Reflecting A Year's Past in Japan

 こんにちは皆さん (Hello everyone)！

For a short introduction, my name is Vivian Nguyen and, at this time, I am a senior at Hawai'i Pacific University (HPU) majoring in Public Health and minoring in Japanese. From September 2023 till August 2024, I had the wonderful opportunity to study abroad in Japan at Aoyama Gakuin University (AGU). I always knew I wanted to study abroad in Japan during college and I am so grateful to have spent a year in this beautiful country. Please enjoy my reflection and learning experiences now as I reminisce on my journey through the seasons... 

読んでくれてありがとうございます(thank you for reading)！

秋：Autumn/Fall

    Arriving in Japan feels almost like yesterday. Upon arriving at the beginning of September, the nervousness I thought I would feel stepping into a foreign country all by myself was surprisingly nowhere to be found. Even though this was my first time traveling alone, I felt a sense of confidence and responsibility as I was ready to take on this new chapter of my life. I may have gotten lost on the trains and was exhausted from dragging along my two pieces of luggage (which I did not know you could have delivered from the airport), but in the end, I made it to my new home. Next was figuring out how to get to school. 

学校の門：School Gates
    AGU has a beautiful campus. If HPU has its lookout towards the ocean and sunset at Aloha Tower,  AGU has its vibrant ginkgo tree foliage overlooking the main road. Every time I walked through, I would take time to admire the glorious yellow leaves up above and below as they scattered on the ground. 
    As I was getting used to my new class schedule, figuring out the school system, and how early I needed to leave to make it on time to places, it was of course a busy and challenging time. I still remember the first day of school was on a Friday (weirdly enough) and entering my first Japanese class. After the placement test sent out during the summer, I ended up in Level 3 out of 7. Thankfully, I met another person who was also in that class. She was coincidentally also the person in front of me when we sat at orientation and lived in the same dorms. As the 先生 (sensei) entered and started class, everyone was quiet and reserved because they, including me, were shocked at how she only spoke in Japanese the entire time. All of our heads were hurting by the end of it trying so hard to focus on understanding and responding with anything we could muster out. What a time indeed. 

冒険すること：Exploring
     Despite all my commitments to school, I did my best to make sure to explore as well. One place I visited in October was called Kamakura, located in Kanagawa prefecture. This trip was a fond memory as I got closer to my Japanese language classmates and it was the first time staying overnight in another region. The heat during this time was still sweltering and it did not help that the plan was to hike and walk around. However, the area and locations we visited were worth it. Pictured on the right is the Sasuke Inari Shrine known for its bright red gates and plenty of small white fox statues around the shrine. The highlight of the day was being able to relax in the Inamuragasaki Onsen and chat about whatever at our hostel for the night. 
    Whilst attending 10 classes, I would say it is about the same workload as an average HPU semester. I decided to challenge myself by taking a class taught in Japanese which was titled Japanology B. This class brought in experts from different aspects of Japanese culture each week to talk about what they do and what it is all about. I quite enjoyed this class since sometimes we had hands-on activities, like the picture below. That week was 生け花 (ikebana), the art of flower arranging, and we each got a small cup and a bunch of flowers/leaves to arrange for ourselves as a take-home gift. We love free, pretty things here :)

    Then as the weather grew colder, the color of the leaves deepened into their bright, autumn colors. Since I had only basically known Hawai'i my whole life, I had never seen autumn foliage before. The sight below at Mt. Takao was breathtaking and one of my favorite pictures I have taken during my time abroad. The fall season had its wonders and I wondered what winter would bring. 

冬：Winter

日本の誇り：Japan's Pride & Joy 
    As mentioned, I grew up in Hawai'i and as an island girl, I was a bit afraid of how cold it might get... Fortunately, I was able to gradually adjust to the weather, and in Tokyo, the average was probably around 10 degrees C (~50 degrees F) at the season's peak. 
    At the beginning of December, I had the chance to venture out with some dorm friends to Yamanashi prefecture to see the one and only Mt. Fuji. Its beauty was unmatched with its pristine snow-capped top and we were so lucky to see it so clearly. Although the journey was a bit rough being 2-3 hours away from Tokyo, it is definitely a must-see sight around the different 5 lakes of Fuji.

