Akiko Hirata

For 19-year-old Akiko Hirata, lifestyle is of the utmost importance. The laidback teenager values her free time and has found the way of life Down under is just her style.
“Life is much more easygoing here. It’s more relaxed and I have more time to myself. In Japan life is so busy. Every day you have to go to work, even at the weekends. Normally people don’t get home until about nine o’clock at night. I don’t want to live like that.”

The bubbly student lived in Victoria, Australia for a year during her second to last year of high school. It was an experience which gave Akiko her first taste Down under lifestyle.

“I loved it there. I always went surfing with my Australian friends. If I can get a job there after I’ve graduated from AIS I’d love to go back.”

Akiko returned to Japan to complete her final year of high school before coming to New Zealand in March 2002.

“I was keen to study English but I also wanted a challenge and to gain some other skills which would help me in my future.

I studied in the AIS English Language Centre for the first month, but because I’d been in Australia my English was quite good. I was planning to go into the Bachelor of Language and Culture Programme so then I did Business Foundation. However later I changed my mind and decided to do Travel and Tourism instead. I felt a travel and tourism qualification would be more useful for me, and enable me to get a job quickly.”

Akiko is thoroughly enjoying both her studies and her life in New Zealand.

“I like AIS. Everyone is friendly here and the teachers are helpful. There are no barriers between teachers and students which is great. I’ve also got a really good homestay family. As well as my Kiwi mum and dad, I live with their two little boys, two kittens, four goldfish and a bird!”

When Akiko graduates at the end of this year she’ll say goodbye to her Kiwi family. She plans to head back to Japan for a holiday before looking for work in New Zealand or across the Tasman.