"Custom makes...

One of our friends, Harshini invited us to go to a BBQ party. UTS students who went to Japan to study as exchange students got together at the party. According to them, they used to go to meet others who went to other Uni. (in Tokyo,Yamanashi, Hakodate, and Yokohama) while their study in Japan. University of Yamanashi has an arrangement with UTS only in Australia. We can't see other Japanese students from Yamanashi in Australia. I envied them.

Anyway,we talked about Japan and Australia. I was happy to hear that they had great times in Japan. Sometimes, we corrected their Japanese mistakes as they do our English mistakes. They understand our felling and difficulties of studying language. Speaking of our English...

We use many words after looking up dictionaries. It is a common way among learner. But, in daily conversation, we seem to speak unusual words. For example, when we want to say "慣れる" in English, we had used "be accustomed to~" since they pointed out. They told us that native speakers spoke "get used to~" usually. I thought it was one of weak points of Japanese learners who has studied language at a desk. As Mr. Makimoto who helps us to come here in Japan said to me, "CUSTOM MAKES ALL THINGS EASY", which may be the best way to be a good speaker.

Guests from Japan

My real mother and younger sister came to Australia. Their stay was for only 3 days. Also, this time was the first time for my younger sister and the second time for my mother to go abroad.

Their purpose was perhaps visiting me and knowing my current life(?) I took them to my home in Australia, which was the main event. My host family welcomed my family. We talked having late breakfast at ease. Sometimes, host father and mother spoken to my family kindly. But they couldn't express their feeling as they do usually. So, I felt as if I were a translator while I must have had many mistake in my English. My mother said she would not be able to nothing without me. In addition, she seemed to have a good expression from my host family. Did I show them my life in Australia?;) Anywhere else, we went to China town, Sydney Tower, Paddington Market, and Sydney aquarium.

Surely, I had two nights with them and spent a good time. What I feel sorry for them is that my plan was not enough. I was comfortable talking with my mother, and I had a quarrel with my sister even in Australia as we used to in Japan. Our relationship changed nothing. It mustn't change for two months. But, I want to be said to have varied in a good meaning when I meet them next time!

What's the Australian foods??

Recently, I often ask my friends what is the Australian foods?

Yesterday, our friends who had studied at University of Yamanashi until last semester invited me to go to a Korean restaurant. (The restaurant seems to be popular among local students.) We enjoyed eating and chatting a lot. After going back to my home, my host mother said my room smelled chili and garlic as same smell as she went to a Korean restaurant in Korea. So, I apologised her and had to spray fragrant in my room... but it must be a proof of having real Korean foods!

Today, I went to a Vietnamese restaurant with other friends. I had a chicken and fried tomato rice. It was like a Western pilaf. But it seems to be a popular Vietnamese food according to a my friend who has Vietnamese background.

Besides, we can eat many real foods in Australia. And most of my friends don't know what the Australian foods are. While I thought steak was one of them, a friend who is from America said it was an American food. Um.

I will find the answer of this question eating many foods taking care my body not to be fat! Also, I guess my current Engels coefficient is higher than before. I have to save money...

Happy Easter!

Yesterday, I went to the Easter show with Salad bowl members. Salad bowl is the name of a community for international students. Fortunately, it was the first time for Salad bowl to go there as a their event!

The Easter show is held for a week each year at Olympic park for agricultural people. But it seems to have nothing to do with Easter. Visitors can enjoy many kinds of pavilions, shows, attractions, and buying show bags. I thought it was like an international exhibition. It was so crowded that we couldn't have a look expected things. I rode a roll coaster and released my stress by shouting! After a long hesitation, I bought three sweets show bags. Surely, these were not only for me, but for my host sister and brother.
At night, we enjoyed watching fire works. In my opinion, Japanese technology of fire works is higher than that. But it was so fantastic to arouse finale☆

Multicultural experience

One of my friends, Rachel invited me to stay at her home and go to the church with a Japanese friend. She is a Chinese-Australian. Her family welcomed us in English and Chinese.
Her house looks like an English house. But, there were many Chinese ornaments in the living room. At dinner, her mother served us Chinese home dishes.

The next day, we went to the church and took part in the 13th Baptism Service. My friend's father is a priest. He proceeded the service in Chinese (Mandolin and Cantonese) and English. I don't study Chinese... so I read a booklet and guessed the meaning of Chinese characters. According to a my friend, it was the special day when Chinese, Hong Kong people, and Chinese- Australian get together at the same church, today. Religion get over the barrier of languages! I have ever been to the church in Japan because I went to Catholic preschool. However, the service had a different atmosphere in spite of that the service was as same as Japanese one. I felt the power of languages!
After the service, her family took us to a Chinese buffet restaurant. Even it was a Chinese restaurant, we could eat Chinese foods, Thai foods, and Western foods. There was only one Japanese food, Tempura. It was beyond my expectation to define what Australian culture is!

Farewell to Jolin

As I wrote before, there was a new family, Jolin, in my home. Today, she left and went back to Japan.

When I was depressed about English, she encouraged me and gave me wonderful words. Her words are sometimes severe but tender. As a my senior for studying languages, nothing was useless. I could understand what she was confused with homestay, and she got lost on our way to home. It was very fun to go to Taronga zoo, Blue mountain, and a Chinese restaurant together. Also, thanks to her, I could learn about cultural differences between Japan, China, and Australia, which got me think myself deeply.

