I think I’m turning Japanese,
I really think so
 “After having been in Japan for about a month, I had
already found out that I love this country,” says Susan
Hepburn, a third-year student studying East Asian history
and Japanese. “Although there is a language barrier
that can be hard to work through, the people in this country
are so nice. If I was given the chance to come back to Japan
I would take it in an instant, so dear to me is this country,
my second home.”
What brought you to Japan?
Ever since I was little, I was interested in the East. There
always seemed to be something so mysterious and captivating
in its ways. Over the years, my interest grew and when I
started university, I began to study East Asian history and
Japanese. With the goal of doing a Japanese minor, I thought
it would be appropriate to go to Japan and immerse myself
in the language and the culture. I also felt that it was
fitting for me to go somewhere in East Asia since my major
field of study is East Asian Studies. Most of all, I think
I wanted to find out what had been drawing people to Japan
for so many years. Ever since Japan was first opened to the
West, foreigners have been flocking there seeking something
they couldn’t find at home. Sometimes I’m asked
if I like Japan more than Canada and after reflection, I’d
answer that I love Canada but would be happy to live in Japan
for longer.
Why is the exchange to Kansai Gaidai University
so great?
Participating in the East Asian Studies program at Kansai
Gaidai University, I study a range of courses from film to
wisdom literature. The school also offers a wide selection
of business courses and even ceramics and sumi (a traditional
Japanese brush painting). Kansai Gaidai teaches all their
international students Japanese at six levels. With a diversity
of courses, the university attracts students from all backgrounds
and from all around the world. When I decided that I wanted
to study abroad, I decided I wanted to do it for a year.
One of my close friends had been on an exchange before me
and she told me of her regret at having only gone for one
semester. I decided to learn from her experience and stay
an entire year in Japan.
 Through my studies at Kansai Gaidai and by simply being
in Japan, I feel that I’ve grown to better understand
Japanese culture. Understanding the history and actually
being able to see how it has affected the Japanese is very
moving. Seeing the culture at work around you is a wonderful
experience. Soon you find yourself emulating it by bowing
while on your cell phone.
Tell us about Japan.
The Japanese are warm and welcoming. Often, as you pass
little kids on the street, they’ll say “hello” to
you. People will come up and talk to you and ask about your
experience in Japan and where you’ve come from. Japan
has a rich culture, beautiful country and is rich in tradition
and history. Small shrines dot the roads and plum blossom
trees grow along the streets. Bicycles are the main mode
of transportation, along with the marvelously effective train
system that can take you anywhere.
Kansai Gaidai University and the Universities Seminar Houses
are located in a smaller town called Hirakata that lies between
Osaka and Kyoto. From my balcony, I can see rice fields.
Everyday I ride my one-gear bike, with its basket and squeaky
breaks, and I absolutely love it. Unlike the fast pace that
you find everywhere within Canada, there’s a sense
of being able to slow down. Certainly if you want to experience
the fast pace of life you venture to Osaka and if you want
something more soothing you can go to Kyoto or even closer
and just explore the community that the seminar houses are
located among.
Japan is truly a wonderful place that I think people overlook
when considering where they want to travel. Japan has captured
my heart and I couldn’t feel more at home here.
 Tell us of a favourite cultural experience.
Perhaps my favourite and most recent adventure was when
I conquered the grocery store. For months and months I had
been making the same food because I could understand the
instructions and what I needed to put in them. But, you get
tired of eating the same thing. So using my growing skills
in Japanese, I picked something new and attempted to read
the ingredients. I was doing well until I came across one
word I could at best translate it as “thick flour.” So,
I went to where the flour was in the store and stood looking
helpless. I was getting nowhere fast and I built up my courage
and asked one of the employees what it was. Asking, “what
it this” was the wrong question because she attempted
to tell me what it was. So I had to ask a different question, “where
is it”. To this, she responded that it was already
in the box. I felt a little foolish but was still very proud
of my accomplishment.
Personally, what has this experience
brought to your life?
Japan has brought many things into my life that will be
of benefit for years to come. I learned that you don't have
to do everything in life in bulk or as fast as you can. It’s
OK to buy groceries for two days at a time rather than two
weeks at a time. I’ve learned how to live in a crowded
society and get along with those around me. I’ve learned
how to type messages swiftly into my cell phone.
 Any unexpected experiences?
I didn't anticipate what it would feel like to be a minority.
The majority of people are Japanese and if you’re a
non-Asian foreigner, you stand out like a sore thumb. People
will look at you and kids will point and call you a “gaijin” which
means foreigner. They mainly look because they’re intrigued
by the colour of your eyes and hair or curious because they
may not have seen a foreigner before. But if any of these
things seem terrible to you, imagine going to the bath house
or Onsen and being naked and having them stare.
Future plans?
While I in Japan, I decided that I’d like nothing
more than to come back to Japan, finish learning Japanese
and see more of the countryside. So, it was then I decided
that after finishing my degree at the University of Calgary,
I’d apply for the JET program and possibly look at
continuing my studies by getting into international relations.
As the lyrics go, “I think I’m turning Japanese,
I really think so.”
For more information on study abroad programs please visit
the Centre for International Students and Study Abroad website
(www.ucalgary.ca/CISSA/). |
