homestay in NZ (3)

At that time 1 NZ dollar was 53 yen. I paid 720 dollars for my room rent and meals--less than 40,000 yen for one month. I bought a small radio for 20 dollars (1060yen). It was made in Japan. A lot of household electrical appliances made in Japan were sold in NZ. Their (my host family) televison set, refrigerator and microwave oven were products made in Japan.

Mr. and Mrs. G said, "You are our guest. Please help yourself at home. Tell us what you want us to do for you, if any." But I wanted to help them and offered to wash dishes after dinner. They didn't have a dishwasher. They said, "No, you are our guest. You don't have to do anything."

But finally they said yes and I washed dishes after dinner. To my surprise they put some detergent and hot water in the sink., then washed the dishes in it, and wiped those dishes with a washcloth. That was all! They did not rinse out the dishes! They said it was to save water and the detergent itself was not poisonous. Anyway I did as I was told to, feeling anxious about the detergent.

homestay in NZ (2)

It was on the evening of November 3 in 2001 that I left Narita for New Zealand by New Zealand Airline. You remember it was the year of 9.11 disaster. There were many people canceling their oversea travels but I did not. I thought I would not have another chance to go abroad if I missed that chance. I knew I myself was very timid and very coward, so I would not want to go abroad any more. That was the first and last chance, I thought.

One of my friends , who was very young, was going to study English in NZ and I enjoyed her company to the airport of Christchurch. It was around 9 in the morning by NZ time. I said good-bye to my friend there.

Mrs. G. my host mother(sister, I should say?) was waiting for me there. What a relief! She looked rather pale, not feeling well. She had a menopausal disorder, she told me on the way to her home.

The streets were very wide. There were few cars running, Oh, beautiful, blue sky. Old churches, big supermarkets and people walking in sweaters, long sleeves, half sleeve T shirts or no sleeves---every season I saw in them. Her car was made in Japan ---Subaru Leone 4 WD.

Mrs. G was a teacher of French and English in junior high school. Mr. G had retired from his work and was enjoying his outdoor life---he was a chef! He prepared very nice dinner for her wife and me. He was really a nice cook. Every evening, at six o'clock, we had dinner. Wherever I went, I tried to be back by 6 o'clock to have dinner with them. We enjoyed our dinner time talking about how we spent the day. They enjoyed their simple life.

It was amazing the sun set around 9 p.m. It got dark after 9 in the evening! On the very first day Mrs. G took me to the supermarket to buy some materials for my breakfast after 9p.m. when every her odd job was done. Everything was different in the Southern Hemisphere

homestay in NZ (1)

Writing in English is very difficult for me, though I've got used to it little by little. Don't be afraid of making mistakes. Try to think in English, karin.

When I was 59 years old, I went to Christchurch in New Zealand. I had never been abroad before then. It was my very first time to visit a foreign country. Why New Zealand? It was because I remembered Mr. and Mrs. K, about whom I wrote on Feb. 15, had lived there for many years. They often told me that NZ was a nice country with a lot of nature and very kind people.

In Christchurch I stayed with an English family-- husband and wife, a little bit younger than I, and an old dog. I stayed there for one month. They lived in Christchurch more than 30 years. They were both divorcees. They were a very nice couple.

What did I do in Christchurch? Did I go to school? No. On weekdays I walked and walked alone in the city. Everything was exciting. Everybody was very kind. On weekends the couple took me to their friends' dinner parties. They enjoyed talking, eating, drinking, swimming and dancing until very late at night. Some of them had a little swimming pool in their garden. They also took me to a large farm, where we had a barbecue party.

It seemed to me that they worked on weekdays in order to enjoy weekend-parties! Very sorry to say their English was too fast for me to understand. I could neither swim nor dance. All that I could was eating. But I heartily enjoyed myself.

harmonica

I like music, though I myself can't play any musical instrument, and nor can I sing. My junior high music teacher said, "You have an alto voice and you sing very well. Your voice does penetrate." Her words pleased me so much. (But when I told my daughter about it --forty years later, she would not believe it. )

My voice suddenly changed 8 years ago. I feel now my voice quaver while reading aloud or talking . When I sing, I can't get the tune--off key, I mean. Why? I am sad but can't help it. I fear that I might lose my voice in the future. I will accept my fate whatever may happen to me.

I am now enjoying playing the harmonica. I play those good old songs I remember on the harmonica. I feel very happy when I am playing the harmonica. But I know the sound of my harmonica is a noise to those who live in this small apartment house. Practice makes perfect. I will try my hardest to be a better player of the harmonica.

conversation in Japanese

Today is Saturday. If I could walk, I would go to K City community center and enjoy talking with people from many countries.. Every Saturday I go there and help them brush up their Japanese. Most of them are university students or researchers who study economics. Some of them come to Japan with their families. They stay and study in Japan for one or a few years.

Almost all the students and researchers I talked with in these four years were on a scholarship. They were professors of universities, graduate students, national government employees or office workers in their own countries---they were from China, Taiwan, South Korea, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Colombia, or Vietnam. I've never been to those countries. I have very little knowledge of their countries or their way of living. So talking with them enlarges and enriches my own world.

It's really surprising how quickly they learn to speak Japanese. They study their specialty in English, taking Japanese classes at university, I hear. They say they are too busy studying their specialty or Japanese to have time to feel relaxed. They also say Saturday is their only chance to communicate with Japanese.

This Saturday Japanese conversation class is open to all comers--both Japanese and foreign people--of course, free. Come and enjoy talking in Japanese.