ミシガン州ホーランド高校に留学中の谷川さくらさんから第3回目の留学報告が届きました。

ミシガンのホーランドに留学中の谷川さくらです。皆さん明けましておめでとうございます。今回で、私の留学レポートは最後になります。私の留学生活も残り３ヶ月となりました。半年あっという間に過ぎましたね。ミシガンはカナダにとても近くて、雪も降るし、寒いのですが、アメリカにはSnow day があり、雪が降り積もると学校が休みになります。今年は異例の雪で、一週間丸々学校が休みに。とにかく学校がなかったです。ここ最近はやっと普通の生活に戻ってきましたが。さて、前回にエッセイコンテストの結果をお知らせするとお伝えしていましたが、結果、４人のアジア留学生の一人に選ばれることができ、４日間のサンディエゴの旅行切符を得ることができました。そして今回は、私のサンディエゴでの経験を少し書きたくて、レポートの提出を少し遅らせてもらいました。私は、ただ、旅行ができると喜んでいたのですが、選ばれてから知ったのが、これはただの旅行ではなく、アジアの留学生をもっと受け入れてもらうため、アジア人留学生をもっとサポートするにはどうしたらよいかというアジアンワークショップという会議に日本人留学生代表として出席するというものでした。前回を行われたのは３年前らしく、私がこの機会に留学ができて、このワークショップに参加できたことを感謝しています。

しかし、すごくタイミングが悪いことに、クワイヤーでちょうど日本の曲を練習していたのですが、そのコンサートに参加できず、スノーカミングも学校のバレンタインデーイベントも逃してしまいました。私の学校のバレンタインデーでは、友達にカーネーションとカードを送り合うという行事があり、私がサンディエゴに行くことを知らなかった友達がカーネーションを買って送ってくれていて申し訳なかったですが（残念ながら受け取ることはできませんでした‥‥）、とても嬉しかったです。

サンディエゴの話に戻ろうと思います。その会議では、各州のエリアラップの方たち３０人ほどが集まり、私達４人（私の他に台湾、モンゴル、タイ）はそのエリアコーディネーターの方たちから留学に関しての質問に対して答えたり、自分たちの国の文化の紹介やプレゼンテーションを行いました。私は茶道の文化を紹介しようと思い、経験があまりないので一生懸命下調べをして、茶道の作法や種類、歴史などこと細かく調べましたが、いざ本番となってみると、用意していたことは言えるものの、質問されたことに対して、日本語でもよくわからないことばかりで。私は自分の国についてまだまだ知らないことだらけだなと実感しました。例えば、なぜ茶道は静かな場所でやらなくてはならないのか。と聞かれたときに、侘び寂びを大切にしているからと答えようとしましたが。そもそも侘び寂びとはどういうものなのか、日本語でもはっきり自分自身で定義できなくて説明にすごく困りました。日本の美しい文化を知ってもらいたいのに説明することができないことにもどかしさを感じました。けれどもそれと同時に今回は自分の英語力の成長を感じた旅行でした。エリアコーディネーターの方々の留学に関する問に対して、事前に言うことを準備しなくても答えることができ、自分の意見を英語で伝えることが苦ではなくなってきました。留学して半年でようやく英語を話すこと、聞くことに慣れてきました。夜ご飯はコーディネーターの方たちと共に、日本食、中華、タイ料理など、私達留学生のためにアジアンレストランに行きました。そこでエリアコーディネーターの方たちとたくさん話す機会があって、話をしている中で、ネイティブの発音に聞こえるね。と言ってくれて嬉しかったです。今まで他の留学生より英語ができなくて悔しい思いばかりしてきたのですが、最近ではそう言ってもらえることが多くなってきましたし、日常会話が苦では無くなってきました。本を読んでそのことについてグループでディスカッションするときも、現地の学生と同じくらい意見を出したりできるようになりました。まだまだ会話についていけないときもざらにありますが、前よりも苦労することも無くなってきたと思います。ワークショップの中で、この留学生活の中でベストなモーメントはと聞かれたとき、特定の行事でとお願いされなければ、絶対に、自分の英語力が少しでも成長したなと思える瞬間と答えていたと思います。ホームカミングやどんな楽しい行事よりも、そんなちょっとした瞬間が一番嬉しくて幸せを感じます。

