Macquarie University Intern Angus Wells - Fall 2022

 This is Me! 

Introductory Blog By Angus Wells 

 My name is Angus Wells, and I am a third-year student at Macquarie University studying a Bachelor of International Studies and Majoring in Japanese. Originally, I am from a small town Just North of Sydney called The Central Coast but recently I moved to Sydney to be closer to campus.  

My studies primarily focus on political, social and cultural systems and in the global community.  

I chose Japanese as my major due to the relationship the country holds with Australia despite having very contrastive cultures. 

My interest in Japanese language and culture began when I was eight years old because I started practising martial arts. Both of my senseis were Japanese migrants. Through martial arts they taught me about Japanese life and philosophy. At my high school, Japanese was a mandatory subject from grade 7 and 8, but I chose to study Japanese further in grade 9. My language studies shifted in senior school to French, which I continued until my second year of university. Then I decided to refocus back on Japanese. Informally, I have also studied Italian and Greek. 

In 8th grade I was offered the amazing opportunity to visit Japan on an exchange program devised by my school. I remember arriving in spring, just shy of the Sakuramatsu. While in Japan, I got the opportunity to explore many cultural attractions including castles, forests, temples and museums. I also spent a week of my travels staying with a host family and studying at a high school, where I experienced the daily life of Japan. the highlight for me was our visit to Hiroshima Peace Park, where the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, making a place that was quite sad still beautiful and optimistic. 

 

I have take a particular interest in Japanese food culture and the tea ceremony. These interests encouraged me to work in the Australian tea industry, which I still work in today.  

I have found that, despite having studied Japanese in school, my language skills are quite limited which has affected my ability to fully engage with Japanese culture. This has taught me the importance of learning languages to understand the viewpoints of others. As I result, I have gone on to study a variety of languages to better understand myself and those around me.  

One day I hope to work within the Australian government and advocate for stronger international relationships. I also aim to push for stronger emphasis on second language acquisition in our curriculums, as it encourages a multicultural mindset and makes for a healthy mind in general!