Halifax, Nova Scotia. I've been in Japan for about 10 years now. And I'm married for 4 years and I got a little daughter

どこの出身？

Well when I finished University, I didn't know what I was gonna do with my life like most people.

ノバスコシア州のハリファックス出身だ 日本に10年いる、4年結婚してて娘がいるんだ

I was studying English, I just got an English degree. And then I was walking down the hall

なんで日本にきたの？

I saw a poster for Japan, come to Japan. And I saw the interviews for Nova and I went

大学卒業して自分がしたいことがわからなかった

I didn't know anyone in Japan, I didn't know anything about Japan

英語学を勉強してて学位を取ったんだ ホールをあるいているときに

I mean I did look into Australia

日本のポスターを見てんだ ノバのインタビューを見て

But you hadn't been a fan of manga or anime?

日本人は誰も知らなかったし 日本のことはなにも知らなかったけど

No which is strange because I look like a big nerd

オーストラリアにいくことも考えた

And when I came everyone thought, my first coworkers at Nova were like "oh you must love this manga"...

漫画とかアニメのファンじゃなかったんだね

I don't know who Akira is...

全然。 すげえ見た目がおたくみたいなのに不思議だろ

A lot of you don't know Nova kind of went bust, a lot of teachers were stranded...

ノバで働いてたときの同僚は 僕が絶対漫画好きだと思ってたんだ

I was good friends with my manager and she said we gotta get out, it's going under. And I couldn't believe it.

アキラが誰かも知らなかった

So she warned you it was going under?

ノバは倒産したよね たくさんの教師が路頭に迷った

And I was lucky I got out before it went under. After that was elementary school

僕はマネージャーと仲がよかったから 彼女は僕に「ここはもうダメだから辞めたほうがいい」って教えてくれたんだ

ALT?

警告してくれたんだね

Yah, ALT.

倒産する前に辞めることができたのは幸運だった 次は小学校で働いたんだ

But you didn't like ALT?

ALTとして？

No

うん、ALTだ

Why?

ALT嫌だった？

There wasn't anything to do. I just sat around the teachers room and there was maybe two lessons a day and I had to get a stamp from the principal at 4:30

うん

And I only taught for about 40 minutes some days...

なんで？

And you were there the whole day

何にもすることがなかったんだ クラスは２つだけで、あとは職員室に座って 4:30に校長からハンコをもらうんだ

Yah and it was before iPhones

40分くらいしか教えてない日もあった

And then I taught at an Indian International

それなのに1日中学校にいたの？

In Japan, you worked at an Indian school?

そう、しかもそのときはiPhoneもなかった

It was like a daycare, I didn't know what I was getting into.

それからインドの インターナショナルスクールで勤めた

So it was all Indian kids?

日本でインドの学校で働いたの？

Yah

デイケアみたいなところだよ 自分でもよくわかってなかった

So did they speak English or Japanese or Hindi?

みんなインドの子供だったの？

All three

うん

And you ever see those guys with the push, you know baskets of babies, what are they called...

生徒は英語、日本語、それともヒンズー語？

Like a big cart of babies? Like a shopping cart of babies?

全部話せるんだ

Have you seen it?

赤ちゃんを運ぶ 大きいカゴ見たことある？

I think I've seen it.

ああ、大きいカートみたいなのね

I used to be that guy

見たことある？

You were the shopping cart baby guy?

見たことあると思う

It looked like I stole 20 Indian kids

僕はあれを押してたんだ

Yah, well I'm still here. I've been doing it for 6.5 years

押してたの？

My Nova apartment was right beside this famous foreigner gaijin, it was called The Tent.

20人のインドの子供を 誘拐した奴みたいだったよ

It was literally a tent between a building and that's where people used to go and hang out and so I met all my friends quickly

今の幼稚園の教師の仕事は楽しい？

I met a nice group of friend. Basically it was a big pick up bar.

うん、まだそこで働いてるから もう6年半だね

So a pick up tent

奥さんとの出会いは？

The bar was closing and I was walking out drunk and she was walking in drunk to get one more drink but they wouldn't let her in.

ノバのアパートはテントっていうバーの横だったんだ

So we went for one more drink together and we've still been drinking together ever since.

そこに外国人が多く集まったから すぐに友達を作ることができた

Very romantic. Does your wife speak English?

そこでたくさんの友人ができた ピックアップバーだね

A little bit. She did a home stay in Australia.

ピックアップテントだね

When you first met would you speak in Japanese at all?

バーが閉まりかけててたときに彼女が入ろうとしてて 彼女はお店に入れなかったから

When we first met she used to carry those old dictionaries.

二人で飲みにいったんだ 今でも二人で飲んでるよ

The electronic dictionaries.

ロマンチックだね 奥さんは英語話すの？

She would pop it open

少しだけ オーストラリアでホームステイしてたから

Does she want you to learn Japanese or is she ok with you speaking just English?

