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Celebrity Travel: Go Away With Tamlyn Tomita

By Jae-Ha Kim, Tribune Content Agency on

Actress Tamlyn Tomita ("Joy Luck Club," "The Day After Tomorrow," "The Karate Kid 2") is loving her latest series, the Epix espionage drama, "Berlin Station." One of the perks of working in Berlin is getting to sightsee on her days off. "After the fall of the Berlin Wall, a TV station in Japan raised funds to send over cherry blossom trees to Berlin," says Tomita, who's based out of Los Angeles. "I was lucky enough to witness the first pink-and-white blossoms in Berlin and to see so many Berliners underneath the beauty of these flowers. It made me proud to view this sight as an American whose father's parents were from Japan, a former axis country, extending a grand gesture of peace toward another former axis country and showing the world how true progress and partnership can be nurtured and sustained."

New to social media, Tomita has recently started interacting with fans on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Tamlyn-Tomita-800917776718938/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/thetamlyntomita).

Q. You've said that Berlin has had a profound impact on your life. What are some of the things you've learned during your early visits and now working on "Berlin Station" in Germany?

A. I had the privilege of visiting Berlin in November 1990, one year after the fall of the wall. The people who I got to hear stories from were struggling mightily with the influx of East Germans, who coming from less than, were exposed to a free country, free ideas and ideals and a free market. West Berliners welcomed their East Berlin brothers and sisters from across the wall and then realized that acceptance and change can be hard and that tolerance, patience and education can be trying. The public and visible art, museums, street markers in and around Berlin that recognized the cost of war, anti-Semitism, the mass round-ups of others and death camps were steadfast reminders that we have to learn and teach the history of our world. Otherwise, we will keep repeating the same mistakes.

Q. Are there times when you are tempted to take jobs because of where they'll be filmed?

A. Work has been very good to me and has taken me to New York City for plays; Hawaii subbing in for Okinawa for "The Karate Kid 2"; Montreal for "The Day After Tomorrow" and pretty much around the world for publicity for these projects.

 

Q. How adept are you at learning foreign languages?

A. I picked up some German while working on "Berlin Station." When in Rome, do as the Romans do! But, I promptly forgot most of it. I can pick up languages related to English well enough and my Japanese needs to be sharpened.

Q. What's the most important thing you've learned from your travels?

A. I learned that as big as the world is, it is really small and we share the same desires -- love, peace and family. I believe everyone should travel, whether it be across the country, around the world, across the state or around town. It's an important part of educating oneself. One learns about other lives, other ways and ourselves while taking vacations, both good and bad. Own all those memories. They form you.

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