October someday

From this semester, I’ve found many students who are studying Japanese and they trigger to make lots of new friends and I am teaching Japanese to my friends and they teach me English or their languages in return. This should be one of the best ways to study languages and also new friends whom I have made in volleyball team or other societies help me a lot in lectures. I have reconfirmed how friends are important every day.

October 28th

31th October is Halloween day. It was my first time to celebrate Halloween in my life because in Japan, we don’t really celebrate it. I chose a white costume and a wig to disguise “Samara(in Japanese 貞子Sadako)” who is the one of the famous Japanese horror movie characters to attend the party. It was very fun. In this country around Halloween, we could see lots of people who wear nice? funny costume throughout the city so I wasn’t ashamed to do. I’m sure if I strolled with that costume in Japan, I would be got police check up. Lots of children visited our home to scare us and get some sweets. I really enjoyed a western culture.

December 6 th
I saw queen in front of Hancock museum. I was lucky. She wore nice pink clothing. I heard when she goes out, she always wear vivid colour to easy be found by everybody.
In the morning, this time

December 8 th
I saw The Queen on the TV because 11th November was a special day for the UK to remember the wars and victims of the wars. The Queen and other notable figures offered wreaths to the monument. Around this day people wear poppies as a kind of symbol of remembrance. I found that lots of people, foriegners as well as British, wear one on their chest. I think this is a good habit and it is important not to duplicate the tragedies. However I felt sorry because after the ceremony was broadcast, they announced the names of the soldiers who died in Afghanistan this week. I felt really strange and could not understand why lots of people shed tears for the victims, when at the same time they still continue the fight causing more deaths.

Similarly, in Japan we have a ceremony on 15th August to mark Japan's exit from the Second World War.

The very beginning of the new semester

September 20th
I woke up early to watch the Great north marathon which is one of the greatest half marathons in the UK with my host family. The start line of this huge event is quite close from the place where I am staying. It was an ideal day for the marathon. The motorway which is used the street as a start line was filled with lots of runners. Some runners wear funny costumes and made us laugh. The luckiest thing was I could see Sting who is my favourite English singer. Well, I could not see clearly because he stood very far distance from us but even I could not see him clearly, I was happy.

September 28th
From today, my new classes were started. I’m going to study business management, human resource and English in this semester. I have lots of chances to talk with English students or other European students who can speak English fluently. I know it is difficult for me to catch what they speak and follow them. I heard I get lots of tasks in this semester. I would be killed by them…
All I have to do is not to give up and always do my best.

September 30th
From this month we can join societies in this university. I am planning to join lots of societies as many as I can because the societies are the best places to make new friends. I should not miss these chances. I also want to try some sports which I have never tried before.

October 1st
I have gotten some English friends who want to study Japanese. I temporally see them to share our language skill. I like to teach Japanese in English. They can speak Japanese quite well even they have studied only a couple years. To compare with them, how long have I studied English at all!?!? Anyway, I feel this semester is going to be much more exciting than last semester!

Summer...?

July 7th
My new term was started and I got new classmates who are from Saudi Arabia, Libya, China and South Korea and Russia. In this term, all my classes are started from afternoon so it may be a little bit difficult to adjust my lifestyle. I must try not to become lazy.

July25th
I went to Sunderland to watch the international air show. It was so cool!
I could watch the performance of Red Arrows which is one of the greatest team in the world , great military helicopters and so on. Actually my host father used to belong to the Royal Air Force so after I went home, he explained to me.

July 28th
One of my Taiwanese friends invited me their softball team. I’ve never dreamed that I would use my baseball glove which I brought from Japan. All my team mates are from Taiwan except me but they welcomed me warmly. What’s more, all of them have stayed here for long time and they can speak English very well so I think to play with them also benefit my studying English.

August 6th
I went to swimming pool near the campus with my friends. It was cold a little to swim even indoor swimming pool. I can’t believe that it has already set in August. The atmosphere of summer in England is totally different to that in Japan. I cannot hear chirp of cicadas here. I miss the summer in Japan….
By the way, August 6th is a special day for Japanese. August 6th about 60 years ago, American army dropped the atomic bomb to Hiroshima in Japan. Every year, on this day, most of Japanese offer a silent prayer for the victim of the war and swear never repeat the same mistake.

june

4th June

I have finished my presentation. I think I could do everything what I had practiced. Through this term I learned organic farming. I research into organic farming, submitted some assignments about that and finally I had presentation. I don’t want to hear the phrase “organic farming” for a moment.

