Being Glad it Happened

Ah, its not easy sitting here in the corner of my house's mini library. Finding refuge away from the noise that comes with living in a big house with 17 roommates, fraternity and sorority neighbors, police sirens and the sound of breaking glass and parties at all the neighbors houses that usually accompany each night. Its been about a month since i've been back home, I would've been leaving for Japan in less than a week this time last year. I spent more time than I ever wanted to writing failed essays for scholarships and filling out paper work for the year long process just to get there. Before I knew it, my year in Japan was gone just like that. And yes it was worth it!

I've spent many weeks trying to wrap my mind around everything that happened before I left for Japan and what happened while I was there. The truth is i've been too busy for myself to properly reflect and soak it all in. As I continue to think this all up, I realize that I was dreading the day I would be writing my last post. While hoping not to lose my connection to Japan, I feel myself fighting for air to breath in this sea of academics and resumed responsibilities. I realized that If I didn't take this very moment for my self to take a break I never would. In other words, in the short time i've been in America, I quickly found myself swamped in my studies again, neglecting time that I should be taking to build or rebuild the relationships around me. Waking up each day at the same time, eating the same breakfast and rushing of to class at the same time... worrying about the same things. I wonder as if nothing has changed. The life around my school hasn't seemed to change one bit. People still caught up in little dramas about who thinks this about who and what. *sigh*

Before I go down that road, I should remember something... I am not the same person I was before I left. While putting a video together for this years Study Abroad Info Session, I wanted to make something I could use as an aid to help promote the city and school I spent the best year of my life so far in. Going through the pictures i had put in chronological order, I began to remember some of my favorite moments in the first few months. Going through some old raw footage seeing everything from blackmail worthy footage to just plain hilarious moments I found myself in nostalgia again. To take in the year as a whole, I realized that I cannot let my days be spent doing what i'm not passionate about. And yes, I have decided that I will go back to Japan one day, to live there for at least a few years... While pressing my shoulder to the wall to make sure i'm even more prepared during my next round, I also realize that I can't my life in America pass me by.

To everyone I met, to those who let me be a part of their lives, to my friends in America who kept in touch and skyped with me, to those who came from all over the world to share my life with me in Oita... I am thankful for each and everyone of you!! I will never forget any of you!! Although I was sad to see it end, I was glad it happened. For that I promise to keep looking forward and pursuing more opportunities to meet people like you.

As for the video, I managed to compress some of my most treasured moments in Oita throughout the entire year into 4 minutes. However, there were so many more moments I wanted to share but just didn't have the time or space needed. Hopefully from the eyes of those interested in studying abroad, seeing how much fun we all had might convince them to follow in our footsteps at Oita too.

Im in America and I'm still posting on this thing?

Yes, ive been back, but my work concerning Japan isn't quite done. In a few weeks I will be sharing my experiences in Oita with students who want to go to Japan at the 説明会。Unfortunately that means one thing... school starting again. Thats right, my summer which had just begun, has now come to an end. My first day back at state wasn't too bad. Seeing familiar faces of other friends who either went to other schools in Japan or never left was nice. Also moving into a big house with my old frat mates isn't so bad. Theres new faces, but alot of legit people to be friends with.

Anyways, Im back in school. My one complaint is concerning textbooks. I realized that in Japan, colleges actually care about students and show it by providing cheap textbooks, free handout reading materials and cheap meals at school. However, this is not the case at SDSU or in America. Students pay ridiculous amounts of money for living in a dorm, buying a used text book (my finance book will cost $149 used), or getting ripped off with over priced items at the campus bookstore. Unfortunately there isnt much regulation and thats just how it is for now. I suppose I could consider it more motivation towards going back to Japan or pursuing other opportunities abroad. I want to learn alot, but I don't wanna grow up just yet.

I guess im going to cut my midnight rant short. But first, I know people have been asking me if I'm glad to be back. Of course I am. Actually it is nice to be back, away from the crazy humidity and in a place where the beaches are sandy and the waves are actually there. Yet, I had such a good experience abroad that it just went by too fast. Now I got this itch to go back... combined with a huge impression left on me by all of the people I met this last year. Alot of these friends I may possibly never see again, being that they are from all over the world, but then again... I could see them again! When people see me, sometimes they may wonder if Im depressed about coming back, but it cant be helped. Ill be doing my best to keep looking forward, cuz I can't just stop now. Ive become international and Im going to keep it that way.