初めてあったとき 彼女は英語話せたの？

Well now that we have the girl, I'm off the hook.

はじめは彼女は辞書を持ち歩いてたよ

So in May, she'll turn 5.

電子辞書だ

Does she speak both languages?

こうやって開いてた

Yah

彼女はニールに日本語を学んでほしかった？ それとも英語で問題なかった？

I speak in one ear and my wife speaks in the other ear

今は娘がいるから大丈夫だ

It's good. They live in the building right next to us. And I see them in the grocery store. The mom's nice and shy and her fathers really quiet

娘さんは何歳？

When I moved in with my now wife, she lied and said I was her roommate for like a year.

5月で5歳になるんだ

So they didn't know you were dating.

彼女は両方しゃべれるの？

And it was a shock to her father when I said I wanted to marry her.

うん

Oh so you asked her father's permission?

ちゃんと聞き分けてる

Yah and he left the room and he came back with a necktie and threw it at me.

奥さんのご両親との関係は？

He said I had to dress up for the situation.

いいよ、僕たちの横のビルに住んでるからね、 よくスーパーで会う。 お母さんは優しくてシャイ。お父さんは凄静かだ

Ahh...

はじめ彼女は1年くらい 僕のことルームメイトだって嘘ついてた

Because it's very formal so you have to dress up

付き合ってるって知らなかったんだ

You have to wear a tie and ask formally.

だから結婚の申し込みをしたときは すごくびっくりしてた

I was just drinking a shochu...Can I marry this one?

お父さんの許可をもらおうとしたの？

And actually it turned out he was joking with me.

お父さんは部屋を出て戻ってきたかと思うと ネクタイを僕に投げつけた

Ok. I thought it was like a symbol of get the hell out of my daughter's life, here's a tie, get a job.

こういうときは正装するもんだって

A two.

あ〜

So you've been in Japan for 8 years?

フォーマルな格好をしないといけなかったんだ

It just hit 10 years.

ネクタイつけてフォーマルにね

And is there a reason why you don't want to study Japanese, or you don't need it or it's too difficult?

-僕は焼酎を飲んでたんだ -結婚していいですか〜

I think I should have started off the bat but I would only speak English at the conversation school and then I would go drinking with English people at the English bar.

でもお父さんは冗談を言ってたって あとでわかったんだ

Going to amazing onsen, hot springs place and soaking in hot water

あ〜俺の娘の人生から出てけ、 ネクタイつけて職を探しにいけ！ってことかと思った

Oh, bureaucracy. I hate wasting paper and fax machines.

1〜10段階だと日本語のレベルは？

Paperwork. And Japan still has fax machines

2かな？

And just going to the bank and I tried to cash a Canadian check and it took like 2 hours.

8年いるんだよね？

What's your favorite Japanese food?

10年だ

Ramen, I guess.

日本語を勉強しない理由はある？ 必要ない？難しすぎる？

Is there any Japanese food you don't like?

するべきだったんだけど 職場では英語しか使わないし、友達も英語しゃべるし

Everyone always says it but Natto.

日本の好きなことは？

Do you see yourself living here your whole life?

温泉につかるのが好きだ

I do have this little Australian dream but I'm maybe getting permenant residence and I don't mind staying around forever.

嫌いなことは？

What's your favorite Japanese musician?

無駄な手続き 紙の無駄遣い、ファックスも嫌いだ

Ulfuls.

ペーパーワーク... 未だにファックスあるし

Favorite Japanese movie?

銀行にいってカナダの小切手を キャッシュにするのに２時間もかかった

The old one. You know the old Kurosawa movie 7 samurai.

好きな日本の食べ物は？

What's your favorite Japanese tv show or drama?

ラーメンだね

Airport, why did you come to Japan.

嫌いなのは？

Do you have a Japanese manga or anime that you like?

みんな言うけど納豆だね

Akira. And of course Ghost in the Shell

ずっと日本に住むと思う

What's your favorite Japanese word?

オーストラリアに行きたいとも思うけど でも永住権をとって日本にずっと住んでもいいと思う

Mendokusai.

好きな日本の歌手は？

Does your wife say that to you a lot?

ウルフルズ

Yah

好きな映画は？

Last question. Advice to people who are thinking about not just coming to Japan but living in Japan

古いのが好きだ 黒澤明の七人の侍だね

Don't be scared to ask for advice because most Japanese people will help you.

日本の好きなテレビ番組やドラマはある？

I've had Japanese business men be late for work over showing me where my new bank is. Stuff like that

Youは何しに日本へ？かな

Don't worry be happy

好きな漫画やアニメはある？

There you go. Words of wisdom, don't worry be happy.

アキラと攻殻機動隊だね

So there you go. Thanks for watching. Don't forget to thumbs up if you liked this video and share.

好きな日本語は？

If you haven't already, subscribe. Because my videos are...

めんどくさい

Ozzy Awesome

奥さんがよく言うの

So let's do the peace sign together. Ready, take care, peace!

うん