Arii - Japanese Intern

I'm sorry I missed the last two opportunities to share an update with you. I have so much to tell you about, so this article has turned out a little longer than usual!

Did you all enjoy the Spring school holidays and the Melbourne Cup long weekend? I had a wonderful time during both, and I'm finally getting the chance to share some of my favourite memories with you!

I've picked out some highlights from the past few weeks, so I hope you enjoy reading about my recent adventures and experiences!

What's Inside?

1. Origami Club Highlights from Term 3

2. School Holidays

(1) Spending time with Amelia's family

(2) Reuniting with an old friend after 10 years

3. Term 4 Highlights

(1) Introducing Japanese songs through my clarinet

(2) Life with my fourth host family: Catherine's family

(3) Welcome Back, Branch Out Students!

 (4) Halloween Special Origami Club 

(5) A Halloween Full of Fun! 

1. Origami Club Highlights from Term 3

I ran an origami club during lunch and recess. I was really happy that so many students joined the club and enjoyed making origami. I started a project called “Experience a Japanese Summer Festival!” because I wanted the students to experience some of the fun and excitement of a Japanese summer festival. We made Japanese lanterns, shaved ice, water balloon yo-yos and takoyaki using origami. While we were making each item, I introduced it in more detail using photos and videos so that the students could learn about Japanese summer festivals. I was especially happy when the students excitedly asked me when the next origami club would be and what we were going to make next. Seeing their enthusiasm made me look forward to our next session, too.

2. School Holidays  18 September ~ 4 October

(1) Spending time with Amelia's family

I spent a wonderful school holiday with Amelia’s family!

19 September : CherryHill Orchards and William Riketts Sanctuary

I visited CherryHill Orchards with Amelia, her mum Nicole, and enjoyed the Cherry Festival.

The cherry trees were in full bloom, creating a beautiful view of rows and rows of blossom-covered trees. We also enjoyed delicious cherry treats, such as cherry ice cream and juice, and explored the market stalls. It was such a lovely day!

Afterwards, we visited William Ricketts Sanctuary, which had recently reopened after being closed for several years due to storm damage.

Surrounded by lush ferns and greenery, it felt like stepping into another world.The sculptures blending into the natural surroundings were fascinating and mysterious. It was such a unique and memorable experience. I highly recommend visiting if you get the chance!

Every Sunday, Amelia’s family goes to church because they are Christian, and I had the opportunity to join them. My university offers classes on Christianity because it is a Christian university, but I had never attended a church service in Japan.

At church, we sang together and listened to a story. As English is still my second language, it was difficult to understand everything perfectly, but I found the experience very interesting. Amelia’s family gave me many opportunities to learn more about Christianity, which I found fascinating.

Sometimes, I feel lonely or find it difficult to live in Australia because I have to communicate in English, which is my second language, and I am away from my family and friends in Japan. I found that some of the ideas I encountered through Christianity gave me comfort when I was having a difficult time. It was a very valuable experience for me, both culturally and personally.

25 September : Melbourne Royal Show

Amelia’s family goes to the Melbourne Royal Show every year as part of their family tradition, and I was lucky enough to join them.

I was amazed by how big the show was and how many different things there were to see, including animals, artwork, food and thrilling rides. One of my favourite experiences was holding a baby sheep!

I also enjoyed trying different foods, including honey, chocolate, nuts and nachos. I bought two beautiful macarons, too. Another highlight was seeing all the creative artwork on display, especially the decorated cakes and sewing projects. For the first time in Australia, I also went into a haunted house, which was really fun!

It was such a lovely family outing, and I really appreciated Amelia’s family including me in their special family tradition.

26, 27 September : Watching the Grand Final and The Voice

We watched the AFL Grand Final at home while enjoying meat pies, sausages in bread and a grazing board. I supported Fremantle because I was excited to see them playing in the Grand Final for the first time. I don't usually watch sports, but I really enjoyed the game.

We also watched the TV singing competition The Voice, including its grand final. Watching the talented singers made me want to practise singing more and improve my own singing skills.

Other Special Memories

On a particularly hot day, we went to the swimming pool and enjoyed swimming together. By chance, we ran into Neel there and played together, too.

Amelia also wrote a script for a play about spies, and we performed it together. She was a wonderful director, and we all had a great time creating the play with her mum and sister.

Amelia had also started learning the guitar and was practising “Ode to Joy” by Beethoven. We decided to play the song together, with me playing the clarinet and Amelia playing the guitar. It was so much fun making music together!

I made some Japanese food for them. I made shiratama (Japanese rice flour dumplings) with kinako (roasted soybean flour) and fruit, as well as Japanese curry with eggplant.

I also brought my yukata from Japan and helped Amelia, her sister and her mum put theirs on. I was really happy that they enjoyed wearing them. They also had a Japanese fan from Moe-sensei, a previous intern, so we took some photos together with the fans.

On the last day of my stay, they took me to SkyHigh, and we went for a walk along the river. The weather was cool, with lovely sunshine, making it a perfect way to spend the day.

I made so many wonderful memories with Amelia’s family, and I am very grateful for the time we spent together.