この会議でどのような話合いがあったか紹介をしたいので１つだけします、留学前に何回ホストファミリーとスカイプや電話をしていたか、留学前にコーディネーターと電話で話したか。という質問を受けて、私は、私が留学する前にホストマザーにスカイプしようと言われていたけれど、自分の英語力に自信がなくてなかなか勇気をだしてかけることができなかった。コーディネーターとも連絡は一切取らなかった。コーディネーターの人なら、ホストファミリーよりも気軽に電話できると思う。という私の意見を元にして、それならば、アメリカに来る前にエリアラップの方から電話をかけたらどうだろうという結論にたどり着いていました。こんな感じで話合いが進んでいたのですが。本当に不思議な感覚でした。ASSEのみなさんなら知っていると思いますが、自分の自己紹介のコラージュや留学前に書いたホストファミリーの手紙（自分の趣味や家族、趣味など）を書いて送ったはずです。今回の会議で、その送ってもらったものをどう要約するのが適当なのか、どのようにホストファミリーに紹介してあげればいいのか。ということにも焦点を当てて話合も行われていました。私の州から私と共にサンディエゴに来た一人のコーディネーターの方が、私の書いて送ったエッセイとコラージュ作品を見せてくれました。私の留学前のエッセイを見て、自分の英語の文法ミスの多さにびっくりしましたし、このエッセイを書いたのも、コラージュ写真を提出一日前になって徹夜で作ったことも、すごくよく思い出しました。あの頃、自分が留学に行くことを全く実感していませんでしたし、今このような経験をすることになるなんて、想像もできませんでした。留学して良かったなと思います。あと3ヶ月ほどで私の留学は終わってしまいますが、これからある残り少ない貴重な時間を大事に過ごしたいと思います。

Hello, I’m Sakura studying abroad in Holland Michigan. Happy New Year, everyone. It feels like I wrote my last essay a few days ago. I only have three months to go back to Japan. Half year already has passed as if it flies. Michigan is located really close to Canada, so it snows like Hokkaido, and it’s cold every winter. There is a ‘Snow day’ in American school. This is the school system which they close the school because of snow. It has been snowing so bad last 3 weeks, so I got a whole week ‘snow days’ which is unexpected and unusual. I’m not sure if it’s lucky. Lately the weather has been stable and I can go to school like I used to. I really miss snow days even though I was really sick of the snow days at that time. By the way, as I told you I’ll let you know the result of the essay contest. The result is… I was chosen as a one of Asian exchange students, and I got to go to San Diego for free. This time I had due date of my essay be delayed little bit in order to write about this 4 days trip in San Diego. I thought this is just a trip, but after I got selected I knew that this is for participating in the Asian workshop and conference as a representation of Japanese exchange student. at this conference, they were talking what we can do in order to more Asian exchange students are accepted by host family. This workshop is not held every year, actually I heard that the last one was held 3 years ago. I really appreciate that I was able to study abroad this year and have this great opportunity. However, I missed some events in my school instead of going to San Diego. I had been practicing a Japanese song in my choir class for the concert, but I couldn’t participate in the concert. I felt so bad for them because I’m the one who knows how to pronounce and sing this song confidently, and also because of snow days we didn’t have enough time to practice the song. They couldn’t even remember the lyrics. After this trip I asked my choir teacher that how the concert was. She said that “We were literally missing you. We needed you. We kinda messed up, but it was alright.”  “I feel really sorry about that…” I responded. I also missed snow coming. It is like a homecoming party which is held in winter. Some of my friends told me that “You should have been at the party. It was boring without you. If you had been there you it would had been definitely even more fun.” “I wish I could have made it.” I answered like this every time I was asked. The last event I missed is Valentine’s Day. People give a valentine card with a carnation to their friends on the Valentine’s Day in my school. Some of my friends didn’t know that I’m not at the school that day, so they bought a carnation and sent it to me. However unfortunately I couldn’t get a carnation from them. (Good thing: I was able to get a card) I apologized that I should have told about that before I go…, but I’m so happy to have such great friends.

