トンカオさん（高１）のインタビュー

O’Connor: Please briefly introduce yourself.

Tonkhao: Hi, my name is Ornamol Subhamanee, but everyone calls me Tonkhao. I’m from Thailand and I’m 18 years old right now. I came to Japan last year in March. I am a student in 高1.



O’Connor: What was the biggest culture shock you experienced here in Japan?

Tonkhao: So, like, maybe the train. Like, there are so many people in the train in the morning and evening. It’s too many people and sometimes I feel イライラ. I live in the countryside in Thailand so we don’t have crowded transport systems. But I think the Thai transport system is not so good. It’s often late and doesn’t have a schedule. We really only have trains in Bangkok. Many Thai people get around by car or motorcycle. Other than that, not much. I know about Japan so it doesn’t surprise me so much but maybe one other thing is in oshogatsu, or like other festivals, Japanese people do things in order, step by step. Of course we have this kind of culture too but, for example, if you talk about oshogatsu to Japanese friends, like, what did you eat, everybody in Thailand will have a different answer but in Japan almost everyone will say they ate osechi and visited the shrine for hatsumode.



O’Connor: What did you miss the most about home while being in Japan?

Tonkhao: Food!! I think food in Japan and food in Thailand is very different. In Thailand we have so many tastes: spicy, sweet, salty. I don’t mean that Japanese doesn’t have that but sometimes Japanese food tastes similar to me. I ate Thai food here and I think it was kind of the same as back home because the owner is usually a Thai person and you can find the ingredients in Kaldi or the Asian supermarket.



O’Connor: What’s your favorite Japanese word?

Tonkhao: That’s not easy!! I think 幸せ. Like, I like to ask my friends 幸せ？幸せ？and they laugh but recently they answer 幸せです



O’Connor: What was your school life experience like here in Japan? Did you have a favorite subject?

Tonkhao: Favorite subject? It might be English because it is the easiest for me to understand. But other subjects were good too, like home economics. I can do things with my friends so it’s fun and I had cooking lessons. My favorite event was School Festival because I did many things. At first I thought because I am an exchange student I don’t have much to do but it was kind of fun. We were so busy. I had so many things to do. I did a shift selling things, made a presentations and participated in a kendo match. It was so much fun.



O’Connor: You joined the 中３ trip to Iwate. How was it?

Tonkhao: It was great!!! We went to temples, museums, mountains, and lakes but I could make so many new friends. いっぱいできた！



O’ Connor: What was the hardest thing for you this year?

Tonkhao: Being an exchange student! It’s not the first time I’m far from my family, it’s the first time I’m far for this long, but not the first time. And so sometimes I feel lonely. With a different culture and different lifestyle and different thoughts it was kind of hard at first but now I have so many friends so I’m happy.



O’Connor: What’s the next step for you?

Tonkhao: I will study. I think I’ll have more will to study from this year abroad. I will be in 高３ when I go back. I want to be a vet. I’m a little sad because when I go back my old friends will have already graduated so I’ll have to make new friends.



O’Connor: Do you have a message for FGS students?

Tonkhao: Thank you for being my friends. I’m so happy that so many people came and talked to me and wanted to be my friend. I also want to say don’t worry and please talk to the new students. They will be happy. When I first came here I was so lonely and wanted someone to talk to so I want them to have the courage to talk to people. One girl told me she didn’t talk to me because she doesn’t know how to talk to people, but in the end we talked.