8th June

I took 3 exams which were listening, Reading, Writing. Every exam was difficult for me, but I did my best. Exams has already finished so I cannot do anymore for my score. I should change my way of thinking to next thing.

12th June
I got my results through this term. They were not so bad like that I had expected. Now, I could find my weak points and what I should do from next semester. I try to practice them to improve my skill.
Anyway, from now my 2 weeks brake is started. I try to go around UK as many as I can.

19 ~24th June
I have been to London with my friend and my friend has acquaintance in London so we could stay her home. I had second host family. During our stay in London, I visited lot of places like British museum, Big ben, Buckingham Palace, Tower bridge etc...
This city has convenient tube and we can go almost everywhere we want to go.
Also a lot of nice restaurant from all over the world are gathered in this city.
Because I like Asian cooking, I tried Korean, Thai, Japanese restaurants.
I had thought 5 days was enough to go around there but actually it was not.
If I have a chance I want to visit there again.

recently

4th May
Today is Bank holiday which is one of national holidays in the UK.
I went to Globe café which is local church and every week a lot of international students and local English people gather there to enjoy dinner or chat. This is really good place to make friends and chat with local English. Globe café has a kind of title each week. The topic of this week was West Country (I am not sure…). The students who are from West side in this country introduced their hometown and their special food. I really enjoyed that and I could make some friends there. I try to go there every week as many as I can.

6th May
This was the important day for my host family because it was the day of semi-final game of UEFA champions’ league. My host father is a supporter of Chelsea which is one of the popular teams in England. Unfortunately, they lost the game and could not get right to go final game. I could not speak to him because he was so angry and sad. Most of English support football team hard which they like. I like this habit. By the way of course I am supporting Newcastle United.

17th May
Finally, I could get my mobile phone in this country. I chose 3 company (3 is the name of company.)because I can use skype on this mobile phone and if we call on skype, we can talk free even international call. This is really useful. I want to know how Skype Company earns their money.


24th May
This was very important day again because it was the last day of this season in Premier league and Newcastle United stood at verge of cliff.(at least they had to draw the match to leave in this league…) however unfortunately, they lost the game and was relegated to inferior league. I was so sorry about this. I hope ,as a supporter of this team, they will return soon.

my first 2 weeks

Hello. I am Yuki Otsuka who is from Japan and take study abroad with English in INTO Newcastle University. This time, I will tell you my first two weeks in Newcastle.

19. April
After about 13 hours of flying, I finally arrived in Newcastle. At the same time, my precious 10 months was started. I had already decided I try to do everything as much as I can in this country without forgetting appreciation for the people who support me especially my parents.
I went to my host family from airport to my host family home by taxi and my host family welcomed me warmly. By my long flight and time differences (there is 8 hours between Japan and England) I was a little bit tired but I was relieved by them.

20. April
Today is the first day to go to Newcastle University in this time. To tell the truth, first I was surprised the number of Japanese students because they are more than I thought.
However most of them have decided not to use Japanese here, so I felt we can heighten each other. I also could make friends who are from other countries like China, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Taiwan etc… Then I took some guidance about entrance and joined a small welcome party.

22 April
Today I took guidance by police officer and fireman about what we should do in emergency. I could not understand clearly what they said because of my poor listening skill. However I did not have to worry about that because kind staffs explain again later if I could not hear. After guidance, I joined the small tour which was planned by INTO staffs and went to quay side which is one of the famous parts in this city. I could see many beautiful bridges there. (Periodically, there are small tours to go around England which are planned by INTO staffs)

24 April
Finally, I have gotten smart card which is student ID card. If we can show this, we can enjoy shopping with discounted price in a lot of shops in Newcastle.

25 April
Today I joined the INTO tour and went to Hardian’s wall and Hexham which is west side of Newcastle. I could see many traditional buildings, ruins and a church which is called Arebey. I could grasp the geography of Newcasle a little and study history of England a little

27 April
From today my classes was started. There are students from Syria, Saudi Arabia and China in my class. There is no Japanese except me but everybody is friendly and study hard to aim each purpose. I would like to help each other for our success from today. After classes I went to St. James Park which is home stadium of Newcastle United football club to watch the match with my friends. Unfortunately the game ended in a draw but I felt the edge and passion of players and supporters.


This is most of my first two weeks. After classes, I usually have a lunch with my friends and play them or go library to study, or go somewhere and in the night, I try to spend time with my host family like have a dinner, chat, watch TV programs or movies. I am having really nice time here but I have a lot of things to try here for my aim and I have not done yet. As I told first, I would like to try everything as much as possible in my Newcastle life.