Back in Black

Im back!!

Its a mixture of sadness, excitement and a whole lot of anxiousness thinking about how not to lose my Japanese. The day I left Oita was indeed a sad day. Holding back and hiding my emotions just wasn't possible.. On the bus ride to the airport I listened to some Japanese music on my headphones while quietly going back and forth between being still or hiding my face while crying. While I was sad to go, i was still glad it all happened. I spent a few days with Kentaro in Yokohama before coming back. It was a great way to cut down the shock from leaving Oita. As said before, it would've been too much for me to handle if it was all at once. I didn't wanna be that guy on the plane, riding in the middle seat and crying for 12 hours. Even though I wasn't, didn't mean I wasn't sad.

As for being back... I realized I was in America once I got to the immigration line. It was almost an interrogation with that lady's tone of voice. Blah blah.. "What were you doing in Japan?" with a suspicious tone. "What did you study?" "Exactly how long did you stay?"... "What are you doing with $3ooo worth of stuff on you?" Uhh .... well, "I have my laptop with me and two check ins that have clothes and some random stuff." Ok "welcome back to America".. not so enthusiastic tone. I also realized I was back when I saw someone pouring out a can of soda onto the ground in some parking lot. "Yep, im in America."

As sad as I am, i realize I do have alot to look forward too. I finally got to eat real pizza when I got back. It was AMAZING! Now I have tacos and burritos to look forward to also. And just this morning, even though im back in Sac at my dad's place (the place where I feel most stagnant and will never move back to) I was really happy to go to the grocery store. After 11 months of small food portions plus having to always buy fruit in season, im finally back in the land of huge gallons of milk and juice, real bacon, flour tortillas, bagels that don't cost a fortune and mangos that are 57cents... not 3,000円 ($34). Yes, i'm back but, theres still work to be done. If theres one thing I learned from the last year it is to keep moving forward. I hope I can really take that to heard. In a few more days Ill be back in San Diego, where the real challenge starts. Im going to find a way back to Japan no matter what.

最後の日 Last Post in Japan

Oh goodness, the things I lack words for. Nothing can describe my time in Japan, all of my experiences, the things ive enjoyed, the struggles I've had, the personal growth... all of it was worth the year long process of paperwork, transcripts, scholarship applications and interviews just to get here. I used to wake up almost every day amazed "wow, im in Japan!" I would have dreams that I woke up in California, I would be wondering how the hell I got back and wondering how on earth to get back to Oita. As wonderful as San Diego or Sacramento may be, I don't know if I can settle for simply moving back and staying long term. Im determined to get back here somehow... maybe not Oita, but somewhere here. Maybe its the culture, maybe its my inability to grasp the language all that well... whatever it is, I always felt like I was learning something new, thats why I rarely got bored here. You have to try so hard or be a boring person to not have fun here. But thats simply an opinion.

In the end, I really enjoyed getting to spend time with friends from all over the world. The only problem with getting close was the inevitable fact that I would have to leave them. I thank each and everyone of my friends who spent time me, put up with my bad Japanese, or just listened to all of the weird issues I might of had all year. Ahh, I don't have much time some sort of masterpiece about how I spent my time, or what I learned, but I just know that I wouldn't trade this experience abroad for anything. Right now its almost 5am in Yokohama, Ill be flying back to America in 12 hours. I wish to come back someday soon. I moved my flight from Oita 2 days early because I didn't want the shock of leaving Oita and Japan all at the same time. I knew it would have been too sad for me... Haha, I really couldn't hold back my tears when I left, but im glad it all happened. The good things and the difficult things were all worth it.

To everyone who spent my last days with me, thank you!!!

Izakaya, PEI pub, Hanabi, Sushi Meijin, Riding a bike with a kite attached..Ice cream in Yuta's Room.... it was a blast!

Ill never forget you!! See you again!

