Coffee Break

nico: Last month, I took the barista course at TAFE. Although I have been studying English for further study, I wanted to get some skills for getting a job at the same time.  My parents in Japan used to work for a confectionery company, so they have skills and knowledge of cakes and other sweets. I don’t know if it is because I grew up under the influence of them, I have been tending to get some skills of using my hands for a living. I worked for a financial company for a really long time in Japan though.

So, the barista course. I took a course which was provided two hours per week four times. I learnt about basic knowledge of coffee beans and how to make espresso, latte, flat white, cappuccino and long black. That was amazing. Actually, I had a brilliant coffee and espresso machine when I lived in Japan. However, I didn’t use it for making espresso and steamed milk much because I didn’t know how to use and clean it. In Japan, I used to have dripped black coffee mainly as lots of Japanese do. Generally, Japanese people have cappuccino and latte only at café I guess. In fact, I didn’t exactly know the consistence of cappuccino and latte, etc. Then I left it. Now I have been regretting that I should have tried to use my machine in Japan and brought it to Australia. If I had my machine here, I could practice making coffee a lot before I forget the procedure and technique. That would definitely help me getting a job, too. Ah well.

Anyway, making coffee is interesting. I want to get the stable skill of tamping to extract amazing espresso at all times. Pouring steamed milk onto the espresso as well. They are both not easy as it looks, especially for pouring milk. Actually, it is kind of irritating. Because the frothy milk is lighter than steamed milk, I struggled to make cappuccino and latte a lot. It’s really hard to pour certain amount of froth and steamed milk. Using a spoon helps it but I learnt it without using spoon, and I’d love to be able to do it without it. For me, making coffee is kind of art. Yeah, I’d love to do the latte art as well.

Even if it’s still not easy to get a job, finding a thing which I am interested in is great. People always can find something interesting even they are getting older.   

2013

nico: A year and two months have passed since I came to live in Australia. Time flies. I intended to write blogs more often, but I was too busy to write them in English. I can see that writing is the hardest thing to improve for students who study English. Actually, it is rather difficult.

Well, what did I do since then? Actually, I did lots. I went to Rottnest Island twice to have Christmas holiday with MJ’s family and experienced to have Australian Christmas. Grandma called me Geisha Girl when I put sun screen on my face there. From February 2013 I started to study English and finished Certificate III Spoken and Written English in December 2013. I’d love to write about what I felt during classes studying with my classmates who come from a variety of countries. In March 2013, I went to Busselton for MJ’s grandparents’ 60 wedding anniversary. In May 2013, I attended MJ’s friends’ wedding ceremony and reception which were beautiful and hilarious. In July 2013, I started to learn Jujutsu and Pencak Silat. MJ and I attended a free self-defence class organized by Pride WA and Work Out Savvy where I met one of my teachers. In November 2013, MJ and I got our house which is a cute unit. I had never painted before. There are lots of other things I did, and I will write about those another day.

Then, did I change through these experience and life in Australia? Hmmm. I became to feel comfortable to wear thongs everywhere which I had never worn them in Japan except at beaches. Now I have suntan by my thongs. I bought them in Japan though. The biggest thing what I think I changed a lot is that I became to be able to tease MJ’s mum. I was surprised myself. Japanese people who were born in Kinki region, where I was born, must be funny, so I think that helped me with getting along with MJ’s family even though my English is not good. I don’t think I am funny in Kinki region by the way.       

In February 2014, I am going to study Certificate IV Spoken and Written English and work as a casual worker. My goal in 2014 is to improve my English, especially speaking skills, so that I don’t need to stare at hairdressers to understand them. It is really awkward if you don’t understand them while you are having your hair cut.

In conclusion, I really want to say thank you to MJ’s family, friends, teachers, and people who surround me for helping me to live in Australia. Happy New Year!!! 

Christmas in July

nico: For people who are born and grow up in the northern hemisphere, celebrating Christmas in hot weather makes them feel weird I think.

I spent my first Australian Christmas at Rottnest Island last year with my Australian family. I swam at some beaches, did QLD's watching heaps of boats, and just was relaxed for 5 days. I was really happy, and it was awesome. I was also excited to decorate the Christmas tree even though I got sweaty. However, it was a bit different and strange for me. It's not in winter.

The other day, while I was researching something on the internet, I found the party which was named Christmas in July - Ugly sweater party. Then on 24th of July 2013, I went to celebrate Christmas in July with my Australian family at a retirement village where my grandparents-in-law live. The restaurant was decorated with some Christmas ornaments such as Christmas trees, bells, and so on. They were not so big but enough to make us feel Christmas atmosphere. If there were some white cotton lump on Christmas trees, I would have felt more Christmas-y. During the Christmas dinner in July, I imagined snow watching rain reflected light.

