Shaberou Kai is run by the Australia Japan Society. It is held in a room at Ross House, 24 Flinders Lane.
This was my first time at Shaberou Kai so I was a little nervous when I entered the room. Andrew (the nights organizer) greeted me with a smile and said konbanwa (good evening). There were around 20 people there, ranging from high school girls to retirees. Of the several conversation groups running in Melbourne, I got the impression this one has the widest age range.
We were divided into three tables for our conversations. Shaberou Kai is very informal, and nothing is particularly set in stone. With coffee and snacks in hand, conversations are conducted like a round table discussion in a relaxed atmosphere.
At my table the topic turned to Japanese dialects. Listening to Aussies who have lived in Japan explain to other Aussies about Japan is an interesting thing. We spoke mainly in English, but there was some Japanese mixed in here and there. At other tables there were people speaking in Japanese and taking notes studying.
Andrew, who lived in Japan for 3 years, tried his best to explain the meaning “otsukaresama” in English. Listening to explanations of everyday Japanese in English was also a new experience. There were a lot of questions like “how do you say “ganbare” or “mottainai” in English?” Because there were people who could understand Japanese, we were able to ask such questions.
The night’s organizer Andrew told me, “This conversation group is an informal meeting that is held in a quiet, safe environment. Therefore people are able to relax and enjoy a conversation. There are people with all sorts of backgrounds and different levels in language skill. There’s always about 2 or 3 new people, so I want first timers to also feel welcome to come.
Andrew also mentioned that a survey was about to be conducted, as we will see a good conversation group turn into a great conversation group!
So if you’re in the mood to nibble on some snacks, relax and enjoy a conversation, I recommend Shaberou Kai!!
Original article written by Writer Y
Translated by Garrick Low
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