Before I came to study abroad for three months, I was interested in foreign countries, but I had never experienced cultures other than Japan, so I decided. At TRU, I learned a lot about Canadian and other cultures, as well as through discussions and presentations. In Canada, people of various nationalities and religions live in the same country, so I realized that there is no normal things for everyone. I learned that I can’t judge a person’s background by looking at them. People from many different countries live and share their cultures in Canada. For example, when I went to the daycare for fieldwork, there were teachers from various countries. I was surprised to learn that in Canada people from other countries can work in daycare. I have been interested in children and wanted to become a daycare teacher in the future, but I was more interested in other cultures, so I am studying culture at university. I chose a daycare as my fieldwork placement, and I think this choice was a good experience that will influence my future choices. I thought it would be a good job to use English to interact with children because both are my interests. A daycare teacher is not an easy job as it is responsible for protecting children from accidents. During this fieldwork, if a child was doing something that might cause injury, teacher would immediately find it and stop it. The daycare teachers understand children and notice what they want to say and changes children’s physical condition, so I thought that small changes and a broad perspective are very important.
The time I spent with children was fun, and it was a good opportunity to think about the job I want to do in the future. I felt that being a daycare teacher is a rewarding job where people can watch over child’s growth.
The most memorable thing that I experienced here is homestay. Before doing a homestay, I was worried about whether I would be able to live like a family with people I had never met. However, in the past three months, we spent a lot of time together, and we were able to have a good time like a real family. When I went to the lake with my host family, I was able to see a shooting star. This is a very good memory. Through conversations with my host family during meals, I was able to learn about Canadian values and lifestyles, as well as learn new knowledge.
While I was in Canada, I experienced culture and diversity first-hand, and spent more time thinking about it than I did in Japan. Taking advantage of my experience in Canada, I decided to think about other cultures with flexibility even after returning to Japan.