Saturday 16 November 2019

Let's talk about YOU!: Aya Yamamoto Jane and her life in Australia



This week I wanted to take the time to start to interview people I think have interesting life stories. I thought the best place to start is with my Wife Aya because she is from a totally different background to me and yet we both met each other in a country different to our own while working and are now married. She had been in Australia a lot longer than I had and was essentially my guide to a lot of Australian life in Melbourne during our time together there.

I always found her life in Melbourne interesting so wanted to take the time to sit down with her and talk about her experiences there, I hope you enjoy!

(Each question has been translated into Japanese by Aya so that her family and friends can easily read it! Thanks Aya!)

今週は、興味深い人生を送っている人にインタビューをしたいと思います。そのスタートにふさわしいのは私の妻、彩かなと思いました。なぜなら彼女には全く違うバックグラウンドがあって、さらに私たちは自国でない国オーストラリアで出会い、将来を共にすることになりました。彼女は私よりも長くオーストラリアにいたので、実質私のメルボルンでの生活のガイドのようでした。私は常に彼女のメルボルンでの暮らしに興味を持っていたので、彼女の経験についてインタビューの時間をとることにしました。皆さんに楽しんでいただけたらと思います!

Q: Introduce yourself to us, what is your name and where are you from?
Q:まずは、自己紹介を。名前と出身を教えてください。

A: My name is Aya Yamamoto, I was born In Tokyo Japan but I’m from Sayama City in the Saitama prefecture North of Tokyo. Sayama is known in Japan for producing Sencha which is a type of Green Tea.
A: 山本彩です。生まれは東京、埼玉県の狭山市という所で育ちました。
狭山は緑茶(狭山茶)の生産で有名な場所です。

Q: When you were growing up did you feel like there was a lot to do in Sayama or did you always want to go somewhere else?
Q: 狭山で育つ中で、生活は充実していたと思う?それともどこかに引っ越したいなと感じていた?

A: Sayama is mostly a residential area, it’s close to Tokyo so it’s easy for people to commute. It’s great for nature and I feel it was a great place to grow up, I never felt bored enough to want to go elsewhere.
A: 狭山(埼玉全般)は、東京から近いので通勤・通学するための人たちの居住地区として便利な場所なの。自然はたくさんあるし、幼少期を過ごすには素晴らしい環境だったと思う。だから、どこか他の場所に行きたいなと思ったことはないかな。

Q: Can you remember the first place you ever traveled to abroad such as a family vacation and what that was like?
Q: 家族旅行とかで初めて行った海外旅行を覚えている?それは、どんな感じだった?

A:  I remember going to Malaysia when I was around 1 ½ years old, But I mostly remember it from the pictures I’ve seen.
A: 確か一歳半くらいだったと思うけど、マレーシアに行ったのを覚えているよ。まあ、ほとんどが写真からの記憶だけどね。

Q: What vacation did you remember the most with your family if any stand out to you?
じゃあ、家族旅行の中で一番記憶に残っているのはどこに行ったとき?

A: My family went to Hawaii often when I was in Primary school so those were some great memories for me but I have two trips in my life that stand out a lot, one is Egypt and the other is a trip I took to multiple places Sweden,Finland and Denmark.
A: 私の家族は、私が小学生の時によくハワイに行ったかな。それはすごく良い思い出だけど、それとは別に私の記憶に残っている旅行は二つあって、一つはエジプトへ行った旅行と、もう一つは北欧(スウェーデン、フィンランド、デンマーク)へ行ったときかな。

My trips to the latter places were part of a business trip for the company my Dad worked for. When I was a university student I was looking for a job after graduation but I struggled to think about what I could do as a career. Then my Dad went on a business trip with his colleagues and I was asked if I wanted to come along with them.
最後の旅行は、父の仕事関係のものだったけどね。ちょうど私が就活中で、将来何をしようかと悩んでいる時だったんだよね。そんな時に父に一緒に来るかと声を掛けてもらったの。

It’s funny because I actually had an interview with a wedding company at the time and the trip was the same time, I asked if I could change the interview but I couldn’t. I chose to travel instead because I was so interested in other places and I don’t regret that!

Because I went on these trips it made me think a little about working abroad in the future because I saw other cultures up close.
実は、その時ウェディング関係の会社の最終面接と旅行が被っていて、面接の日程を変更できないかとその会社にお願いしたんだよね。でもだめだった。そして面接を蹴って旅行を選んだの。海外にすごく興味があったからね、その選択を後悔はしていないよ!なぜならこの旅行で他国の文化を近くで感じて、将来海外で働くということに興味を持ったきっかけになったから。


Q: Was travel a big part of your life as a child?
Q: 幼少期の自分にとって旅行は重要なものだった?

A: Yes I think so definitely!
A: うん、もちろんそう思う!

Q: Wow that’s great, so in general what is one of your favorite places you’ve visited?
Q: それは素晴らしいね、じゃあ今まで訪れてお気に入りの国はどこ?

A: It’s difficult because I’ve enjoyed everywhere I’ve been to. Japan Is quite an isolated island so compared to other countries we don’t have such a mix of culture so I find traveling a good chance to experience and meet people from different cultures.

So everywhere I have been holds it’s own memories and experiences for me I can’t pick any specific one.
A: 難しいなぁ、全部が素晴らしかったから。日本は他国と比べると比較的閉鎖的な国で多文化ではない。旅行は他国の人と出会い、異文化に触れる素晴らしい機会だなと思う。だから旅行それぞれに思い出があるし、経験したことも違うから一つに絞れないなぁ。

Q: Did you ever picture yourself working abroad before you went on that trip with your Dads company?
Q: お父さんと行った(北欧)企業研修旅行よりも以前に海外で働く自分を想像していた?

