I am actually a Japanese


Maria Rita
Italy

I cook Japanese food everyday, mostly boiled food such as country-style boiled mackerel, Hotou Udon, and Kuwai. It takes time but it is fun to think about the food balance, add some colors, and determine the taste. I am asked to cook Italian food by my friends , but I prefer Japanese food. I always think maybe I was actually a Japanese. I have always wanted to work in Japan, but I could not get a work visa but I did not give up. Right now I am in a Japanese university to improve myself and will find a job in a Japanese company. I feel a "connection" with Japan.

I was born in southern Italy and did not know anything about Japan. I didn't even know where it was on the globe. Then when I went to study in Canada, I met Japanese students. I thought that these people were so wonderful. We spoke in English but I really wanted to speak with them in their mother tongue. That is how I started studying Japanese. I suddenly had this deep interest in Japan from being with living Japanese people. This is probably some kind of fate.

If I give advice to people who want to study Japanese from now on, I guess I'd say that you should not depend on the school too much. ARC's lesson quality is very high but how much you put your efforts into studying is the most important. Regardless of whether it is ARC or not, it is the best if you come to school everyday and join all activities and study hard. Well, ARC offers a lot of activities and opportunities to interact with Japanese people, so I think it will be fun. Oh, you should also think about part-time jobs. If you have a chance to work in a Japanese company, you will be surprised by many things. If you are introduced to a good part-time job, you will be able to live in the Japanese culture where you have to use honorific speech all the time and this will help you with your study.