Tag Archives: global citizen

Whirlwind Weekend

My boyfriend joined the navy and left for boot camp about two weeks ago. A few weeks before my David came to visit, I decided I was going to go home for the weekend to surprise him for his going away party. I knew I had to be there for this huge step in his life and I was so excited and happy to be heading back to the States.

So I did it, I booked my ticket! And one day I boarded a plane and I knew that I was going home…but only for the weekend. Mentally preparing for this was not easy. I knew none of this was going to be easy.

After a short layover in Madrid, I boarded my plane to New York City. I was really excited but my emotions were kind of muted by the fact that I couldn’t even believe that this was real life and that I was actually doing this.

I was crying on the plane just thinking about seeing my family and how amazing it was going to be after so long. Finally I saw my mom on the other side of customs and in that second it literally felt like I had never left. We got in the car and drove home and it was such an amazing feeling to walk through the door. Everything in my house was the same as I had left it. My grandmother was there waiting to see me and my sisters were all sitting around on our couch watching the Flyers. It was very close to being perfect.

The only thing that was missing was the one who I was coming home to surprise. I had decided that since David had just spent two weeks straight with me in Spain I didn’t want him to know I was home because I wanted him to be able to spend his last few days in PA with his family and friends and getting done what he needed to do before heading off to Great Lakes. It was SO hard to be home and not tell him. As I was sitting there watching the Flyers with my family, he was texting me updates thinking that I was in Spain and unable to watch it. One of the texts he sent me also said “I wish I was watching it with you.” It was really hard not to say “Come over! I’m home!”

What’s really funny to mention is the things that I’ve gotten so used to in Spain that are now weird to me back in the United States. For example, when I went to flush the toilet for the first time I went to press the button on the top of the toilet bowl. That was something that was hard to get accustomed to in Spain and now it comes naturally! Also, as I was getting my phone charger out of my bag I was looking and looking for my adapter so I could plug it in. Suddenly, I realized I could simply plug it into the wall! It’s really strange how things become second nature in just a few months!

The next morning I couldn’t sleep, so I woke up and decided to run some errands. I went to the bank to figure some things out. On the way, I saw a gas station and even though I had half tank I decided to fill up because it was just something I haven’t done in forever and I wanted to try it. Then I went to the bank and the teller asked how my morning was going. I said “It’s great! It’s my first morning back in the States in three and a half months!” I spent a while explaining my situation to the teller before getting in my car and heading back home.

As I was stopping at a stop sign right before my street, in my rear view I see David behind me on his motorcycle. I could not believe it! I started shaking and freaking out! How could this possibly be?! I try to make a turn to throw him off, but he knew it was me so he pulled up beside me. Even though I didn’t get to surprise him the way I intended, it was a great surprise and seeing the happiness and shock in his eyes was everything I had imagined.
It was actually such a blessing that he happened to “find” me the way he did. This gave us so much more time together over the weekend. We were able to do some of the things that we always do together one last time before he headed to boot camp.

Since I knew I was only home for the weekend, I knew I had to appreciate every single second before heading back to Spain. I enjoyed the things that I usually loathe back at home. Even sitting in traffic I didn’t mind. Because I was in my hometown and nothing else mattered.

Being with my family was fantastic. Not seeing them for so long really makes you appreciate every single one of them. I was able to spend time at both of my parents’ houses and with both of my parents. It really meant the world to me to be able to be with them again after three and a half months.

I am really excited to return home for the summer and spend a few months at home with my family before heading back up to school in the fall. I absolutely love my study abroad experience but I think it is definitely true that home is where my heart is.

I almost forgot the mention the FOOD! It was so great to have American food-something I’ve really felt deprived of this entire time! Even though the weekend was insane and I didn’t have that much time to enjoy all the food America has to offer, when I did eat it was really delicious. Especially the breakfast my dad and I had at Cracker Barrel before we headed to JFK airport for my flight back to Spain.
Of course it was hard to watch David leave. I miss him every second. However, I know that he is doing exactly what he wanted to do and I am so proud of him. I look back on the time we got to spend together in Spain and the fact that I was able to come home and spend one last weekend with him. Being grateful for the time we have had together and all of the wonderful memories are what helped me make it through. We didn’t say goodbye, just see you soon.
A HUGE thank you from the bottom of my heart to every single person who made this weekend possible for me. I loved every second I spent with every one of you. It meant the world to me.

