| Q1. | Hi Chantelle, how are you? |
| A1. | I'm good, yep. |
| Q2. | Where do you live now? |
| A2. | Uh, In a dormitory... yep, just girls… which is slightly difficult at times becasue sometimes we'd like the guy international students to come over and watch videos and things like that, but its causes difficulties... so, yeah. |
| Q3. | Where are the other girls from in your dorm? |
| A3. | Umm... On my floor I've got another English international student... exchange student. And then there's some Chinese girls that have been really nice to me, they've just moved in, in April, but they're always telling me what they're cooking and offering me food and wanting to party and things like that. And there's some Japanese girls, and then on other floors there other international students, but mainly just Japanese. |
| Q4. | So what do you think about Hiroshima University? |
| A4. | Umm... its a good way to see Japanese students, I studied Japanese culture and was told what it was going to be like, but its totally different seeing it first hand... yeah. |
| Q5. | How are college students different to how you might of expected them to be? |
| A5. | Umm... they're not so rebellious, I was told that this is the one time in the Japanese' lives that they could rebel, and they've been in high school and had to study for so long, and then they've got university life and then they have to become business men or women and bring home money and work a lot, and this was the only time they could really, really play up, but… they do a little but not so much. They just rebel all together, and they all look the same. Same.... clothes, same hairstyles... yeah. |
| Q6. | So how about closer to home here, uh… what other places have you visited nearby in Hiroshima prefecture...or..? |
| A6. | Yeah... Umm... I've been to Miyajima twice: once in winter, once at the peak of cherry blossom season, and it was beautiful. I've been to Iwakuni, umm... to the bridge down there, saw the bridge festival. And…. been to Iwakuni a fair few times. Gone to Hiroshima, spent a fair few days and nights there. And... yeah, I've been to Okayama... And, that was just with my tutor, so that was more just homestay. |
| Q7. | How do you like Saijo and the surrounding area? |
| A7. | Uh... There could be more to do... there's not so much. Its... sometimes it's good because you have peace and quiet, but I would definitely like to be closer to Hiroshima city, where I could just explore it. I mean to get out in Saijo I'd go to the park, whereas if I was in Hiroshima I'd go to...like, the peace park, or explore different parks. There's a really nice park near... umm, one of the museums that looks right out over the top of Hiroshima it was really nice when all the cherry blossoms were out. |
| Q8. | Where would you recommend people go nearby the university here? |
| A8. | Umm...Kagagiyama parks a good place just to chill out in. During the day you can go down there put a blanket out, get a tan. Umm... its good for barbecues day or night, yeah... occasionally go for a run there in the mornings... yep. |
| Q9. | Where would you recommend for night time? Or… |
| A9. | Hmm... Night time... Its hard in the dorms because, umm.. often we get complaints about noise... and about boys being there and things like that, so... Umm, yeah you've got to go out. Umm... there's Kakadoo bar which is run by a couple of Australians, and... where else do I go? Well, yeah... usually just think, well I'm going to spend about the same amount of money if I went to Hiroshima and not drink so much, so sometimes I just get out and... Especially if I work it in, I do a couple of jobs in Hiroshima city so I work during the day and then just stay there and go out at night |
| Q10. | Are you used to taking Japanese transportation? |
| A10. | Yeah, Yeah definitely. |
| Q11. | How do you find it? Is it convenient, is it...? |
| A11. | Umm... Well I find it convenient, because... in my hometown in Australia we don't have, you know... I've only used a train once in my life, and the buses… they're OK but not quite so good and… yeah. Where as here the buses are very easy to use, you know exactly... its very easy just overall, just to use, you take your ticket on the way in, or I usually get a prepaid card and... Yeah, you get off when ever you want to get off. And the trains the only bad point about that is that they stop running about twelve'ish and don't start again till six, so it means if you go out you can't come home till the first train in the morning. But other than that they're always reliable, sometimes a little bit to warm, but you can never complain about that, its better than being too cold… and freezing. |
| A12. | Some people think traveling in Japan is expensive. How do you find it? |
| A12. | Uh... I guess it is, but... I'm just sick of complaining about it so I just accept it, and say that's the way it is. |
| A13 | Where would you still like to go in Japan? |
| A13. | Tokyo... and Mount Fuji, want to climb Mount Fuji. And would like to go to Hokkaido cause that's another... I guess I'm more interested in the mystery Japan, that's why I explored Kyushu. Everyone knows about Kyoto and Tokyo, but not so many people get to see Hokkaido and Okinawa, and just the other places........ Yeah, but definitely spending a couple of weeks in Tokyo and a weekend in Fuji to climb it. |
| A14. | Well it's been nice talking with you. |
| A14. | Ok it's been good chatting with you too.
Thanks a lot Thanks |