From Ambassador (The Family Reunion at the Junction of Two Continents )

Iceland is known as the place where two continents meet, one the Eurasian plate, the other the North American plate. But this summer two families, one from Japan - on the edge of the Eurasian plate, and the other from the USA were reunited together.

A young Japanese high school student, studying in the USA about 13 years ago, had a terrible accident during his ski trip. He got a serious injury to his head and he lost his memory and the ability to remember, completely. He was away from his family, alone in the foreign country. But he had a very good friend from school, who visited this Japanese boy in the hospital every day together with his family. Every day for 2-3 months!

Each day, when the father of the family paid a visit, he made it a routine to ask the boy, “Hey, you see the bridge over there? Do you know the name of it? It’s Zakim Bridge.” One day, the father recognized the struggle on the boy’s face. That was the clue to recover the memory. “Ummm, I feel like I know it… but I don’t.” “Well, it’s Zakim Bridge.”, said the father. Every day, for 2-3 months! And finally, the boy recovered his ability to remember.

Later here in Iceland, the young Japanese boy, who is now the father of a 3-year-old boy, visited the home of his American Father. The English name of this 3-year-old boy is Zakim, and the name of the American Father is Robert C. Barber, the Ambassador of the USA to Iceland.