Dot and Geoff Read in Japan

What was the nature of your work?
Being an Assistant English Teacher is a little like being grandparents. You can enjoy the students, without the re-sponsibility. An A.E.T. has no discipline problems, no setting of exams, no record keeping, no yard duty, no meetings, and you work only 3 periods in a day. You follow the class teacher's directions but spend a lot of your time doing self-introductions, teaching about Australia, playing English games and teaching English songs. We were based at a Junior High School but visited many primary schools also. Before taking on the A.E.T. position I taught for a while in a Girls' High School & Technical College which was more like a regular teaching job. Being an A.E.T. was very enjoyable. The students' eyes would light up when you entered the classroom --- they knew they were in for an enjoyable lesson --- not just book learning.

Did you have any trouble with your Australian accent being understood?
Not really. However I got tired of hearing the story about the Australian who went to the hospital to die! (today)

How did you fit in to your local community?
On arrival in Shinonoi we were introduced to the Shinonoi language class where Japanese people gave up their free time to teach foreigners Japanese. We enjoyed these Sunday night classes very much as they gave us an opportunity to meet people of many cultures. On our final night there, we counted 7 different nationalities. Our thanks go to those wonderful people who so patiently tried to help us speak their language. We were invited to local festivals --- e.g. the cherry blossom party, and generally kept an eye on by the neighbours. However we were certainly a novelty! The children loved us and the parents were often too nervous to speak to us at first. But they gradually got used to having us around.

What did you do for leisure & recreation?
Rode miles on our bikes --- there was always something of interest to see. We loved riding our bikes around Shinonoi. Everything is so different from what we have been used to. The temples & shrines fascinated us, as did the many festivals. We did a lot of walking, played Scrabble, watched videos, played cards, read books and studied Japanese. We also taught English privately in our spare time.

What if any were the lowlights?
Not being able to call our friends and say "What about a game of cards?" Language of course was always a problem if we wanted something technical done --- such as renewing Visas. Officialdom seems to be the same everywhere. Sometimes you get a yearning for Australian food, e.g. roast lamb. Japanese food of course is very different from what we eat in Australia. We gradually got used to eating sushi --- but didn't really come to grips with Natto! We were disappointed to see the natural beauty of the countryside spoilt by electric wires going anywhere, instead of underground. We were also really disappointed to see so many Japanese people smoking, especially in restaurants, and in front of children in the schools. Finally we were disappointed at the amount of leaves and paper that is burnt, creating fumes, instead of being put back into the ground as compost. However the highlights far outweigh the lowlights.

Did you observe any Sister City activities between Nagano & its Sister City?
Yes. We were invited to many such functions. There are 3 teachers teaching in Nagano from Clearwater, Florida, U.S.A. Three teachers each year come from Nagano's Sister City. Nagano pays for their airfares, and provides host families. They do the same job that we were doing. A group of Nagano citizens visits Clearwater each year and also, during the Olympics, Clearwater put on a big display in Nagano.

Can you now read & write Japanese?
I can communicate on a basic level and read Primary school material. I can read the instructions sent to me when visiting schools. But when 2 Japanese are speaking together I am lost! However everyday conversation is not a big problem. After a couple of wines I become quite fluent! However, I could never say I am fluent in the language, but I am reasonably fluent in the small part that I know. I enjoyed speaking to students in Japanese and knowing some Japanese certainly proved useful when travelling.

Did you mix with other foreigners working in Japan?
Yes, quite a lot, especially with the 3 Clearwater teachers.

Did you travel extensively through Japan during holiday times?
No. It is very expensive to travel in Japan. It is better to travel on a Holiday Visa & buy a Japan Rail Pass --- you cannot do this if you are on a Working Visa. But we did make it to the Sapporo Snow Festival in Hokkaido. Living in such a lovely part of Japan we were happy making short trips to local beauty spots --- and lots of onsens (hot spas). During the Christmas & New Year holidays we returned to Australia & during one July/August break we went to Alaska & Canada and also, one other year, to Bali.

Geoff taking tea with Tony Slockwich -- former Warrnambool resident.

Will you be able to return to Australian food after living on rice, noodles etc. for so long?
Yes, no problems.

Have you any more plans for continuing your Japan connection in the future?
I want to continue a little Japanese study, just so I don't completely forget the language. We expect lots of Japanese friends will visit us here in Warmambool. After the hospitality they extended to us, we are anxious to return the hospitality. We would also like to renew contact with the Warmambool / Miura group.

Final Comment!
Can you imagine what it would be like standing on a stage, by yourself, in front of 700 students & teachers in a foreign country, while your National Anthem is played? This is how we were welcomed and farewelled at every school. The Australian flag decorated the stage. On leaving Nagano we were farewelled at the station by lots of people from many walks of life. The Japanese people were so friendly to us. I doubt if we could ever return their generosity and hospitality --- but we'll certainly try!