Location: New York City, New York

まあまあだった

Has this happened to those of you studying in major cities like London, Paris, etc, or even just the country in general? Where you just realize it’s just not as big of a deal as you initially thought?

Since I was a child I have been interested in Japan. Obsessed might be a better term. If you didn’t know it, you just hadn’t met me yet. Much like many a great (and not so great) celebrity, I knew from early on I knew exactly what wanted to do with my passion.

That being said, you would think going to Tokyo would be the cherry on top of this dreamy dessert. Instead, it hardly shivered me timbers. And it rained nearly the whole time.

To see it all for myself with my own eyes was the only way to end this day dream era that I’ve been living in. I had seen the place through so many mediums, it was only fair to remove the third party and put my senses to the test.
I was able to gobble up ramen from Hokkaido at the Ramen Museum. In Akihabara, I bought a tiger kigurumi after eating lunch at the Gundam Cafe, and I got to see Hachiko in front of Shinjuku Station.

But as I walked down the street, it just felt like bigger Nagoya with a whole lot more lights and foreigners (despite the awesome Gundam Cafe with a Gundam simulating bathroom! So cool~). Although I will admit it was pretty nice to feel more like a minority and less like an alien from the planet America. I just had imagined so much more.

Having already been in Japan about seven months now, it’s getting hard to surprise me, however. Mostly the way I was treated was different than anything else. No one gave my Japanese a chance. In fact, when ordering food at Disney Sea, the cashier wouldn’t even look at me until he pulled out a binder, flipped through some pages and started reading his bit in English. Statistically speaking, perhaps they are right to assume such, but that doesn’t curb my frustration so easily.

頑張ろう

Up until this point, I would say the classes outside of the intensive language course at Nanzan are quite fundamental. They are not too demanding, most are in English and all are once a week. This is probably out of consideration for the language component of the program, but I still find myself with enough spare time to miss that colorful clash; the burning friction that courses back home make.

Today in literature, however, my professor said something interesting. He’s been saying a lot of interesting things since the semester started, actually. What he said today, though, was this: “Don’t sit there so leisurely. Look at your essays, criticize my criticism of your paper. You students pay all this money and go to school and just stare at the teacher, waiting for them to give you something. Think!”

It’s been so long since a teacher gave a class I was in a sort of “tough love” speech. I felt so inspired because he was right and his words are universally applicable. I knew at that moment that this man isn’t going to merely direct discussions and then assign a final paper before we say goodbye. He’s going to give me the class I’ve been looking for: a class where I can use Japanese to do something and learn something academic in Japanese as opposed to just drilling grammar.

This is not to say I know at all what he’s on about, but that’s all part of the challenge. As much as his love of the question “but why?!” and attention to odd details leave me feeling like I’m chasing my tail, I can’t help but feel like if I really try, I’ll catch it.

Location: Kuwana-shi, mie-ken, Japan

はだか祭り

Or Hadaka Matsuri/Naked Man Festival

Or just plain “Japanese Festival!!” to quote the many drunk men I encountered yesterday.

Yesterday was a classmate’s birthday, so he invited us down to his home stay in Konomiya for a little lunch and to enjoy this festival that was occurring literally in his backyard. It did not take long to assess the situation as we walked from the station to his home.

Loincloth clad men chant “Wasshoi, Wasshoi!” as they parade through the streets carrying heavy decorative poles, mini shrines, large wooden talismans, flags and in one instance, a fish. They are on a pilgrimage to the shrine (T=T shaped structure in the back is the entrance in the photo below) to meet the Naked Man.

This Naked Man (literally and shaved clean) is the chosen one who absorbs the bad luck of those who touch him.

Apparently the ages 23 and 42 represent the age of suffering for men, so those men in are especially present. The origin of this festival, however, was to rid the town of plague and disease by chasing the chosen one out of town. That’s silly, so these days it’s all about luck.

He comes out during the last hour or so of the festival and that’s when the chaos begins as nearly 10,000 men try to touch him. It’s brutal and there is water and sake constantly being thrown to tame the beasts and keep their skin slick to prevent injury on both sides. One of these guys had died before, so it can get quite serious.

