MAKING ASIA PART OF YOUR LIFE

Leslie Zegalski

Leslie Zegalski travels back and forth a gruelling 10 hours, to the country that changed her life. Seven years ago, Leslie left Manitoba to teach English in Japan. In the four years since her return to Canada, she has visited the region four times. Clearly, Asia Pacific is a large part of her life!

Why did Leslie go to Japan? What compelled Leslie to travel to the Asia Pacific region is the same motivation luring many graduating students today: the desire to travel, the promise of adventure and a need to make money while doing it. She found out while she was away that "the best way to learn about Canada is to live in another country. You don't know who you are as a Canadian until you leave and have to communicate it to someone else."

Leslie's original plan was to pursue a career in business after she graduated from university. She soon realised that not having "real" work experience limited her chances of finding a job in a competitive market. She also had the burden of student loans to worry about. Leslie considered her options and decided to travel and look for work abroad.

Her experience paid off. Today, Leslie is the Director of Manitoba for he Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APFC). The APFC assists Canadian businesses, educators, students and other individuals who are interested in the Asia Pacific region.

Adventurous or curious individuals may want to consider opportunities in the Asia Pacific region. For example, Leslie went to Asia for the first time looking for work she could not find in Canada. She returns each year because of the lasting impact the experience had on her.

When I asked Leslie what the most common misconception about the Asia Pacific region was, her answer did not surprise me. "When we visit countries we are able to see how large the global community we live in is," she said. "The common misunderstanding is that all Asian countries are homogeneous when in fact they are culturally diverse and their populations cosmopolitan."

Access to information on Asia Pacific is no longer restricted to books. Young people can now interact with others who share their curiosity and with those who have experienced the Asia Pacific region first-hand. Providing youth with information and options will let them see that it is possible to make Asia part of their own lives.

The best way to find information is to experience it. There are many short-term exchanges available to youth who want to work and experience life in a different culture. For Leslie, teaching English as a second language changed her life. She is no longer pursuing a career solely in corporate business. She is happy working for a non-profit organisation that strives to inform Canadians about the area of the world that took her away and left her with a passion that will continue to take her back.