Essay Okamisan down under: 'No worries, mate. Smile!' By John Gathright	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
心配ご無用、さあ笑って！ 2度目の新婚旅行と研究発表を兼ねて、奥さんと2人で訪れたオーストラリア。親友の紹介で宿泊したゴールドコーストのリゾートクラブの社長は、大の親日家で、どんなときも「心配ご無用です」と明るい笑顔で応じてくれました。ほかにも人生を楽しんでいる大勢の人々と出会って、すっかりこの国のとりこになった夫妻。なぜこんなに気に入ってしまったのか、理由を考えてみたところ…。

We just spent a wonderful time in Australia - a second honeymoon and a scientific presentation rolled into one. Hopefully next year our miso-barrel tree house will have a resident doctor under our roof - me. For the past three years, I have been working on a doctorate in bio-agricultural science. Finally, last month, I went to Australia to present my research at a conference in Brisbane. My wife Hiroko and I thought it would also be the perfect opportunity to go on a romantic little trip ourselves.

Preparing my research paper was exhausting. It was like eating ice cubes with chopsticks - every time you almost get one in your mouth, it slips away and you have to start again. Balancing family, work and studies led to sleepless nights and groggy days and both my wife and I dreamed of the post-conference, hassle-free holiday bliss in one of the world's most popular playgrounds, the Gold Coast

Soon dream turned to reality. The presentation had gone well and we were staying at Club Go Pacific at Hope Island on the Gold Coast. A close friend recommended it to us, saying, "It's a great place, with a wonderful Australian okamisan." The okamisan turned out to be a guy named Matthew!

Before you get the wrong idea, he doesn't shuffle elegantly along ancient corridors in a kimono with his hair up in a bun. He arrived on a golf cart, in suit and tie, and a cell phone in one hand. With a firm handshake and a gentle bow, he proceeded to outline - in fluent Japanese - the huge range of fun and relaxing activities available to us

Matthew was our man. He was the president of Club Go Pacific, and he loved his work. His smile went from ear to ear, and he was always quick to respond with a "No worries." He had a wealth of experience in the hospitality business, much of it honed in Japan. He was part of the original opening team at the Westin Hotel in Osaka in 1993 and later was personally involved with assisting and helping people during the Kobe earthquake. It is this experience that nurtured in him a great love, respect and desire to help and befriend Japanese people. He returned with a deep appreciation of Japan and the dream to open a small resort to help friends from Japan enjoy Australia

After some laughs and a chat over cappuccino, we were soon nestled into our private home, which looked over a pond and a golf course. It was like a dream, and we didn't want to wake up. The service was great. A quick phone call and we could have a shiatsu massage in our room, reservations for restaurants, and even a chance to meet local Japanese and Australian people

After the first two days, we were feeling so high on Australia that we started looking at houses with the dream of buying one. We even went to a local elementary school to check out what it would like for our two boys. The teachers were excited and happy at the thought of Japanese boys joining their class. Everyone we talked to seemed to radiate with joy. We were very taken with Australia. We had so much fun that we even forgot to shop!

During the flight back we couldn't help but ask ourselves why, as seasoned travelers, we were so taken with Australia. Then it hit us. Everyone we met was excited about life. They weren't waiting for their dreams or talking about them but living them. From Matthew the okamisan to Yuko the real-estate agent, everyone was filled with a passion and joy for life, quick to smile and quick to reassure with a "No worries."

Hiroko and I are now back in Japan. It's hot and humid, the summer is almost over, it's time to start work and go back to school. I'm a positive person who has a knack for finding the fun and good in most situations, but even I get tired and stressed sometimes. On the rare occasion when I am really stressed I feel like a worry magnet! My vision gets a little blurred, my dreams and passions start to dim. But, not any longer! Thanks to Matthew and all the people we met in Australia, I now have a big sign on my desk that reads, "No worries, mate. Smile!

Shukan ST: Sept. 9, 2005

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