export_ofoct.com - 2021-01-09T122822.356

[00:00.39] Aimee: So Gilda, we're both teachers, and we both live and work abroad, right, from our home countries.

[00:08.14] Gilda: Yes.

[00:09.38] Aimee: I'm from Scotland and you're from Venezuela.

[00:10.63] So, I'm sure we both have to deal with homesickness because we're so far from our home.

[00:18.89] How do you deal with homesickness?

[00:20.64] Gilda: It's very difficult because as you said I'm so far from my country.

[00:26.38] Aimee: Yeah.

[00:26.88] Gilda: And like special seasons like Christmas or during the Holy Week – it is something that we celebrate a lot, I feel really homesick especially because of the food we have.

[00:39.88] Aimee: Yeah.

[00:42.63] Gilda: Yeah, a particular food and also meeting with your friends, hanging out with them, going to the beach.

[00:47.64] So all those things that I don't have here is, – yeah, it really makes feel homesick.

[00:54.89] But one thing I do is I always try to go for things in the country where I'm living. S

[01:02.64] o what do the locals do? Is there any interesting – and it's a sort of like an adventure because you're doing something new so you're kind of replacing something that you used to do by something new. So in a way, it's nice dealing with homesickness.

[01:20.38] Aimee: Yeah.

[01:21.13] Gilda: What about you?

[01:22.39] Aimee: Well, that's kind of what I was going to say. You said replacing, I was going to say just distract yourself with other activities.

[01:30.13] Obviously, we've met new people living here and, you know, I've made some new and wonderful friends.

[01:35.64] And it's not the same as your life back home but it's a good distraction, I think.

[01:42.89] You mentioned activities, so yeah, just exploring the new culture that we're in.

[01:47.89] And if feeling homesickness in regards to food, you know, there's a lot of delicious foods here in Japan.

[01:57.38] Delicious foods, so we can distract our needs, I guess.

[02:02.89] Gilda: Yeah. That's one of the good things of being in Japan is the fact that you get to know people from all over the world and try so many different things.

[02:12.38] So yeah, it's a distraction. It's a good distraction. Yeah.

[02:15.88] Aimee: One, I guess, one strategy I have as well for homesickness is whenever someone comes to visit, which is very rare but it does happen, I send them a list of things that they can fill their suitcase with to bring over for me.

[02:33.88] Foods from home and just tea bags from the local supermarket and, you know, some cosmetics or toiletries that I cannot buy here, particular brands that I like.

[02:46.64] And it's little things like that that help me, I think, deal with not having them. Basically, having them helps me deal with not having them.

[02:56.63] Gilda: I also do that sometimes like my family try to visit me once a year so their suitcase packed of stuff Venezuela, which is very important to me.

[03:14.13] And also I try to find those supermarkets from South America like Brazilian supermarkets…

[03:18.14] Aimee: Right. Yeah.

[03:19.64] Gilda: Or sometimes the Filipino supermarkets, they have stuff that we have in Venezuela, so yeah, it's very nice.

[03:26.39] Aimee: I actually used to live out in a different part of Japan where there was quite a large Brazilian population, and there were many like Brazilian convenient store.

[03:35.39] Wonderful breads, the meat was good, too. Yeah, lots of really good products.

[03:41.64] So I guess a shop like that would help you in particular.

[03:44.89] Gilda: Yes, I guess Brazilians, they don't have the same issue that we have with homesickness because they can get a lot of stuff from Brazil here in Japan.

[03:53.13] Aimee: That's true. Yeah. Well, of course, you know, there are international stores around.

[03:56.39] I'm lucky enough to – even in a small city like this, I have an international store that's reasonably close.

[04:03.64] So there are a few products that you can – I feel happy about, I guess.

[04:08.64] Maybe I wouldn't even buy them at home but when I see them in the shop here, I feel like, oh I can't get other things so I'm going to buy these biscuits.

[04:16.88] Gilda: Likewise, something that you can read.

[04:18.63] Aimee: Yeah. Well, yeah, that too. Just peel the language stick off the top and read English below.

[04:23.39] Gilda: Yes.

[04:24.13] Aimee: Yeah. There are different ways to cope with it, I think.

[04:28.89] Gilda: Yes.