Yay!
      We’re
      in
      Memramcook!
     
     
      No
      wait
      ...
      we
      don’t
      wanna
      go
      to
     
     
      Memramcook!
      Our
      destination
      on
      this
     
     
      clear,
      crisp
      morn
      is
      Sackville.-
      So
     
     
      backtracking,
      we
      get
      to
      Sackville,
      and
     
     
      stop
      at
      the
      local
      MacDonald’s
      for
      a
     
     
      washroom
      break/disgruntled
      look
      at
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      map.
      Our
      travellers
      include
      Sensei
      ~
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Nakagawa,
      Horace
      Yeung
      from
      Hong
     
     
      Kong,
      Sok
      Ngee
      Ng
      and
      Sharron
      Sio
     
     
      Khuan
      from
      Malaysia,
      Charlie
      and
     
     
      Tina
      Dowling,
      Kathy
      Lynn
      Campbell,
     
     
      Alex
      Carr,
      and
      me.
      Our
      purpose?
      The
     
     
      Fourth
      Atlantic
      Canada
      Japanese
     
     
      Language
      Speech
      Contest!
      f
     
    

    
     
      Hosted,
      organized,
      and
      paid
     
     
      for
      by
      Mount
      Allison
      University,
      the
     
     
      speech
      contest
      had
      the
      biggest
      turn
      out
     
     
      yet,
      with
      twenty-one
      entrants.
      Kathy,
     
     
      Sok
      Ngee,
      Horace,
      and
      I
      were
      among
     
     
      the
      sixteen
      beginners,
      and
      Alex
      was
     
     
      the
      only
      contestant
      in
      the
      advanced
     
     
      level.
      Don’t
      get
      me
      wrong;
      he
      did
      real-
     
     
      ly
      great,
      and
      had
      there
      been
      other
      peo-
     
     
      ple
      in
      his
      category
      he
      surely
      would
     
     
      have
      kicked
      their
      asses.
      The
      other
      con-
     
     
      testants,
      however,
      were
      up
      against
     
     
      twelve
      contestants
      from
      UNB,
      MTA,
     
     
      and
      SMU.
     
    

    
     
      Despite
      getting
      lost
      a
      second
     
     
      time
      and
      driving
      around
      Sackville
      to
     
     
      everywhere
      but
      the
      campus,
      we
      were
     
     
      first
      to
      arrive.
      It
      only
      took
      asking
      three
     
     
      groups
      of
      pedestrians
      to
      get
      us
      there.
     
     
      So
      finally,
      we
      enter
      Truman
      House,
     
     
      Tweedie
      Hall.
      Tweedie
      is
      an
      odd
      name
     
     
      for
      such
      a
      grand
      hall,
      for
      upon
      enter-
     
     
      ing,
      we
      were
      all
      in
      awe.
      Thick
      bur-
     
     
      gundy
      carpet
      ran
      up
      the
      middle
      aisle
      to
     
     
      the
      podium,
      with
      a
      crest
      and
      scripture
     
     
      reading
      “Litterae
      Religio
      Scientia.”
     
     
      Chairs
      were
      aligned
      on
      either
      side
      of
     
     
      the
      room
      in
      perfect
      rows.
      At
      the
      head
     
     
      of
      the
      room,
      towering
      over
      and
     
     
      demanding
      attention,
      stood
      a
      mural
      of
     
     
      who-knows-what.
      Something
      historic
     
     
      and
      importantly
      symbolic,
      I’m
      sure.
     
