ニュージーランドに行って
初めての海外での生活はどのようになるのか不安な気持ちもありましたが、ニュージーランドで過ごした１７日間はたくさんのことを学び、経験し本当に毎日が充実していました。まず、今の季節が真夏の日本とは違い、真冬とはいえとても快適で過ごしやすい気候でした。半袖の人もたくさん見かけ、バディもだいたい半袖で過ごしていました。
そして当たり前のことですが、全てが英語であることがとても新鮮に感じ、ニュージーランドに来たんだなと実感しました。最初の何日間は慣れない英語や生活の違いで１日が長く感じましたが、残り１週間になったあたりから時間が立つのがとても早く感じました。
ホストファミリーはとても優しくいい人で、英語が堪能ではない僕にジェスチャーなどで色々と教えてくれたり、ゆっくりしゃべってくれたおかげで、不便なことなく過ごすことができ、帰国前には少し英語が上達したのではないかと自信がつくほどでした。英語がわからないなりにも冗談を言って、一緒に笑い会えた時にはコミュニケーションをとれていることが実感でき、とてもうれしかったです。僕の他にタイから来ている留学生が滞在しており、交流したり、犬の散歩に一緒に行ったり、家の中でみんなでボールで遊んだり、週末には船で出かけそのまま船泊したりと未経験のことをたくさん体験することができました。またホストファミリーとスーパーマーケットに行った時には置いてある商品が日本とは全く違ったり、円安の影響か価格も違うことに驚きました。ニュージーランドの学校に一緒に通学体験したときには、ニュージーランドの学校は日本の学校のシステムとは違い、自由な感じで宿題がほとんどないことにとても驚きました。そして一緒に受けた英語での化学の授業は全くわかりませんでしたが学生たちがとてもフレンドリーに話しかけてくれました。ニュージーランドの人々との交流して感じたのは、日本との文化の違いはもちろんですが、価値観や考え方が異なり細かことは気にしない大らかでフレンドリーな気質がとてもいいなと感じました。日本の中にだけいるとわからない多くのことを肌で感じ取ることができ、日本では体験できない貴重な体験を通して多くの発見があり、参加することができて本当によかったです。この経験を今後の人生の役に立てていきたいです。
Going to New Zealand
I was a little worried about what my first life abroad would be like, but I learned and experienced a lot during the 17 days I spent in New Zealand, and every day was truly fulfilling. First of all, unlike in Japan where it is midsummer now, the weather was very comfortable and easy to spend, even though it was midwinter. I saw many people wearing short sleeves, and my buddy was also mostly wearing short sleeves.
And, although it goes without saying, it felt very refreshing that everything was in English, and I realized that I had come to New Zealand. For the first few days, each day felt long because of the unfamiliar English and the difference in lifestyle, but when there was only one week left, time seemed to pass very quickly.
My host family was very kind and nice, and they taught me a lot of things using gestures and spoke slowly to me, even though I am not fluent in English, so I was able to spend my time without any inconvenience, and I was confident that my English had improved a little before returning home. Even though I didn't understand English, I was able to joke and laugh together, and I felt very happy that I was able to communicate. There was a Thai international student staying with me, and we interacted with each other, walked our dogs together, played ball together at home, and went on a boat on the weekend and stayed there overnight. I was surprised to see that the products were completely different from those in Japan when I went to the supermarket with my host family, and the prices were different, probably due to the weak yen.
When we went to school together in New Zealand, I was very surprised at how different the system was in New Zealand compared to Japan, how free-spirited the school was and how there was almost no homework. I also took a chemistry class in English with them, but the students were very friendly and talked to me. What I felt from interacting with the people of New Zealand was not only the cultural differences with Japan, but also the differences in values and ways of thinking, and I felt that their generous and friendly disposition, which doesn't worry about small details, was very good. I was able to feel many things that I wouldn't understand if I was only in Japan, and I made many discoveries through this valuable experience that I couldn't have in Japan, so I'm really glad I was able to participate. I would like to use this experience in my future life.