Another From New Zealand_New Plymouth GHS_Mar. 24th_2016

Another report from New Plymouth is the one written by Nonoka Kuwabara. She is also enjoying fantastic cultures and events going in New Plymouth.

Hi, there!  I have heard it is getting warmer day by day in Japan. However, New it has completely gotten cooler here in New Plymouth. I still hear a cicada’s voice. But the sound has become fainter and fainter.  Also we cannot swim in the ocean, which is my favorite place, so that we just see it.  

On Saturday of the last week, we had a festival called “multi ethnic”.  It was a parade which people gathered and walked down the main street.  They are the people who came from other countries and are living in New Plymouth now. Everybody had their own country’s national flags, put on traditional costumes, and played the instrument of their own country music. So the festival was very lively. Also participants had a wide variety of national flags, so I can recognize that people in New Zealand came from many different places.

We could see a few Japanese people who put on Yukata among them. My most memorable country was India.  It’s because not only were there many Indian people, but also traditional costume and music were so gorgeous. Of course, other countries’ costumes were beautiful too. I want to put on other countries’ traditional costumes.

In addition, at the TSB stadium, which is slightly away from the main street, there were a lot of kinds of ethnic food. Of course there was Japanese food. I was thinking about what to eat due to the many kinds of food. So I walked around many times. And then I ate bubble waffle. It’s a kind of crepe. But bubble waffle material is round, rough and includes m & m’s. I do not think there is bubble waffle, but if Japan had bubble waffle, I think it would sell well. This day was good day to take a communication with many  people from many different countries.　

On the 14th of March, New Plymouth had a holiday called “Taranaki anniversary”.  My host family took me to Wanganui. It takes 2 hour by car. On the way to “Wanganui”, I found huge grassland where there was nothing.  I felt relaxed. Wanganui has a different atmosphere from that of New Plymouth, because Wanganui has a lot of old buildings. So I thought that this place must be real New Zealand. Wanganui does not have a big shopping mall, however has a lots small shops. There is a small difference but it looks like a Japanese shopping arcade. I bought some souvenirs and thought already time has gone and became sad. If I come back to New Zealand, I want to go to Wanganui again.

The way back home, we dropped by a strawberry farm and ate berry ice cream. But the ice cream is different from Japanese ice cream. I ordered the strawberry ice cream, and got a funny shape one and it was so big. I felt strange about it. However, it is really nice. That time I was full, but I could eat it all. If I go again, I want to go in a state hunger.

I have only about three weeks more to study in New Zealand.  Every day I am counting how many days left for me to be here.  I feel sad that I have to think go back to Japan. I do not know what I have been able to do now.  But I want to live in full and do my best during my rest time.

こんにちは。日本はだんだんと暖かくなり桜も咲き始めたと聞いています。今年、私は日本の桜を見ることができないので残念です。こちらはすっかり寒くなりました。これからは私の好きな海も見るだけになってしいそうです。

先週の土曜日に「Multiethnic」というお祭りがありました。それは他の国から来ている人が自分の国の伝統衣装を着たり、国旗をもったり、その国らしい曲を演奏しながら大通りを歩くというものです。参加している人数はもちろん、色々な国の国旗もあり様々な所から人が沢山集まるのだなと思いました。私の一番の印象に残った国はインドです。音楽や衣装がとても豪華で目に残りました。他の国の衣装も可愛く着てみたいなとおもいました。また、少し離れたスタジアムでは様々な国の出店が出されていました。もちろん日本食もありました。私はバブルワッフルというものを食べました。クレープみたいな物なのですが、生地にm and mが入っていたりと少し独特な感じでした。日本でこのお店を出したらきっと売れると思います。

３月１４日はTaranaki Anniversary というNew Plymouthだけの祝日でした。そのためホストファミリーはWanganuiという街に連れて行ってくれました。そこは、古い建物が多く、また大きなショッピングセンターがありませんでした。私は日本の商店街に少し似ているなと思いました。帰り道、イチゴ農場により、アイスを食べたのですが日本のソフトクリームと形が違い新たなことを発見できたなとおもいました。

この留学も残り１か月を切りました。これからは日本に帰ることも意識して行動しないといけないのは寂しですし、まだ帰りたくありません。何ができるようになったかわかりませんが残りの期間も有効に使えればとおもいます。