Canadian Spirit Newsletter / April 2010 / Newsletter No. 12

As I write this newsletter it is expected to hit 24C and it looks like spring has finally arrived! We had a very, very mild winter in Penticton but spring has been slow to arrive. Finally the warm weather is here! I visited my friend’s orchard this week and took pictures of her gorgeous fruit blossoms (see blog photos). I’ve also noticed many people riding around on motorcycles and people driving their convertibles – nothing like being on the open road with the warm wind all around you!

A lot has happened to us since the February newsletter. February was a very exciting month with the Winter Olympics being held in Vancouver and Whistler. I cannot describe the excitement and energy of the Olympics and its huge impact on Canada. I have never seen the country come together like this before, and the pride and enthusiasm shown toward the Canadian athletes was simply astounding. The highlight was of course the men’s final hockey game between the US and Canada –the most watched sports event in Canadian history with 10.6 million viewers glued to their televisions, big screens, and computer screens (see blog for more Olympic comments).

Atsuko is having a very exciting 2010. She enrolled in a Nail Technician course at the Okanagan Cosmetology Institute in Penticton and she is doing very, very well. When she finishes the course she wants to start her own business and specialize in the health care side of hand and foot care. With her nursing background it is a perfect fit for Atsuko, and I think she will do a first class job with her business. Atsuko also finished her Japanese cooking classes and they were a big success. The students gave her high marks and Okanagan College wants her back in the fall and winter to do more classes. It has been a long, hard struggle but I think Atsuko is finally finding a place for herself in Penticton.

Angela and Matthew are having a lot of fun with school too. Angela was accepted into the French Immersion Program at the KVR Middle School in Penticton. It is great program and I have talked to a number of middle school kids and they tell me how much they enjoy the school. Everyone tells me the same story too. They start the program in Grade 6 not knowing any French but by the time they are in Grade 7 they are speaking, reading, and writing French all day long! Angela is very nervous but I am sure she will be fine.

I am also teaching the kids Japanese at home. At the moment we are focusing on writing – Angela is working on her kanji and Matthew is learning his hiragana. They watch Japanese DVDs – the latest is “Howl’s Moving Castle” – and of course mommy only speaks Japanese to them. I don’t want them to lose their Japanese language and culture. It is a very important part of their identity. They like the food in Canada, for example, but their favorite is still mommy’s home-cooked Japanese food!

Our business is continuing to develop and grow. In February – a big thank you to Allan Edwards of the Canadian Consulate in Nagoya and Richard Takai of the Central Okanagan Development Commission – we were introduced to the First Lutheran Christian School in Kelowna. This private elementary school is looking to expand their international student program and offer their services to young Japanese students. The students can study for a full year (September to June) or only for a short time (1 or 2 weeks in March, July or August). It is a beautiful, new school located near Okanagan Lake in gorgeous residential area. The school is spacious, the classrooms are large, and the teachers are very well qualified (most have Master’s degrees). We are working with them now to promote their international program, and if you know any parents who may be interested in this first-rate program please let us know!

I have also made some new connections with the First Nations community in Penticton.  Last year many of our Japanese guests were very curious about the First Nations people, and I thought it would be great if we could organize some “hands-on” activities for our guests. I talked to the director of a Penticton First Nations organization and he had some terrific ideas such as traditional cooking classes, an overnight teepee stay, spiritual cleansing at a sweat lodge, collecting natural desert medicines, arts and craft activities…the list is endless. Last week I attended one such arts and craft activity and made my own drum! (see blog photos). It was a fantastic experience and I had so much fun! Aboriginal tourism is a large and growing business in western Canada, and I hope to offer many of these cultural activities and experiences to our Japanese guests.

Enjoy the beautiful spring and please keep in touch!