大分の七夕

日本にもう少しいる事できてよかった。日本にクレベて僕の国はそんな祭りがない。伝統的な服や食べ物はほとんどない。とにかく、この３日間は本当に面白くてうれしかった。新しい体験ができていろんな国から来た友達とも時間を過ごせた。日本に来てからいろんな祭りに行った事があるけどこれは特に楽しい。甚平を着たり、花火を見ながら音楽を聞いたり、友達がプルグラムで踊ったり、色々な事を始めてみたりしてよかった。

Im glad that I've been able to spend the most of my one month summer break in Japan! Compared to this country, I could almost say that America doesn't really have festivals like this. We don't have any traditional clothing, dancing or specialty foods im sad to admit. But anyway, these last 3 days have been really nice. Oita's Tanabata festival is the biggest one in the entire prefecture each year. Theres alot of new experiences I've also had just in this short summer alone. Ive gotten the chance to spend some time with friends from all over the world to. Since being here, Ive been to festivals before but this was especially fun. Wearing Jinbei, going to see fireworks Japanese style (with music), seeing some friends dancing around in traditional clothing, and just being able to see alot of things for the first time, im really glad.

I took way too many pictures, but here are some highlights from Day 1:

There were several groups of people, schools, companies, organizations.. who were doing some sort of traditional dance, but some of these groups had some sort of really interesting float they were carrying around.

Day 2:

大分大学の組合

These streets were meant to accommodate somewhere around 470,000 people. This here is the group from Oita University.

Im not entirely sure what these guys were up to but it was entertaining. They would carry this thing a few meters, then spin it around like crazy people.. pour sake or something over the top and then continue singing and doing their routine for a while.

None of us want to leave Oita yet!!! We worked so long and hard to get here and the year flew by just like that.

Hopefully well see each-other again. I wouldn't trade the experiences ive had with these people all year for anything.

Day 3:

Hanabi by the Oita River

Whats that in my hand? Not diet coke... its a freakin beer! Were allowed to do that in Japan.. people here are that much more responsible... maybe. ^_^

Boom!!

Woohoo! I wore a Jinbei while the girls work Yukata. Its like a bathrobe, but you can walk around in public in it at your own leisure.

Enjoying the remaining years of our youth at Mc'Donalds... fun!

Comedy 喜劇

Tragedy　惨劇

Summer is HERE!!

As for my year abroad in Japan, theres alot to be said. For now I will put my experiences into video... For those who haven't seen it already, heres the start to my summer. Finals week and all the things I did when I wasn't studying. Soon I have to probably write a report about my experiences, but since my time isn't over for another week or two... ill live it up so I have more to write about later. For now... これを見てください。

Surviving Homestay

Only 3 and she's already a pro at the peace sign!

Woohooo!

This last weekend was my first experience staying with a Japanese family.

I wish I would've known about the option to do homestays much earlier in the year.

Either way, it was a pretty good experience..

When i turned in my application a few weeks ago, of the ladies at the ryugakusei center asked me if I liked kids.. I just kinda shrugged my shoulders and said "yeah" with more of an I guess tone. At first I was a bit nervous cuz i usually cant understand kids in the first place, specially Japanese speaking kids. In actuality, they kept me pretty entertained.. It was a nice weekend eating and taking some trips with the family. I also got some good insight into how to raise Japanese 3 and 4 year olds.. or at least a little bit of what to expect. Eta-kun, the 4 year old boy is pretty hyper... well behaved when he wants something... likes to make funny faces when his picture is taken. The 3 year old girl was cute too. She seemed to cry alot though and for reasons i don't know why. Enna-chan would draw something with crayon, all of a sudden she would be crying at the dissatisfaction of what she just drew. It was cute... like a true troubled adolescent artist. I had to keep making silly faces in order to keep her smiling. There were a few times i thought she was about to cry but luckily i did something silly enough to make her laugh instead.

Thanks to them I got to see some cool limestone caves in some remote part of Oita-ken. I got to see some stone carved buddhas in Usuki too. They must have been almost 800 years old.