A: My dad used to be a Musician and he had a lot of friends from foreign countries due to this so I got a chance to meet a lot of different people from a young age, I think that’s a reason why I was so interested in other cultures early on…. But I’ve forgotten the question haha!
A: 父は昔ミュージシャンだったから外国人の仕事仲間もいたし、幼いころから外国人に会う機会とか多かったかな。だからこの時から他国の文化に興味を持っていたんだと思う。  で、質問は何だったっけ?(笑)

Q: * Repeated the question *
(質問を繰り返す)

A: Yeah I didn’t have any chance to study abroad but I was interested to do that or even work abroad from an early age, it was always a thought in my mind.
A: そう、留学したことはなかったけど、幼いころから留学にも興味があったし、海外で働くことに関しても興味を持ってた。常に頭の片隅にはそんな考えがあったと思う。

Q: Ok so I want to talk to you about Australia which has been a big part of your life for the last 5 years. When was it that you decided to go to Australia and why?
Q: オッケー、じゃあここ5年間の大半を占めるオーストラリアでの生活について話そう。オーストラリアに行くことを決めたのはいつ?そして、その理由は?

A: I worked at an international Hotel in Tokyo but my English was not at a great level at the time, due to a general English education in Japan and my lack of confidence. So I thought if I went to an English speaking country I could improve my abilities.

It’s quite easy to get a working Holiday Visa in Canada or Australia for Japanese people. At the time I felt the UK was quite far from Japan and it was too difficult to get a visa there so I focused on Canada and Australia.
A: 私はもともと外資のホテルに勤めていたんだけど、当時は英語のレベルも低かったし、普通に義務教育の中で英語を学んだだけだったから自信もなかった。だから英語圏の国に行けば英語力が上がるかなと思って。(非常に浅はかな理由笑)

日本人にとってはカナダやオーストラリアのワーキングホリデービザを取るのが比較的簡単かなと。その当時は、イギリスは遠いしビザも人気で取得するのは難しいと思っていたから、カナダとオーストラリアに絞ったの。

Q: Which is funny because now you’re in the UK on a similar Visa!
今、YMS(旧ワーキングホリデービザ)でイギリスにいるのに面白いもんだね!

A: Yeah! I felt that Canada was also too cold for me at the time and that Australia was a safe place with great people and weather as well as being multicultural so I decided to go to Australia in May of 2014.
A: ホント!あとカナダは寒すぎるんじゃないかと思って。オーストラリアは治安も良くて人も優しそうだし、気候も良い。それに多文化の国家だからね。2014年の5月にオーストラリアへ行くことにしました




Q: Where In Australia did you arrive?
Q: 初めに到着したのはどこ?

A: Sydney!
A: シドニー!

Q: What were your thoughts upon arrival and you first few days like?
Q: 到着して初めの数日はどんな感じだった?

A: I’d never been to Australia before, but I never felt like I was ‘away’ because there were so many people from around the world there living together, I was excited but it felt strange to be around so many different cultures, it felt different than visiting European countries.
A: オーストラリアはそれまで一度も行ったことがなかったんだけど、たくさんの国の人が共に暮らしているからなのかアウェーな感じが全くしなかった。新しい生活にわくわくしたけど、なんだか不思議な感じだったな。ヨーロッパの国に行った時とは違う感じがした。

Q: Where Did you stay in Sydney at first? Was it with other travelers like in a Hostel or was it a Home Stay experience?
Q: 初めにシドニーでステイしたのはどこ?他の旅行者とホステルとかに滞在した?それともホームステイとか?

A: I used a Homestay which I found through an agency in Japan.
A: 日本から留学エージェントを利用してホームステイファミリーを見つけて、そこにステイした




Q: What was that like because in my traveling experience, I have never used a home stay before but always found them an interesting concept.
Q: それは、どんな感じだった?というのも自分の経験の中でホームステイってしたことがないんだよね。でもいつもコンセプトが面白いなと感じていたから。

A: I stayed with an Australian Family, A Mother, her Son and her Boyfriend. I found it interesting because she had two sons and only one stayed with her the other with her ex husband. The whole family still had a really great relationship despite this. It surprised me because in Japan if the parents divorce then there relationship can be quite poor, but in Australia it seemed like they worked as a team still for their kids.
A: 私は、オージーファミリーの家にステイさせてもらって、お母さんと息子、そしてお母さんの彼が一緒に暮らしていた。そのお母さんには息子が二人いるんだけど、一方の息子は共に暮らしていて、もう一方の息子は元旦那と一緒に暮らしていたんだよね。それにも関わらず、家族関係がとても良かったのには驚いた。日本では、両親が離婚すると家族関係は崩壊することが多いけど、オーストラリアでは例え離婚したとしても子供のためにはチームであり続けているようだった。(もちろん個人差はあると思うが

Q: So it was interesting for you to see that lifestyle?
Q: オージーのライフスタイルを見るのは面白かった?

A: Yes
A: ええ、そう思う

Q: Did you stay with them for long?
Q: そこに長く滞在したの?

A: Not that long but my entire time in Sydney
A: 長くはないけどシドニーにいる間はずっとそこにいた。

Q: What was your first job in Australia and did you find it difficult to find one initially?
オーストラリアでの初めての仕事は何だった?そして仕事探しは難しかった?

A: I was meant to join a language school at first for a month but at the same time I was looking for a job, I found one in Hamilton Island in my first week so I decided to go there straight away, I left the Homestay quite quickly because of this.

My Job in Hamilton Island was meant to be working in the restaurant as a waitress but when I got to the interview in Sydney the interviewer said the job was no longer available but they would find me a new position.

Then they told me about a position which would be ‘Public attendant’ but it was actually cleaning. I didn’t have much money at the time and wanted a job As soon as possible so I took the position which I held for 6 months.

