EIL Intercultural Learning

... the trick is NOT to freak out. As a person who self-identifies as an eternal optimist, I did what any rational-thinking person would do: tore my room to pieces. Ten minutes later, everything I possessed had been flung about the room, making a mockery of my oh-so-careful unpacking, and I knew that my passport was lost. Not that that stopped me from checking every pocket of every stitch of clothing (again), or flicking through every single stack of books. Twice.

Nah. It can't be. It has NOT been over a week since I last posted! Because if that were true (which would be ABSURD), that'd mean that I'm over halfway through my trip! Which means I'm getting deported in under 3 weeks! :-O

The moment I stepped into my first host family`s house, I knew I was going to have to make some adjustments to survive my six weeks in Japan: I immediately slammed my head into the top of the doorframe. This is not a country designed for six-foot plus, big-footed giants. However, as is clearly evident I have (surprisingly) lasted these first two weeks on the far side of the world! Not without a few mishaps, mind - but that`s half the craic, isn`t it?

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.

Konichiwa mina-san! O genki desu ka.

I travelled to Japan in June 2008 to take part in EIL's Study Abroad programme and it was one of the most unforgetable experiences of my life. I went with two friends to do a homestay and Japanese classes in Suwa.