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!

Essentials for Essex

"HIYA...you alright?"

“Right, you?”

Get used to saying or hearing that over and over again. Perhaps it makes no sense but welcome to England!

From mushy peas, to Guy Fawkes, to many modes of transportation, the U.K. can be a confusing place! But this blog will tell you everything you must know to confidently navigate an exchange year at the University of Essex. 

Arriving

If you arrive at London Heathrow, Stansted, Gatwick, or London Luton, you will need transport that gets you to Colchester or Colchester Town Station. The best ways to do this is by train (also called tube, rail, or underground), or the national express bus. Book ahead of time and prepare yourself for any transfers that may occur. Rail strikes are common, so have a backup plan for this too.

Transportation in General

I just want to say, make friends with cars if possible. Public transportation is unreliable because there are rail strikes so often and the busses sometimes are too crowded or just don’t show! Even the taxis are easily booked up at peak times. And there are no ubers or lyfts or anything like that. I’ve been in emergency situations where I needed a ride and the only option was asking a friend. If I didn’t have that as an option there was no alternative! Make friends that drive!!

The Campus

At first sight, the University of Essex campus looks like a huge city, even from far away, but after a few days you’ll get to know the place well. If you feel lost or confused and noone is around to help, look up your destination on the FindYourWay website. Along with this, you can be using ‘city mapper’, ‘apple maps’, ‘google maps’. 

Main takeaways:

-Head to Colchester Station or Colchester Train Station via bus or train

-Take bus or Taxi from the train station to the University of Essex

-Panther Cabs number (as of ‘23) is: +44 1206 525525

-DON’T rely on Uber. THERE IS NO UBER IN RURAL ENGLAND

-Look at the campus layout with “Find my Way” 

-Apps to Download: City Mapper, Apple Maps, Google Maps, Bus, 411 Taxi, Panther Cabs, My Essex

-The town is an hour walk from the University

Housing

North Towers - up to 15 roommates good for parties, close to classes and library, shared bathrooms

South Courts - up to about 25 roommates, good kitchen, good for parties, next to gym, different bus, shared bathrooms

Copse - Nice, above mailroom, own bathroom

Quays - across the bridge, next to Dominos, Bambu, a nice kitchen space, pronounced KEYS

Meadows - This is the only community that has a locked gate, this is where I lived and I think it was AWESOME

The Houses - chill, shared bathrooms, inexpensive

Socials

England has a strong drinking culture. For this reason, the University of Essex is home to two bars and a club. The legal drinking age is 18, and drinking even earlier is normalized. This is why you’ll see open alcohol all over the campus and young people drinking on the benches and public areas. 

Its normal to drink with your boss, coworkers, and even professors. Academics and working people drink a lot, and I do my homework in a pub as I would a cafe. There are many events to attend in the day or night. 

There is always a “pres” (preez), pregaming, event before going out. This gives you time to bond with friends or teammates, but you also have to do it because alcohol is too expensive at the bar or club, but so cheap from the grocery store.

If you choose the University subzero club, there will be a long queue (line) that closes at midnight. You also need to get a ticket even if it’s free. So get there around 11.45. Expect to be home by 5am. To avoid a horrible hangover every morning, I tried to drink very little, not mix drinks, or just have non-alcoholic beverages.

If you’d like to try new things, there are so many societies to choose from. I joined: 

Athletics (cross country and track)

Tennis

Jewish

Choir

Debate

Psychology

Southeast Asia

Book

Feminist

Kickboxing

University of Essex is home to over 120 societies, so compared to some people I know - I didn't even have much on my plate!

Accommodation

I lived in the Meadows with two roommates from France, one from China, and another from Georgia, U.S. My CA was English and our neighbors were from Mexico, India, Africa, and different parts of Europe. So its safe to say that the University of Essex is a highly International school, with ⅓ of its students from outside of the U.K. But not too many Americans! So if that’s what you’re interested in, you’re in for an incredible cultural experience. I ALSO highly recommend the Meadows accommodation for a close knit community and beautiful residency. You get your own bathroom, room, and a large shared kitchen space for $600/month. But that's on the pricier side.

Cost of Living

The University does a lot to help with the cost of living. There are many free events for entertainment and food.

