Gabriela

初(はじ)めまして. Hello everyone! My name is Gabriela, but my friends usually call me Gaby. I have been living in Canada for the past 5 years but I am originally from Venezuela, a beautiful country in South America where it is always summer.

I consider myself to be mostly introverted and quiet, which makes meeting new people quite a challenge. However, once people get to know me, I can be super friendly, talkative and even funny! (At least that’s what some of my friends have told me). I am also a very positive person, the kind that always sees the glass half full and not the other way around.

I am currently a fourth year student at the University of Calgary pursuing a major in Zoology and a minor in Japanese.

I have always been interested in animals. At first, probably just because they were cute and intriguing; but as I grew older I have been fascinated by their behaviour, physiology, and even the processes that can cause the evolution of species. At a very young age, I realized that working with, and helping animals was something I wanted to do. Therefore, becoming a Veterinarian has been my dream for as long as I can remember.

My first contact with Japanese culture might have occurred through Anime. I still remember the first anime I ever saw: Inuyasha, still one of my favourites to this date.

I am also a huge fan of Studio Ghibli movies! I never thought animated characters could bring up so many emotions on viewers, but Studio Ghibli manages to do it. The great character development, peculiar artistry of the drawings and the beautiful music accompanying every scene are some of the reasons why I love Ghibli.

When I started my studies at the University I was able to explore my second passion: Japanese. It’s true, maybe I became interested in Japan due to the large amount of anime shows and movies I watched and continue to watch, but the courses I have taken this far have broaden my perspective about Japan:

Did you know that Japan is known for taking bits and pieces of other cultures and adapt them to make them their own? I find that extremely fascinating!

I am truly interested in traditional customs too. For example, how Shinto and Buddhist religions coexist and are both actively practiced by the Japanese population.

Also, FOOD! I love eating (I even take food from the cooking pot when my mom is not looking haha). Japan has a huge variety of food dishes and I am really looking forward to trying every type of food I can find, from sushi to sweets, udon, ramen…and even vending machine food!

Lastly, pop culture is a really huge form of entertainment in Japan. Pop culture can come in many forms and I am excited to understand what makes this type of entertainment so fun.

Please join me and my teammates in our adventures while we try to understand what’s Food, what’s Fun, and what’s Cute in Japan!

楽(たの)しみにしています！