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STUDENT INTERVIEW: Dean Abadzic (SILAC)

Dean Abadzic

After nearly a years absence from contributing interviews for the Newsletter, Brett Robson was asked to do this weeks student interview. He tracked down one of the students after their lessons had finished one day......

Brett: Where are you from?
Dean: I was born in Germany to Croatian parents and moved to Colorado (USA) when I was in junior high school.
B: and then you went to university?
D: Yes, I studied Petroleum Engineering but then went on to do a Masters and Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering.
B: So you started off trying to destroy the environment and then end up trying to save it?
D: (smiling) Yes that's right.
B: What did you do your Ph.D. in?
D: I researched ... (Brett has no idea what Dean is talking about)
B: That's very interesting.

B: Why did you come to Japan?
D: To study Japanese, I came directly to Yamasa.
B: Any particular reason?
D: I'd like to use it in work, not necessarily in Japan, but with Japanese related companies. I'll keep studying back home and probably come back to Yamasa at least one more time. I've already bought the second textbook to take home.
B: Excellent! We do get a number of students who come back to Yamasa a second time.
D: I think it shows respect for people, their culture and their country if you've made an attempt to study their language.
B: That's not necessarily true when I'm speaking Japanese. (both laughing)

B: How long are you studying this time?
D: 6 weeks on SILAC then 2 weeks of travel. My girlfriend is coming over to travel with me.
B: Where are you going?
D: Lots of places. We'll go to the usual places, Hiroshima, Kyoto and Nara.
B: Be sure to check out our tour guides, I'll print some off for you.
D: That's great, but we also want to see the mountains around Takayama.
B: That's fairly close to Okazaki, you can get there easily by train.
D: Actually we are going to hire a car.
B: That's very unusual, most people rely on trains. But a car is good for country areas.
D: Yes it's much more flexible.
B: If you can get to Toyama you should go to Tateyama and Kurobe Gorge. Tateyama is the second highest mountain in Japan and very beautiful. Plus the sushi in Toyama is the best in Japan. You can eat sushi?
D: Of course, I love it. Sushi has taken over in America like McDonalds has in Japan. The same in Australia?
B: Yes, but I wouldn't say that to Japanese, Japanese food is supposed to be mysterious and unique. (both laughing)
D: The Japanese cooking here is certainly better than it is in America, the sushi is better and the rice too.
B: Tell the Japanese that, they'll love it. Personally I prefer long grain rice, especially Jasmine.

B: How are your classes?
D: Truly phenomenal, I'm very impressed with the whole program.
B: I believe Yamada Saori sensei is one of your teachers, we interviewed her for the last newsletter.
D: She's very hard working but it seems so easy for her. She has a very gentle style.
B: The SILAC teachers are very experienced, Yamada Sensei especially. But she's really strict with me when I take private lessons with her!
D: Maybe you deserve it.
B: Maybe (both laughing)
D: Try speaking to her in German.
B: Her German is excellent!
D: Really? I don't speak German so I can't tell.

B: What are your classmates like?
D: We have a lot of fun in class, we've got students from America, Switzerland, Italy, Taiwan and China.
B: That's fairly typical here.
D: It's good because we have to talk in Japanese.

B: I've heard you've missed a few classes recently, it took me a while to catch up with you.
D: Yes, that's right. Being away from work was OK for the first couple of weeks but I've received some work by email I have to finish.
B: Don't get too far behind.
D: I'm taking some private classes with Kawashima Sensei. It's not the same but it's helping me to keep up.

B: Have you seen anything of Japan yet?
D: Just Okazaki and Nagoya. I've ridden all around Okazaki.
B: You've probably seen more than I have.
D: You should get out more.
B: I've heard that before! (both laughing)
D: There are a lot of nice things in Okazaki if you take the time to look around, particularly the mountains.
B: My colleague Tomas often cycles to the mountains.
D: And the ocean is nice too.
B: Certainly better than around Tokyo.
D: Nagoya is a nice city.
B: I think it's probably the most livable city in Japan.

B: Any advice for people thinking about coming over to Japan to study?
D: This is the best place to study Japanese. If you can spend even just 4 weeks here it's so much better than trying to study in the US.
B: ... or anywhere outside Japan.
D: Yes, coming to Yamasa gives you a huge head start, you can then study back home. I tried to study from self-study programs but they just don't work.
B: Many of those programs are the same course that is used for European languages, just translated into Japanese, now you'll understand why that doesn't work.
D: That's right, studying a proper course with experienced teachers in Japan is so much more efficient.
B: Thanks Dean, I had better let you go and finish your work so you can get to class tomorrow, otherwise you might be in trouble with Yamada Sensei.
D: Thanks.