I lived in Obu for just under four years between 1994 and 1997, so I have a huge number of memories (mostly good!) of my time there.

Soon after I arrived, the cherry blossoms started blossoming, which was a magical experience. The whole City seemed to come alive after the cold winter, with the lively hanami (cherry blossom viewing) parties in Momoyama Park. The following month it was the azaleas' turn, and I was particularly impressed with the beautiful flowers lining the main streets of Obu, and of course the glorious Okura Park with its Azalea Festival. After those first months of lots of colour and festivities, summer arrived and that first year we were hit by a severe drought, so we were all restricted to using water for only a few hours of the day! The heat was so oppressive, even at night - it was probably one of my least favourable memories of my time in Obu!

But of course the memories that stay with me the most are of the people of Obu. Through my work as the City's Coordinator for International Relations, I was privileged to be able to meet so many different people from all different walks of life, and am still extremely grateful for the amazing generosity and friendship of so many people. In particular I have a lot of fond memories of spending time with the volunteers and committee members of the Obu International Association - we had a lot of fun and spent many hours of hard work organising and participating in various events such as the Christmas Parties and the Hiking and Sports Day. Many of the volunteers in particular really looked after me and made me feel very welcome.

Working at the City Hall was a central part of my stay, and although I found it quite difficult working in a bureaucratic organisation at times, I enjoyed working with a number of people for whom I have a lot of respect and still keep in contact with (and some of them have since reached rather high positions within Council!!). Other highlights of my time in Obu include joining the delegation to Australia to sign the Sister City agreement with the City of Port Phillip in 1996, during which I could meet and get to know a number of different people from Obu, and regularly visiting Araike Child Care Centre, where I could not only pretend to be working while I played with the gorgeous kids, but where I was also able to take part in various traditional cultural events such as Mochitsuki and Setsubun (while it was snowing!), participating in rice planting and harvesting with other foreigners living in Obu (where I gained some added respect for the hard-working farmers), meeting with my English Salon group (where we had lots of fun discussions), and playing 'Indiaka' on a regular basis (where I was not only able to keep fit, but was also able to make friends with people I probably wouldn't have met otherwise). There are many more - too many to mention!

Since returning from Japan, I have been able to stay connected with Obu through the Sister City relationship, in particular when delegations visit us here in Melbourne. Plus, we have our own "Obu Club" which consists of those of us who have spent time in Obu, and we always have fun getting together and sharing our experiences of Obu. Although I'm now doing something completely different (I have my own practice as an acupuncturist!), my time spent in Obu was a very valuable experience and helped to shape me into the person I am today. I cherish many of the memories I have. Thank you to everyone who shared that time with me, and I hope that my relationship with Obu and its people will continue for many years to come.

Catherine Kato (née Gittins) was the Coordinator of International Relations for the City of Obu from 1994 to 1997.