Gaby's Self Reflection

This was the first time I traveled without my family and therefore I was a little scared and nervous about going so far away from home. It turns out this was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. I have learned so much from this experience! 

 Life in Japan:

The train system in Japan is quite overwhelming, especially after getting used to the simple, 2 line, train system in Calgary. Even though it seems extremely complicated it is really easy to understand if you pay attention to the signs, they will tell you where to go! And even if you can’t figure your way on your own, asking anyone at the station will be of great help J people are so nice and willing to help, that they will do their best to guide you even if you can’t speak Japanese. Which brings me to the first train ride I took on my own: I was coming back to the dorm from my host family’s house, I jumped on the train headed to Shinjuku but didn’t pay attention as to whether that train would be stopping at my station. After practicing maybe 10 times in my head how to ask in Japanese if I was on the right train, I gathered all my courage and asked the lady beside me if this train will stop at the Mukugaoka-yuen Station. She replied (in Japanese) that the train will not stop at my station and that I should transfer to another train at the next station, she then complimented my Japanese skills (I’m pretty sure she was just being nice but it felt really good anyways :D). Long story short, I was able to get back to the dorm safely! Thank goodness the last class we had before we went to our host family’s house was about asking for directions at the train station!!　 たすかった！

Food:

OMG food! The food in Japan is amazing!! I’m usually a very picky eater and so, I was really worried about coming to a foreign place and eating weird food. But I did my best and tried everything that was put on a plate. Some highlights about this experience:

-Nattō: fermented soy beans with rice. Tastes funny but it’s not bad. My host-father was really surprised that I was able to eat it (apparently not many Japanese people like nattō).

-Sushi, noodles: Simply delicious! First time I tried sushi with raw fish. Tonkotsu ramen is my favourite of all noodles! Best thing I have ever eaten!

-Ginger: WHY?! Why is this even a thing? Haha I tried ginger for the first time at the Kaiten Sushi place. Suke-san said ginger is used to remove poison from the body…I said it tasted like poison… This is all I’m gonna say about the topic…

Life at the I-house (Dorm):

I’m not gonna lie… Life at the dorm can be somewhat stressful. Being used to relying on my parents for every little thing, I found myself not knowing how to shop for groceries, make food or even use the washing machine, plus everything is written in Japanese which adds an extra challenge to the whole thing. I have burned bread, forgotten to put oil on the pan before preparing eggs, tried to prepare noodles in a plate, etc… Thus, I have been living of cup noodles and convenience store food for the past month.

But life at the dorm can be pretty awesome too! I love coming back home after 4 (very long) hours of class and being received by a bunch of people, it makes any bad day become a good one. I have always considered myself an introverted and therefore the first time I saw that many people together waiting to meet me and talk to me I was a little scared and overwhelmed ( especially because I didn’t trust my ability to express myself in Japanese), but the stress and pressure faded away every time I met someone new! And now coming in through the dorm’s door is one of the highlights of my day.

New Friends:

Before I came to Japan, I was under the impression that Japanese people were really quiet and shy, which made me think that my entire stay in Japan was going to be filled with awkward silences. I was so glad to discover I was wrong! They are all so friendly and eager to be friends with you; it really took the weight out of my shoulders to be the first one to start the conversation. I felt right at home from day one.

I have made so many good friends throughout this experience! Not only I grew closer to the other 19 U of C students that joined the program, but I also was able to meet many students from Senshu University and other international students. Yeah, sometimes the language barrier gets in the way of understanding what the other is trying to say, but somehow it ends up working out.

I was able to meet even more people during the Kamakura and Yokohama tours! I was surprised to find out that many of my guides were studying Spanish at University! It felt so good to know that there are people in Japan interested in my first language, and that they could learn something from me as I was learning from them.

I really hope I can keep in touch with every single person I met during this program!

   

This was the best experience of my life and honestly, I don’t want to leave yet. I still have a couple of weeks in Japan and I plan to enjoy them to the fullest!

I’m sure this won’t be the last time I’ll visit Japan!