Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Immersing students in another culture

Former Moose Javian brings students from Japan to the city

Arron Dobrescu (right) and the group of Japanese
students from the Japanese school Spike and Ai
English in Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa, Japan pose
for a photo by the Crescent Park Waterpark
on Aug. 1, 2013. The group will stay for 10 days
exploring the area and will depart on Aug. 8.
Times-Herald photo by Lisa Goudy

By Lisa Goudy


The sun shone with temperatures at 24 C Thursday, but the Japanese students wore jeans and coats.

“The funny thing is, they don’t understand. In Japan it’s always hot throughout the summer. In the morning it’s 35 degrees (Celsius),” said former Moose Jaw resident Arron Dobrescu, who has lived in Japan for 11 years. “At nighttime it’s 35 degrees and the humidity’s just crazy. They come here and this morning they’re complaining, ‘It’s cold. It’s cold.’ I’m like, ‘just wait.’”

Dobrescu, who co-founded the Japanese school Spike and Ai English along with his wife, is in Moose Jaw with 10 Japanese students in Grades 4 to 6. They will stay a total of 10 days touring the area and will depart on Aug. 8.

Dobrescu said this is the third year he has brought students to Moose Jaw. In Japan he teaches English as a second language at his school in Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa, Japan.

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