The last Tandem coffee~

We, new international students, had the last Tandem coffee chatting today. For me, Tandem coffee chatting is a favorite regular event at UTS. I had never been absent. During mid vacation, I went to UTS just for the event. At the event, we could meet our Tandem buddy regularly and get free coffee. Most of Japanese gathered every Thursday at 4 o'clock to talk with local and other international students. Thanks to the event, we could have opportunities to make many friends. As I wrote before, I got a nice buddy Edward! While I heard this event was not so fun and important from our seniors who had studied in here like me, I do recommend our juniors who will come to UTS next year to join the events!!

However, from next semester, we cannot have an official Tandem buddy any more. Our buddy will be a buddy of new students who will start their studies from next semester. Even if I cannot have any buddy, I will go to a cafeteria to find and talk my friends as well as this semester;^)
Thank you for goooood time, Edward!

Happy Birthday, Soomin!

As I wrote before, I have a Korean friend, Soomin (the left of a left picture). Today, she invited me to go to her 22th birthday party. (In Australia, it is common to held a birthday party by oneself.)

It was held at her place, one of UTS students' residences. There were many UTS students having BBQ. I wrote a card with some Japanese friends and gave her. She is a year older than me. But, she had thought we were same age. She said I'm like her younger sister after she knew my real age:) I was very happy to hear that because I feel she is like my older sister! Happy birthday, my sister~!

Then, Soomin was very busy to talk with others as well. I spent chatting most of time with Laure (the right of an above picture) who is an exchange student from France and takes the same class on Thursday with us. So, we had a same dinner party at the last weekend. To my surprise, she is a year younger than me. I felt as if I got a younger sister as well! Unfortunately, she will go back to France at the end of this semester. We talked about so many things drinking wines which we brought our own. We were a little bit drunk...(it was for the first time for me to get drunk.) Anyway, so many people got together to the party. Ah, I wish I could spend my birthday in Australia...

International Night☆

Every Thursday, I take a subject about an academic writing with international students who study in faculties. Today, Janne, a French girl, held a dinner party at her room. It was not a mere party to have a dinner. We had to take foods from our own countries! It sounds interesting, isn't it?

We could take any foods which we can cook. I made Sushi at home. (It was the first time for me to cook rice with microwave at home in Australia!) Ingredients were tuna, cucamber, and sea stick (Kanikama). Surely, I did never put abocado in it to let them know original sushi:D

One more Japanese, Hikaru made Nikujaga. I think he is good at cooking better than me... We had a lemon tart, crapes, cake (from France), potato salad, sausages (from Germany), pulukogi (from Korea), and so on. We rarely eat such foods at once! All foods were so nice! I had much without taking care about my weight:P

Everyone felt stuff~. We gave up eating and started playing UNO! But, everyone knew different rules of it. It took some times to unity the rule. Our rule was; We can interupt if we have a exactly same card with a central card. We can finish with words card like reverse or skip...It was quite fun!!! I played as if I were a representative of Japanese UNO player:-) Unfortunately, I had to go back to home before we finished the party. But, I spent an international night☆

Thank you pepe, meme!

As I wrote before, I had stayed my host mother's parents. Today, they went back to Belgium.

It was a very short stay. My host mother cried in this morning. If I were her, would I cry like her...? She said she would go to Belgium next year if they have money. "Why don't you live with your parents?" Her answer for this question was that she cannot change her life anymore. I should not have asked such a question easily. It is one of difficulties in multicultural country just like Australia, isn't it? I had lived with my family in Japan since I came to Australia. I may not have understood an importance of parents. Also, my grandpa and grandma are right next door. I could meet them almost everyday in Japan. I can meet them again easily after I go back to Japan. For my host sister and brother, it is a precious time to spent time with their grandpa and grandma.

They shared the time with me. I did not expect to stay with Belgium people. Even though I could not communicate with them very well, they treated me as one of grand children. I think I can never see them again. Thinking about it, I was likely to cry when they gave me a big cuddle. Thank you pepe(grandpa), meme(grandma)! Take care your bodies!

Happy Mother's day

The second Sunday in May is Mother's day in Australia. It is as same as Japan, isn't it? I sent email to my real mother. Surely, I did something for my host mother.

According to my teacher, family members make a breakfast for their mother. I was going to do this morning! But, I didn't know what she wants to eat...because we always have breakfast individually. My host father seemed to think the same thing. I wrote my thank on a card seriously and gave it to her. For her, I might write funny things. She read the card laughing and gave me a biiiiiiiiiiig cuddle!

I went to St.Mary's Cathedral with my friends with happiness:^) Today seemed to be a ceremonial day "Pentecost" for christian as well as Mother's day. I spent a religious weekend following yesterday. While I'm not a christian, I like an atmosphere of the church. In addition, I can understand Christian's faith because I went to Catholic preschool. We attended a math and a special Baptism. Robert who invited us to go there explained about Pentecost, which reminded me my life in preschool. In this event, bishop has an important role. He spoke to us like my director who was a bishop at the church in my preschool and went to heaven.

Certainly, I could think about religion a lot at this weekend.

Religious weekend

Today is Buddha's birthday. Hoe Yin took us to the festival in Darling Harbour. In Daring Harbour, there is the Chinese garden. I have been there once with my host family. No one around me knows why Sydney has a Chinese garden in central of City. Truly, Australia is a fantastic country...

Anyway, Hoe Yin's mother worked at the festival as a volunteer and took care of us kindly. We had Asian foods and enjoyed the event. I saw many nuns but male monks. In Japan, we rarely see nuns. Umm, it must be a cultural differences. I remembered my family followed Buddhism at a funeral. But, to our shame, we didn't have any idea what we should do in front of a statue of Buddha. We said to ourselves, "there is no rule..." Is it o.k. to join religious events even so we don't know anything about the religion? Whenever I join religious events, I think why most of Japanese don't have their religion.

Congratulations!

One of my friends, Hoe Yin graduated from UTS today. She had studied in Yamanashi University for a year as an exchange student. We met in here and went some events together.
She seemed to get double degree at UTS. (if students want to get and work hard to study, they can take double degree in here.) She had already found a job which she can speak Chinese, English, and Japanese. I was happy to hear that she could get a job putting her knowledge of studying in Yamanashi University.

Students have a graduation ceremony some months after they finished taking subjects. Also, they graduate at different days according to faculties and take on a costume with a collar which shows their degree. Graduation style is quite different from Japanese one. Hoe Yin lent me her graduation hat to take a picture. I wanted to take it on! Anyway, whenever I noticed differences of it between UTS and Yamanashi University, I imaged a graduation ceremony. I cannot believe it that I will graduate next year!? I want to work in society but I still want to be a student...!