By the way, because I couldn't get why Australian celebrate Christmas in July, I asked MJ. According to MJ, some European who migrated to Australia started it because it is much easier to feel Christmas in winter for them. So do I. Even so, I was surprised that it became one of the culture in Australia.

I feel sorry for MJ because she had to celebrate Christmas in December which was cold weather in Japan. 

Small Talk

nico : When I first went to Woolworths, I thought MJ met her acquaintance because she talked with  the cashier.

Actually, while we were living in Japan, I had felt weird as same thing. It's on the phone. When MJ phoned a bank clerk from Japan, she said "How are you?" and "Have a nice day". Besides, she talked about how life in Japan was. In Japan, people who are talking like that are usually elderly persons. It's not only on the phone but also at the checkout counter. I’ve been surprised even elderly person talking to me about the delay of a bus at a bus stop in Japan though. I’ve got nervous being nice and normal to the elderly person who I've never met before.

It doesn't mean Japanese people are not kind and friendly. It's just a difference between Australian and Japanese. Japanese people are basically shy and not good at talking with people who we don't know especially at a place where we don't need to be together with some reason. In addition, it’s not so common to ask about some private things such as family. Actually, I hesitate a bit asking about someone’s family, so I don’t ask about it. I haven’t asked about someone’s plan of holiday either. I feel it’s a bit meddling. I think Japanese people are also not good at responding when someone compliments us. Of course, we are happy about the compliment, but we also feel a bit embarrassed. Therefore, it's a bit hard for us to reply. I think one of the reasons comes from Japanese modest or humble culture.

Then, do Australian's like small talk? MJ doesn’t like it. She said she’s not good at either.　Seriously? She’s been talking really well every time. Anyway, I’ve heard same answers from some other people. Whether you are good at it or not, I think it’s really good thing talking and greeting casually with anybody. Even if you don’t know the person as a cashier, it helps feeling better.

Well, I admit supermarket is good place to practice speaking English. However, it’s still scary place for me. I don’t want to make cashier feel awkward because of my dull response.  

 

I'm Japanese but I don't like sushi very much. Is it so strange?

Nico : Actually, I didn't think so many people would be surprised that I don't like sushi very much.

There was this one thing at school when I studied `instructions' in English. In the class, my teacher told us to prepare the instruction of cooking your country's food. Then she said, "For example, Nico will do sushi." I knew sushi is really popular as Japanese dish but sushi is only one Japanese dish and I don't like it very much. I have never eaten sushi since I came to live in Australia because I didn't want to. Then I told her "I won't. Because I don't like it". My teacher asked me, "Then what did you eat in Japan?"

taken from http://www.president.co.jp/uploads/pics/1003.jpg

The main reason that I don't like sushi comes from cucumber. I hate cucumber worse than anything. Even though it sits next to another things and touches them just a bit, I can't eat both of them. If you mix it in a salad, I can't eat the whole salad. Well, sushi which is called `maki-zushi' in Japan, often uses cucumber for the ingredients. 


The second reason is `kanpyo' which is also one of the ingredients. Kanpyo is dried gourd shavings. I hate the texture too. In the first place, I think there are lots of Japanese people who have no idea why kanpyo is in the ingredients. 

I hate chirashi-zushi for the same reason.

chirashi-zushi  taken from http://image.excite.co.jp/jp/erecipe/recipe/9/7/9721583090b5c5fdf486f09ab0854b02/e7618a2c34da5c96109fe85b13c06a51.jpeg

taken from Wikipedia.com

At first, I don't like rice vinegar very much either but I like nigiri-zushi. Raw fish and vinegar rice match each other and nigiri-zushi is usually just fish, rice and wasabi. I don't need to worry about cucumber and kanpyo.

`karaage' taken from http://d3921.cpcdn.com/recipes/2016790/280/2c6753ca839b14f089d20aafa3ccc1ce.jpg?u=246320&p=1352005795

Well, I'd like to get back the topic of school. The final day of term one, we had a party in our class room. My teacher told us to bring a dish which is your country's. Though I wanted to bring karaage to school at first, I thought it would be hard to cook early in the morning. Besides, it wouldn't be so yummy after reheating.  
   
Finally, I decided to bring Japanese rice cracker. At the party, one of our English tutors said to me, "I'd like you to bring sushi next time!" I'll ask MJ to make it next time.  

