Final Reflection: Jennifer Hong

As this Senshu program winds down to it's final day(s) I just can't seem to wrap my head around how I will no longer be able to come back to our international house after a "long" day full of many experiences. Admittedly I will not be leaving the dorm right after the program, I will be spending a couple more nights, but about half of us will be heading home, a bunch of us will be travelling together for a couple weeks, while others will travel solo.

The time we had together at this international house, chatting with each other and the Japanese students until late at night, waking up at the crack of dawn to finish studying and the homework I couldn't bring myself to do the night before thinking why on earth did I stay up so late last night, skipping breakfast, heading to classes and working hard together with classmates learning Japanese, going to the cafeteria for a delicious affordable lunch after classes, walking down the hill to Mukogaoka-Yuen Station to have the train take us to various destinations to explore Japan, occasionally rushing back to the international house to shower before the showers close otherwise we'd have to wake early the next morning to do so, and then rinse and repeat.

It feels as though we all landed at Narita Airport just yesterday, before we knew it a month had already passed. Though the nerves I felt before leaving Calgary are a distant memory, the nervousness and the worry of will I be responsible enough to care for myself for a month without my family to look out for me. It turns out I am quite capable of not starving myself to death and being able to do my own laundry without setting the international house on fire, though I still haven't attempted to cook for myself (laughs).

The nonchalant greetings common of Japanese people we so clumsily got accustomed to, the ohayou's, itadakimasu's, gochisousamadeshita's, ittekimasu's, itterasshai's, tadaima's and okaeri's we would occasionally forget to say during our first week here has pretty much become second nature for all of us. The feeling of family and home created by those daily greetings.

To actually think that all these things that have become such a natural part of my life here in Japan will be things that will no longer be such a natural part of my life, it's no exaggeration to say it's enough to make me want to break down and start bawling.

This one month here at Senshu University was both long and short, I've reverted to my bad habit of pretending unpleasant things don't exist, but reality is repeatedly slapping me in the face. The cardboard boxes in the dining area for donating unused toiletries, perishable foods, people walking by with cardboard boxes ready to ship out, people rolling their suitcases by, my Japanese friends begging us not to go back home, the list goes on and on. Clearly someone out there is not having me pretending this is not a thing.

Just like how before I left for Japan, actually being so scared and seriously thinking about dropping out of the program because of my nerves and just pure and uncontrolled fear. The time came to pass and I was whisked away to Japan by plane unable to catch my breath, The time I had here in Japan will come to pass before I am ready, there were both good and bad aspects of my time here, but I do not regret one moment that I had here. If I ever get the opportunity to return to meet with my Japanese friends again I will not hesitate to take up that chance. I want to thank everyone for all the wonderful and irreplaceable memories I have made here in Japan. 

Japan a final refletion

Having spent close to a month in Japan the time to return grows ever nearer. Although I wish I could spend more time here the restriction placed on be the beast known as money has voiced the end of the trip. But i digress, The trip has been wrought with many a good experience. I walked more than I have walked in the past year of my life, honestly not saying much but trust me I walked a lot. Many a time I went to Akihabara to peruse the Enemy of wallets, Anime/game goods. Walking from store to store, and climbing the many flights of stairs present in anime shops, quickly added up to quite the distance walked. Despite the large amount of walking Due to the fresh scenery and experiences I did not really feel the tiredness until the train ride home. However, despite the tiredness each Trip was extremely fun.

The next thing that I wish to talk about in regards to my trip is the home visit. The home visit was without a doubt the most nerve racking thing within the plans of this trip. the events leading up to meeting my host family were filled with deep breathing and panicked pacing. However after meeting and spending time with my host family I am happy that it is required by the program. my host family was extremely nice and allowed me to experience many fun and interesting things. on the first day ther
e I Made and ate takoyaki for the first time. It was delicious and making it together with my host family was fun. on the second day with them i was brought along to the family's karate lessons. Although I felt as if I would die from over exercising the experience was fun. On the final day I together with my host family climbed a mountain.. The mountain going by the name ooyama was incredibly difficult to climb the path was as off-road as can be.

 After climbing a a natural staircase to the top of the mountain i was greeted with the amazing sight from the top.

At the top of mountain, sasuga nihon, there was a restaurant although the selection was limited and I along with my host family ate cup ramen. Due to being on top of a mountain it was far better than regular cup ramen. after finishing climbing the mountain i was faced with the sad fate of parting with my host family. Although the time spent with them was very small it was a very good experience.

