My friend / Takuya

The woman I interviewed was Erin O'Hanlon who lives in Australia. She used to work in Japan for more than 2 years. We met each other through a mutual friend of ours and have known each other for almost 4 years. Now she is working as English teacher in Australia, so we can't see each other as often as we used to do. However, she is definitely one of my best friends.

What does the word woman mean to you?

The word woman to me means that being comfortable in your own skin, being old enough to appreciate your femininity and being able to enjoy life wearing fishnets or slippers.

Tell me a story of a challenge you faced as a woman.

When I lived in Japan I worked in a male-dominated office. I was the only female teacher in my school. At lunch times I had to listen to some pretty racy stories the male teachers would share. I could either have been repulsed by what they said and let them know that kind of talk wasn't cool with me. But that would have alienated me from most discussions so I made the choice to show mild discomfort when they shared their sexual conquests and sometimes even just laughed along. But it irritated me and at times I just wanted to lay it on them with all sorts of abuse. That was a huge challenge for me to keep my mouth shut, to keep the peace and to keep my friendships.

What I felt after this interview

I actually know some teachers from her story, but I didn't even noticed how she was feeling. Perhaps, she was struggling behind of me. However, she never complained and always looked great. This interview changed my impression about her. I figure out that she is strong, mature and independent as well she became a person whom I respect. I'm really glad that I had opportunity to know her in my life.