Brooke Palmer (New Zealand)

Education:
University of Canterbury Japanese Language and Linguistics Major
Japanese/English Translation and Interpretation

Work Experience:
Japanese teacher 6 months New Zealand
Specialty store for Japanese ingredients and miscellaneous goods 1 year and a half New Zealand

Kia Ora! (Hello!)
I'm Brooke Palmer from Christchurch, New Zealand. In English, the name is Brooke, which means stream. The first time I became interested in the Japanese language was when I was in high school, homestaying with students from a sister school in Japan. I didn't understand Japanese at all, but it left a good impression on me, so I decided to study Japanese. I continued my studies and went to Kwansei Gakuin University in Hyogo Prefecture as an exchange student. After returning to New Zealand and graduating, I wanted to work in Japan, but soon after that, border and immigration restrictions became stricter due to the coronavirus. That's why I decided to study translation and interpreting in graduate school. Now, I finally came to Japan as a Coordinator for International Relations!

 

I am from Christchurch. Christchurch is the largest city on the South Island, located on the central east coast of New Zealand's South Island. Christchurch, like Niseko, is popular for outdoor sports because the city is surrounded by the sea, mountains and forests. Canterbury, where Christchurch is located, has a lot of farmland.
There is also a lot of nature in the city center. I highly recommend the botanical garden! The Avon River flows through the botanical garden, which is rich in nature, so you can relax in beautiful nature no matter what season you visit. There is also a garden that looks like a primeval forest in New Zealand, and when you go there, you really feel like you are in New Zealand. When I saw the famous silver fern worn by the New Zealand All Blacks for the first time at the park, I was really surprised by the silver color!
I think New Zealanders are kind and friendly people. My daily life is quite leisurely, so when I go shopping, I often see people wearing no shoes or wearing pajamas. I can't imagine it in Japan!