Mio

Hi guys!!!  My name is Mio.  How’s it going?  I’m very good but I had a high fever and stayed in bed for 5 days last month.  I go to Hauraki Plains College in Ngatea, which is one-hundredth as large as your city, Fukui.  I have been living in Kerepehi, which is a small rural town, since the end of January.  I have already spent about 7 months here since I left Japan.  Strange to say, time passes so fast.  I never felt this way in Japan except when I felt very excited about things I liked, but I feel that time passes so fast  every day here.  I don’t want to go back to Japan and I wish I could stay here.  My family and friends who live in Japan may feel sad if they read my essay.  Sorry dear…:(  Anyway, I love New Zealand!!!!!  I’m having a very good time every day.  I will try to have no regrets every day for the rest of my time here.

 

Well, I’d like to tell you how I spend my time every day at school and home.  Firstly, I’m going to write about my fantastic host family.  My host family members are my host dad, mum, brother and sister.  ( The children in the picture on the left are my host brother and sister.)  They live in Kerepehi, which is about 100km away from Auckland, the biggest city in New Zealand.  It takes about 1 hour to go to Auckland from our house by car.  I often watch DVDs on weekends.  I often become a playmate for my host kids and I often talk to my host parents.  Honestly, I cannot write all things about my host family because they are fantastic!:)  They always smile when they talk to me.  Also, even when I am in trouble but I cannot make myself understood, they still smile and they are kind enough to help me.  Anyway, I love their smiling face.  I’m really happy to see them and I’m living a full life with them. 

 

Secondly, I’m going to write about my kiwi friends.  My teacher took the two photos above on an athletic event day.  Guess what!!  In New Zealand, on an athletic day, students aren’t divided into some colour groups like red, blue, yellow, as we do in Japanese schools.  In my school, we are made up of 4 groups, which are named after the rivers around the town.  They are called Waiho, Tikapa, Piako and Ohinemuri.  I’m a member of the Waiho.  On the athletic day, we had 100-meter races, 200-meter races, 400-m races, 800-m races, 1000-meter races, 1500-m races and a couple of field events.  I took part in a 100-meter race and 200-meter race.  The result was not good.  To be honest, I was the last in both of the races.  I was shocked and it must be because I got fatter than before. Haha:)  However, I got a chance to make some kiwi friends on the day.  

The girl student next to me in the photo in the middle is my kiwi friend who lives in the same town as me.  Her name is Courtney.  She looks quiet but she doesn’t stop talking when she talks to me.  I sometimes go to her house to talk with her and her sister after school and on weekends.  Also, I would often visit her place to go into the swimming pool when I felt hot in summer.  It was awesome!!!  I want to go into the swimming pool again after winter.  Haha:)  Next, the girl student wearing a special hat in the photo on the right and the boy student who is next to her are my best kiwi friends.  The name of the girl is Ruth and the boy is Tristan.  They are fantastic:)  I talk with them, eat morning tea and lunch every day.  To be frank with you, I couldn’t understand their English at first but I kept talking to them every day.  Thanks to them, my English has gotten better than before.  If I hadn’t talked to them, I couldn’t speak English well.  I think my life has changed because of them.   Anyway, I want to say ‘thanks’ to them.  I do many fun things with them.  For example, I watched movies with them during the school holiday.  Also, I went to youth group after school with them.  Have you heard about youth group?  It is a religious organization.  There are many people who believe in Christianity.  As you know, Christianity is believed by most people in New Zealand.  My kiwi friends believe in Christianity, too, and what is more, their names come from the Bible.  Anyway, I was taught a lot of things by many people when I went to the youth group.  It was fun and interesting.  I sang a Christian song but it was like rock music.  Then I did orienteering.  I had a very good time with them and I got a chance to communicate with a lot of other people as well.  On the next holiday, I’m going to an amusement park in Auckland for my kiwi friend’s birthday.  I’m really excited about it. Haha:)  Anyway, my life in New Zealand is drawing to an end.  I will try to make good use of the rest of my life here.

 

I have found a new dream for my future here.  Of course, I had a dream when I entered Jin-ai Girls High School but recent events changed my mind.  Did you watch the news that a big earthquake happened in the south island in New Zealand near the end of February?  It became the talk of New Zealand and I think it did in Japan as well.   Rescue teams from many countries came here to rescue people who were buried in collapsed buildings.  After a short time, our own country was hit by tsunami and it caused a great deal of damage to Japan.  After one month my mum in Japan sent a birthday card and some newspapers to me on my 17th birthday.  I was surprised to read the newspaper about the tsunami and the damage was beyond my expectation.  My mum only sent a birthday card and newspapers to me, but she might have wanted to say to me that it is not always natural to live an uneventful life and also that I should be grateful.  I think my mum taught it to me.  At the moment, I think it is a miracle that I can study abroad and I can live a peaceful life.  I learnt about a feeling of gratitude due to the news of the big earthquake in New Zealand and the tsunami in Japan.  As far as I know, there are many people who are having a hard time because of a dispute or because of a natural disaster.    There are many children who are suffering from food shortages and children who can’t get enough education at school.  There are many places in the world which are not safe.  There are many countries where there aren’t enough doctors who can treat people injured in a disaster.  I’d like to get a job where I can help those people in need and bring back their smiles.  I hope I can make a happy environment for them.  This is my dream.

 

Thanks for reading my essay.