The Very Last Exchange with Mushashi, Tokyo

What did Taiwan and Japan share in common? What topics can they talk about and learn from each other in simple English? It was my honor to work with Toshi in his last few days at Musashi.

 

Taiwanese braised pork rice and tofu pudding were on Musashi's school lunch menu. Yoichi Hatta, a Japanese engineer, helped with the irrigation system and reservoir in central and southern Taiwan. On top of that, Toshi’s students also did some fantastic moves for Kendo and old child’s play.

 

My students shared similar architectural styles between the old Taichung Station, the presidential building in Taipei, and the old Tokyo Station. They all have a symmetrical design with a central axis, with red bricks in their construction. Also, many Taiwanese people eat sushi differently, dipping the rice in the sauce rather than the fish. One of my students demonstrated this unique way of eating sushi by using toy sushi as an example. As for talent exchange, a boy showcased his skills by playing a traditional Chinese instrument with a beautiful melody.  

 

I gave a talk on how important it was to learn English to make friends outside of Taiwan and Japan. With some interesting questions, like “Where is Toshi?” and “Where was bubble milk tea invented?”, the Japanese students could take a wild guess with the pictures on my slides.  

 

Six of my colleagues and the principal came to observe the class. Right off the bat, I told them they were about to witness my trouble-shooting skills because the new microphone couldn’t pick up any sound. With the old speakerphone, I managed to conduct the whole session and made the other end loud and clear. On Toshi’s end, the audio quality was not that good, I supposed. Sorry about that.

 

I've known Toshi since 2014 and have worked with him on several exchange sessions. He and I had so many fond memories of our previous student video calls. I wish him all the best and hope he settles in quickly at his new school.