Formative Experiences & Present Thoughts

Yuko Iwata

My name is Yuko Iwata. I’ve come from Japan with my husband. My husband is a visiting professor at the University of Otago, and we will stay in Dunedin until next June. When I discuss the people and experiences that have influenced me, I can’t tell you without talking about my husband. He was my professor when I was a university student. Then he taught me everything, not only economics (his major subject) but also playing tennis, skiing and horse riding. The latest thing is playing golf. Anyway he likes teaching. So, most of my experiences have been with my husband. During his research holidays we’ve stayed or traveled in many countries, for example, the U.S.A., the U.K., Australia, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Malaysia, Thailand and South Korea.

Now I’m interested in many kinds of western foods. In the supermarkets, I find some vegetables, breads, cheeses and sweets which I’ve never seen. I’d like to taste those foods and I’d like to learn how to cook them. That’s why I’m studying English.

Finally, my message for my classmates is: “I’m very happy to meet everyone from many countries. We have the same purpose to progress our English skill and have good communication in English. I’m always curious about your different cultures (your foods, families & dreams etc). I hope that we can respect and understand each other.”