By the way, I'm using `zushi ' instead of `sushi ' in this blog. It means sushi but it is just a euphonic change.

Don't worry. Here is Australia.

Nico : Since I came to live in Australia, it is 5 months now. Time flies like an arrow. After Christmas, I couldn't write any blogs because I was busy to study English. From February 4th, I started to study English at AMEP on Wellington street. AMEP is Adult Migrant English Program which is opened in Polytechnic West. Now I am in Certificate 2 but I'm trying to be promoted to Certificate 3 next term. 

One of the reasons which MJ and I decided to live in Australia is its social system. Gay people can't marry but there is a partnership which can be applied to gay people. I don't know if it makes people in Australia notice the existence of gay people or not but life in Australia is much easier than life in Japan for us from this point. In Japan, it is really hard to find people who have gay in his or her family member, people who know someone is gay as one of their friends. This is an unbelievably big difference to live as a gay in between Japan and Australia. 

Well, now I study English in Perth. At first, I thought I could be myself as a gay at school but it was a bit harder than I expected. The teachers and other staffs are OK but I have to be careful with students who come from various countries. Some of them have feelings being uncomfortable with gay people. It is understandable but I got a bit stressed by thinking whether I would be as a gay or not. I felt I was caught by the same feelings again. It made me struggle a little bit. Finally, I decided not to tell about myself very much to other students because my good friends at school found some classmates posted comments in the wall of the group which against lesbian.

Now I feel I am very lucky because I got some good friends at school. They are my first friends in Australia except MJ's. I was really relieved when one of them told me about my struggling, ` Here is Australia. Don't worry.' 

My first Christmas and New Year in summer

Nico : For me, like person who came from Northern Hemisphere hard to feel the atmosphere of Christmas and New Year in the hot weather. If you just stay these holidays in Australia, it's might be just an experience as a trip. You can feel the rest of that after you come back home. It would be still cold and the sight is in winter. I asked to MJ how she felt about it while she lived in Japan because I realized it's opposite for her. Her answer was same as mine. I didn't think about it about it while we were together in Japan. Anyway, it would be usual thing after some years. Maybe.

Christmas in Perth was really busy. I noticed it at first. People went shopping for Christmas a lot. Me and MJ helped MJ's mum shopping and cooking for Christmas and parties. Her mum and dad had some parties at their friend's home and their own. MJ was thinking hard about Christmas presents. She complained about how hard to park her car for shopping all the time. It is also busy in Japan around Christmas and New Year. But it's different. Japanese people usually go shopping for presents and cakes. The presents are usually only for their partner, kids, boy/girlfriends. Cakes are for Christmas day or eve. Lots of Japanese don't have strong beliefs in religion and Christmas became like an event for couples or family(especially who have little kids). There are lots of different types and variety cakes selling at department stores and patisseries. You have to reserve the cake which you want to buy usually. Until around a few years ago, I did it, too. 
     

Back to Christmas in Perth.

I decorated a Christmas tree with MJ. The tree was huge! ( I couldn't reach the top of it.)  And the ornaments were so cute. MJ's family played Christmas music on CD player while we were decorating it. I have never seen such a huge Christmas tree. When I was a child, my parents decorated small one. But I didn't have it long time so I felt it like `real Christmas'.  Oh, I noticed the tree had no fake snow on it. 

From 22th Dec to 27th Dec, I went to the Rottnestt Island with MJ's family. According to MJ, her grandma wanted to leave from stressful Christmas. She can't stop prepare a lot for Christmas if she stayed at home. But MJ's dad said, `It takes two weeks for  preparing for a week holiday and takes a week to clear stuffs for it.' Even though, they came to the Rottnestt Island every year. The Rottnestt Island is so beautiful and completely relaxing. I'm really glad to come there. I couldn't believe I could swim in the sea and just spending time to watch the ocean and lots of boats from the balcony in Summer.  

And I didn't expect to meet these pelicans.

But I have known I could meet him.

This is my first Christmas ham. Someone just picking bits. It was sooooo yummy!!! 











After we came back home with my `Issual Tuberocities' ( I got sore bum because of riding bike at the Rottnestt Island. MJ's mum taught me its official name.), we went to the New Year Eve party at MJ's parent's friend's home. We played volley ball in the pool and counted down for New Year together. It was really fun. I enjoyed a lot. But still felt funny it's in the hot weather. 

Some of my friends said to me ` It's really cold in Japan. I'd like to go there!'. Hm. I'd like to go back Japan for getting feel that cold weather a little bit.

