Saturday, November 15, 2014

あなたのおかげで、レイナ

This is my little friend Reina. She is eight years old. She has been learning English these past couple years. Her native language is Japanese.

When I first met her, Reina was a baby, a very active and excitable baby. What impressed me from that moment was her unusual energy -- a very positive, physical energy. The type that makes everyone around her feel good.

As she grew a bit older, she started to compare me to a Japanese television character. That character is a dog, a lovable dog I was told. I hope that is true.

More recently, Reina has been attending a public school in the Bay Area and also has been watching KQED-TV.

Of course, since we are a public television station, we provide children's programming that many parents, including Reina's, feel is safe and educational for their kids.

In a sea of advertising-driven commercial TV, our programs are almost the only option for parents who do not want their young children to become addicted to the other kind of story-telling...at least not until they are a bit older and more discerning.

Reina wrote KQED a letter last week, thanking us for what we do.

On KQED stationary, I wrote her a letter back.

This was her response, getting her first letter ever.

あなたのおかげで、レイナ

-30-

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