Long-distance correspondence leads to long-term friendship
BY CHARLOTTE SMITH Editor

YOKO MIKAMI & GAIL SHAW

Long before the Internet made meeting people from around the world as simple as a mouse click, high school students Gail Shaw and Yoko Mikami were bridging the distance from Troup, Texas to Furano, Japan the old-fashioned way.

"When I was in high school, having a pen pal from another country was an enthralling experience," said Shaw, who graduated from THS in 1974. "At that time in my life, I had not even traveled outside Texas and had never flown on an airplane."

A lot has changed since then. Shaw left Texas in 1985 and is now Associate Dean for Student and Curriculum Affairs for the College of Education at the University of Alaska Anchorage. And her friendship with Mikami has evolved from initial curiosity to a long-term friendship.

"We have a mutual respect and admiration for each other that is amazing in its longevity. As is the case with all my friends, she has enriched my life," said Shaw.

The 30-plus years of correspondence have also led to two personal visits. Mikami celebrated her 30th birthday with Shaw in Alaska in 1986 and fondly recalls a Snoopy cake made by one of Shaw's friends. And most recently, Mikami brought her 17-year-old son and two others for a visit in January.

Yoko Mikami and Gail Shaw visit Denali Park in 1986 during Mikami's first visit to Alaska. Mikam recently visited again with her son, who may stay with Shaw and attend the University of Alaska.

Shaw hopes to return the favor and visit Japan after she retires; she also hopes to finally learn some Japanese, which has eluded her despite her friend's efforts.

Interest in a foreign language was one of the factors that brought the pen pals together. When Mikami contacted the Pen Pal Introduction Association in Japan, she asked for an American to help her learn English, as well as understand the differences in culture.

Shaw had signed up with the pen pal group as an optional assignment for a sophomore English class; the association matched the two girls together, and they began writing to each other about school life, sports, grades and family.

Mikami remembers thinking that both Gail and her mother, Mary Shaw, were very beautiful. Gail's mother still lives in Troup, along with two of her three brothers and her father and stepmother, Don and Jo Shaw.

An excerpt from one of Yoko Mikami's letters, dated April 2000.

They also enjoyed sharing photos and special gifts, such as the Japanese foods, chocolate and art that Mikami sent.

Mikami has saved all her letters; Shaw has saved some of the letters and all of the "inedible" gifts. She still displays in her home the first photo she received of her friend's son, Hiroshi.

Of their early correspondence, Mikami remembers her initial image of Texas was that it was famous for western movies, and she recalls being surprised that Shaw could drive a car at 16 because one has to be 18 in Japan.

"The most surprising thing to me about Japan that I learned from Yoko is the small size of their living space," said Shaw. "I remember Yoko's first visit when I lived in a condo that had less than 1,000 sq. ft. She thought it was enormous and I thought it was so small."

Mikami has warned Shaw to be prepared for other size differences when she visits Japan, such as smaller cars and food portions.

In writing about their different cultures, the pen pals found that language was not a problem.

"While the grammar was sometimes a little different, it didn't detract from the meaning of Yoko's sentences," said Shaw. And if Mikami didn't understand something Gail wrote, she consulted a translation dictionary.

"We are both able to laugh with each other when we don't understand something or when we have trouble communicating something to each other," said Shaw, who thinks Mikami has a wonderful sense of humor and has shared her culture in a very endearing way.

If the first stage of their correspondence was primarily based on the differences in their cultures, the second found the pen pals on common ground.

"We both attended college to become elementary teachers, so our interests were quite similar," said Shaw, who remembers sending American coins to Mikami's class to help them learn about U.S. money.

Mikami has taught elementary school in seven different schools and currently teaches special education at Asahikawa Daisam Elementar y School. Shaw taught briefly at Deer Park Elementary and Coyle Middle School before going to Alaska.

These days the friends occasionally email or talk on the phone, but their primary mode of communication is still letters.

"We currently write one to two times a year, usually on our birthdays and at Christmas," said Shaw. "We corresponded more when we were younger and had fewer responsibilities."