Hamilton Island was a unique place because one huge company ran everything, from the hotel to the golf course like a resort. It’s the biggest island in the Great Barrier Reef and had its own airport.
I found that a lot of people on a working holiday visa want to have a lot of fun as well as work. For me I focused on the work more than the fun because I wanted to do well and build a life in another country through experience or getting recognized and offered a sponsorship.
A: 初めの1ヶ月は語学学校に通う予定だったんだけど、同時に仕事探しもしてた。滞在1週目にハミルトン島での仕事を見つけて、すぐそこに行くことに決めたからホームステイは先からはすぐに出た。

元々ハミルトン島での仕事は、レストランでのウェイトレスという予定だったんだけど、面接に行くとそのポジションはもうないと言われてでも、他のポジションを探してくれたんだよね。

それで「パブリックアテンダント」っていうポジションについて説明されたんだけど、結局はクリーナーだった。お金もなかったから、できるだけ早く仕事が欲しかったということもあって、この仕事を受けることにした。そこで6ヶ月過ごした。(※オーストラリアのワーキングホリデーでは、同一企業で働けるのは6ヶ月と決まっている。)
ハミルトン島ってところはとてもユニークで、ホテルからリゾートゴルフコースまで全てが一つの大きな企業によって運営されているの。グレートバリアリーフにある島の中では一番大きくて、島内に空港もある。

多くのワーキングホリデー利用者は、仕事よりも楽しむことを優先するような気がする。でも私の場合は、楽しむということよりも他国に基盤を作って働くということが優先だった。これは向こうの生活を経験する中で気づいたんだけど、最終的には会社にスポンサーしてもらうことに繋がったんだよね。



Q: So it was Melbourne that you went to next?
Q: じゃあ、そのあとがメルボルン?

A: Yes
A: そう。

Q: What brought you to Melbourne?
Q: なぜメルボルンへ行くことになったの?

A: After my six months ended I decided to look elsewhere for work. I felt that Island life was nice and relaxed but at the same time there was little to do, it was too relaxed. I thought if I stayed here longer I would not be able to get used to city life again.

I thought about going back to Sydney but many travelers and friends told me that Sydney was not a good city to live in, they recommended Melbourne. I wondered what the difference was but so many people to me to try Melbourne out. I thought ‘why not?’ and decided to go.
A: 6ヶ月が終了したら、どこか違う場所で仕事を探そうと思ってた。島での生活はゆったりしていてとても良かったけど、時にやることがなくて刺激が少なかった。ここに長くいたら、都会での生活には戻れなくなるだろうなと思ったの。

シドニーに戻ろうと思っていたんだけど、島で出会った沢山の友達がシドニーは住む場所ではないと。彼らにメルボルンを薦められた。何が違うのか疑問だったけど、多くの人がメルボルンを薦めてきた。それなら行かないって選択肢はないでしょ?だから行くことに決めたの。

Q: So you didn’t have a job ready you decided to look when you got to Melbourne?
Q: じゃあ、メルボルンに行くときには仕事も決まっていなかったの?

A: Yes that’s right.
A: そう、そういうこと。

Q: Where did you stay in Melbourne?
Q: メルボルンではどこに滞在した?

A: I stayed in a Hostel this time.
A: この時はホステル(バックパッカー)にステイした。

Q: What was that experience like for you because I found Hostels in Melbourne to be quite poor compared to anywhere else in the world I had been to one.
Q: 世界中のホステルと比べるとメルボルンのホステルはあまり良くないような気がするんだけど、どんな感じだった?

A: I’d never stayed in one before so I didn’t want to be in a messy backpacker room, I paid more for a more ‘luxury’ hostel.
A: 今までホステルに泊まったことがなかったから、汚い部屋とかには泊まりたくなくて少しお金を余分に払って良さそうな部屋をとった。



Q: You only worked for the one job in Melbourne didn’t you?
メルボルンでは一つしか仕事をしていないよね?

A: Yes I worked for DOA for a number of years until I left the country this year
A: うん、今年オーストラリアを出るまでは数年間DOAD.O.A Australia 日系旅行会社)で働いた。

Q: How did you find that job?
Q: 仕事はどうやって見つけたの?

A: I used a Japanese website which helped people find jobs in Melbourne.
A: メルボルンにある日系求人サイトを使った。

Q: What are your honest thoughts on that job now that you no longer work there.
Q: 退職した今、正直仕事についてはどう思う?

A: I was planning to become a tour guide for foreign people in Japan when I return to Japan so found the job a good opportunity to train as it was doing tours for Japanese people in Melbourne. Melbourne is not a popular city for Japanese tourists compared to places in NSW or Queensland.
Melbourne has lots of different events in different seasons like the Tennis, Formula 1 etc. 

The company was looking for new staff at the time I applied to help with the Australian Open Tennis. I found the job an opportunity to learn about a country and the city because I had to take in the history the culture and everything. I learned a lot of things and became more interested in the country through this job.

However it’s a really hard job physically. I had to get up super early and work until Midnight or even later.
A: 元々は日本へ帰国後、外国人観光客向けにガイドをやりたいなと思っていたから、メルボルンで日本人観光客向けにガイドをするのは絶好のチャンスかなと思って。ニューサウスウェールズ州(シドニーのある州)やクイーンズランド州(ケアンズ、ゴールドコーストのある州)に比べるとメルボルンは日本人観光客が多くないけど、シーズンによって沢山のイベントがあるでしょ。全豪オープンテニスとかF1グランプリとか。会社はちょうど全豪オープンテニスの時期に求人を出してた。

ガイドの仕事は、まず国や街の文化や歴史、至ることを勉強する必要があるから、国や街を知るためには良い機会だった。でも、間違いなく体力的にはキツイね。ものすごく早起きしなくてはいけないかと思えば、深夜やそれ以上に遅くまで働くこともあったから。

Q: Looking at it from the outside, I felt you were being forced to work by Japanese standards rather than Australian, I don’t know how the government of Australia would view that practice but you worked super hard regardless.
Q: 外から見ていると、オーストラリアの基準というよりは日本の基準で働くことを強いられていたようだったんだけど。オーストラリア政府がどう見るかはさておき、とにかく物凄い働いていたよね。

A: I felt it was too much, the company supported my business visa but I felt like because of that I was forced to do everything, I felt that was the expectation.
A: 少し働きすぎだったかなと思う。会社は就労ビザをサポートしてくれたから何でもやらなきゃと。会社もそれを期待していると思ってた。



Q:  What was your favorite thing about Melbourne and least favorite thing?
Q: メルボルンについて、好きなところと嫌いなところを教えて。

