Japanese Department News

Gojo High School Exchange Experience

I was very excited to have Sae (pronounced Sa-i) as an exchange student for 8 days. I was also anxious, wondering, ‘Will I be able to understand her?’ or ‘Will she dislike our family’s lifestyle and be homesick’? With slight trepidation I left to pick up Sae from the Central Deborah Hotel. When I first met Sae, she seemed very shy, quiet and reserved. How wrong my assumptions were! Sae had amazing English, and it was rarely that I could not understand her. After showing Sae our house, we went to the garden. She was incredibly excited about our pineapple plants, and after we picked and ate a watermelon she rushed inside. She spent about 15 minutes rummaging throughout her belongings, giving exclamations when she found things. I just waited awkwardly outside her room. Sae

appeared suddenly, and ran to our lounge room with a huge bag of  Japanese toys, origami and comics. I learnt from my friends, that most of the host families where generously given shopping bags filled with gifts. It would take a long time to relate of all her stay, so I shall just share some of the most memorable moments. Playing Pictionary was a hilarious game with google translate being a major component for words like ‘cattleyard’ or ‘magician’.

Sae was surprisingly excellent at lacrosse, and my coach wanted to recruit her onto the team. He was devastated when he learnt she would leave for Japan before next week, and encouraged her to join a Japanese lacrosse team. Sae was very brave and inquisitive, she tried all the foods she could. Sae did not like Vegemite, as we all expected. Kangaroo Pie became Sae’s ‘number one meat’, and she basically told anyone who would listen about how nice it was. Sae never stoped complementing my Mum on her cooking, and she was always ready to help set the table, find plates or wash something. It was an amazing experience to host a Gojo student and I feel extre ely privileged to be part of the Girton and Gojo Sister School relationship. I have many new memories that will last a  lifetime, and I will never forget my new friend, however far away Sa yo u na ra she is. I am hoping I shall see Sae again, but for now I will say さようなら(good bye)。

Joanna McLean (9M)

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Gojo Visit 2019 & Japan Trip 2020

Our Gojo friends enjoyed their stay at Girton and they are home now.  I would like to thank all the Girton families who hosted the Gojo visitors.  Both Gojo students and teachers stated that staying with Girton families was the highlight of their trip to Australia.  It will be wonderful to organise a return trip to Gojo.  I am hoping to visit Japan next January (6th January -20th January).  Please email Ms Watanabe (mowatanabe@girton.vic.edu.au) if you are interested.  I need about 10 students to make the trip viable.  An opportunity also exists for current Year 10 and 11 students to spend two weeks at Gojo Senior High School next January as an exchange student. 

Ms M Watanabe

Head of Japanese