Before that crucial moment, however, it is quite light hearted and fun thanks to the blind eye Japan turns toward excessive drinking. This savvy police man tried his best to keep balance between the eager audience and the intoxicated participants who zig-zagged through the streets. Sometimes they would just crash into us and once the wave was so powerful, a friend and I toppled right over like domino.

For those who can’t participate in the festival, there is still a way to obtain good luck for the year. The participants sport headbands, arm bands and cloth on the poles that appeared to be color coordinated according to the group (by region, company, etc). They rip strips off and pass them out to the crowd and the more you collect, the more luck you have. I am a bit disappointed I wasn’t able to collect purple, but I was able to make a neat braid with what I did get.

It’s one of the top three festivals in Japan, so I am very happy that I was able to go. I had only gone to one other festival (Nagoya Matsuri) before, and it wasn’t nearly as memorable as this one. Another point that makes it special is that even willing foreigners can participate. If only I was a man.

Location: Konomiya, Aichi-ken, Japan

Weekend LIBRE…y clases?!

Me encanta Sevilla <3

Those of us who spent the weekend in Seville got to know the city a little better. (Some more than others, because if you’re like me you still don’t know your way around!)

Anyway, some friends and I met up to walk and shop around town on Saturday morning. (Wait no-not morning…afternoon!!) It was nice to see the different styles here in Spain and spend time with others in my program who I already feel close to.

“Real life Stumble Upon”

While we were shopping, Kelly heard some drums beating and said that we should head over to see what the music was. When we found the source of the drumming, we saw an amazing parade with awesome costumes and music.

I don’t exactly know that the festival was or what the parade was for..but it was still so cool to see!

FUTBOL

Then we headed back for dinner and decided to meet back up to watch soccer (futbol) and get drinks. We kind of missed the game but we saw the tail end. It was an extremely important game. Someone explained it to me as a rivalry like the Yankees and Red Sox. Me? I know nothing about sports and I’m not into them but I figured while I’m here I’ll at least try to enjoy some futbol!

Discoteca, otra vez

Then we walked around trying to find a discoteca. We found a fun one and danced and had fun. I had a long conversation with a Spaniard at the club and it felt good to use my Spanish with a native speaker. That’s what I’m here for, right? But I really like going out in Spain. It is so much fun. In a strange way it is also relaxing.

Good thing one of our friends here is on top of her game. She reminded us of a tour in the morning. Without her, I would have totally missed it!

Cranky- but still happy?!

I woke up early to get to this tour. I didn’t eat breakfast because my host mom was still sleeping. I was also exhausted from the night before and so sore from walking so much. Also, I was freezing cold (I know I have no room to complain because it snowed at home, but I was cold!) Those who know me know that you cannot even talk to me if I am even one of the above problems.

We started the tour of “Reales Alcazares” and nothing could stop me from enjoying this experience. It was so powerful to learn about the history of something while actually being there.

Every piece of that place was beautiful. I wanted so badly to just time travel and live in that place and NEVER leave. (I would also settle for working there now as maintenance…seriously, I would do anything!) (P.S. To those who are visiting me in Spain, expect to see this amazing place!)

Caf� y charlar

We left and everyone was STARVING. We stopped at “Caf� de Indias” (the Starbucks of Seville…even though there are Starbucks, too). I had a cappuccino and a waffle. I have to say– and sorry if your mouth waters– the whipped cream here is to die for. It is rich and creamy and AMAZING.

We all sat there at the caf� learning more about each other and expressing how AWESOME it was that we were at a caf� in Europe just chatting. So so awesome.

Then, I returned to my homestay for lunch and of course had a very long siesta!

Afterward, I met back up with my friends and we walked around and shopped again until I returned to my homestay for dinner.

Globalization

So I learned about this term last semester in a culture class. It was hard to understand but now I think I have a good example. Let me explain.

First of all, our living room is our dining room. I mean that directly in front of the TV is the dining room table. When we eat, we watch cartoons because that’s what Maria, my host sister, likes to watch (mostly Disney Channel-same shows!)

But last night, we were watching something and a movie comes on. Morgan Freeman enters the screen and at the same time my host mom and I say “A mi me encanta esta actor!” (I love this actor!)

