I keep thinking about this phrase people say all the time in America (at least): "My life is so hard!" (or some variation). The next person I hear say that is going to get the most aggressive verbal assault anyone has ever experienced, EVER. I may not have the hardest life ever, but being an exchange student is THE HARDEST thing I have ever done. Going through a break up, moving houses, things like that just don't compare. Let me elaborate:
- You are stripped of the ability to speak or understand the language around you for the first few months.
- You live in a home that is brand new with people you are supposed to rely on and call your family no matter how attached you are to the one in your home country (and if you're with Rotary, you switch host families).
- CULTURE SHOCK. You don't know the land, the people, the rules and customs, but you are old enough that people expect you to at least know a little.
- You can't go anywhere alone, not because you aren't supposed to or you don't want to, but because you wouldn't be able to understand anything without your host family/friends' help.
- You must attend school in this brand new world. Enough said.
That said, I will repeat again: This is the HARDEST thing I've ever done. BUT!!! It's more than worth it. If it weren't this hard of an experience, then it wouldn't mean anywhere near as much. And despite it being hard, it's REALLY, REALLY fun :) Confusing, huh?
Okay! I just wanted to get that off my chest. Now on to the update:
Gosh, I dunno where to start. A lot and very little has been happening. We went shopping for school supplies a few days ago, and I now own a super awesome pencil case that says "United Bees". My school has a bag that students are supposed to use, so I don't have to worry about my slightly-torn backpack I brought with me!
Other than that, we haven't actually done a lot, other than me, Masami, and Okaasan went to Kyoto today! Kyoto is a very lovely city, but it was a bit shocking- I've been living in this rather quaint little city for the past week, and compared to it, Kyoto is MASSIVE. After a day of walking around in it, I'm glad to be back in Konan. There were a lot of gaijin in Kyoto, understandably, but that was one of the most surprising things for me. I haven't seen foreigners in bulk for a week. In Konan, it's pretty much me and some Brazilians. I've gotten used to it, so seeing other Americans and the like was a bit disorienting.
Back to Kyoto- we went to the famed Kinkaku-ji, or the Golden Pavilion. It's fabulous. I took, like, 20 pictures of it alone, not counting the ones I took of the surrounding area. We had tea in a nearby cafe-shrine thing, and then went shopping! Shopping in Kyoto is intense. Expensive stuff, cheap nicknacks, pointless things, awesome things, brand names (Gap, yay!)- you name it, it's there! There's a lot of foreign stuff there (meaning not Japanese), but I managed to find some suitable Japanese gifts for my sisters. I hope they like them :)
In other news... my Japanese skills... are coming along. It's a strange process, immersion. I'm so used to hearing Japanese now that hearing English feels strange, but I can't understand a lot of Japanese! Well, sort of. Grammar isn't a problem hearing wise for me, but I have to learn more vocabulary. When I start school, I'll have Japanese classes to help me. And I start school on Monday! AHHH!!! I have to give a speech!!! And then I have to give another speech at my host club >_< Luckily, I've been allowed to play my violin at the Rotary meeteing, so my speech won't have to be too long. People here really admire that I play violin. It's awesome :) Not that they don't in America, but here, it's sort of... more so. Playing violin is a very respectable thing to do here, more so than in the US. I like it!
Tomorrow I meet my maybe-violin-teacher, and the next day I meet the other exchangers in 2650!!! Then school starts, which for once, I'm extremely excited for. Yay!
One more thing: The "Japaker" idea I had sort of died. It really doesn't apply. Everything depends on the situation, so it's sorta hard to sum up everything into percents. But I will say I can understand pretty much all of what's said to me with the help of my pocket dictionary, and I'm learning new vocab every day. Conversations going on around me are much harder to understand, but again, I learn more every day. I'll start reading more when school starts.
Okay, that's all for now! Oyasuminasai, minnasan!
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As I read through the first couple of paragraphs, I began to get worried. Whew! So, is it hard? Or is it just really, really challenging? I recall some of our “on the way to school” conversations during which we talked about some of these challenging issues. But you weren’t going to allow them to get in your way. :o) Okay, so it’s hard and fun and meaningful and really hard. But you’re doing it. And it is probably, in some ways, getting easier and easier every day. As for your one family here stateside, we are thinking of you every moment of every day. Well, Tim may get distracted from time to time (we had lunch on Monday… talked about you… and I have to say that I think he’s pretty proud and impressed with you… a little awed, even).
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you’re playing the violin. Send us info when we need to make arrangements for a teacher.
Good luck on the first day of school, Resa. It’ll all be fine.
We love you very much. *hugs*