Arii - Japanese Intern

Hi everyone, did you enjoy your spring holidays?  This time, I’m sharing an article that I wasn’t able to publish last time. I hope you enjoy reading it! I’m going to write about my last school holiday in the next school newsletter, so please wait for it!

1) Two Weeks with Austin’s Family 8~23 Aug 2026

Austin is one of the students who often visits my Japanese class, so I was very excited to spend two weeks with him and his family.

One of the first things that surprised me was that Austin and his younger brother, Jackson, eat Vegemite toast every morning! I’m slowly getting used to Vegemite, but I’m not sure if I could eat it every day!

Austin also has lots of Pokémon cards. He gave me some cards and taught me how to play the game.

I visited his gymnastics class and Scouts, and I also went to the MCG to watch an Australian Football game with his family. We watched Hawthorn play against Collingwood, and the game ended in a draw! It was my first AFL game, so I was very excited. They took me to Healesville Sanctuary, and we saw many Australian animals. My favourites were the bird show and the Tasmanian devil. We also visited a chocolate factory nearby and got to try lots of chocolate!

Austin and I tried to introduce Japanese culture at Scouts. We made origami koalas, and Austin and Harrison showed everyone how to play “Janken,” the Japanese version of rock-paper-scissors. Then everyone played a game called “Janken Train.”

On our last weekend, I visited their beach house on Phillip Island. We played Nintendo games, walked along the beach, and made cookies with Chloe and Jackson. Austin also enjoyed kayaking with his dad, David. In the evening, we went to see the Penguin Parade. Watching the little penguins come out of the sea and walk along the beach was so cute!

I spent only two weeks with Austin’s family, but I learned so much about Australian food, sports, animals, and everyday life. Thank you so much, Austin and your family, for such a wonderful two weeks!

2) Starting a New Life with Amelia’s Family 23 Sep~

After my two weeks with Austin’s family, I started living with Amelia and her family.

Unfortunately, I caught a cold at the beginning, so I had to stay home and rest. I was a little sad that I couldn’t join many activities.

However, Amelia gave me a very warm welcome. She made a name sign for my bedroom door and decorated it for me. She also showed me her beautiful singing voice, her dancing, and her guitar playing. She only started playing the guitar recently, but she is already very good!

One day, her cousin Poppy came to visit, and we had a cooking competition together.

At the weekend, we went out to eat Yochi. On Sunday, the weather was beautiful, so we had a picnic in the backyard and played Monopoly.

I also introduced a Japanese card game called “Hyakunin Isshu” that I brought from Japan. We played a simple game called “Bozu Mekuri,” and Amelia taught me many hand games.

3) Join a Birthday party in Australia

I also had the chance to go to William’s 7th birthday party. The theme was Toy Story, and the whole family dressed up as Toy Story characters. The decorations, food, and games were all Toy Story themed. It was such a fun and beautiful party!

In Japan, it is common to have a small birthday celebration with family. Big birthday parties with lots of friends are not as common as they are in Australia.

One of the things that surprised me about Australian culture is how people celebrate birthdays. I think it is wonderful to invite people you love and have a big celebration together.

I’m also looking forward to hearing about your memories, so if you see me, please share them with me! Let’s do our best and have a great Term 4 together!