A: Melbourne is a really unique city I think, there are many people from different countries mixed together and they created some new things due to that mix of culture, for example Art or the Café scene.
A: メルボルンはとても個性的な街だと思う。沢山の国から多くの人がやってきて、それらの文化が入り混じって新しい文化を生み出す。例えば、アートとかカフェの文化がまさにそう。(好きな部分)

Q: Yeah I felt the same way although I was not there for as long as you I felt some areas of Melbourne were more multicultural than even London.
なるほど、僕もそう思う。彩に比べるとメルボルンに長くいたわけではないけど、それでもいくつかのエリアはロンドンよりも多文化的なんじゃないかって思うよ。

A: Really?  Well in terms of what I didn’t like that much, I felt the crime rate was continuing to rise over the years and there were many homeless people around the CBD (Central Business District) area. I felt it was difficult to keep balance due to the increased population from overseas.
A: 本当?うーん、好きじゃないと感じるところは犯罪率が増加しているところかな。メルボルン中心部には、ホームレスの人も増えたし。海外からの移住者による人口増加に対して、うまくバランスを取れていないのかなと感じるかな。

Q: Yeah Melbourne is expanding a lot, there is so much building work going on currently and so many new apartment blocks being built. Kind of like London is now there are aspects that don't accommodate the large amount of people.
Q: あぁ、メルボルンの街は広がっているよね。沢山の場所で工事をしていて、新興ビルがたくさん建っている。多くの人を収容しきれていないという意味ではロンドンと同じように感じる。

A: Yeah.
A: なるほど。




Q: What was one of your favorite experiences in Australia Overall?
Q: オーストラリアの生活で一番楽しかったことは?

A: That’s difficult, we went to Tasmania and all-around Australia on road trips, that was really fun because I never got much of those tourist experiences. We went to Grampians, Great ocean road, Brisbane, And the Gold Coast. I enjoyed those trips with you.
A: それは難しいな旅行者として旅したことがあまりなかったから、タスマニアに行ったり、一緒にロードトリップしたのはとても楽しかったよ。グランピアンズやグレートオーシャンロード、ブリスベン、ゴールドコーストに行ったね。楽しかったなぁ~

Q. So what was the best food you had out in Australia, weather in a restaurant, something you tried yourself or someone made for you?
Q: では、オーストラリアで食べた中で一番美味しかったものは?レストランで食べたものでも、誰かが作ったものでもなんでも。

A: That’s so difficult Right? But I loved the Restaurant Matilda on our Wedding day. It was a really posh looking place but fantastic food, atmosphere and the Service. It made me feel special!
A: それを選ぶのは物凄く難しくない?でも結婚式の日に行ったMatilda(マチルダ)は良かったな。上品な空間で料理も素晴らしかった。店の雰囲気やサービスもとても良かったよ。凄く特別な感じがした。

Q: Yeah it made our day much more special.
Q: うん、僕らの日をより特別にしてくれたよね。




A: I also Loved Auction room, the café and restaurant you introduced me to in North Melbourne.
A: あとはAuction room(オークションルーム)も好き。ノースメルボルンにあるカフェを教えてくれたんだよね。

Q: Yeah my boss introduced me to it and they did such amazing brunch that I had to take you! We went so many times… I miss that place.
Q: あぁ、元上司が教えてくれた場所でブランチがとても美味しかったから彩を連れて行ったんだ!あそこは何度も行ったよね。恋しいなぁ。

A: But overall Melbourne has a high quality of food. I never experienced a disappointing meal in Melbourne, sometimes just OK but never bad. The coffee culture was great there too!
A: でも総合的に見てメルボルンの食事はレベルが高い気がする。メルボルンで食事に失望した経験はないかな。たまにまぁまぁってのはあっても、不味いものってのはなかった。コーヒーの文化も素晴らしかった!

Q: Yeah it got me into coffee!
Q: そう、コーヒーに夢中になった。(※イギリス人は圧倒的に紅茶を飲むにも関わらず)

A: I felt Asian food was great there, in Japan we have many different kinds of food but Asian food there is not too hot or rich. We don’t get much ethnic food there and if we do its not amazing. For example Thai or Vietnamese.
A: あとはアジアンフードが美味しかったなぁ。日本ではたくさんの食事のジャンルがあるけど、アジアの料理はスパイスを減らしたり、マイルドに日本人好みの味にしてあるような気がする。エスニックフードに関しては、他の料理に比べて感動するものが多くないと思う。タイ料理やベトナム料理とかね。

Q: Maybe because there are so many people from those cultures in Melbourne the quality is better.
Q: 多分、他国から来る多くの人たちが食事のクオリティーを上げているんだろうね。

A: Yeah I agree.
A: 私もそう思う。


Q: So what is an underrated aspect of Australia, something you think is great but most people don’t talk about enough?
Q: じゃあ、オーストラリアで素晴らしいのに評価されていないなって感じるものは何?

A: I think it’s the food to be honest, I never expected the food to be that good. I thought it followed what I perceived as UK culture at the time, easy meals with not a lot of adventurous flavors.
A: これは正直食事だと思う。オーストラリアの料理が美味しいなんて想像していなかった。当時はイギリスの文化に沿っているので、シンプルな料理というかあまりバラエティーが多くないようなイメージを持っていたの。

Q: I think a lot of people find UK food boring haha.
Q: 多くの人は、イギリスの料理はつまらないって言うよね。ははは

A: Yeah I thought they just had Pie and Fish and Chips in Australia too!
A: そうね、オーストラリアにもパイとフィッシュアンドチップスしかないと思ってた!

Q: Well now you know that’s not true in either country right!
Q: 今は、どちらの国もそうじゃないってわかったでしょ!

A: Yes sorry haha.
A: そうだね、ごめんなさい。ははは

Q: This is a bit of a negative question but did you feel you experienced any racism because you are Japanese?
Q: これは少しネガティブな質問だけど、日本人だからという理由で人種差別を受けたと感じることはある?

A: Not so much that I am Japanese but sometimes people think I am another Asian race and use racist words to that race. It’s not a frequent thing and generally it was only the Homeless drunk people or people with Mental health issues in the city.
A: あまりないけど、日本人はアジア人でも別枠というか。日本人ではない他のアジア人に対して差別的な言葉を使っている人はいるような気がする。頻繁ではないけどね、多くはホームレスの人とか、アル中の人とか、精神異常者かな。

Q: I see, so  it was never directly aimed at you being Japanese?
Q: なるほど、日本人だから直接的な差別を受けなかったってこと?