So, what I’m trying to say is there are so many similarities between home and here.

Another example–My host sister likes ketchup as much as my boyfriend. I didn’t think I would ever find anyone who loves ketcup that much, especially not in Spain!

Gracias a Dios por la technologia!

I am so happy to be studying abroad in this day and age where I can be half a world away and still see the people that matter most in my life whenever I want or need to. (And if we haven’t Skyped yet-you know who you are- then we need to ASAP!)

My boyfriend has been so amazing and is always ready to Skype. It helps so much to be able to see his handsome face while I’m over here.

STUDY abroad.

That’s right. I’m here to take classes…how did I forget? Today started the intensive session. Luckily, my class is 6pm-9pm (you would never catch me saying I was lucky for this time back home! But the rhythm here is so much different and it is actually a great time. Right after siesta and right before dinner!)

Also, I had the whole day to be productive and hang out with friends. I finally have a movil! If you want my euro number let me know!

So the intensive session is two weeks of one class. Three hours a day. I’m in the grammar class and I’m very thankful. I need this to be the push to give me confidence en espanol.

The first class went well, but as always after reviewing the syllabus I feel overwhelmed. I keep telling myself I know I will get through it! (And besides- it’s only two weeks!)

Off to bed!

Adios, xxoo

Location: Los Remedios, Sevilla

The Crowded Trains Are Real!

Since entering university, I`ve had my fair taste of what it`s like to be a commuter. At my branch campus, I had about a 20 minute drive if the weather was fair and at PSU I had about the same time on CATA. Last semester I got incredibly lucky since my homestay was only about 30 minutes away via bike, subway and walking. This semester, however, I am twice as far away.

Time could be an issue, but as for right now I am energized and able to manage. The factor I can`t stop focusing on is the traffic. The number of people that I am going to and from school with is something I imagined for Tokyo. Seeing them now, I bet Tokyo is even more crowded that I initially anticipated.

We start at Kuwana Station, a bike ride away from my home in Kuwana-shi, Mie. Our destination from my home in Kuwana-shi, Mie. From there, the train is already what I will refer to as `comfortably packed.` It reminded me of what I thought were crowded trains where you`re close to people, but you aren`t kissing the window or anything. That amount of crowded was limited to like Friday and Saturday nights, but now it is every morning. So needless to say, I will never get a seat on my 25 minute ride into the city.
I really don`t like holding on to poles or the hanging rings because of germs (think what you want about my phobia, just playing it safe), but I don`t think I`ll be able to keep that up since there a few really bumpy sections. Going to be upping the hand sanitizer this semester, it seems. And if all else fails and I manage to get sick, I will have to wear one of those masks because it would be impossible to cough without offending someone, they are that close.

Once I get to the city–Nagoya Station–we change to the subway. That`s right, I said we. It`s the last stop for that train so everyone is getting off and heading for their transfer. When you have that many people, you don`t walk, you shuffle that many people, you don`t walk, you shuffle along. We shuffled so slowly, in fact, that I felt like I was in line for the stairs to the platform. I saw three trains go by before I was able to get into one. Luckily they come every 2 minutes between 7am and 8am. Also got to see a train official nudge a man in so he could shut the doors.
A majority of the people got off two stops later at the downtown section (Sakae) so I was able to enjoy the last 20 minutes of my ride, but what a trip. That will definitely wake me up in the morning.

Location: showa-ku, aichi-ken, Japan

Home stays: Making it work

Living with a host family, in my opinion, is the best way to learn just about everything while studying abroad. It is like starting life over from the beginning. I highly recommend it to those who are truly interested in and curious about the people and the culture of a place. Language learning can be done anywhere if you are in a home stay or dorm, but I think a home stay is much more intimate and you get people who have higher regard for you whereas friends can be too busy or what have you.

Knowing all this, however, does not take away from the fact that you are living with strangers who don’t even speak your language on all possible levels. It’s very easy to just shut yourself in your room, only come out for meals and stick to yes and no questions. It’s scary, you don’t know the family’s routine or temperament yet, you might be jet-lagged and/or think your language skills are not up to par. If you are like me, you’re going to feel like you made a mistake and bit off more than you can chew. Do not fear, citizen. I come with some advice that can help move things along until you become a member of the family.

