Yoshiyuki Kobayashi, known as Yoshi :-), is from Japan, and studied at ELC Los Angeles in our Semi-Intensive Plus Course and Cambridge Preparation Course for 51 weeks! He is always in good humor, and is immediately recognizable because of his loud booming laugh. We took some time to get to know Yoshi a little better.
I was born in Wakayama, Japan. It’s a town in the countryside. In my city there is a big mountain that’s registered as a World Heritage Site. It’s called Mount Koya.
I originally came here because I wanted to join the Boeing Company, which is an aircraft company. However, after I came here I changed my mind. At the moment I want to become a bodyguard in Japan. I would like to protect someone.
When I was younger I bullied some people in my class and I’m still regretting it. I want to protect someone now to make up for it. In Japan bodyguards don’t need to be so big or good fighters. Foreign stars often hire Japanese bodyguards who are able to speak English. That’s my main reason for studying English now.
The first time I came to the United States was 7 years ago. I had joined a travel agency in Japan after finishing college. I worked there as a tour guide and I took some students to the United States to go to San Francisco and Los Angeles.
I have a dog in Japan that I really miss. I’m starting to miss native Japanese food like sukiyaki too. All Japanese people like to eat sukiyaki with their friends, boyfriends, and family. Suki means love. Yaki means grill.
I like to go running in Westwood and Santa Monica Beach. I like to to work out and go to the gym at least twice a week. I also like to play baseball and basketball. I played both sports since elementary school.
Come to ELC! It’s true, but they also watch movies and read books in English. They should talk to native speakers!
I really like Santa Monica Beach and 3rd Street Promenade. I also like to spend my time in the Palisades because I live there.
My favorite place to eat is called Ike’s Sandwiches because I love sandwiches. It is more expensive than Subways but it’s very worth it. I also often eat poke bowls at Ralphs Supermarket.
I love to eat white rice! When I lived in Japan I ate white rice everyday. I also like to eat fruits because it’s healthy. I eat fruits everyday now that I’m living in the United States. My host mother prepares bananas everyday for breakfast! I also love my host mother’s apple pie!
I am taking the Cambridge course at ELC and I really enjoy it. I feel like we’re a team because it’s a really hard course, and we are all working together to learn English and prepare for the exam. I feel a lot of camaraderie from my class.