A: Yeah I don’t really know why though.
A: そう、何故だかよくわからないけど。



Q: In all of your time in Australia did you ever get home sick?
Q: オーストラリアにいた中でホームシックになったことはある?

A: Never, well maybe at first I missed things like Japanese food and washlets haha but It’s easy to keep in contact with my family these days due to technology like LINE or Skype and also I would go back to Japan once a year.
A: 一度もないね。ただ初めは日本食とウォシュレットが恋しかった。ははは
現代ではラインとかスカイプなどテクノロジーを使って家族と簡単に連絡が取れるし、1年に一度は日本に帰っていたからね。

Q: Overall how did you find Australia and the working environment there?
Q: 総合的に、オーストラリアの暮らし、そして労働環境はどうだった?

A: I enjoyed it overall, my work environment did not follow the Australian working practices, only Japanese and that was disappointing to me, however it was interesting, I met a lot of people through it and it was still a great experience. I felt that due to my job it was difficult to enjoy my life outside of it and my free time so it’s hard for me to comment on that. I could be called to work at any time so I struggled to meet friends and spend time with you, that was sad.
A: 総合的には楽しかった。労働環境はオーストラリアに従ったものではなかったから納得できない部分もあったけど、それでも仕事を通じてたくさんの人に出会って素晴らしい経験だったと思う。私の労働スタイルの中ではプライベートを充実させることがすごく難しかった。突然仕事が入ることもあったから、友達と過ごすことももちろんあなたと過ごすことだって難しかったから、それは少し心残りかな。

Q: If you had the chance would you ever return to Australia to live and work?
Q: もしまた機会があれば、働くにしても暮らすにしてもオーストラリアに戻りたいと思う?

A: Maybe if I had that kind of opportunity, I would go back but it depends on the situation. I think in general Australia has a good salary rate compared to Japan or the UK.
A: もし機会があれば、恐らくね。でも状況によるかな。一般的にオーストラリアの給料のレートは、日本やイギリスに比べても凄く良いと思うけどね。

Q: So now you’ve left and begun a life in the UK with me, you have a new job starting here soon too, what do you hope for the future here?
Q: そして今、オーストラリアを離れて僕とイギリスでの暮らしが始まって、新しい仕事ももうすぐ始まる。ここでの未来に何を望む?

A: I just want to do my best!
A: とにかくベストを尽くしたい!




Saturday 20 July 2019

Switch 'N' Shoot (Nintendo Switch)



The past few weeks I’ve moved back to Australia and whenever I take a flight I love to have my Nintendo Switch on hand to take up some of the time. Flying from the UK to Australia is not something that’s going to go by quickly unless you can sleep for a long time. Unfortunately I really cannot sleep on flights so I thought I’d spend some time playing a bunch of Switch games I’d had sitting on the console for a while.


One of these games and arguably the one I put the most time into on the flight was Switch ‘N’ Shoot, an arcade style Shoot Em' Up in which you press only one button to control your spacecraft with the aim of getting the highest score possible. The game was made solely by Indie Developer Matt Glanville and is also available on Steam, and for Android devices. I really enjoyed my time with the game and wished to briefly touch upon why that was.


As soon as you boot the game up you are welcomed by some gorgeous border art by Paul Duffield (who interestingly currently works out of my home county of Northamptonshire, UK) that would not be out of place on something like a classic Space Invaders arcade cabinet. This artwork is in place for the entirety of the game and really helps sell the feeling that you’re about to play something inspired by the classics.


The game itself is very simplistic as you would expect with a game where you only really need to press a single button but this is something that allows the title to stand out and really helps with the addictive nature of the gameplay. I found myself absolutely terrible at the game at first because every time you shoot you also move left or right with each subsequent shot but over time I improved!


Your enemies remain the same so you don’t have to worry about how to deal with new enemy attack patterns and interestingly you don’t even have to worry about shooting every single enemy. However what I like about this game is if you do happen to miss an enemy they will stay almost level with your spaceship for a few seconds and then explode, meaning you have less space to manoeuvre and therefore have to press your single button a lot quicker.


This really ramps up the stakes and keeps you on your toes. Another great feature is that you can upgrade your craft if you collect enough pickups along the way. However should you miss any then your weapons will revert back to their previous level. I really enjoyed this as I really had to think did I want better weapons but risk hitting an enemy along the way? Or did I want to try playing it safe with a more basic weapon but not gain points as quickly and potentially be overrun with enemies?


It’s great that although you can upgrade yourself you never feel too overpowered compared to the enemies and the game will actually introduce a new challenge if you get the highest possible upgrade. That added challenge comes in the form of two beams that stop you being able to scroll out of one side of the screen and appear on the opposite side. On the one hand you’re insanely powerful but on the other you’ve got a much smaller window to move in.


Usually I find myself losing shortly after I obtain this upgrade because I’m just not quick enough to move back and forth before hitting those beams. Yet this game is just so addictive that I jump right back in for another 10 minutes or so. I think it’s a real challenge to make a game that’s not frustrating in that kind of situation so I applaud Matt for this.




A feature I found quite funny even after every time I died was that your pilot would have a unique name every single time. I’ve played countless times now and have never had the same name twice. You even get a nice message every time you die from your commander; I loved this little attention to detail and hope to see more of this sort of thing in other games in the future.


As an aside Switch ‘n’ Shoot actually reminded me of the game Downwell which I reviewed a few years ago. This was not only due to its pixilated style or the ability to unlock new palettes as you progress, it was the addictive nature of the game. In my ignorance I actually believed this was developed by the same person as Downwell and I do wonder if there was any inspiration on the developers part.


I really do not have anything bad to say about this game because there is not much to it and what it does have it does well. I generally struggle to find a fault with the game but would perhaps like to see different ship designs and enemy designs as further unlocks along the way and perhaps even different borders as the art is just so nice it would be lovely to see what else Paul Duffield could come up with.


