Question 1

When I was living in Melbourne, Australia, I used to go to Queen Victoria Market all the time. It's a market with high energy and many different personalities coexisting in one wide space. My uncle and I used to haggle with the sellers when buying things such as clothes or unique items! I miss that place so badly..

Question 2

The first Australian who comes to my mind when it comes to celebrities is the actor of Marvel's movie, Thor. His name is Chris Hemsworth but we call him "Hemsy." He is from Melbourne and got famous when he starred in the TV series Home and Away. He gained more fame when he started his career in Hollywood and eventually became the face of Thor, one of Marvel's superheroes.

Question 3

I have lived in Australia with my uncle's family back when I was still in high school. His house is located in a suburb called Cranbourne and it's quite far from the central district. We had to go by car to enjoy the city and it took us about 1 to 1.5 hours to reach downtown. It was an amazing experience as I got to try out new things and made new friends from our church community. I gained quite a lot of weight when I lived there as the food portions were pretty big and I love most Australian food that my aunt used to cook.

Question 4

I think the cost of living in Melbourne is slightly lower than Kyoto, the city where I live in. Fruits and vegetables were super cheap and I could eat them everyday without breaking the bank! Fruits in Japan are relatiely expensive and it's hard to incorporate them to our healthy diet.

Question 5

I used to hate the bugs and extreme heat that we had to deal with during summer. I'm the kind of person that can handle scary and difficult situations but can't handle a single spider or cockroach!

Question 6

I would definitely go again when this pandemic situation is over! I miss my uncle and his family. However, I don't think that I'm going to study or spend a long time in Australia as there are so many other countries that I want to try living in such as Russia and Germany.

Tough Vocabulary

Question 1

The Sydney Opera House.Construction began March 2nd, 1952.The final cost was 102 million dollars. It was largely funded by a State Lottery. More than 11 million people visit the opera house every year.

Question 2

Nicole Kidman. She is a famous actor who was once married to Tom Cruise. She considers herself an Australian-American because she was born in Hawaii. She is a highly skilled and awarded actress. She won Golden Globe awards and many Primetime Emmy Awards.

Question 3

I have never been to Australia because it is very far from Boston. I have always wanted to go to the Australian Open tennis tournament. It's held in Melbourne in late January to early February. It is summertime in Australia then and it is very hot.

Question 4

I think people are more open to expression in Australia. May of my Aussie friends have lots of tattoos. I think that the music scene is very interesting.

Question 5

It's hard for me to assume, because I've never been there. I'm guessing that there aren't as many trains for transportation and I'm sure that the convenience stores there are nothing like here in Japan.

Question 6

I would like to live there, but not retire there. My native language is English. I would be able to communicate with people freely. That would be nice. It's frustrating sometimes here in Japan when I can't communicate with people.

Tough Vocabulary

Question 1

I have some cousins and other family who live in Queensland, Australia. My family went to visit them when I was about 10 years old. I do not remember a lot of things, but I have strong memories of a giant pineapple. It is a building that you can go inside and go to the top to see the surrounding view.

Question 2

I think Australia has many famous swimmers. I remember Ian Thorpe vividly and I remember him winning many olympic medals.

Question 3

Yes, I enjoyed my visit there very much. But as Australia is New Zealand's main rival (friendly), I should be ashamed to admit that in public (I am joking - Australia and New Zealand are like brothers). New Zealander's have a phrase about Australia: "Australia is a great country, it is a shame that there are so many Australians living there".

Question 4

Australia is a more mixed society where people are more friendly and laid back. Japan has many good points too, but it is a very busy country.

Question 5

There are so many dangerous creatures that can kill you!

Question 6

I would like to retire in Sydney. My favorite rugby league team plays there and I would like to watch their games live.

Tough Vocabulary

- English -	- Japanese -
surrounding view	周辺の景色
vividly	まざまざと
main rival	主なライバル
ashamed to admit	認めることを恥ずかしい
laid back	のんびりした