While she had stayed for two weeks, I felt lonely after she left our home. We promised to see each other again in Japan.

I will work hard to study English, and I won't forget you. See you again, Jolin!

Blue Mountain

My new family booked a tour plan to go to Blue Mountain. I went there with her and her friends.

It is said that it takes for two hours to get there by bus. We got together at Town Hall at 7:00. In the bus, most of passengers were sleeping including me... A bus driver who can speak Japanese as well guided us half a day.

At first, we went to Echo Point. It seems to be a famous sightseeing spot to have a look Blue Mountain. According to the driver, Blue Mountains their name was caused by rays of light striking droplets of oil dispersed by gum trees. From there, we could viewed Three sisters (In Aboriginal history, three beautiful women were changed into three stones not to be picked up by others.) It seems to be set World Heritage Site in 1998. It was so beautiful that I could understand why it was chosen. Stones and forests stretched as far as we could see. There was no artificial thing.
Next, we went to view the Mountain from another points. We had choices to have a look taking sky way, railway or cable way ( the left photo). The rail way has the high grade in the world. It was like a role coaster.

We could learn history about it... I can't write all. Why don't you know going there actually?;)
After that, the driver took us to his "secret point". (Other visitors were there. I don't know there is secret point.) As you know from the right photo, it was a Cliff. You can feel a natural thrill and dynamics.

I recommend you to go to Blue Mountain to touch a magnitude of Australia!

Japanese Party

We, international students, have several buddies at UTS. Today, Kanako planned to Japanese party for our buddies at her house. We made Sushi and Miso soup. However, all of us who were then lived with our families in Japan. No one was good at cooking! The most important thing of cooking is taste but shape! We said that each other and finished making them without mistakes (^^;

People came the party one after another, there were twelve people. Unfortunately, my buddy couldn't come to the party. But I know Kanako's buddy and Mai's buddy. Moreover, Kanako invited other local students, Sandy and Melissa, who will go to University of Yamanashi. We talked about Yamanashi a lot. The reason why they chose Yamanashi seems to be that they like rural cities and it is easy to go to Tokyo. Definitely. Anyway, Melissa said "Umasou!" having a look Japanese dishes. After that, Sandy asked that "does it mean it is like horse(umamitai) ?" Do you understand? They leaned "~sou" meant "like~". Ah, how difficult Japanese is! Besides, they had already been able to speak Japanese very well! I'm looking forward to seeing them in Yamanashi. Thank you, Kanako!

Also, we enjoyed watching Totoro in English. This movie seems to be not only Japanese movie any more. Local students had known the whole story. I prefer original one to English one because their voices were quite different from original one. The movie is one of my favorite movies. I can remember many phrases correctly. I will try to watch it again!

New family and Taronga zoo

The day before, a new student came to our home. She is Jolin, Chinese (the right side of the bottom of right picture). She studies at Japanese University as a postgraduate student and came to Australia as a trainee at Sydney University. Naturally, she can speak Chinese, Japanese, and English. Her stay is very short, for only two weeks. So, I invited her to go to Taronga zoo with my friends. One of my friends who went there is Outiv who had went to University of Yamanashi since last semester.

We get a train and a ferry to get to Taronga zoo. I got a ferry and seasick for the first time in Australia... But we could view Opera House and Harbour bridge at the same time. I really recommend you to get the ferry if you have a confidence not to be seasick!! Thanks to Outiv, we enter the zoo cheaper than usual. As I posted, I have been to the other zoo before. However, Taronga zoo was much bigger than the other zoo. I think it is impossible to watch all of animals there in a day. The zoo was almost same as what I expected. I could felt a large-scare of Australia!

JASS

UTS has many kinds of international communities. For example, Australian and Chinese, Korean, Malaysian, and so on.
Today, I joined JASS (Japanese Australian Student Society) and went to Coogee beach with members of JASS. Almost all of Japanese at ELSSA centre and local students who study or are interested in Japan participated today's event.
We arrived at the beach about noon and started to have BBQ. Organizer prepared not only Australian but also Japanese ingredients for BBQ. We had meats and vegetables with noodle, don't we? In Australian BBQ style, they have sausage and vegetables with bread. Food is one of important tools to communicate with foreign people. We enjoy eating them teaching how to make Japanese style's BBQ.
After eating, we played some games. The first game was getting together the number of people which organizer said. The Second game was message game with gesture. Both of games made it easier to contact with anyone. After that, I talked many friends for a long time. In front of a beautiful beach with bikini, it was so fun that I missed the time to swim in the ocean :D
JASS seems to plan some events coming soon. I surely will join them!

Mardi Gras!

Do you know "Mardi Gras"? It is said to be one of famous festival in the world. In Sydney, the festival is held for homosexual people every year. We went to the venue for three hours before to have seats as same as I waited a parade when I went to Tokyo Disneyland.

After three hours, the festival began with noise of so many motorcycles. Participants rode each motorcycle with their partner and wave with a smile at spectators. Can you imagine such an atmosphere in Japan? I actually saw homosexual people for the first time. According to my Japanese friend, we often can see them in Tokyo... But, the festival made us think about human rights. They wore funny costumes with strong spirits!

The parade lasted until midnight. This year is 30th anniversary. Their feeling over the festival seemed to run higher than usual!

I could have a precious experience and come back to home without being picked up by them. (The reason why I wrote it is because I heard some people were often picked up by participants!)