Over 12 on campus restaurants have $2 meal deals, where you can get a hearty hot meal from the menu each day. So eating out with friends it not super difficult.

Most students get all of their groceries from the nearby Tesco, which is a glorified British Walmart. Tesco is the best. They also have “meal deals”, a snack, drink, and entree for $3.50.

Make your way into as many WhatsApp group chats as you can to score free furniture and good opportunities.

 shoots!

The Familiar Foreigner

Xin chào

Welcome to Vietnam ☺️ Strap on your Andes helmet, and allow me to whisk you away to a sea of honking scooters alongside fresh earth, golden rice fields, and copper pod trees to charm you with their beckoning sway.

Scents of savory fried tofu and sweet milk flower will fill your nose once we reach the heart of Hà Nội. Be careful to not burn your calves or kick any passersby as you dismount the scooter parked on the sidewalk in front of Café Giàng. I’ve made both of these mistakes.

We’re at this café to try the famous cà phê trứng. This is a special egg coffee invented in the 40’s during a time of necessity. When there was no cream available, a man named Nguyen Giàng whisked together a combination of eggs and sugar. 

Struggle meals often stick. Not only did this creation suffice for the time being, it also became one of Vietnam’s most beloved delicacies for years to come.

At about 100mg of caffeine per cup, Vietnamese cà phê is much stronger than American coffee. Coffee shops are an impressive social component of Hà Nội’s thriving community, and often stay open until 11 p.m, or just never close. People are happy to gather for coffee well into the late hours of the night.

The most delicious and popular coffees to try are cà phê trứng, along with cà phê sữa, coffee with condensed milk, bạc xỉu, white coffee with lots of condensed milk, cà phê dừa, coconut coffee, and the recent but iconic cà phê muối, which is salted coffee with a hint of caramel.

On my first day in Hà Nội, I checked into a hostel and walked around Hoàn Kiếm lake. A very young Vietnamese girl spotted me out as a foreigner and asked if she could join me on my walk to practice her English through conversation. 

I’m like, child, where is your mother?

This girl spoke perfect English because after school, her mother made the two-hour drive by scooter each day from their village to Hà Nội for “English Lessons”. These lessons involved a hunt for approachable foreigners to speak with, and her mother safely observing from a distance. Her mother did not speak English, since they lived too far away to interact regularly with foreigners. 

Over six generations ago, my family lived northeast of Hà Nội, in the Bắc Ninh Province. While Southern Vietnam only has two seasons, Northern Vietnam is home to all four. Hence, falling leaves and Autumn poetry. 

The middle section of Vietnam is the most difficult place to live because of their monsoons from September to April. Northern Vietnam uses a 6-toned language, while Southern and Central Vietnam have 5 tones and varying dialects.

Vietnamese language is adaptable, and it boasts special meanings and imagination. Over time, it has been influenced by Chinese, French, and English.

The very landscape is full of legends and stories that connect history with symbolism. According to my Grandma, Ba Thuy, Hà Nội is the central city of the North, based between three rivers. Hà means “river”, while Nội is “middle”. It is surrounded by River Đáy River Hồng And River Nhuệ.

During the third dynasty, King Lý Thái Tổ saw a flying dragon and named the capital of Vietnam “Thăng Long”, “Rising Dragon”, for this reason. The dragon flies west from Hà Nội, over Bắc Ninh, and to Hạ Long Bay. For this reason, “Hạ Long” means “landing dragon”. Naturally, I followed the flight of this dragon and found myself in Hạ Long Bay.

I wondered if my ancestors spent their time here. There was not much development so it may have looked the same. I felt glad to experience a natural, undeveloped Vietnam. The biggest cave discovered here is called Son Dong, which is three caves beyond Hạ Long Bay. 

<----

On my upper right-hand side, I noticed the rocks look like feet dangling off the cliff.

In Hạ Long Bay, I hiked the Đảo Tí Tốp island, kayaked through Tuan Chau, and explored the stalagmites and stalactites of Hang Sửng Sốt cave. When Vietnamese people look at a cave, it’s like cloud watching. You’re supposed to use all of your senses to imagine different symbols and stories that the cave is telling you with its different rock formations.