     
      The
      podium
      became
      tiny
      in
      front
      of
     
     
      the
      monstrous
      artwork,
      but
      held
      a
     
     
      tinge
      of
      fear
      for
      all
      who
      were
      to
     
     
      approach
      it.
      On
      the
      left
      hung
      the
      flag
     
     
      of
      Japan,
      on
      the
      right
      the
      flag
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Seat
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sale
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Japan
      via
      Sackville
     
     
      by
      Marieve
      MacGREGOR
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (If
      you
      look
      from
      the
     
     
      Japanese
      one
      to
      the
      Canadian
      one
      real-
     
     
      ly
      fast,
      it
      looks
      like
      the
      red
      dot
      is
     
     
      exploding.
      Just
      an
      observation.)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Canada.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Slowly,
      the
      room
     
     
      filled
      with
      sorta-
     
     
      Japanese-speaking
     
     
      to
      really-Japanese-
     
     
      speaking
      people.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      While
      waiting
      for
      the
      other
     
     
      schools
      to
      join
      us,
      we
      sat
      down
      to
      eat
     
     
      lunch.
      Sensei
      had
      woken
      up
      at
      6
      am
     
     
      that
      morning,
      and
      made
      sandwiches,
     
     
      boiled
      eggs,
      and
      rice
      balls
      wrapped
      in
     
     
      seaweed
      for
      everyone.
      Slowly,
      the
     
     
      room
      filled
      with
      sorta-Japanese-
     
     
      speaking
      to
      really-Japanese-speaking
     
     
      people.
      The
      Japanese
      prof.
      of
      Mount
     
     
      A.,
      Miyako
      Oe,
      emceed
      the
      event.
      The
     
     
      judging
      panel
      consisted
      of
      Erik
     
     
      Gingles,
      freelance
      writer/
      broadcaster;
     
     
      Mr.
      Tetsuo
      Shioguchi,
      Consul
      General
     
     
      of
      Japan
      at
      Montreal;
      Dr.
      Haruo
     
     
      Konishi,
      retired
      prof
      from
      UNB;
      Mr.
     
     
      Yoshiharu
      Kashio,
      Rep.
      From
      Japan
     
     
      Fisheries
      Association
      in
      Halifax;
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Makiko
      Warren,
      Consultant,
      MY
     
     
      Planning,
      and
      the
      only
      female
      on
      the
     
     
      panel.
      They
      truly
      added
      to
      the
      formal-
     
     
      ity
      of
      it
      all.
      “This
      is
      a
      wonderful
      turn
     
     
      out,”
      said
      Mr
      Kashio.
      “I’m
      very
     
     
      pleased
      to
      see
      such
      numbers.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Hopefully
      we
      can
      double
      the
      number_
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      people
      next
      year.”
     
    

    
     
      Everyone
      -had
      their
      flub
      ups
     
     
      and
      jittery
      nerves,
      me
      included.
      It
      was
     
     
      tough,
      I
      kid
      you
      not.
      Sok
      Ngee
      was
      a
     
     
      shoe-in
      for
      first
      place
      in
      the
      beginner
     
     
      category.
      Her
      speech
      about
      her
      love
      of
     
     
      the
      Japanese
      language
      was
      excellent,
     
     
      well
      spoken,
      and
      impressively
      pre-
     
     
      sented.
      Kathy
      was
      adorable.
      As
      she
     
     
      approached
      the
      podium
      she
      bowed
      to
     
     
      both
      the
      judges
      and
      the
      audience.
      Her
     
     
      speech
      was
      well
      annunciated,
      and
      her
     
     
      topic
      entitled,
      “Knowledge,
      The
     
     
      Window
      to
      Peace,”
      was
      very
      interest-
     
     
      ing.
      Horace
      did
      pretty
      well,
      too.
      I
     
     
      thought
      he
      had
      a
      chance
      of
      winning
     
     
      something.
      Alex
      was
      charming
      and
     
     
      funny
      and
      witty.
      As
      far
      as
      I
      know.
      I
     
     
      didn’t
      quite
      understand
      everything,
     
     
      but
      you
      soon
      learn
      to
      laugh
      when
      oth-
     
     
      ers
      laugh.
     
    

    
     
      I
      refuse
      to
      discuss
      my
      speech.
     
