Autobiography

My Name is Shinobu Murata Verhagen.  

I am a Japanese landed immigrant and I live on Salt Spring Island BC Canada. I have been self-employed for the last 17 years of my Canadian life. However I recently decided to close my business and start searching for a new life. Currently I am working as an assistant manager at Green Acres Lakeside Resort .

Before I came in Canada I worked as a stock broker at Nomura Securities . It provided a great income, but I did not enjoy the pressure and stress part of my job. 

My first business in Canada was owning a Pub. It was totally different from my previous career, but it was my beginning of a long hospitality industry career. I have opened seven restaurants since coming to Canada.

I've opened three Pubs, a Coffee Shop, a Japanese Restaurant, a Golf Course lounge, and a Wood Fired Pizza Cafe. The Raven Street Wood Fire Cafe was my last business. I operated this restaurant for thirteen years. This little country side cafe was supported by the local islanders. 

As a restaurant owner/manager I have spent considerable time training teenage employees and enjoy working with youth of all ages.

Since last spring I have been a volunteer for  go 2 F&B( Food and Beverage) commitment as a small business owner. This experience, help others, makes me realized how education is important for our lives in any field.

 
While my hospitality career provided my main income, I was able to work as a teacher at several instition.    

I am a native Japanese speaker with a Certificate of Education in Japanese Language and a Bachelor of Arts (Major in Japanese Literature and Minor in Education) from Aichi University in Toyohashi, Japan. My Japanese teaching experience includes university and college teaching assistance, secondary school instruction and individual tutoring. This type of work appeals to me because it combines my interests of teaching and Japanese culture and language. I am able to provide single day workshops or regular classroom instruction.

In the past, I have taught Japanese 10 and 11 courses at Phoenix School, which involved preparing the curriculum and exams, as well as instruction. As a Japanese Teaching Assistant at the University of Alberta and at Grant McEwen Community College, I helped students in the classroom and gave oral exam questions. At the Consulate-General of Japan in Edmonton, I was a part time Japanese Culture Instructor, which involved providing full day Japanese culture workshops to various secondary schools. I have also tutored both adults and teenagers in Japanese language.

                               
My latest teaching experience is as a music room assistant at Salt Spring Island Middle School. I am a trumpet player in a local band and I am able to help the teacher working with the beginner music students.

  

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