When I returned to Ha Noi, different family members took me to their favorite restaurants and cafés. My cousin Tanh took me to the Lý Club. I found this restaurant to be the most interesting because it serves as a French Vietnamese cafe in the morning, a Latin American club at night, and the very hospital my Uncle was born in long ago.

Hà Nội has 36 old quarters, and my family lived right next to my hostel on 11th and 12th Hue street, after migrating from the south during the revolution in 1945. 

My Aunt took me to a café that used to be her house. She got me three different drinks: milk bubble tea, chia seed lemonade, and cà phê sữa; I liked them all a lot.

I made my way to the Múa caves by rowing through green fields of baby rice. Since it wasn’t quite rice season yet, the young green stalks were harvested to make cơm, a rare Vietnamese dish, and piled near the crops.

My great-Grandfather was an engineer for the very train you’d take to travel across Vietnam. He is among the first group of Vietnamese engineers. The railroad ran from the North to the South, and Cambodia to Laos. During that time, his wife and family moved with him from North to South, and then Laos and Cambodia all throughout the time spent working on this railroad.

From Hà Nội, I visited the surf in Đà Nẵng and the old village of Hội An.

I ended the trip in Bà Nà (Lady Ponagar) Hills before leaving for Ho Chi Minh City. 

Ho Chi Minh City was once called Saigon. There’s a noticeable political and linguistic difference between terms used by the old and young generations in HCMC. The Northern government named Ho Chi Minh City after the old president, because his strongest desire was to unite the country.

I ate incredible food in Ho Chi Minh City because I made it my mission to find everything that my Grandma would buy from the markets. This included bánh xèo, bánh giò, bún chả, bánh cuốn, xôi đậu phộng, cơm tấm, xôi khúc, nước mía, bánh giầy, giò lụa, and even bánh chưng, which I had on Vietnamese Independence Day.

I ventured out to visit Củ Chi Tunnels, and learned about the strategies that were in place for the Vietnam war. It was common for familes to crowd into their home’s 4 sq meter bunker when they heard bombs dropping. Since the Vietnamese could escape through the Saigon river, Củ Chi was chosen as the prime location between Saigon and Cambodia.

Tunnels were dug by hand with no electricity, and the Ho Chi Minh trail was long, stretching from North to South. There were 16,000 gorilla forces and 5,000 of them were women.

I thought about how babies were born in these tunnels. People tried not to enter the fighting zones or go out at night. War changed the peaceful countryside of Củ Chi. Above these tunnels 60 years ago, my Grandma had become established with her laundry business and prepared to move my family to O`ahu. 

My Grandmother is Thuy Thu-Lam Nguyên, the first Vietnamese concessioner with PX . She wrote a book about her life, “Fallen Leaves”, printed by Yale University a few years ago for the students to study about Vietnam.

Returning to Củ Chi, now that the war is over, I saw that there are still many hazards and death traps in the well preserved tunnel. It is a reminder of the privilege I live in to not witness the war crimes my family did.

I used my privilege to visit Vietnam as an appreciative tourist, while many of my elders who fled during the 40’s are unable to return because of their PTSD.

I didn’t know what to expect in Vietnam. I was afraid that I wouldn’t resonate with any of it because I am only a quarter Vietnamese. But walking in the footprints that my Grandmother left only a few decades ago sparked a deep gratitude in me. 

Returning to the motherland as a familiar foreigner, everything I’ve accomplished shows I’m a result of the sacrifices and prayers I am just beginning to understand.

I hope I’ve given a fair warning that loving Vietnam may become my whole personality for the next 3 years 😋

I plan to get my Bachelor’s degree and some TESOL classes under my belt by spring 2023. The dream is to graduate on my birthday, May 8, and move to Vietnam to teach English for a year before graduate school.

So that’s my future. It’s incredible where study abroad has lead me after saying yes to every opportunity that came my way. 

Presently, I am safe n sound in Colchester, England and spending my Autumn term at the University of Essex. For the first time, I get to watch the leaves change color as I take classes, begin my next blog, participate in clubs, and create my Gilman Scholarship community project. 

Stay tuned to learn more about the University system in England, because this really is a great school and I’m already enjoying my classes and societies so much.