every time i go up to tantalus, i have flashbacks of my high school days when we use to up there at night to listen to music. i’ve been up there over a hundred of times and each time, all the memories come back. then when i see the beautiful UH Manoa Campus right in front, it reminds me of my college days. i still can’t believe i actually went to school there. those years went by so fast because i was in a hurry to graduate and make my move to japan. probably one of the biggest accomplishments of my life by far, but i wish i enjoyed my college days a little more. i had the opportunity to meet amazing people from around the world, i had the opportunity to absorb so much information into my brain, and i had the opportunity to graduate with a diploma in business. that was exactly 20 years ago. up until 10 years ago, a lot of people around me thought i wasted my time and money going to college because i didn’t use my degree. yeah, the normal way is to get your college degree, make a resume, and try to get into a company. for me, it was different. my college degree is in my brain for every road in my life. i use it everyday. and looking back 20 years, i think i made a lot of good decisions in my life. some bad, but i never look back, never regret, and always move forward.
i was a young boy that just finished a very hard, demanding, and strict business program at UH. the weird thing is i don’t even remember this day. good thing somebody took this photo of my mom and me. check me out holding that big Asahi beer can. haha. one week after this photo, i moved to japan and stepped into a whole new world. a world i’ve been loving for the past 20 years of my life. and even though i don’t remember this special day in my life, i want to thank all the special people who came by to congratulate me. and thanks to my family and friends who supported me and believed in me. and i even want to thank the people that didn’t believe in me because it’s all because of you i tried even harder. yeah, it might sound weird, but when people tell me i can’t do something, i like to prove them wrong. everything in life is possible and don’t forget it!
my grandpa osaki once told me “kirby, education is key in life. if you have a good education, you can do anything.” he was absolutely right! thanks grandpa!