イルミネーション：Illuminations
    You will know when winter rolls around from the many illuminations that can be seen all over the country. Some of them last for a few weeks or even span over a few months. The picture on the right is of 青の洞窟SHIBUYA, otherwise known as the Shibuya Blue Cave Illumination, which spans along the road filled with bright, vibrant blue lights on the way to Yoyogi Park. All of the illuminations definitely also signal the coming of Christmas too. Before coming to Japan, I did understand the culture of ordering KFC for the holidays, but I did not know the extent to which you must book a few weeks in advance to have it on time to eat. 

学期末：First Semester's End
    The end of the first semester arrived quickly. Before I knew it, it was already time to say goodbye to some great new friends who were only here for one semester. I had always heard one semester in Japan felt so short and I'm glad I decided to take a year abroad. Although, that doesn't mean it isn't sad to see everyone go... This was also an end to my time at my part-time job as a chat leader at the Chat Room. The Chat Room at AGU is a space where students can join chat sessions to practice speaking languages they're interested in. These languages included ones like English, Spanish, Korean, French, and more. It was a great opportunity to get to know a lot of local students and other chat leaders also through daily chat sessions or special holiday events. Overall, this was a weird time because the dorm became empty as people left on trips or went back home, but then started to become lively again when the next semester started again. This was the halfway mark to the beginning of the end. 

                              

春：Spring

好きな花：My favorite flowers
    As the weather slowly gets warmer, this was one of the seasons I was looking forward to the most because of the beautiful variety of flowers that bloom each month. Besides the famous sakura cherry blossoms, my other favorites during this time were the wisteria, tulips, plum blossoms, and nemophila. The one I loved the most was the weeping wisteria flowers at Ashikaga Flower Park in Tochigi prefecture. This flower park has many other wonderful flowers but during the month of April, the array of purple and white wisteria flowers takes the cake. I could stay in the park and stare at the flowers all day if I could, but unfortunately, this was only a day trip. They were some of the most majestic flowers I had ever seen. The sakura were also quite beautiful and I didn't know how long the season was until I experienced it. Their blooming depended on the weather of each prefecture so the earlier blooms started from the very south of the island and made their way up to Hokkaido. In addition, there were different kinds of sakura, the most abundant being the slightly pinkish-white ones called ソメイヨシノ(Somei Yoshino), but my favorite was by far the bright pastel-like pink hue of the 山桜 (Yamazakura) that bloomed at the end of February into March. 

新しい学期：New Semester

    This time also was the beginning of the new semester when new people gradually arrived and made the dorms and campus come to life again. I was determined to make use of my remaining time and continued to do or go somewhere new each week. Making new friends, creating more memories with old friends, and seeing beautiful sights and new places were my joy. Hanging out at school, going to the gym, taking classes with friends, and more were in store. 

夏：Summer

暑い天気けど、楽しい：Hot Weather, but Fun
    The last and final season before the end of my full year abroad. Everyone says that Japanese summers are no joke, and they are right. Even coming from Hawai'i, the heat was insane. Since Japan is a country that revolves around walking, biking, or using public transport, it is especially hot when going to and from places during the day. I had heard that heatstrokes were a concern in the summer because of the heat so there are a lot of warnings and products that help you through it. I saw many people holding their small, handy electronic fans, putting on their neck-cooling rings, or wiping their faces with handkerchiefs to combat the icky feeling of sweat. Despite the hot weather, the bright sun cast beautiful rays of sunshine on the landscape. Some of the highlights were going to concerts, festivals, Universal Studios, and marking off other bucket-list items. As time was ticking down, everyone scurried to try to use their time to do all the things they wanted to do. 

日本さよなら：Goodbye, Japan
    Then before I knew it, it was time to say goodbye to everyone. I had booked my flight home near the end of August which was later than most people I knew. It was very bittersweet saying our goodbyes and reminiscing on good times throughout the year... I had made some amazing, one-of-a-kind friends that I hope to meet with again someday. This was an experience that I do not regret taking at all and I would of course do it all over again if I had the choice. It was so weird to think that the busy streets of Shibuya, which was right there, that was the last time I would see them that year. 
    During this time, I learned more about myself and what I was capable of. If you told me as a child I would be living and studying in Japan for a whole year later in life, I would think that's crazy and that there's no way I could do it. I'm so thankful for all of the people who were a part of my journey and thank you to those who decided to read all the way through. Best wishes to your future travels!