All in all I think Switch ‘n’ Shoot Is a fantastic affordable and short title that is absolutely perfect for those on the go or those who want a brief but addicting game to pass a short amount of time. Do I think I will keep coming back to this game for years to come? No. However for now it’s a nice little way for me to eat up time on a lunch break or on the Train home from work.


This game would not be out of place in an actual Arcade and I really like that aspect of it, in fact while researching the game and the developer I found that Switch ‘n’ Shoot does have an arcade cabinet available for purchase thanks to the guys at DSM Arcade. Now do I love the game enough to buy one? No. But If I saw one in the wild I’d definitely have a few rounds.


I think Matt Glanville has made something special here and would love to see what else he comes up with in time.

Thursday 27 June 2019

Let's talk about YOU!: Lewis Jane and Film


A few years ago, I used to interview my friends about their experiences with Video games on my blog. I kind of let the blog fall to the wayside a bit in recent years but have slowly been putting content back on it and writing much more in general. I always enjoyed getting people to discuss their relationship with games in depth and felt like I should try to do something else like that from time to time.

So this week I thought I’d start up what I hope is a reoccurring segment of my blog called ‘Let’s chat about film’. Hopefully this can create some decent discussions about film and enable others to get some decent recommendations along the way.  I thought I’d start with myself as I did with the previous interview blogs so forgive me if this sounds a little awkward.


How long have you been into film?


I have always enjoyed films but I would say I didn’t really get into them until around my early to mid teens. My Dad was always working a lot so we didn’t get to spend too much time together but when the colder months came around and he worked less we started to watch movies in the evening. They were usually actions movies like Terminator 2 or First Blood but they really got me into certain actors filmography.

From there as I got older, I would try and go to the movies with friends but found it was an expensive thing to do so I would usually watch whatever movies I could find on Sky Movies. It was only in the last 6 years or so that I’d bought a membership card for my local cinema and began to see movies at least 3 times a week. From there it just expanded to following certain actors, listening to film podcasts and more.

Unfortunately, I don’t go to the movies as much now but I still try to follow certain series like the Marvel movies or catch some Netflix original films if I can.


What was the first movie you remember seeing in the cinema?


I think it was Disneys Mulan. I remember my Mum taking me and my younger cousin to see it and being so excited. I don’t know why I was so excited I think it’s because I’d never been to the movies before that point. I can’t remember how I reacted during the movie but I remember being SO hyper after it and saying things like ‘that was amazing’ over and over again and demanding we go to Mcdonalds as they had Happy Meal toys of Mulan at the time.

I think it’s great that a movie can have that sort of effect on a child and get them so excited about what they’ve seen. I don’t really rate that movie too highly anymore but it will always have a place in my heart because of the way it affected me back then.


What is a cinema experience that really stood out for you?


This is similar to the effect Mulan had on me and I was only around a year older but It’s gotta be Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. I remember being friends with the neighbor's kids and they always had old Star Wars stuff, I was always fascinated by it but couldn’t understand what it was about and then one day they tell me there is a new one and I’m invited to go and see it, I was really excited to be able to see what this stuff was really about!

I remember the scene where Darth Maul turned that lightsaber sideways and showing that it was double-edged and me and my friends just losing our shit. I think this movie really got me into ‘proper’ films rather than just animated ones. I’d never seen so much going on at once on a screen and I was amazed at how it was all put together, so much so I’d watch the ‘making of’ documentary that was on the PS1 game adaptations disc countless times.

I know this movie gets a lot of shit but I’ve always enjoyed it. Is it as good as the older movies in the franchise? No way, but is it a great introduction for a child who was around 6 or 7 years old? Absolutely.





What if your favourite Genre of film and why?


I’ve always enjoyed Thriller movies but that can be a wide range I guess; I think it’s because of the suspense and generally they grip you within the first 15 minutes. If a form of media hasn’t gripped me that time frame I usually find it difficult to continue. Some examples I can give are films like Nightcrawler or Shutter Island.

I really enjoy the Superhero Genre too. It’s a lot better than it was in the early 2000s and I think we’ve had some real stand out movies within the genre in the last 10+ years like the obvious The Dark Knight and more recently Logan.


Do you feel there is an abundance of superhero media currently?


Well, yeah there are a lot of movies and if you take TV into account there is a hell of a lot out there to watch. This is not necessarily a bad thing though, Marvel seem to do this right where yes it’s a Superhero movie but it’s a Superhero movie in a certain genre. Look at The Winter Solider, that’s like a solid political thriller kind of movie or Guardians of the Galaxy is a sci-fi movie etc.

I think if they stick to that sort of model then it can work well. I like DC too but I feel they are part of the problem in what some consider an abundance of movies in the genre. They try way too quickly to catch up to Marvel and as a result released some sub par stuff. They worked well when they took their time with something like Nolans Batman trilogy and they seem to be heading back that way with this new Joker movie coming out later this year.


Is there any other form of media you feel would work well if adapted to film such as a book or game?


I recently read a short book called ‘The Electric State’ by Simon Stalenhag which follows a teenager and her robot on a cross-country road trip across a post-apocalyptic USA. The book was really short but featured art by the author that was just stunning. The story itself was good but I felt there was a lot more to tell about the world itself so I’d love to see that explored in a movie sometime.


Has a movie ever made you feel uncomfortable?


Yes, Nocturnal Animals is one that stands out in my mind a lot. It's a great movie and really worth watching if you haven't but the movie deals with a lot of tough subjects and doesn't shy away from showing them. I wouldn't want to spoil what happens in the movie but if you know the movie then you can guess what part made me uncomfortable.

It was so bad that I was really squirming in my cinema seat for a lot of the movie, I literally could not get comfortable because of what was happening to certain characters and I kept thinking how I would react if I were in the main characters shoes at that point.





Who is your favourite director?


