This page is taken from part of the mail I sent to some of my friends.

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Title : I'm going back to Japan soon.

I've got something to tell you - I'm going back to Japan on 18 June and come back to Sydney on 23 July. I haven't decided if I'll have Internet access in Japan, but if you're going to email me, email me at my hotmail address from 18 June to 22 July, NOT ykazuo@ozemail.com.au , though I'm not sure I can email you back. After 23 July, you can email me at either of the two addresses. Sorry for the late notice. I meant to email you sooner, but didn't get around to it. Contact me if you can meet me in Osaka or Kochi while I'm in Japan.

(2 June, 2002)

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Title : My assignment

I was in the UTS library all day working on my assignment. I have to select three textbooks, which are based on different approaches and choose an example of learning tasks, activities and materials from each one. (One of these should be an example of the Communicative Approach or the Genre-Based Approach.) I have to write a 1300-1500 word review. It's hard for me because I don't really understand the difference between the Communicative and Genre-based Approach. First I'll read the books to understand the difference and then start working on it. I borrowed 9 books from the library today.

(13 April, 2002)

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Title : A burgler broke into my house

I've changed my Web site to http://kazuo.fc2web.com/ . If you're not Japanese, click "English" "Chinese" or "Korean" on the top page.

I've got bad news - Last Friday, a burglar broke into our house and my host sister's bike ($450) was stolen. We have two houses: the main house where my host family lives and the detached house for students where I'm living by myself at the moment. He forced his way into the house where I'm living. The doors and the gate were all left open and the screen was removed. Apparently, he came in through the window after breaking out the screen, stole the bike and then left through the back door. The bike had been placed between the two houses.

Actually, I heard a noise around 3am on the day when I couldn't get to sleep well. In hindsight, the noise was the one to remove the screen. I thought it was weird, but I never thought that it was the noise a burglar was making, so I didn't care and tried to sleep. We've now improved the security. I hope he won't come again.

(10 April, 2002)

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Title : It never rains but it pours :-(

I took a TOEIC test on Friday, but blew it in listening. There was a blackout during the test so I had to take it in a dark room - though that's not the reason I didn't do well.

I have a sore ankle now. I fell down some stone steps yesterday and twisted my ankle. Since it still hurts, I might have to go to the hospital.

Another bad thing is that I broke my portable radio when I dropped it. It never rains but it pours. :-(

(6 April, 2002)

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Title : I changed my visa

I finally changed my working holiday visa to the student visa. I'd been very worried about it because I heard I'd have to have an interview for it. Actually what they call an "interview" was not really like an interview. I just handed in all the required documents and the officer put the visa on my passport. It was over very quickly.

As I said earlier, I'm doing a graduate diploma (postgraduate degree) in language teaching in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). It takes 2 semesters; or 1 year to complete the course. I'm going to go on to a Masters after that. You can see my course details at http://www.uts.edu.au/div/publications/edu/pg/ta78.html . For my schedule, visit my page at http://www.geocities.co.jp/HeartLand/4084/Oz/schedule.htm . As you can see on the page, I have very few classes.

By the way, I live in a Chinese homestay in Kingsgrove at the moment. It's 20-25 minutes down from Central Station.

(13 March, 2002)

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Title : I got accepted into the Graduate Diploma

I got accepted to the Graduate Diploma in Languages Teaching in TESOL and will study for a year starting 4 March. Actually, I applied for the Graduate Diploma in TESOL, but since I don't have any teaching qualifications, I was placed into the other course.

The main difference between "Languages Teaching in TESOL" and "TESOL" is whether students have teaching qualifications or not. The former course, which I got accepted into, is designed for those interested in TESOL (Teaching English to Speaker of Other Languages) but don't have an initial teaching qualification.

Though I was placed into a different course, I've decided to enrol because the two courses are quite similar and I will be able to do a lot of teaching practice. Now I have to get through the red tape, such as the application for a student visa. I hope everything will go well.

(2 Feb, 2002)

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Title : My assignment

Now I'm working on the assignment. I got a lot of stress from the essay about "stress on young people!" Young people get a lot of stress from their studies and I'm writing the solution. I wish I knew the solution. :-( My IELTS preparation class is so boring that I study Chinese during the class. Last time, I said it was easy because what we were doing was really easy at that time. What we are doing now is not very easy - but not useful.

(17 Jan, 2002)

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Title : My IELTS preparation class

The IELTS preparation course has just started last week. It's too easy for me. The teachers are ... I don't know yet. I think I'm wasting time. Some of my friends told me that I shouldn't take the IELTS course because it's too easy, and now I've realised it.

However, every cloud has a silver lining. Most of my classmates are Chinese and that motivated my Chinese study. I've been studying both English and Chinese very hard. Chinese, which I studied at university for two years, has been coming back to me and I'm talking with Chinese classmates in Chinese a little. I'm moving from Bondi Junction to Kingsgrove on 27 Jan. Next homestay family is Chinese. I'll ask them to speak in Chinese. :-)

(12 Jan, 2002)