Ok, Let’s go back to the story of the San Diego trip. Nearly 30 area coordinators from various states got together at the conference. In this trip I had a lot of things that I was looking forward to doing in San Diego. Meeting three other exchange students was one of them. Two girls from Taiwan and Thailand, a boy from Mongolia came to San Diego as a representation like me. In fact, the girl from Thailand is studying abroad in Michigan which is same as me, so she and I had been together since the airport. I had so much fun with talking to them and knowing their cultures. As a same Asian exchange student there were some parts we can sympathize each other throughout this studying abroad, so it was really great to get to know them.

We talked about our experiences in exchange year, introduced about our cultures, and we answered a bunch of questions from the coordinators at the conference. I was going to introduce about culture of the tea ceremony, and I prepared myself to be able to explain about kinds of tea ceremony, rules, history, and method. In spite of that, I could explain what I prepared, but I couldn’t answer their questions. I couldn’t have answered some of them even in Japanese. It made me realize that there are still a lot of things that I don’t know about Japan even I’m Japanese. For example, when I was asked why you have to do that quietly in the quiet place. When I was asked why you have to do that quietly in the quiet place. I was going to respond that ‘because we have a culture called “wabi sabi.”, but I didn’t know what wabi sabi is exactly, and I didn’t think I should tell things that I’m not sure if it’s right or not. So I was struggling with explaining about this. I was frustrated to myself not being able to explain even though I really wanted to convey how beautiful this culture is. At the same time, however, I realized improvement of my English at this conference. I was able to answer to their questions without preparing what I say, and it wasn’t that difficult to say my opinion in English. I’ve finally got used to speak and hear English. They took us to Asian restaurants to have dinner every evening. I had a lot of opportunities to talk to coordinators there, and in the conversation some of them commanded me on my English pronunciation. I was truly happy to hear that. I had been struggling with communication to native speakers since I came here, but these days it feels like my efforts have finally paid off… Even when I have discussion about the book in my English class, I became able to say my opinions and ideas as much as native speakers.

In the workshop, one coordinator asked me that “What is the best moment in this year.” I would have definitely said “the moment I realize my English has advanced even just a little” “the moment I can communicate and laugh with people from different country.” If she hadn’t ordered me to say certain event. These are even happier moments than any other events that I had so far. I’ll tell you one of discussion we had at the conference. I was asked that “Did you talk with your host family or area coordinator on the phone before you meet.” I replied that “I was told that Let’s do skype sometime before I go to America, but I didn’t have any confidence about my English at all, and I didn’t think I can talk to my host parents in English, so I couldn’t call them. However If there was a choice to call coordinators it would be easier to call them than host parents because they understand exchange students.” Based on this, they discussed it. In conclusion before exchange students come to America it would be better to call them from area coordinators. It would be good to make it be rule…etc I heard those opinions in the end of this discussion. It felt so weird that I participated in such a discussion between area coordinators. As some of my classmates know, we had to write a letter, and create collage as my introduction for my host family (your hobbies, family, hobbies etc). How to introduce exchange students to host family, and how to summarize what exchange students sent coordinators etc. conversations were also held focusing on those. One of area coordinator who came to San Diego with me showed me my essay and collage. I was surprised that there are so many mistakes in my grammar, and it reminded me of the day I make this. At that time I couldn’t imagine I would experience such a great experience in America. Lately I’ve been thinking that this studying abroad is so meant to me. I really appreciate my parents who gave me this opportunity. I’ll never waste this experience. Although I only have three months to go back to Japan I’ll spend my rest of exchange year meaningfully. Thank you so much for reading my long report.