I think for the consistency of movies from them that I have enjoyed it has to be Christopher Nolan. I got into his movies with the Dark Knight Trilogy and they are all fantastic in their own way but since then I’ve gone back and found that I really enjoy not only his previous work but his later work too.
Memento for example is such a fantastic movie and is one of those films you need to watch at least twice, the same for The Prestige which is a real mind bender. Other than that Inception was pretty good as was Interstellar but as someone who studied History and University, I really enjoyed his most recently movie Dunkirk.  I will always have time for his movies, he hasn’t let me down yet.


Who is your favourite actor/actress?


This usually changes a lot for me depending on what films I’ve seen at the time but at the moment it’s Jake Gyllenhaal. I don’t really rate Donnie Darko that highly but a lot of his work in the last 10 years has been great. Nightcrawler, Source Code, Nocturnal Animals and Prisoners are all some films I’d recommend if you’re into him. He is certainly a guy that has range and uses his range well, look at him be a super gaunt and creepy, obsessive guy in Nightcrawler and then see him play two different characters within Nocturnal Animals that both have you feeling for them in different but intense ways. It’s hard to explain but watch these movies man.




Where do you see film going in the future?


I would hope that they are still released in the cinema as some people seem to think the places are dying out (But I mean look how many people go to see Marvel movies, how can they be?) but I also hope there are more chances for films to be picked up by streaming services like Netflix. They seem to allow a lot of smaller Directors chances to work on higher budget movies like the recent I Am Mother on Netflix.

What is an aspect of film you feel is essential in helping the movie work well?


I think it’s the score or soundtrack really. With the right song or piece in the background it can really help sell the feeling of the character or set the mood for the world that we are viewing. For example you get pumped when Dual of the Fates comes on in Star Wars or when the soundtrack of Shutter Island kicks in at certain points you feel the anguish of the characters.

What is a film you would recommend to somebody and why?


Other than the Jake Gyllenhaal films I mentioned already I’d recommend Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless mind. There are a few reasons for this, the story is a bit confusing but a really interesting concept once you understand it, Jim Carey CAN act in a serious role and more people need to see that and it’s just one of those movies that really helped me get through some shitty breakups. If you’ve seen it you might understand why.  It’s certainly not a film for everyone but I’d recommend it if you’re looking for something a little different.

What is the next film you want to see at the cinema?


I think it has to be Spider-man: Far From Home as it’s out next week and I just adore the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There is a lot riding on this movie to pave the way for the future of this franchise and I’m excited to see where they take it next.




Sunday 28 April 2019

Ultraman Season 1 (Netflix)







Ultraman is a new anime adaptation released on Netflix in April of 2019 and production as a co-production by Production I.G and Sola Digital Arts. It is based on the long running Ultraman series in Japan and acts as a direct sequel to the original live action show from 1966. The shows tend to revolve around an alien threat effecting Earth and Ultraman in one way or another being Earths defender.

Ultraman started as a Tokusatsu (Special effects) series in Japan in 1966 and was actually a semi-sequel to another show called Ultra Q which also aired in 1966 and did not include the Ultraman character. The series has since spun off into it's own entity and has enjoyed a long running success in Japan.

Now for me I've never watched a show in the Ultraman series but I am aware of it and the general story of the original show. I have however grown up with series similar to it such as Power Rangers which is the American version of Japans Super Sentai Tokusatsu series and Kamen Rider which America got as Masker Rider back in the 90's.

As a child I always had a huge affinity for Power Rangers until I was around 9 or 10 years old but then it was seen as a bit too childish so I stopped watching it through fear of ridicule. When I was around 15 and getting back into Anime again I discovered that a lot of the series I used to watch such as Power Rangers were actually Japanese in origin, I started to look into this further and found that they were allegedly much more 'adult and violent' than the versions we had in the UK.

I was interested so began to watch Kamen Rider which like Ultraman and Power Rangers had been running on and off for a large number of years. Now personally I don't find it that different to what we got in the UK in terms of violence etc so I think that was just people trying to justify watching a show that was aimed more at kids.  However I did enjoy the series I watched (Kamen Rider Decade, W, Kabuto, Fourze and 000s) because they were goofy, had some decent choreography and plot points and really they took me back to the nostalgia of watching the shows as a kid.

Really they are not that different to watching Marvel or DC movies now just on a much smaller budget so I don't see any shame in it, it's just as cheesy as any MCU movie can be. I haven't watched a series in quite a while though unless the Power Rangers movie from a few years ago counts, so take what I say with a pinch of salt.

I believe Netflix have been doing pretty good with Anime that they have had some hand in releasing, Devilman Crybaby remains one of my favorite anime released in the last few years and Aggretsuko has been a lovely short series to watch. I know there is a meme about their adaptations side of things like the live action Death Note movie (Which I actually enjoyed) being received poorly but I think they've been slowly releasing some gems recently, so how does Ultraman fare?




I found the characters to be generally well written, I really enjoyed the main character Shinjiro just being expected to become Ultraman because he has had the power passed down to him, whether he wanted to or not. It was great to see him be a complete novice to being a Superhero and how he would mess up quite a bit but always take something away from each battle or event and ensure that he did his best not to make the same mistakes again.

It was important for him to see that if he doesn't act or does not improve then people will and do get harmed. I also liked that his superior Moroboshi was much more accustomed to being Ultraman and was happy to not hold back in telling Shinjiro that if he can't or won't do something then he doesn't deserve to be Ultraman. I felt that was a huge catalyst in Shinjiro deciding to use the power he has rather than expect others who don't have the exact power set as him to do it and potentially suffer.

Moroboshi was your typical arrogant counter-character to Shinjiro. Shinjiro was the novice and heroic type whereas Moroboshi is the darker and more serious type. He has no issue with killing an enemy if it means the threat is neutralized and has no time for being nice to Shinjiro. Now at first Moroboshi to me was just the typical dick Anime character who hates the main character because they don't believe they had earnt the right to do X Y Z on their own.

As time progresses though, while we haven't yet seen his background story you can tell he is committed to protecting the Earth from any threat whatever the cost is, even if that means putting himself at risk. He seems to warm up more to Shinjiro over time as Shinjiro begins to get much more serious and I actually feel like they make a great team, Moroboshi actually shows some subtle respect to him which is great.

