This week I am preparing a speech - in Japanese - that I will be giving in Erimo tomorrow.
The theme is Hokkaido and Tourism and the audience will be tourism business people in the Erimo/Samani/Hiroo/Urakawa areas.
I have been invited to talk because I am a writer for the world-famous travel website Trip Advisor, helping people plan their holidays here in Hokkaido.
Giving a speech in Japanese isn't easy for me. I have been preparing it all week.
First in English. Writing what I want to say.
Then practicing it - speaking in Japanese.
Timing the speech.
Checking which words I don't know how to say.
Looking in a dictionary.
Asking my Japanese teacher and frends.
Rewriting.
Putting the useful Japanese words into the speech text
Reading again.
And quite a lot of panic!
Wish me luck!