29.10.2009
Asako Suzuki is from Japan and moved to Ireland when she was 15. She started her Irish education with transition year and did her Leaving Certificate as Irish students do.
Asako Suzuki is from Japan and moved to Ireland when she was 15. She started her Irish education with transition year and did her Leaving Certificate as Irish students do. Asako went to an all-girls secondary school in Dublin, but decided to move to Cork to go to University as UCC was her first preference. She really likes listening to and playing music so she decided to take a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music at UCC. In first year, Asako also studied Italian and Chinese. She chose Chinese because she was intrigued by Chinese music, architecture, food and art. Once she started learning Chinese at UCC, she got the opportunity to meet students from China. Asako has a lot of Chinese friends now and also has a Chinese boyfriend who helps her to study Chinese. She feels really fortunate to have that help.
Last summer Asako visited China for the first time. She thought it was an amazing country. She travelled around Shanghai, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Hangzhou, and also Hong Kong and really enjoyed the food and shopping as well.
Says Asako, “I am really delighted to get the opportunity to enjoy both Irish and Chinese culture in the same place. Studying Chinese in an English- speaking country sounds a little strange but I feel that studying Chinese in English makes it easier to understand as some grammar points are similar to English. I am enjoying the challenge!”.
