Gratifying feedback from a Japanese expat in Maastricht

I was invited last week to join a small and informal get together of Japanese expats and other foreigners in Maastricht interested in Japanese culture and language. We met over a cup of coffee and chatted animatedly about Japan, life in the Netherlands, our daily activities, and at one point, the conversation turned to my work for Crossroads. One of the Japanese women, Kyoko, asked me to write down Crossroads’ URL in her agenda, and a few days later, sent me the following message:

Dear Sueli

[...]I took a look at the web. I’m really interested in the history of Selexyz Dominicanen book shop.
It is amazing that this web has a lot of information about Maastricht. I already put them to my ”Favorite” in my PC.

Feeling encouraged, I sent Kyoko and the rest of the group the links to a number of articles which I thought they might find interesting, because they had especially been written for Crossroads by Japanese journalists visiting the European Journalism Centre (Crossroads’ publisher):

• Do you know “A Dog of Flanders”?
• “A Dog of Flanders” revisited
• How can Japanese people learn a new language better?
• Why not run in Maastricht?

And then I remembered that some five years ago, when Crossroads was still a printed publication, we had run a story written by American expat Casey O’Dell about the Japanese community in Maastricht,  which I had later scanned and re-published online when Crossroads became a web magazine only.

So I added the link to “Japanese at home in Maastricht” to my list of recommended articles.

The following day, Kyoko sent me the most gratifying message I could have dreamt of:

Dear Sueli,

Can you believe it? Before coming Holland, I was very worry about the new life, so I was searching some articles on internet. Then I found this article!! I keep this article still now.
”Crossroads” is very helpful for stranger. Thanks a lot for your job!! After reading this article, I felt a little bit relieved.

It’s a small world. Your wonderful job will help many people, now and in future.

See you soon.
Regards,
Kyoko

Thank you so much for your kind words Kyoko. This is indeed what I believe Crossroads is all about: sharing information and helping each other out in finding our way in Maastricht.

Best wishes,

Sueli Brodin
Crossroads editor