Hokuto is the third Ultraman in the show who we are introduced to during the seasons twilight episodes. I found him quite annoying and disliked him at first because he follows the typical archetype of an annoying character that would follow the main character around all the time and bother them. However as the show got to it's last few episodes and we saw exactly what his motives were he really grew on me, quickly becoming my favorite character so far.

Now there are other characters I enjoyed a lot but I can't really comment on them much without spoiling some really key plot points. I would like to mention though that this season has not had any interesting female characters... In fact I think there is only one who could be considered part of the main cast and she is not particularly well written. Perhaps that changes later on but it is a bit of a negative point so far.

I really enjoy when Superhero Media deals with the negatives that can come with being a hero. Much like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Comics with Civil War there are issues surrounding those that get caught in the crossfire of Superhero battles. Yes they are necessary fights but the argument is, could more not be done to prevent causalities or destruction? Now this is not the only issue of course but it's touched upon in the show a few times.

One characters hatred for Ultraman comes from the original live action series where the hero and monsters used to grow to a giant size and cause so much destruction during their fights and because of that a family member got killed by falling debris.

It's interesting that many members of the public accuse the new Ultramen of just being Cosplayers and not true heroes, the public act in a way that suggests they really don't want the Ultramen around. It's interesting to see the perspectives rather than everyone just cheering them on all the time. I hope that this is explored further with the coming seasons.




I enjoyed the way the story progressed throughout the season but I do have a few issues with the show. I really do not like this new trend of Anime having this 3D animation style. I'm not saying it cannot be done right because examples like the recent Dragonball Movies have proven that it can but I feel that's because they are only really used during certain action scenes.

The problem with Ultraman is that this style is used throughout the entire show, it makes the characters look totally static and like a poor Video game cutscene. It makes a lot of the characters look expressionless and wooden,  personally it does not work for me.

A lot of the monsters they come across look like they are made of rubber or ironically have someone inside the suit operating them but I guess you could argue that is intentional because that's how it would be if it were a live action Tokusatsu.

While I dislike this style generally I will say it works for the actions scenes and the Ultraman suit designs,it actually helps the suits look more like some futuristic armor. Interestingly most of the fights are actually done via motion capture which is not something I really expected to happen for an Anime series, perhaps this is one of the reasons the action scenes look so good, or is that down to both this and the choice in animation style? Perhaps the animation will grow on me in time but If you look at the way the Manga is drawn it feels like a bit of a disservice.




So without talking too much more about the show what do I think about it overall?
I think it's a step in the right direction. It's got me hooked on a decent story in the Tokusatsu genre (Kind of) and has made me want to pick up the Manga. I do wish the animation style was perhaps more traditional but I don't think this is going to change. I would say if you're new to this kind of series this would be a good place to start but feel you could also just start with an actual live action series.

I feel happy that these Japanese heroes are becoming more accessible to viewers in the west and would LOVE Netflix to do a Kamen Rider series in this style if they could refrain from making it all 3D animation. I'm very excited to see what other Anime titles Netflix puts out in the future and hope you are too.

Friday 8 March 2019

Tetris 99 (Nintendo Switch)



I have been utterly obsessed with this game since its release. Its so strange to me though as I've never actually played a Tetris game in my life. I was as surprised as everyone else when Nintendo announced this during its Nintendo Direct video on February 13th this year and have been playing it almost everyday since.

The game is 'free' if you have a Nintendo online subscription (along with the ability to play old NES games) which I think was a wise decision by Nintendo. I do not believe I'd pay the full price of a Switch title in the UK for this game or even the price of a budget title because I've never been into the series. I'm really happy they released it this way though because I've put so much time into it and gained a new love for puzzle based and competitive titles.

The aim of the game is to last as long as possible at a game of Tetris but the catch is you're against 98 other people. Every player has the ability to target others in order to eliminate them quicker, this is done by selecting what type of player you'd like to target such as players who are targeting you or players who have the most K.O's. It really is quite a simplistic game but I feel Tetris has always been that way, easy to grasp potentially hard to master and this puts a nice new spin on it.

I really don't care much for Battle Royale shooter games, admittedly I've not taken the time to play more than a handful of matches in something like Fortnite but it just does not do it for me. It's probably because I'm shit at non team based Video Games since playing the Lone Wolves game type on Halo 3 back in the day.

I never really thought about this being in the Battle Royale genre until I saw the memes online about it being the 'Fortnite killer'. In any case it's nice to see that Battle Royale doesn't have to just be FPS games right now, its kind of refreshing to be honest.



Now like I mentioned, I've been obsessed with this game every time I have a spare few minutes which more often than not turns into at least an hour or so. I'm currently living in Australia for a while and only took my Switch as any form console. That in itself is quite refreshing and has allowed me to take a step from always having too much to play back home and just focus on smaller titles when I feel like it.

This game and others like it are perfect if you're traveling but that kind of begs the question would I play this as much as I am if I was back in the UK with my Xbox One X and PS4? I certainly have many games that released during this period I'm itching the play and I can't help think that perhaps I would not have even given this game the time of day in that scenario.

I mentioned briefly that this game has given me a new love for puzzle based titles. I meant that as in it makes me want to focus more on them in the future if I can, but it's not my first rodeo with these its just been a while. I used to get obsessed with the Xbox 360 title Hexic HD which most people had pre-installed on their console.

Hexic and Hexic HD interestingly enough were actually designed by Tetris' creator Alexey Pajitnov so perhaps that explains my love for Tetris 99 in some way. I remember the countless hours I'd spend late at night playing Hexic HD on the 360 while listening to music. To this day I'm one of the only people I know with certain Achievements in that title.

I think the first time I played a game like this though was back on the Sega Megadrive (Genesis for USA), It was a sort of competitor to Tetris named Columns and was essentially an earlier version of Bejeweled (which I also enjoy, especially on long haul flights). I was terrible at it but with the Megadrive Collection on Switch perhaps I should go back to it some time soon.

There is not much more I can say about this game other than if you have a switch and pay for the Online functionality of it then give it a go, you might be pleasantly surprised with it. Full disclosure though I still haven't come first place but I'm determined!