If I have time in the future I would like to spend more time with them... I barely spoke any English! Even in Japan, when you have a whole community of English speakers, its pretty hard to resist... I still feel like i need to improve my Japanese though. As of the last few weeks ive been brainstorming ideas on how to come back or at least not lose my Japanese when I go back home.

I don't remember the name of this god but he looked pretty bad-ass. See the dragon?

Limestone caves. The last time I saw one was in a video game called Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven...yup... ninjas.

Feeding fish and watching them fight over little food pellets is entertainment for all ages.

If I remember correctly, this is the god you pray to so you don't get schizophrenia. Notice the happy human statues?

The god of luck?

The coolest looking buddha ive ever seen...

My Japanese family took me out to try some Japanese "Chinese" food. Not bad at all... pretty good actually. Im just not sure what the difference between public and regular food is. If you look closely it says "public chinese food" !!!

Buddha buddha buddha!

I couldn't quite capture the scenery here.. but burning incense and a beautiful scenery is somehow.. relaxing. ^_^

My host family the Yamaguchis

送別会

まさか、もう一年が経った。去年の歓迎会は今まですっきり覚えている。それは十か月前以上のに一年間はほとんど終わっている。昨日の送別会はよかった。日本に来てよかった。どうして日本に来るか、いろんな理由が覚えた。アメリカにあまり帰りたくないけど今夢のように日本に住んでいる。帰った後で実際事を続けなければならない。アルバイトとかインターンシップとか真剣な事などまた考えさせられる。でも、しょうがない。さびしいけど大分に来てよかった。色々な大切事を習った。日本に来たばかりの頃より僕はもっとワイズかもしれない。

Its hard to believe that its already been about a year since i came to Japan. I still remember the welcoming party from the first week so clearly, all the people i met and some of the conversations i had. Ten months flew by just like that. Everyday I wake up and i realize, wow.. im in Japan! With all the events of yesterday I remembered why i came to Japan. I also know that I don't want to go back just yet. Ill have no choice but to continue with all of the practical things like getting a job, internship, all of the serious things. Ive been living somewhat of a dream here. It can't be helped. Its sad to see everyone part ways, but i'm glad I came to Oita. I learned so many important things in my time here.. I also feel a little bit wiser now than when I first came here.... Maybe...

いろんな国から来た人と友達ができた。僕の国の文化に比べて日本の文化とか韓国の文化とかオーストラリアの文化など大変違うのにいい友達ができた。日本に来てからずっと遊んだり一緒に勉強したり食べ物を作ったりしていた。

I got to make friends with people from so many different countries and cultures. Compared to American culture, Japanese, Korean.. Australian, etc... are different, but I learned to make friends different kinds of people. Eating together, studying and hanging out together..

学校の送別会後で居酒屋に行かなければならなかった。もう少し、もう少し一緒に飲もう！笑おう！

We had no choice but to go to an izakaya afterwards.. For at least one more great night out with everyone while we can still get everyone in the same place. One more night of drinking. One more night of laughs.

実は夕べの居酒屋はめちゃくちゃよかった！食べ放題焼き肉と飲み放題は３０００円だけだ。２５人で楽しんだ。

Luckily we found a place with all you can eat yakiniku and all you can drink for 3000 yen. The best izakaya ive ever been to in Japan actually.

めちゃくちゃ楽しかったって言っていた。＾＿＾

僕のチュターのおかげで最初の日に死なかった。ぼくの悪い発音を我慢してくれてありがとう。

Im sure its thanks to my tutor I didn't die in the first few days. Thank you for putting up with my horrible accent!

居酒屋後でもっとたのしんだ。もしろん、写真を取って、カラオケに言った。

Of course afterward, we were all a little silly.. we decided to go to karaoke.

前に今日の送別会は悲しいの感じを持つと思ったけど友達のおかげでたのしかった。涙が降らなかった。

Before the going away party, I thought I would be really sad. But thanks to my friends it was really fun. I didn't end up crying.. ^_^

後一か月もあるけどまた遊びたい。皆さんにお世話になったありがとございます。

I have about a month left, but i want to hang out with everyone again before we all split ways!

To everyone who made my year so fun, thank you so much!

春学期　part 1

春学期　part 2