    Regarding internships, many assume they'll be local or with a large national corporation to gain valuable experience and insights into a potential future career. However, I chose to apply for an internship that offered a unique opportunity to work in Amman, Jordan, a city in one of the world's most important regions. Jordan, known for its stability in the Middle East, is a country many people overlook. Yet, it houses the most refugees from regional conflicts, making it an essential player in global humanitarian efforts. Moreover, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam intersect in Jordan and share their historical narratives. For example, Mount Nebo, a religious pilgrimage site, is where Moses was granted a view of the Promised Land before his passing. This intersection of cultures and religions makes Jordan a fascinating and prosperous place to explore and learn from. Jordan wields significant influence in the Arab world politically, economically, and socially. Interning in this dynamic and culturally diverse environment has been interesting. I am gaining an understanding of the complexities and contributing to the country with meaningful impacts from my internship.

My internship involves working with a non-profit organization that helps provide much-needed medical relief to Syrian Refugees in Zaatari—the 5th largest refugee camp on the globe. Our job is to write funding proposals, work at the clinics, and fill any needed gaps. It varies daily, with a new task being asked to be done. However, we start mornings with lectures about what it means to be a humanitarian actor, what is expected, and how it operates in the region. There is also cultural sensitivity training, first aid/CPR, and workshops to improve skills needed in the workforce.

During my internship, I had the opportunity to participate in some fantastic excursions organized by SIT. These trips were a welcome break from work demands and allowed us to explore Jordan as students and tourists.

 Jordan is home to some of the most significant sites in the world, such as the Jordan River, where Jesus was baptized, Petra, Wadi Rum, and many more. These excursions had an educational aspect, offering us insights into the history and significance of these sites to the local people and various faiths.

I'll always remember our adventures, from experiencing the stunning landscapes of Wadi Rum, often featured in movies depicting Mars, to the surreal experience of floating in the Dead Sea. Additionally, delving into the local cuisine was a highlight. I discovered that kebabs and hummus are delicious staple foods in Jordan. The food culture is so rich and diverse that I could never get tired of exploring it. I feel fortunate to have had the chance to learn, explore, and savor the unique experiences Jordan offers. Even if I did not want to go on an extensive excursion, there are many cafes and restaurants where people socialize and smoke hookah to unwind from the day. My host family loves to go out and have fun, so it is a nice change of scenery from the office or Zaatari.

Overall, the experience is unparalleled by any job I have done in the past. It was beautiful, heart-wrenching, and exhausting, but worth every fiber of my being. The opportunity to connect with people, make a difference, and push my limits filled me with a sense of purpose and fulfillment that I had never experienced before. It was challenging, but the personal and professional growth I gained from it was immeasurable. I will always cherish the memories and the lessons learned from this experience.

                                                

 I am sharing my remarkable experience while completing an internship with the School of International Training (SIT) program in Amman, Jordan. This unique opportunity allowed me to work with NGOs and humanitarian aid agencies, specifically with the Jordan Health Aid Society International (JHASI). This non-profit organization provides medical assistance to Syrian refugees and vulnerable individuals in the Zaatari camps and across Jordan. During my time with JHASI, I had the chance to engage directly with the community, contributing to health education and family planning initiatives within the refugee camps. I also developed and presented a concept proposal to secure funding to support the organization's ongoing efforts. The program provided practical, hands-on experience and allowed me to earn college credit while immersing myself in a new and diverse environment. Despite the intense nature of the summer session, the invaluable experiences and the profound impact on the lives of others in the refugee camps far outweighed any challenges. I am truly grateful for this opportunity and the unforgettable insights it provided.

A typical internship day looks like this:

1. Wake up, get ready, and leave early to be at the head office.
2. Ask the assistant in charge of making coffee and tea for a Turkish coffee. As a university student, a tiny Turkish coffee's sweetness and caffeine content is enough to keep you going for a few hours, and you may be addicted by the end of it.
3. Meet with the manager to see what is on the agenda and complete the tasks given. This can be done in various ways, such as working on funding, establishing tasks at the camps, or being trained on procedures within the company.
4. Go home or relax at a cafe on Rainbow Street or in Weibdeh. Sometimes, you have to take work home with you; other times, you meet up with friends to eat and smoke shisha (potentially).

Jordan is truly a must-see destination for anyone's bucket list. Despite potential concerns related to regional conflicts, the country is generally very safe for students and travelers to explore. It's essential to maintain a reasonable level of caution, as one would in any major city. There is a thriving community of students and expatriates in the area, making it effortless to meet new people and make connections. The internship has allowed me to experience working, studying, and exploring a new country and will enable me to consider working abroad.