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On Friday, I went to Daniel’s house with Yukina and Kentaro. Before going out for dinner, we played the piano and table tennis at his house. Then we went out to eat Italian food for the first time since I came to Australia. It was very tasty. After dinner, we went to an ice cream shop. I usually do not choose orange-colored ice cream, but I tried a sample. It turned out to be white chocolate flavor, and it was so delicious that it became my favorite.

On Saturday, Lily’s mother took us to a butterfly museum. She told me there were probably no snakes, so although I was a little scared, I was relieved that there were none. I wanted to see a blue butterfly, but unfortunately I could not. However, there were many kinds of butterflies, and it was very interesting. In Australia, children are taught from a young age to protect nature. I was told that even if something is scary, it is important not to crush or hit it but to leave it alone gently. After that, we went to a seaside restaurant for lunch. There was a surfing competition going on at the beach, and many people were gathered. For lunch, I tried a squid dish that I do not usually order. I imagined it would be like fried calamari, but it was fried with a curry-like flavor and was very delicious.

After we got home, I tried a durian-flavored snack for the first time. It had a unique soft texture and taste, and I did not like it very much, but I was glad I got to try it.

On Sunday, we went on a boat trip to see whales. I had been looking forward to it for a long time, so I was happy to go. Unfortunately, we did not see any whales or dolphins, but it was still a very valuable experience. After that, we went to a market and ate hot dogs, then visited a small aquarium. I heard that the market is held every Sunday unless it rains, and many things were being sold. At the aquarium, we could touch sea creatures and take photos in special spots, so I had a great time.

On Tuesday, two students from another school came to join our Japanese class. One of them was Cody, who had previously studied abroad in Okayama, Japan, and the other was a student the same age as me who is currently studying in Australia for one year. I heard that they now go to the same school and that both of them spoke English and Japanese fluently. I learned many new words and absorbed a lot. Recently, many people I’ve been around can speak multiple languages, and that encourages me a lot.

The other day, while I was walking with Lily, three Australian elementary school students came up to us and asked, “Are you Japanese?” When I spoke in Japanese, they were very happy. I realized that people can connect through language regardless of age, and I felt again that I should truly be grateful for having the opportunity to study abroad. I was also really happy that they were interested in the Japanese language.

The other day at school, I saw a dog. I did not know why it was there, so I asked Lily, and she told me that BDC has a dog that helps people feel happy when they are feeling sad. I had never heard of a school in Japan having a dog, so I found it very interesting. I think it would be nice if schools in Japan also had some kind of pet to help people relax when they are tired.