Over the past two summers, I was a lifeguard at the Teine Pool, a waterpark in Sapporo. It is usually very busy and has up to 1000+ customers a day. Being a lifeguard requires alot of knowledge and also requires one to be able to act accordingly to any situation that might come ones way. We are trained in first-aid, how to appropriately take action with customers and also how to keep the park safe. For me, I was given a unique job due to my skills in english. Due to Sapporo being a somewhat touristy vacation destination, the pool does have its share of international customers, and they, like everyother customer out there are subject to follow the rules, and also sometimes are in need of help. Due to my skills in english, I was put in charge of helping these international customers by acting as a translator.
This falls under the husky of being Internationally minded, while using my knowledge and lifguard skills in a real world situation. This means that we must be understanding of other people, and also use our skills to make a situation better by being aware of these differences. There was one specific instance where there was a mother who was looking for a lost child in a crowd of more than a thousand people, and she couldnt speak japanese. I was asked to go over and try to help out. By listening to her and communicating to her I was able to calm her down as the rest of the lifeguards looked for her child. We found the child, and she was very thankful. A lifeguard isnt all about saving lives by jumping into the water, or getting a tan on the lookout chair, being a lifeguard is about helping others have a good time at the pool. By using my english skills, I was able to use that knowledge to help someone elses day go a little better. Through this experience, the staff noticed that I was able to effectively use my knowledge of both languages to help international customers. Because of this, the staff decided to give me a special nametag, stating that "I can speak English." I wore this nametag for the rest of the lifeguard season. Because I now know the importance of using my knowledge of languages in real world situations, I will do my best to learn even more Japanese this year. On the job, we are typically not allowed to take photos for understandable reasons. Above however, is my name badge, and a picture of part of the waterpark that I work at. On the very right is a picture of lifeguards going through training, so that they may be able to effectively help any swimmers in distress. Like all other lifeguards, I had to go through this training before I became a lifeguard.
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Tadashi ShichidaSenior @ Hokkaido International School Archives
June 2020
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