I have been in England for about a year now and, in September, I started studying at Brooklands College in Weybridge, Surrey. I’m doing a cake decorating course at the college, where I learn sugarcraft and how to make wired sugar flowers. I have four three-hour lessons a week and the course lasts six months. Once it’s finished, I’m hoping to do another course in advanced cake decorating. On the course we make flowers and shapes out of sugar paste, which I enjoy very much. I get on well with my tutor, Jane Hatton. She is a lovely woman and I have great respect and admiration for her because she has many good techniques and is very skilful. Overseas fame Brooklands College is famous in Japan. Japanese bakers who have attended the college have returned and written books on cake decorating anad that is why I wanted to go there. When I first came to this country, I did voluntary work in a school, teaching Japanese culture in Northumberland. This inclu- ded topics such as origami. Folding paper is very different to making shapes out of icing sugar, though; using paper is a lot easier because it doesn’t fall apart! When I finished my volunteer work, I wanted to stay in England mainly because of the climate. This may sound strange to British people, but I find Japan too humid. One day, however, I hope to return to my home in Saga, near Nagasaki, and open up a shop there. It’s my dream to have just one tiny business that would sell either wedding cakes or cakes for children. During the first few months of being in England, I was taught how to make a cake; I enjoyed this very much because I had not made one before. Making cakes at home in Japan is not a popular pastime, as it takes too long, is inconvenient and it’s difficult to get the ingredients. So it’s much easier for Japanese people to just buy one. The only negative thing about doing the course is the cost. I have had to work and save very hard in Japan to come to England, so that I could support myself. The course itself is hard work, but it’s definitely worth it. I love what I’m doing and feel confident I made the right decision. I would recommend this course to anyone, mainly because of the good tutors and because it is very rewarding. You learn great skills and techniques. Making baking trendy I wish there were more famous bakers, like there are famous chefs, so that they could make baking and sugarcraft even more popular and trendy. What I enjoy the most about the course is seeing the finished product at the end. This makes me very pleased and proud. I imagine that if I gave a beautifully decorated cake to somebody, it would make them happy. I want to make people smile with this craft.