My impressions of Australia

Nico : This is the best and biggest thing for me. In Japan, I couldn't imagine such a thing. Never. Ever. It makes this blog a little bit serious though...

When I went to medicare to join it, MJ helped me do it. MJ told a clerk of medicare about the type of my visa. Then this clerk said to MJ, Then you are her partner, aren't you? 

‘Partner’, this word is not popular in Japan. Some people use it but it is really rare to use it for a couple. From the begining, lots of Japanese people don't know the existence of LGBT. Though there are a lot of gay men appear on some tv programs like variety shows, all of them are treated as comedians. They are requested to be silly or doing stupid things from directors, producers, and audiences. Even though they are famous and professional beauty therapists or choreographers. Then, how about lesbians? Lots of Japanese people can't believe they exist So some parents worry if their kids `become' gay men, but there are no parents who are anxious like that for their daughters.

By the way, for me, I recognized that I was a lesbian when I was 4. I can't explain why I thought it was better not to tell to my parents and family. But I recognized it and decided not to tell about it anybody. I felt it was really terrible thing and horrible. Then my closed life started. I shut my mouth and my mind. I often wonderd if I was born as a heterosexual person, I could live without hiding. But I have no choice. I was born as a lesbian and recognized it at only 4 years old.

So, the word what this medicare clerk said was really shocking for me. I was really impressed about public employees recognize the same sex patnership naturally. 

I thought I had to live without family and making my own family since I was a high school student. I thought I had no choice. 

But I met MJ. Though we came to Australia where MJ's homeland, I just thought it is the best way for MJ's career and to gain her experiences. Of course it is also good for living together. MJ and her family love each other deeply. 

I knew being in Australia is easier being LGBT than in Japan. But the difference is bigger than I thought.

I appreciate living in Australia and the people who are around us.       

The discovery of Australia

Nico: After about 1month I came to Perth, I found some about Australia. I don't have a job and not be a student yet so my experiences are not big things I reckon.

The first thing I found about Australia is dry weather. I can't believe after taking shower, it's unbelievably easy to get dry. It's enough to wipe myself with a bath towel just one time. In Japan, it's not so easy. So how nice it is! Though I bought a big size DOVE for my dry skin.

The 2nd thing, I can have some Japanese style foods in Perth. Actually, I haven't had sushi, traditional Japanese foods lots of time in Japan. And even though they are expensive, I can buy okonomiyaki, yakisoba,gyouza stuffs or something like that at some asian food shops. Me and MJ already cooked yakisoba and gyouza in Perth. They were really yummy. For Japanese, it is almost enough having soy sauce, mirin, cooking sake, sugar, dashi. Japanese can cook lots of yummy dishes with them. As long as I can get these stuffs, I think I'll not get serious homesickness. AND!! I can buy Fuji Apples here! In Japan, apples are expensive like around 200yen per apple. Japanese Fuji apple is twice the size or more so it's easy to being full. But Australian Fuji apples are small and same taset and texture. Since I came to Perth, I have Fuji apples everyday. I'm so happy. Ah! But it would be good if there is soy milk which no added sugar,and unsalted tomato or vegetable juice.

The third thing, lots of Australians have a second fridge. I amreally envious. Japanese house is really small so there are no space for second fridge. Of couse, it is came from some cultural differences between Australia and Japan. There are no 2litre milk or 1kilo cheese, 2litre ice cream at Japanese super markets. So Japanese can keep cool their beverages in only one fridge. But when I lived in my parents house, I always wanted to have my own fridge for drinks. 

The fourth thing is Japanese medical centre. I went to the clinic yesturday. Because my throat was bleeding inside for over 1 month. So MJ searched a clinic there is staff using Japanese. It is really amazing! I can ask interpreter for $20. In Japan, there are some hospital that have some staffs who came from various countries. So you can use English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and more at the hospital. But those hospitals are really huge and rare. If you live in coutryside in Japan, you need to take trains or book accomodation.  

The fifth thing. It is the best. I' ll be a student of AMEP from 2013 Febrary. AMEP is Adult Migrant English Program. I went to the interview for being student. My english skill is not high so I can study English at AMEP in Perth. And it's free! In Japan, I taught Japanese as a volunteer about 2months at Hyogo International Assosiation after studied being Japanese teacher for foreigners at Japanese school. At that time, I was anxious about foreigners and their children. Because, thoguh increasing foreigners who are married with Japanese men or their families came to Japan for living with. But there are no substancial education institution like AMEP. I think I'm really lucky living in Australia.