Here is the place where I came to know everybody. Here is the place where family, Duskin Family the 5th, has begun. And, here is the place where I spent most of my life in Japan.

Besides the place where seems to be our residence, it presents like a small language school where Japanese courses were held for 3 months. For me, in the morning class, I studied about vocabulary, grammatical rules, speaking and listening practice. In the afternoon, it could be divided in to 2 parts: Japanese Braille class and computer course.

In the Braille class, I learnt how to read and write Japanese Braille, which is very useful, esp. when I got lost at the stations. For the computer class, it helped me to familiarize with Japanese operating system including Japanese screen reader that is extremely difficult to catch up with each single word. However, I can eventually cope with my weekly report though there are lots of mistakes.

2 weeks here I've learnt a lot of social welfare system in Japan through either by taking lecture or visiting many organizations and associations. For example, experiencing actual situation of residential facilities school for children with visual impairment, System of home care support, Community-based Rehabilitation of persons with visual impairment (CBR), actual situation of information service facility, etc. Among those, I've learnt profoundly about situation and issue of guide helper system which I had wondered for last 3 years.

Here was the place where I felt the real snow. Here was the place where we, all, spent our recreational time together.

With honesty, I've never been in the place so cold like this before. For me, it was madly cold until I could not sleep at night, which is in fact, I'm somehow of person who can sleep anywhere and anytime. We were supposed to have our ski course for 2 days, of course, this has been my first time. Although I sometimes was by some hostile persons, it was very fun and was a great time for me.

Here was the place where I've got my 2nd family in Japan.

Here was the place where I started my life of the year 2004

Once I stepped into the house where I had to spend my 5 days, it sounded strange, but when there was a little girl ran to me, and greeted me with my own language, the nervousness just now, was changed into relief overwhelmed with thankful. Life here for me seemed like I went back when I was a small child. Most of the time, nothing so much, playing all day with my 2 small younger sisters.

This training is supposed to be one of my predominant trainings in Japan. Though I've known and learnt some of DAISY before coming here, there're still lots of things to study. When I'm here, the DAISY Consotium Japan, this was a very good opportunity for me. Of course, the experts, Miki-san and Mayu-chan, always welcome my questions and tried to give the clear explanation in Japanese though their English capability are not even less than than their DAISy's one. During the period of training, I also got chance to take part in a JICA trainging course related to DAISY subject as the supporter. I learnt how to teach the visually impaired person to produce the digital talking book on his own.

I became to know Dr. Ishikawa Jun, a genius professor in my own idea and many others'.

At his research section, I learnt how to make an academic research, like searching information through internet, making report including some comment, etc. besides, I also learnt some about disability study, and got chance to take part in his seminar class, sharing opinions among students. Since Dr. Ishikawa is not only an expert of sociology, his ability of IT is also wel-known widely. Therefore, I got chance to try using his program, Altair, and keep on using it until now.

Though this was my 2nd times visiting this small workshop, there were still lots of things I have to study more. Not only the work within workshop itself, I'd also learnt about the concept of social welfare in Japan, barrier free and universal design, rehabilitation through either from Shiba-san and all staff there directly or by accompanying them to many places such as school, center, etc.

This training was regarded as the longest one compared by the training period which was about 2 months. During the course, I had altogether 3 teachers taught me in various features, and here are the objectives of this training.

- sharing experience of being instructor of people with visually impaired.

- Getting experience of working with screen reader users.

- familiarize myself with web accessibility and all its contents.

For example, understanding the concept of what accessible information is,

What has to be done in order to make those information become accessible, and so forth.

- getting skills of finding information needed to create accessible contents.

I spent time about a week with Mayu-chan and her lovely family during the long holidays. Again, this was my third time of getting chance to stay together with the Japanese family. At that time, there were about 9 family members and one dog, therefore, the atmosphere within the house was always lively. Having homestay, in my opinion, it's not just having good time with all family members, but the Japanese culture, language, tradition and way of thingking can be shared among us, and gradually be absorbed naturally into the rutine life.

My training in Nagoya was mainly at Nagoya lighthouse, information and culture center of the blind. I learnt about volunteer service systems and their arrangements. For example, group of people who help producing Braille book, recording task, guiding blind people, making DAISY production, and so forth. Furthermore, I also got chance to take part in some activities together with attending the General assembly of Japan Welfare Centers for the Blind. One of interesting programs here, which is regarded as a unique activity, is IT bus. This bus is well-equipped with 11 computers, providing computer training to people who live in the local area.

This has been our final training that was programmed as a group program. During all month, our training has been focused on leadership issues either by theoretical or practical way. However, most of time are lectures provided by the honorable experts who deal with vocations of people with disabilities, and preparation for report and presentation?

All in all, beyond those trainings above, I got the very magnificent wonderful thing that can not find or buy from any bookstore, school or wherever except you have to experience yourself. This is "friendship". Each day, I have met so many people who offer their kindness and hospitality.

All these would never have happened if I had not got such great opportunity from Duskin company. The arrangement and organization of JSRPD staff, and the coorperation of everybody.Thank you very much.

Since this is the thing of future, I would like to define it as "dream" which means uncertain or unsettled? After going back, I will try to use all knowledge I've learnt from Japan be practical as much as possible in order to improve the quality of persons with disabilities in my country. At the site of visually impaired persons, I hope there won't be a barrier in accessing to the information including those that would be useful for their education. As the knowledge I have and what I can, I intend to make use of technology, of course, almost 4 months of training here was dealt with computer. I will try to train both people with visually impaired and others who are interested through the training provided by the place where I've worked, Special Education Center, or the organization where I belong to, Thai Association of the Blind (TAB). Although knowing that I'm just a small spot of the society, at least, hoping something will be changed in the positive way in the near future.