Dear Cafetalk Community,

I hear it's still hot over there, but you're beginning to feel a little hint of autumn around the corner. It's the same here in the middle of Canada.

Here in Regina, Saskatchewan, we usually see snow by the end of October—sometimes right around Halloween! And once the snow arrives, we're in for a long winter again. I suppose one nice thing about all that snow is that a snow-covered Christmas can be incredibly romantic and dreamy.

Of course, the reality of driving on icy, snow-covered roads is another story! It can get quite slippery out there.

[Today's Topic: A Little Bit of Japan in the Middle of Canada]

Right in the center of this vast country, I live in a city called Regina, in the province of Saskatchewan.

Regina is located in an area of Saskatchewan known as the Prairies. And when I say "prairie," I really mean FLAT! The land stretches for kilometers and kilometers—as far as the eye can see. There isn't a mountain in sight, and there are very few forests or even hills. Sometimes, when I look out across the landscape, I feel as though I can see forever!

Canada is famous for being a multicultural country, with people from all over the world living together. Regina certainly has people from many different backgrounds, although the city itself is not nearly as internationally diverse as some of Canada's larger cities.

And then there's me.

My mother is Japanese, and my father is American. I was born and raised in Japan and lived there until I was 18 years old, when I moved to the United States to attend UCLA.

Needless to say, I miss Japan very much.

So, imagine my happiness when I discovered the Regina Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre here in my prairie city!

Can you believe that there are only about 120 members? That's not very many people! But despite being a relatively small community, they are wonderfully active and recently held a beautiful Japanese Matsuri Festival.

The Matsuri had everything you might expect at a Japanese festival: delicious Japanese food, traditional dancing, martial arts demonstrations, and even Tamasudare, a traditional Japanese performance art that uses a bamboo screen to create different shapes.

There was also a booth where visitors could rent a kimono and have their photographs taken.

And that's where my husband and I had a little unexpected encounter.

We had been running into the same gentleman at several community events in a row, so my husband finally asked him to take a photograph with us.

He is the gentleman in the middle of the picture.

And who is he?

He is Chad Bachynski, the Mayor of Regina! Mayor Bachynski was elected in 2024 and is Regina's current mayor. Before becoming mayor, he worked in engineering and large-scale project management and was involved in various community and volunteer organizations.

So there I was, standing in the middle of the Canadian Prairies, wearing Japanese culture on my sleeve—quite literally—and posing for a photograph with the mayor of my Canadian city!

Life can be funny sometimes.

Even though I've spent most of my adult life in Los Angeles—especially Santa Monica—I still miss so many things about Japan.

My dream is to visit Japan again one day!

Having lived in Japan until I was 18, I understand Japanese sentiment, behavior, politeness, manners, and many of the unwritten rules of Japanese society. My experience of living there is definitely a large part of who I am.

Perhaps that's one reason why I connect so well with my Cafetalk students.

I am a native and fluent English speaker, but I also understand the cultural background of many Japanese learners. I understand the hesitation that can sometimes come with speaking to a foreigner. I understand the importance of politeness and consideration. I understand the feeling of wanting to say something in English but wondering, "Is this really the right way to say it?"

And perhaps most importantly, I understand that learning a language isn't simply about learning vocabulary and grammar.

Language is connected to culture.

It's connected to how we think, how we express ourselves, how we interact with other people, and even how we understand the world around us.

That's why I love teaching English to Japanese students.

I don't want you to simply study English.

I want you to use English.

I want you to feel comfortable expressing your own personality, your own opinions, your own sense of humor, and your own stories in English.

And if you're looking for an English teacher who can help you do that while also understanding where you're coming from culturally, perhaps my lessons might be a good fit for you.

Please come and give one of my lessons a try if you haven't already! I would love to meet you.

A Special Discount for Cafetalk Students

If you would like to take several lessons with me, you can save quite a bit by requesting my Value Discount Pack.

With the 5-Lesson Value Pack, you receive 5 lessons for the price of 4. For example, instead of my regular price of 1,300 points for a 30-minute lesson, you pay only 1,040 points per lesson when you purchase the 5-lesson pack.

I also offer a 50-minute Discount Pack, which is normally 1,900 points per lesson.

Sometimes, a little bit of Japan can be found in the most unexpected places—even in the middle of the Canadian Prairies.

And perhaps that's exactly where I belong: somewhere between Japan and America, teaching English in Canada.

After all, I've spent my life crossing cultures and crossing oceans.

So why not cross a few linguistic barriers, too?

I hope to see you in my classroom soon!

Warmest regards,

Lady Ayame