Some of you may be wondering how my trip is going, seeing as I haven't really been uploading blog posts very often. Or at all. For a whole month. Well, I would like to make up for that with this post! Here's an interview with yours truly:
Q. I hear you've been in Japan for just under two months now. That should be enough time to really get into the groove of things and experience what it's like to live there, right? So, tell me, how is Japan so far? A. Amazing. Q. Amazing indeed. I'm sure any study abroad would probably be that way, but I'm glad to hear that it is suiting you well. With that being said, I've also heard that you are taking a full class load, fuller than what is recommended, and on top of that are participating in an Intensive Japanese course that is famous for breaking souls. Are you actually able to find time to enjoy yourself? A. Yes. Q. That is very heartening. I was worried that you were running yourself ragged without any breaks. Of course, I didn't even mention that you seem to have joined some clubs. That's also taking up a lot of your time I suppose! How many did you say you joined, again? A. Four. Q. That's right! It was Softball, Wandervogel, Shamisen, and Koto. I remember now. That's quite a mouthful isn't it!? Which one is your favorite do you think? A. No comment. Q. Not a very talkative person, are you? Well that's okay. I will break you! Let's get down to the nitty-gritty shall we? I'd like to hear more details about your typical day. How much time do you spend talking in Japanese? Answer in three words or less. I dare you. A. Around 5 hours. Q. Dang. Three words exactly. Well, I suppose that probably varies day by day. With Intensive Japanese requiring about 3 hours of only speaking in Japanese, along with the clubs you've joined primarily using Japanese, and including your Japanese roommates and dorm mates in general tending to use Japanese, it is probably more accurate to say that it varies depending on the day, don't you think? A. Well, as an interviewer, I think you are probably the worst. You dare me to use three words on a question like that and then criticize my answer.... Honestly, what do you want from me? If you don't want one word answers, ask better questions! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And that is where I'll have to end the interview. I can't very well get into a heated argument with myself and still claim to be sane. Minor kerfuffles only please! In all seriousness though, I am having the time of my life. Every day I feel blessed to be here. I love talking with the people here. I love challenging myself to talk in Japanese as much as possible. And there are so many moments where I can appreciate just being blissfully happy. I especially enjoy the moments that I spend talking with the various people in my clubs. It's always fun to find out the cultural differences through chats about holidays, movies, dating, etc. It's even more fun to mix my patched together Japanese and a type of onomatopoeia charades together and attempt to convey my own culture. If I had to choose one bad thing about being here, I would say that I miss my friends and family that I left in Ohio. Social media and such is good for communicating in some ways, but it can't help the fact that I can't hug my mom. I can't watch movies and play softball with my dad. I can't talk truly face to face with any of my friends and family. If I was at Ohio State, would I be doing any of these (besides talking face to face with my friends at OSU)? No. No I wouldn't. But that doesn't change the ache that I feel. To truly understand, let me use an analogy. It's like sharing a bedroom and sleeping in the top bunk of the bunk bed. You climb up ever so carefully, not making any noise or shaking the bed and waking the person below you, and just when you've found the perfect spot to sleep, you realize you need to go to the bathroom. Had you stayed sitting at your desk and doing your homework, you wouldn't need to go at all, but knowing that you can't go without putting in supreme efforts really changes your outlook. It makes going to the bathroom before going to bed just that much more important. And that is what it's like to live on the opposite side of the world from your loved ones. If you know they are right there, then you won't miss them too much. Social media is more than enough to satisfy most of your interacting needs. But, being so far away your sleeping and waking times are switched.... Well, now I feel pretty lonely in the fact that I can't see them. Thankfully I have made friends in my classes, dorm, and 4 clubs so I can't feel truly lonely! Other than that though, there is nothing I truly miss! Except for the American style breakfast. Because my cooking skills really just can't cut it and it isn't served anywhere that I've found so far. With these two exceptions, everything else is great. I'm so happy that I was chosen to attend ICU. I can't imagine a more perfect school for me to be studying at in Japan.
1 Comment
Aunt Toots
10/26/2017 01:55:07 pm
I'm so happy to her you are enjoying it so much!!
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AuthorThe name's Sarah. From September, 2017 to June, 2018 I will be your guide through life as an exchange student in Tokyo. (Some guide I am. It's like I just left you in the middle of nowhere so that I could go off on my own adventures!) Archives
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