EIL Intercultural Learning

Thanks to my friends at Google Maps, few words are needed to explain just how fantastic the location of my school in Tokyo was.

Now that I've been home for a week, slept for most of it, and sorted out the inevitable bits and pieces that occur when one is away, I'm ready to start writing about my experiences in Tokyo for the past five weeks (knowing me I'll forget them if I don't!). Taking inspiration from Aran's blog (which I strongly suggest you check out if you haven't already) I'm going to take a stab at writing a bit about Japanese culture, though I have a suspicion my efforts will pale in comparison.

Okay, no matter how I phrase this it`s going to sound disgustingly corney and sentimental, so please forgive me;

On the way to the supermarket today I had a really great conversation with my host mother, and I really want to share what she said  here as I think it really sums up what intercultural exchange is all about, and why it`s so worth while to get involved in any form of cross-cultural activities.

Okay, I admit it; This post is SHAMEFULLY late. I do apologise, but  A) I`ve been having far to much fun to even consider sitting still in front of a computer, and B) I`ve been trying to avoid English as much as possible!

Looking back over my photographs of Japan, I realise that I have yet to talk about my experiences in the city of Matsumoto with my host sister and her fiance.

While I was in school in Japan I took a number of classes; World History, Japanese History, Biology, Ancient Japanese, Maths, and English. I freely admit that, for the majority of the time, I was completely lost. I remember being thrilled every time I managed to translate any of the vocabulary being used in Biology or Japanese History, and I'm afraid that Ancient Japanese went over my head completely. Maths I could manage, as I had already covered their course for the Leaving Certificate, and English didn't cause me too many problems.

Thinking back on my time in Japan, visiting the capital city, Tokyo, was one of the most fascinating experiences of the whole trip - and that is saying something.

Hard to believe that five weeks have gone by since I first set foot into this house and met my host mother and father for the first time. It`s funny how different everything seemed back then, how unknown and unfamiliar everything was. Suwa really has become like a second home for me; a second school, second family, second room, second set of friends. While I know that I`ve only just scraped the surface of the Japanese culture, I really feel like I`ve managed to gain some insight into what it means to be `Japanese`, differences and similarities.

I think I`m gradually becoming aware of all the little differences that cumulate to make life in Japan so different from life back home in Ireland. Everyday I notice small, seemingly unimportant habbits and customs that, in reality, make all the difference. It`s really interesting to note how, while in Ireland we respond to a sneeze with a `bless you`, in Japan there is no responce - it is simply ignored.  There is no greeting for people you see on the street whom you don`t know, and plastic bags are given out in shops free of charge.

I`m trying to think of a word that would adequatley sum up what the past week has been like, and I`m afraid I`m drawing a blank! Perhaps it is that my Enlgish vocabulary is now hiding behind my (very limited) store of Japanese words, but I think the most likley explanation is that the word simply does not exist!