MIA NEWS 187ed., Dec. (4)Miyakonojo International Association

Miyakonojo International Association
6-21 Himegi-cho, Miyakonojo-shi,Miyazaki-ken, Japan 885-8555
TEL 0986-23-2295
FAX 0986-23-3223
http://miyakonojo-mia.com
E-mail mia@btvm.ne.jp

Bringing a Piece of Home to a New Home - Liliana Rosario (Miyakonojo City Middle School ALT)
Hi! My name is Liliana and I
Rico so much. Now, I do love where I come from, buthave been living in Miyakonojo
that has never stopped me from appreciating Japanese
for two months as a Junior High
culture and all Japan has to offer. Since I was a child, ISchool JET ALT (Assistant Lanwould often watch anime and read manga on the interguage Teacher). I came to Janet, which pushed me to take Japanese classes in highpan from the United States,school. I continued my Japanese studies by pursuing a
specifically from a city calledbachelor’s degree in the language. Through my underSilver Spring in the state of Margraduate studies, I had the opportunity to be an ALTyland. Maryland is right next tointern at two private academies in Kanagawa prefecthe U.S. capital of Washington
Liliana at Toi Misaki ture for eighteen days in 2018. During this internship, ID.C., where I was born andshadowed the English teachers at both schools andwhere I spent most of my time since Silver Spring
participated in a homestay with one family from eachshares a border with D.C.. Coming from the D.C. metro- school for two separate weeks. The opportunity to conpolitan area means that I have grown up in one ofnect with students and families from a different culture
America’s largest melting pots, which probably exbrought me a sense of fulfilment I had never felt beplains my mixed cultural background.
fore. While I taught them English, my students showed
My father was born on a small island in the Caribbean me kindness and acceptance at a time when I was
called Puerto Rico, while my mother was born in acompletely out of my comfort zone. Thanks to this excountry in Central America called El Salvador. Both par- perience, I thought to myself, “I could do this for a livents ended up moving to the U.S. in search of a better ing.” So I did just that, and applied to the JET Prolife. They met in Washington, D.C. and were connected gramme after graduation. Hence me being here inby the shared experience of displacement and theMiyakonojo!
Spanish language. The language was then passed
I am grateful to be placed in this beautiful city and predown to me, becoming a huge part of my identity. De- fecture. My students make everyday fun, and my colspite not being able to visit El Salvador much in myleagues provide me with exceptional care and guidlifetime, I do visit Puerto Rico almost biannually. It’s a ance. On top of that, the surrounding mountains, sumtropical island with blue waters, fresh fruit, kind peomer humidity, and relaxed lifestyle remind me of Puerple, and delicious food. I claim the island as my second to Rico, making it easier to adjust to life in Japan. Overhome and embrace the culture as much as I can while all, I look forward to building more connections withI’m not there physically.
people in Miyakonojo, and exploring the ins and outs ofEspecially now, being an
Miyazaki prefecture.
ocean away from my homeand family, I have been making an extra effort to remember my background throughcooking and music! Before I
started living by myself in JaHomemade Empanadas pan, I hated cooking andPuerto Ricoswore up and down that I would never learn. But something about feeling homesick and the need to survive
has made me change my opinion. So now, I cook almost daily and often make a common Latin Americanstreet food called empanadas. These are a kind of turnover with many different types of fillings, and every
Latin American country has their own version! Withmusic, I listen to genres that are important to the culLiliana at theture a little more than usual. Mainly reggaetón and salDaibutsu insa have been on repeat in my Spotify playlists withmany artists from Puerto Rico and all of Latin America. Kamakura, 2018
I’ve also been trying my best to speak Spanish every
time I Facetime my parents so as not to forget the language.
At this point you may be wondering what I’m doing
teaching English in Japan if I love Spanish and Puerto

MIA NEWS 187ed., Dec. (5)Miyakonojo International Association

Miyakonojo International Association
6-21 Himegi-cho, Miyakonojo-shi,
Miyazaki-ken, Japan 885-8555
TEL 0986-23-2295
FAX 0986-23-3223
http://miyakonojo-mia.com
E-mail mia@btvm.ne.jp

Aussie Bites! (The Indian Pacific (Part 2), MIA Office Head Fujimoto Koichiro)
Dinner, held in the restaurant car, wasconducted in separate groups, eachcalled at slightly offset times. All of the meals wereauthentic-style, and of course, plenty of beer and wine
was provided. I myself only stayed for a single night,
but for those passengers who were staying on until
Perth, these meals must have been the greatest ofpleasures. After finishing my meal, I returned to myroom, and had a shower whilst occasionally being
rocked about by the movement of the train. I had tosupport myself with both hands against the walls tokeep my footing as I showered. Following the shower,
there was truly nothing left to do. I slipped into bed,
without even a TV to watch.
As dawn broke, the train continued to run across a desolate countryside. At around 7AM, with what looked to
be a quarry nearby, our train stopped at a station
called Broken Hill. Located roughly 1160 kilometresfrom Sydney, I was informed that the town once flourished due as a mining town. From near the station,
there were no residential houses to be seen. There wasa bus waiting at the train station when we arrived. Hopping off our train and onto the bus, we travelled on theroad through the desert for around 30 minutes, heading to a small hill before alighting. Scaling the hill, we
found tens of pieces on display that had once been
carved into the surrounding rock. As there was nothingelse around, all there was to do was gaze into the dis-tant horizon. After about an hour, we once more returned to the station, and boarded the Indian Pacific.
After departing Broken Hill Station and heading to therestaurant car to have breakfast, I continued my journey in the lounge car, again enjoying some beer as wewent. The landscape stretched into endless farmland.
As morning turned to afternoon, the train began to run
alongside the road. There was a sign on the road thatsaid “No gas past this point. No signal past this point.
This is the last store”, and many more similar messages. You would never see such a sign in Japan. I felt I
understood, at that point, just how expansive Australia
is. From Sydney Station, after being aboard the Indian
Pacific for some 24 hours, at 3PM, we arrived at ourplatform at South Australia’s Adelaide Station.

Information & Notices
Thank you to everyone thatjoined us for this year’s
BonchiMatsuridance!
Whether you were a part ofthe dance line or watchedfrom the street side, it was
fantastic to have you all forthe first time in 3 years!

◇ CPR & AED Course for International Residents
Open to all international residents who wish to learn
about CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) and using
AED (Automated External Defibrillator). This course will
be held in Easy Japanese, but can also support English.
When:
January 21st (Sat), 2023, 10AM - 12PM
Where:
Komatsubara Chiku Kominkan
Miyakonojo-shi Daio-cho 29-6
Cost:
Free
Apply online: https://forms.gle/jdP5YKMLQcJXhgAg7
Apply by January 10th (Tue)Capacity:
20 people (first come first served)
Inquiries:
shinguty@gmail.com

Movies info

C-Plaza Cine-port (Tel: 0986-24-2571)

17-9 Nakamachi, Miyakonojo, Miyazaki Map-Code (GPS): 117 488 540*55●Bosei (Japanese)●One Piece Film - Red (Japanese)●Strange World (Japanese Sub)
●Suzume (Japanese)●Sadako DX (Japanese)●Karada Sagashi (Japanese)●Mimi wo Sumaseba (Japanese)*The 1st of every month is ¥1,100 for everyone.
*Every Wednesday is ‘Ladies’ Day’, all ladies ¥1,100.
*The cinema is closed every Tuesday.
*For session times visit: http://movie.walkerplus.com/th286/