During our stay there were also many organized tours and field trips. The tour of kamakura for example was an extremely fun experience.

being toured around by my conversation partner was a very extremely fun and I was able to see many cool sights such as, the daibutsuen,

 and the bamboo forest.

 Although at the end of  the day I was utterly exhausted I was still extremely satisfied. The field trip to Asakusa was incredibly interesting Although the transit their was tiring the actual place was beautiful. The shrine/temple or whatever the proper terminology is was huge and an amazing sight.

the ceremony that took place was also interesting, although I did not know what was going on I still found it fun to watch.

The final thing i want to talk about is my trip to takaoosan with my conversation partner. takaoosan is another mountain in japan. Compared to ooyama  takaoosan is extremely easy to climb the entire path is paved and relatively flat. After a relaxed walked to the top, stopping at many little shrines the whole way up we reached the peak. From the peak you could see fujisan and ooyama. the entire experience was extremely fun and the view from the top was extremely beautiful.

ONe more thing I almost forgot to talk about was food. The food is delicious and cheap. Near the place we are staying there is many amazing and cheap restaurants here is some pictures


As for my final thoughts on the trip. It was good....




The fresh places I have gotten to see. The people I have gotten to meet. The practice with the language have all been extremely good experiences. Although I am not ready to return to Canada  the memory's I have made are something I will never forget. If possible I will try to once more study abroad in japan before graduating.

Reflection: Hager

When we were told that the month would fly by before the trip, I didn't quite believe it. Now, days away from my return to Calgary, I have to admit that time really has flown by in the blink of an eye.

If you'd asked my what my favourite part of Japan would be before coming here, I'd probably say something like "the food" or "all the cool shops and sights". While I do love the aforementioned things, what's really made this trip special is the people I've met and the friends I've made.

In all honesty, I was incredibly nervous because I hadn't met any of my fellow Calgarians before the culture sessions. I was filled with all sorts of worries: would I get along with everyone? Would I be able to make friends? I'm so glad to say that I didn't have any need to be worried.

My fellow Calgarians, roommate, the RA's, and all the conversation partners and friends I've made along the way have been nothing less than welcoming, open, and kind. When I've been stressed, confused, or just plain bored, there's always someone there to help. Even though I'm so far away from my family, I almost never felt lonely (though at times, loneliness can't be helped when you're in a new, different place). As much as I'm going to miss things like the Japanese convenience stores and efficient transit systems, it's thinking that I won't be able to see everyone all the time that makes my heart ache. I'm so lucky to have met everyone. I'm at least thankful that we live in a time where I can keep in contact with people on line.

Another challenge that I was wary of was, well, actually using Japanese. I've been studying for a few years at university but still, speaking Japanese in the classroom isn't going to compare to being in Japan and having to speak it 24/7...

That being said, I decided that there was only one thing to do: just jump straight in and do my best. My goal wasn't to speak perfect Japanese- it was to speak understandable Japanese. I think that way of thinking really helped me out. Rather than stress out about messing up, I just spoke. No matter how strange some of my sentences may have sounded at first I just wanted to get comfortable speaking it. I found that all the Japanese students were more than happy to help me out. They gently corrected me when I needed, as well as complimented my speaking abilities. While I know I still have a long ways to go, I've become much more confident in my Japanese skills. I feel like I know enough to get by- I can have conversations and joke with friends, go to stores and restaurants on my own, as well as ask for directions when I lose my way (as I did, many times. I have a horrible sense of direction). I'm so excited to continue learning more and more Japanese, and I hope that I can return soon and keep putting my skills to the test.

Culture was another point of stress for me. I was worried about whether I'd accidentally do something rude or offensive. I very much believe in the saying "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" so I really wanted to fit in as best as I could. I was prepared for a lot of things, thankfully. When it came to things like aisatsu I was fine with remembering things like "tadaima" and "ittekimasu". I always made sure to use the phrase "つまらないものですが” when giving omiage. That being said, I did make some mistakes here and there. The one I remember most clearly is during my first trip to the grocery store. I went to bag my items next to the register like we do in Canada- turns out there's a totally different area to do so here. Thankfully I haven't done anything truly offensive, just a lot of small mistakes.

One of the less stressful things I was looking forward to was the food. My expectations were both met and exceeded. I got to try many delicious things like okonomiyaki, karaage, and Japanese style curry. Even natto was pretty tasty! The only food that didn't agree with me would have to be umeboshi, it was slightly sour for my taste. One of my friends/conversation partners, Rina, visited me at the dorm and taught me how to cook a japanese meal. We made some grilled saba, miso soup with wakame and tofu, tamagoyaki, boiled vegetables, and rice. It was tasty and informative!

