards and letters, and then more recently with email. So this trip provided a great chance for me to meet his family and see Tokyo and surrounding areas with an excellent tour guide. And true to our deal, Andrew refused to spill the beans when Governor Daniels and others asked him last night if he had any good dirt on me from our college years.
I'm going to share one other story with you about Andrew that also has an Indiana connection, or more accurately stated, a Purdue connection.
But first let me tell you a fact that will become more relevant in a bit: did you know that of all the colleges and universities in America, Purdue has one of, if not the highest number of international students enrolled in its programs? And Indiana University has a very large number of international students as well. Each year, thousands of bright, connected, ambitious international students spend time in our state, learning not just about their fields of study but also a little bit about Indiana, which they take back home with them.
So I'm up at Purdue last spring, speaking to a group of upperclass students in a Krannert business school class. I had lunch with about 20 of the students afterward, and what interested me was the fact that more than half of the students were from other countries, and particularly Asia. One of the students asked me a "brain drain" kind of question: did I think it was a bad thing that so many of the international students were going to go back home, and not stay in Indiana.
Not at all, I told them. Sure, we'd love to have these smart young minds stay in Indiana, but it's also pretty naive to think that most of the international students will do that. So I'm happy to have them spend time here before going home, for at least two reasons: first, we're sending potential ambassadors for Indiana all over the world, and as those students become business, civic or government leaders, we will have good friends to work with in those countries. Second, I pretty much told them the same story I shared with you at the beginning of this post; and I reflected on my own experience of having had a roommate from Tokyo, and how good it's been on many levels to have maintained that friendship.
The lunch ended, and one of the class' graduate assistants came up to me. "I know your old roommate," she told me incredulously. After college she'd moved from Texas to Tokyo, and interned at a firm where Andrew worked. "I recognized his name right away, and he's still exactly as you described him."
So just because it's a cliche doesn't mean it's not true: it is a small world. And my personal lesson from 32 years ago has been reinforced by the lessons we continued to learn on this trip: people who live on opposite sides of the globe, but who share similar values, goals and aspirations, can build long-lasting friendships that continue to teach us, engage us, and nurture us.
By the way, 32 years later, Andrew and I concluded that we pretty much look the same as we did as young men. We haven't changed one bit, other than perhaps for our failing eyesight.
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