I was one in a million of Japanese.
Speaking of myself, I’m studying Education for children at University. In the near future, I’m going to get a teacher’s license in Japan but I don’t want to be a teacher at this moment. Eventhough there is plenty of information, high-tech industries and a stable economy in Japan, it is sometimes difficult to see a real situation. Whenever I thought about my future, I asked myself what I could do in my life and what do I love the most. I really wanted to know and I decided to come to Cape Town to study English and travel around Africa.
Cape Studies is quite a nice place to start my travel because the staff has helped me to get a Visa and a flight ticket and students are allowed to take a break freely.
So I took a 2-month break and started to travel up West Africa. Altogether my travel was successful (because I am alive now). Of course, everything wasn’t always safe. My baggage and trousers were cut with a knife. Sometimes my passport was taken by soldiers, and then they tried to get some bribe. However, I felt West Africa overall was safer than South Africa. Actually I was more afraid of a mosquito than a burglar. I had to be careful about Malaria every evening.
Eventually I went to Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire. There were a lot of fabulous landscapes, traditional cultural-music, food, clothes, different lifestyles; and wonderful people. I’ll never forget taking a shower under the flaming sun and ate FUFU with my right hand. During my travel, I received a lot of things from local people. They gave me food, a bed, their addresses and their unconditional, bottomless kindness. They weren’t even rich. The most important thing was that I received many smiles of children. Their smiles cheered me up every time and I realized what I would love to do. One day I would like to teach children all over the world and see their priceless smiles.
I found my feet a little bit through this travel. Thankfully there is a project where students can meet underprivileged children from a township at Cape Studies. It’s called “Cape Studies-Apple Brigade”. I want to enjoy being with children for the rest of my school days. Of course, I must improve my English more than now and learn about our life.
Finally , Thank You very much to all my friends and to the Cape Studies’ Staff.
11, March, 2008
Sun
