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Sister City teachers trade experiences

Fabian Rutherford has replaced Simone Fenech as Latrobe’s Assistant English Teacher (AET) to Takasago for the 2003-2004 Japanese school year.

By Latrobe City Council - 24th September 2003 - Back to News

The position which is fully funded by Latrobe’s sister city of Takasago and is now in its third year, gives a young person from Latrobe City an opportunity to help Japanese students in junior high schools improve their English skills.

Mr Rutherford has been involved with Latrobe/Takasago sister city activities for many years. In January 1999 he accompanied former councillor Tony Hanning to Takasago as his protocol officer and interpreter for his discussions with the City of Takasago and he has assisted Council with student exchanges and other delegations from Takasago by interpreting at official functions.

Mr Rutherford recently graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Arts, Honours in Japanese Studies. In 2001 he won a Japanese government research scholarship and spent 2002 studying the Australia-Japan relationship in the Law faculty of Kyushu University in Fukuoka.

On her return to Latrobe City, Ms Fenech described her year in Japan as an awesome experience. "The year went so quickly but was wonderful. It’s impossible to describe the experience without many happy memories flooding back and the kindness and generosity of the Japanese people constantly coming to mind. I would urge anyone who gets the opportunity to apply for the position in the future, to seriously consider it," Ms Fenech said.

Asked about her impressions of teaching in Takasago, Ms Fenech said the students had been great fun to teach and the teachers in Takasago schools had been wonderful to work with. "The Japanese make you very welcome and go out of their way to make a visitor feel part of the family. It’s very hard to keep a low profile though. Everyone seemed to know who I was and wanted to keep an eye on me to make sure I was happy and had everything I needed, but it meant I had to be on my best behaviour all of the time," Ms Fenech said.

"Festival time was very exciting and as can be expected the culture was absolutely awesome. During weekends and holidays I was able to visit Kyoto and the old capital of Japan, Nara, which are both the very essence of Japanese culture. I also enjoyed experiencing the frantic pace of Tokyo, some of the quieter Prefectural towns such as Okayama and Tottori, and some of Japan’s more rural districts such as on the island of Awaji."

Asked whether there were aspects of life she didn’t enjoy, Ms Fenech admitted that ikura (salmon roe) and natto (fermented soy beans) had tested her resolve. "Dining in Japan is part of the exciting cultural experience and while I enjoyed the variety of Japanese food and there were things I would never have dreamed of eating at home, such as raw fish, there were a couple of things that challenged me," Ms Fenech said.

"The extremes of climate are difficult to adjust to. In the summer months it is extremely humid which takes some getting used to, and I don’t think I was prepared for how cold it could get in winter. Japanese classrooms are not heated, and on days when it is literally freezing outside, it’s little better inside, Ms Fenech explained.

Unlike Fabian Rutherford, who speaks Japanese fluently, Ms Fenech admitted she knew very little Japanese when she took up her appointment. "I studied at classes held every week in Takasago, but it was difficult at first understanding the day-to-day conversations. Eventually, it all began to fall into place but learning Japanese wasn’t easy. Fortunately the Japanese are very patient, and many of them spoke very good English, which helped me through the early weeks."

Latrobe City Mayor, Councillor Graeme Middlemiss, said the Assistant English Teacher appointments in Takasago provided a valuable overseas opportunity and experience for Latrobe’s young people, which enhanced the relationship between the two municipalities and the personal development of the young person appointed.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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