    

    
     
      The
      three
      intermediate
      stu-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      dents
      were
      by
      far
      more
      advanced
      than
     
     
      we
      were.
      I
      was
      scared..So
      were
      Kathy
     
     
      and
      Sok
      Ngee,
      I
      believe.
      Also
      in
      atten-
     
     
      dance
      were
      many
      Japanese
      people.
     
     
      According
      to
      Alex
      Carr
      (the
      one
      and
     
     
      only
      advanced
      contestant),
      speech
     
     
      contests
      are
      huge
      in
      Japan.
     
    

    
     
      So,
      the
      speeches,
      which
      were
     
     
      supposed
      to
      end
      at
      3:30,
      ended
      at
     
     
      4:00pm.
      The
      judges,
      who
      were
      sup-
     
     
      posed
      to
      take
      a
      half-hour
      to
      decide,
     
     
      took
      one
      hour
      and
      ten
      minutes.
      This
     
     
      allowed
      some
      leeway
      to
      go
      exploring.
     
     
      Across
      the
      street
      was
      an
      exhibit
      in
      the
     
     
      art
      gallery
      by
      Baco
      Ohama,
      an
      artist
     
     
      from
      Vancouver.
      We
      entered
      the
     
     
      gallery,
      and
      proceeded
      up
      the
      stairs,
     
     
      where
      a
      quote
      from
      the
      artist
      was
      dis-
     
     
      played
      on
      the
      wall:
      “A
      taste
      that
     
     
      lingers
      unfinished
      in
      the
      mouth.”
      Here
     
     
      I
      will
      avoid
      describing
      the
      odd
      sight
     
     
      that
      was
      supposed
      to
      be
      art,
      and
      leave
     
     
      you
      with
      a
      quote
      from
      Alex,
      “It’s
      just
     
     
      a
      weird,
      weird
      thing.”
      Right.
      Sign
      the
     
     
      guest
      book,
      and
      back
      away
      slowly.
     
    

    
     
      After
      a
      leisurely
      walk
      around
     
     
      the
      gorgeous
      campus,
      we
      returned
      to
     
     
      Tweedie
      hall.
      Kathy
      came
      in
      third,
      and
     
     
      all
      were
      pleased
      to
      see
      Sok
      Ngee
      win
     
     
      first
      place.
      Prizes
      of
      Japanese
      diction-
     
     
      aries,
      mouse
      pads,
      and
      chop
      sticks
     
     
      were
      awarded,
      and
      everyone
      proceed-
     
     
      ed
      to
      a
      remote
      basement
      room
      for
      free
     
     
      mini-sandwiches,
      sweets,
      and
      coffee.
     
     
      li
      desune.
      In
      April,
      Sok
      Ngee
      Ng
      and
     
     
      Alex
      Carr
      will
      be
      going
      to
      Toronto
      for
     
     
      the
      grand
      contest,
      going
      against
      the
     
     
      winners
      from
      Quebec,
      Ontario,
     
     
      Alberta,
      B.C.
      and
      the
      North.
     
    

    
     
      The
      drive
      home
      was
      even
     
     
      more
      fun,
      as
      we
      ended
      up
      lost
      in
      Nova
     
     
      Scotia,
      driving
      through
      Amherst,
      fol-
     
     
      lowing
      an
      unofficial
      hand
      made
      “This
     
     
      way
      to
      PEI”
      sign,
      and
      drove
      in
      the
     
     
      pitch
      black
      down
      many
      a
      back
      road
      in
     
     
      the
      sticks.
      It
      only
      took
      three
      hours
      to
     
     
      get
      home
      and
      two
      boxes
      of
      Timbits.
     
     
      But
      that
      doesn’t
      matter.
      What
      does
     
     
      matter
      is
      that
      we
      killed
      the
      other
     
     
      Maritime
      universities
      at
      that
      contest,
     
     
      and
      despite
      not
      understanding
      much,
     
     
      we
      felt
      important
      just
      being
      there.