The following is a profile of Nyssa Poffley’s long and on-going passion for Japan, its people and its language.
Nyssa’s first contact with Japan was studying Japanese at Whangarei Girls High School from Year 9. During her final year she was given the opportunity to take part in an eight month student exchange. Through this experience she discovered two things. First was that the place and people were wonderful. Second was that what she studied at school was only a basic knowledge of the language and the culture.
She therefore decided that she would continue her studies at university level on her return to New Zealand.
She completed her BMS (Bachelor of Management Studies), incorporating the IMP (International Management Programme) - majoring in Japanese and Marketing, at the University of Waikato. She returned to Japan after four years of study, to have some fun working at a ski resort, (this was organised through the University of Waikato) where she could work, study and socialise with the locals. At the end of the ski season, while most of her newly found friends returned home, she moved to Nara, where she began teaching conversational English to students of all ages.
After two years in Nara, Nyssa returned to New Zealand and secured a job as an Accounts Manager with Bartercard New Zealand. After only a little over a year in New Zealand she returned to Japan, this time accompanied by her future husband to share the experience with her.
This time living in the Kansai region Nyssa taught at Kindai High School, teaching both Junior High and High School levels, as well as at AIC, an English conversation school. She remained there, in Toyooka, Hyogo Prefecture for two years enjoying many new experiences and also was fortunate enough to marry her husband at a Shinto Shrine, Japanese style.
After a six month honeymoon around Europe they returned to Toyooka where Nyssa helped establish a conversational school with over 200 students.
She remained head teacher there for three years until she decided that it was time to share her Japanese experiences with New Zealand students. On returning to New Zealand she completed her GradDip of Secondary School teaching and is now actively seeking employment with the aim of teaching Japanese language and culture to New Zealand students.
Profile by Nyssa Poffley, 2005