Watch today’s show at YouTube or BlipTV.
Hi, I’m Sarah. Welcome to The Daily English Show.
Today’s guest is Toshi.
Toshi went to New Zealand in 1997. And he spent 6 months studying English in Christchurch and then he spent 6 months working in Wanaka.
Then he went to Canada for a year and worked in Whistler.
Then he went to the United States for two years and he worked for a travel company in Las Vegas for a year and then he went to Los Angeles and worked for the same company.
And in 2002 he came back to Japan.
Why did you want to go to New Zealand?
First of all, I really want to, wanted to go to ah, abroad. And I know the special visa and the name is ah, working holiday visa. And I know working holiday visa have three choice. One is Australia, Canada and New Zealand. And Australia is hard because Australia have a limit of the ages. And I have a choice, Canada and New Zealand. And first I applied Canada. But Canada have a limit of the number. So I couldn’t get the visa in Canada. Yes, I applied but I couldn’t. So, that’s why, I just, ah, only choice to go to ah, New Zealand.
Was the English in Canada and NZ very different?
Yeah, different. So I struggled so much. Yes, ah, for ah, first time I studied English in New Zealand. New Zealand is quite English style. Canada is still English style. But I think mixed American style and English style. So I struggled so much.
STICK NEWS
Kia ora in Stick News today, a New Zealand gym owner is angry after someone placed a fake advertisement calling his gym a homosexual fitness center.
The Yellow Pages are a kind of telephone directory for businesses and are usually published annually. Ray Parker owns a gym in Papakura, Auckland.
The New Zealand Herald reported Parker is fuming after someone placed an ad in the 2007 Yellow Pages for: "Ray Parkers (Gay Lesbian) Homosexual Fitness Centre".
Parker is worried that the ad could affect his business.
He isn’t sure if the ad was placed as a joke or as an attempt to harm Ray’s Gym.
The Yellow Pages is now working with Parker and his lawyer to find the perpetrator.
Ray said, "we will take whoever it is down. He thinks he is smart, but he is a dickhead."
And that was Stick News for Monday the 30th of April.
Kia Ora.
conversations with sarah
#225 What did you do in New Zealand?
Step 1: Repeat Sarah’s lines.
Step 2: Read Sarah’s lines and talk to Toshi.
Sarah What did you do in New Zealand?
Toshi First, I went to a language school for three months. And after I changed a private English school and for three months. After half year ... yes, first I was in Christchurch. And after half year I moved at ah, Wanaka. And I work, worked and enjoyed snowboarding at ah, Cadrona in Wanaka.
Sarah How was the snow?
Toshi Mmm. Sometimes good, sometimes very icy ... very hard. But I got a so enjoyed.
Sarah What was your job in Wanaka?
Toshi New Zealand is so famous in Japanese because as you know Japan and between New Zealand have a different season. Yes, when Japan is summer, New Zealand is ah, winter. So many snowboard or ski addict moving to New Zealand for training and for enjoying. And so ... our previous company have a camp and the name is 3S and so they have a camp for Japanese guys and Japanese girls. And I so they need a translator, because ... yes, camper is ah Japanese, but instructor is, some instructor is ah Japanese but mainly is ah, Kiwi, so we need a translate for them. So that’s why I got a hire for CS company.
Sarah Was translating difficult?
Toshi Very difficult. Because ah ... yeah. I said I went to New Zealand, this is ah, for the first time to long stay foreign country. So I don’t have, I didn’t have ah, confidence my English at all. That’s why I wondering I can do translating or no. But, do my best. Because I really, really wanted to ah, work at a ski or snowboarding place. So such a nice opportunity for me. So I doing the best.
Sarah So you translated what the instructors said to the students?
Toshi Yeah, that’s right. That’s right. For example so, Kiwi instructor said: “oh very good, but you ah, keep still more low and bend your knee more”. And I translate: “姿勢を低く、もっと膝を曲げて”. Like this.
Sarah Did you ever get stuck when you were translating?
Toshi Ah, yes, that’s right. So many, many time. Ah, yeah instructor is girl ... instructor girl and boy is a very, very nice person so they are speaking slowly. But sometimes using the special word as snowboarding. And so I said I start to snowboard in New Zealand.
So I don’t understand word and something. So ah, sorry what meaning this one?
Sarah It must have been good for your English.
Toshi Yes, very good English practice. And I think, thinking everybody because instructor and student, so generosity about my attitude, my English. Yes, they endure my English so much.
Sarah Did your way of thinking change after living abroad?
Toshi Yes, big change. Mmm. Ah, I think so I can watch everything more wide. I mean, so when I was in ... just knowing Japan, my view just narrow things. But after returned back a foreign country, I think my view getting wide, make wide.
But this one is very important I think. Because when I, so ... decide something we need ah, more wide view and more wide knowledge, so I think best way is get a wide view and wide knowledge, go to abroad.
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artist: Jampy
album: Rain
track: Speak to Me
from: Napoli, Italy
album at Jamendo
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