I could go on and on about my experiences, but I think this post will be too long. I'm going to wrap it up here, because I'd say these are the most important points of my experience. The friends I've made, the language, the cultural barriers, and of course, the cuisine. This month really has been life changing, in a good way. I'm so glad I came on this trip. Japan is a great country, and though like every other country it does have flaws, I really love it here, and I can't wait to save up and come back again.

Senshu2016 Final Reflection - Sean Ko

As my trip nears its end, I look back at the days I've spent in Japan. I remember when I was first telling my best friends how scared I am before coming, because it is a new experience just waiting in the yonder. The days quickly accelerated to the fateful day of my departure. As I was waiting for my flight anxiously, I remember fiddling around with my phone, sending messages for the last time for quite awhile. I remember playing Shiritori with a few of my comrades in arms before our flight as we feigned ignorance to our nerve-wrecked emotions. However, the moment I landed in Japan, I decided to do one thing - if it's the last thing and the only thing I'd do, I'd keep my eyes open for as long as I can, for as much as I can, to absorb and paste the memories I would be making deeply into my brain, and engrave the best ones. Turns out, all my memories are etched to my head, and I remember them as if it was only yesterday all these events took place.

Upon landing, we had an almost 2 hour bus trip to the Senshu University dorms. Even while travelling in the bus, I kept my eyes peeled and absorbed all the scenery I could, and embraced the country of Japan in all its glory. When we reached the university, we were greeted by the RA's and RP's, and they brought us to the dorms. After a short briefing I remember the feel of the first shower I've had in almost a day - yes I actually shower thrice a day because it's a habit as a Singaporean, or so I'd like to think. After the shower, I joined the guys and walked to the convenience store, all while absorbing the beauty of my surroundings. Even buying an Onigiri and a Melon Pan in itself meant another check on my to-do list. I don't want to go into the details of everyday, but I remember every other day as clearly as I did the first day. My list of to-do's during my stay in Japan were all filled, all except one.

I am extremely happy to have been able to:
- Go to a convenience store in Japan
- Eat Melon Pan/Onigiri/Tsukemen/Ramen/Japanese Curry/and whatever else that is served almost exclusively in Japan
- Go to Akihabara
- Enjoy the sights of various temples and visiting the big Buddha statue
- Smell and hear the freshness of the sea in Odaiba, Yokohama, and Enoshima
- Tour around Kamakura
- Enter and exit the ninja restaurant
- Visit Odaiba and reminiscing the scene from Digimon
- Ride the Ferris Wheel at Odaiba
- Play and win at a crane machine
- Participate in a Home Visit
- Enjoy the nostalgia of the school bell every hour and a half in the University
- Sit and study in a Japanese classroom with great Japanese teachers
- Make many friends, including getting close to my roommate, and various other Japanese people
- Improve my Japanese
- Visit an Aquarium
- Eat at a Maid Cafe
- Visit an anime-themed cafe
- Visit a myriad of malls
- Eat Dagashi at a Dagashi store
- Sing Karaoke at a Japanese Karaoke place
- Understand the Japanese train system
- Eat at a revolving Sushi restaurant (ok I forgot what this is called)
- Meet up with my Exchange student
- Visit a Matsuri and buy foods and toys such as the Japanese yo-yo from the stores
- Bask in the culture of my dreams at full force

There are probably many others in my checklist, but all of them has been fulfilled. I can say that I will leave Japan with no regrets, though I will miss the place dearly. This trip has refilled my motivation bar to reach my dream in being an English teacher in Japan. The trip has not only made me more satisfied with my life, but has also made me create new bonds that I will treasure till the end of my life. The bonds I created stems from all the RA's, RP's, and CA's.

I especially love the RA's that have taken care of me - they're all like my brothers and sister. They're always dependable and friendly - I will especially miss jumping on top of Ryousuke and Naoki whenever I see them.

The RP's have been extremely friendly, and I have made friends with quite a few of them, and some closer than I expected - Kazuki, Ayane, Mana. But they're always there to bring life to the house, and the bonds we share is akin to that of a family.

The CA's come and go, but the returning ones that I spent most of my days with - Saudi, Miri, Yuya, Mayo, Soichi, Atsuki, Arisa, are the ones who aided in making my trip especially eventful and fun.

Thank you all who has been there during my eventful trip. There's so much more I want to write, but so little time. I might pick up more from where I left off here in the near future to convey my feelings clearly, but for now, I will leave you all with a picture of the Senshu 2016 Family:



I hope to see you all again! May our paths converge in the new future! I love you all!