By Natasha Fujimoto
HAVING lived and worked as a Japanese language teacher in Shepparton for 20 years, Yuko Sasaki has come to love the regional city, after acquiring many friends along with a high level of English proficiency.
Faced with the recent flood emergency, however, Yuko was confounded by her inability to navigate often conflicting news reports and alerts as her home came under threat of rising water, despite her capable English.
“I am someone who reads the news, watches ABC and accesses relevant websites. But it takes time for me to translate and analyse information.
“When my street turned into a river and my garage filled with water, I couldn’t absorb the information, I didn’t have time to interpret what I was being told.
“I tried to understand the information, but I couldn’t, I was too upset,” Yuko said.
Compounding Yuko’s anxiety and isolation in the crisis was her cultural disinclination to ask for assistance, as she said, “In my culture we think of others before ourselves, so I try not to ask too much of the Council or the people around me.
“I am grateful for living in Shepparton and I want to show my gratitude for being able to live here. I always try to solve problems myself and do not like to bother others, especially when they are dealing with floods too,” Yuko said, before adding,
“I am not very good at asking for help. I was very shy to say I’m scared, please help me.”
Stating that she is proud to call Shepparton home and to be a member of its beautiful community, Yuko also stated, “I think not knowing the geography and where the water was coming from made the situation more frightening, but now I am updating my information about floods and have downloaded the VicEmergency app after a friend gave me that advice.”
