The first week at UTS

Finally, our school life started! In this semester, I have class on Monday to Thursday at City campus and on Friday at Kuring-gai campus where it takes for forty minutes by shuttle bus from City campus. I take most of my classes from 9:30 to 15:00. This schedule is simpler than my previous one in Japan.

However, I felt this week was very long! Maybe, it is because I haven't been accustomed with taking all classes in English all day long. Every after school, I sensed my ears being tired. I believe that it is a proof of training my listening ability.

One of my enjoyments of school life is having lunch with my friends! We have lunch outside taking about classes, plans, friends, each other's lunch and so on. Australia is worthy to be said a multicultural country. There are many kinds of cafeteria in City campus. We can eat Sushi, Pasta, Sandwich, Kebab, Curry... These don't make us bored. I will learn how to spend after school from native students ;)

Accidental barrier

It was the last spring vacation today. I spent with my host family. Afternoon, they took me to Cronulla. While I expected to go to Crunulla beach again, we enjoyed just shopping. My host mother and sister seem to dislike swimming in the ocean.

Have you ever eaten Teppan ice cream which is a kind of ice cream mixed with some sweets on iron plates? The shops, "Cold Stone creamery" is famous for making such ice cream. In Australia, we can see a same kind of shop "Cold Rock". It was very hot today. I ordered "Aussie vanilla ice cream mixed with "M&M's" chocolate. I thought that how to order ice cream is not so difficult as how to order sandwich in "Subway". But a salesgirl didn't seem to understand... I shouted many times. When my host mother said the same thing, a salesgirl finally nodded. My pronunciation of "M&M's" was incorrect. I couldn't conceive that I can't say such a easy and famous name of sweets properly.

As one of students in English phonetic laboratory, I want to acquire natural pronunciation.

The first cocktail party

At UTS orientation, we got a ticket of cocktail party. As participants were set to wear smart casual clothes, I asked my host mother how clothes are smart casual and bought a tunic blouse for the party. Anyway, I was puzzled to go cocktail party. (While some people wore casual clothes...) But I can get a chance to talk with students for the first time at UTS. I really wanted to take part in the party.

In front of an entrance, many national flags were decorated. When we entered the hall, the party had already started. It was a kind of buffet party. At first, Chinese boy spoke to me. And then, his friend, a friend of his friend, a friend of the friend of his friend...We could meet each other expanding a circle of friendship drinking cocktail. How fun taking is! I noticed that I was excited to communicate with them in English! Such a situation was just what I wanted to experience here. As some seniors said to us, Asian people tend to get together with Asian people. Mostly, I talked with Chinese and Korean students.

After the party, we went to a bar. I drunk Aussie beer for the first time. I don't have a good palate for beer. It felt it was a little stronger than Japanese one. It was too noisy to speak there. However, then, I could learn new Aussie culture!

Don' t worry about such a little thing!

My host mother took me to a library which I can go within fifteen minutes from our house. After making my library card, she ask a librarian what kind of books suit my English skill. And then, she said that I'm a beginner. Though I think so myself, I was shocked by being said by others. While I won't show off my English ability... Sometimes, I feel frustrated about lack of my achievement. I really thought when I leave this home, I want to be a good speaker!
I borrowed two books, "Now and Zen" and "The Great Blue Yonder". "Now and Zen" is a story of Japanese American who had never been to Japan. It is fun to know foreign people's views for Japan. Also, I have read "The Great Blue Yonder" in Japanese. It was my favorite book when I was a junior high school student. I will go to the library many times and train my reading skill!

Afternoon, I went to the aquarium next to the zoo with Japanese friends. The aquarium was different from them in Japan. Speaking of an aquarium, what images do you have? I think you would say dolphins and penguins. But, we could watch sharks, crocodiles, turtles, and so on. As you know, Australia is famous for Great Barrier Reef. Specially, the event of Finding Nimo was set there. Thanks to a very kind staff, Steve on the left side of left picture, I could enjoy watching a lot.

My host family

The time has passed for a week since I started to stay with family in Australia. Recently, very happy things happened to me!
My host brother is four years old. He is friedly and speaks to me many times. When I stay at home, I play with him. But I can't catch his continuous saying well... I had thought I am a just match to play with him because he seemed to play by himself. Also, I have a host sister who is eight years old. She is so busy to go to an elementary school and a ballet school that I can't get oppotunities to talk with. Sometimes, host mother tell me to do something that host sister wanted to do. I had attempted to take time to get along with her.
However, it was wrong. He wanted to watch movies only with me and to sit next to me! At a lunch and dinner time, he calls me and takes me to a table hand in hand! On the other hand, she invited to play Wii and made another "me" for me in Wii world! She gave me her pierced earring!
I want to be a member of the family. And then, I hope to talk with them naturally!

New Japanese friends!

Really, I missed an orientation of ELSSA which our English school of UTS. Because I didn't know that the date was changed the day before. Though I was anxious about being absent, it was not so important according to my friends.

So, today, I went to the zoo with Mai, Kanako, and three Japanese friends. When we talked with them, we tried to use English as much as we could. They also go to ELSSA. Their English skills seemed to be almost equal as mine. Being with them stimulated my motivation to study. Of course, it is the best for us to do something with native speakers...

In the zoo, there were many insects, raptiles, and a few mammals. I touched a real sneak for the first time! I wanted to hold koalas...But, in NSW, to touch koalas was prohibited three years ago. It was written that many wild animals are threatened with extinction in Australia. We could learn a kind of Australian culture.

UTS and Cronulla

Yesterday, we had an orientation at UTS. I could go there without getting lost. There were many international students in the hall. During an orientation, office workers spoke English very fast. I recorded on a MP3 recorder not to miss important information. They gave us the first training to listen to English.

Today, I went to a beach with Tomoko who is a student from University of Yamanashi. We haven't had Australian friends yet because our classes will start from 25th. We went to a beach in Cronulla. On our way to the beach, we were caught in a shower. We enjoyed shopping and droped in a Sushi shop. Japanese man managed a Kaitenzushi shop "Sushi train". This is a "Teriyaki chicken avocado roll". These Sushi were a little different from Japanese Sushi. But I want to eat again when I miss Japanese food. By the way, I have been to Cronulla when I was a high school student. The experience of staying promoted me to choose going to Australia. Then, I used to go swimming with host family. I wish I could contact with them! Beautiful sea made me remember my memory. I forgot that time passes for a minute.

From Australia!

Hello! I arrived at Australia safely. It is not hotter than I expected.
There are four people in my homestay family. Father, mother, sister, and brother. Yesterday, there were also four Chinese people in the house.

Today, I tried to go to UTS (University of Techmology, Sydney) which I will go to study myself. As Trains stopped for construction, I gave up to go to school today. After walking around the station, I got a wrong bus. It was too late when I noticed to have a mistake. I went around the city once for three hours. When I return to the bus stop which I got the bus, the last bus had gone. A very kind bus driver took me to my house. Finally, I could come back.
Though only two days have passed, I have already failed.
However, I work hard to try to talk with more people and to be accustomed to live with hostfamily!