1. Don’t hide in your room.
My new family is actually pretty busy so I am in my room more than my previous family, but when they are around, I try to be in the main area which is the dining room. Even if I am just watching tv while they scurry about, at least I am in the open. I think this is the biggest point because they want to see you and get to know you just as much as you do them. It’s a two way street and that is easy to forget for us students. Sometimes I bring down my homework or something to keep busy. Which brings me to my next point.

2. Make your interests known.

If you brought a laptop, take it around with you to the main area. If you entertain yourself in plain sight, they will take the bait and approach you. If you’re like me and interested in Japanese pop culture and media (or whatever media of your target land), it will be a piece of cake to get the party going.

3. When they ask about you, you can return the question.
This is too obvious for words, but when I am in shy-mode I shut down. I find myself answering questions as economically as possible and then going back to whatever I was doing. “And you?” is really easy, so take a deep breath and spit it out.

4. SMILE

Even when things aren’t that funny or if you have nothing else to say, just smile. A smile puts everyone, including the user, at ease. When your words are not as powerful as you need them to be, your actions really pick up a lot of the slack whether you like it or not. Don’t let your host family misunderstand your emotions.

Of course this isn’t all, but these are things I tend to struggle with. It all sounds really simple and obvious in black and white, but I know I can’t be the only person who has defied these. Being shy and ambitious at the same time can be a dangerous formula that cancels everything out, so I hope that these tips can help my fellow Shambitious people out there better adapt to their new lives. It’s been four days so far and I think we’re getting there.

Location: kuwana-shi, mie-ken, Japan

I’m illiterate, but that’s okay!

Language learning is more of a lifestyle than an ultimate destination. You can set up goals, but there is no end to this task. With that in mind, I tend to ignore most of what I don’t know and try to just work with what I got, but sometimes it is painfully obvious where I stand on the road to fluency: not that far from where I started.
Learning a language with a different writing system is pretty serious business. Especially when your target language has three different writing systems. I mastered two since they are as simple as the alphabet. It’s the Chinese character based (Kanji) system that is the killer and it makes up a large majority of writing. Essentially, I know about 400. To read a newspaper, however, you should know about 1,945.
This doesn’t mean I don’t read at all. I have a few comics with kanji in them and on top of the kanji, there is furigana. For those who don’t know, furigana is the kanji reading using the other two alphabets. Japanese kids face the same problem I do up until a point, so it’s pretty normal to come across accessible materials.
Another way to alleviate the Kanji issue is watching television with closed captions on. At first, it looks like nonsense, especially since I can’t understanding everything being said. But after a while, watching the same shows, things start getting familiar to my eyes and ears. Unfortunately this doesn’t solve the problem that is producing the characters on paper for myself, but I think recognition is the most important skill at this point.
This would probably work for other languages too. Good reading and listening practice, so try it out!

Location: minami-ku, nagoya-shi, aichi-ken, Japan

My Side Quest

Japanese food is different, but except on special occasions when you see the real traditional dishes, it is kind of normal. Not to say that eating fish a couple times a week and Miso soup every night is the same palate that I enjoyed in America, but it is fairly adaptable, I feel. Nothing really out of the ordinary, just different ways of mixing the usual ingredients of the world.
So with that boring piece of information in mind, I have found a way to spice up eating in Japan. And that is by buying the many different flavors of Kit Kats. In America, they only come in two flavors if you’re lucky: typical milk chocolate and white chocolate (rare, but true). In Japan, they go all out. And this isn’t just with Kit Kats, the menu at places like Starbucks and McDonald’s also have special touches, but this post is only about Kit Kats.
Fun Fact #1: Certain flavors can only be bought in certain regions.
Fun Fact #2: in Japanese, Kit Kat is キットカツ (like きっと勝つ) which in English means “You will surely win.” Ego boosting chocolate is a go!

Here is a list of flavors I have tried so far with the respective regions.

-White (seen above; nationwide)

-Dark (Nationwide)
-Red Bean Toast (Nagoya/Tokai region; pictured right–>)

-Strawberry (Nationwide)
-Green Tea (Kyoto)

-Hojicha Roasted Tea (Kyoto)

-Cinnamon Cookie (Kyoto)

-White: Air In (Nationwide, I believe; present)

-Sakura Maccha Latte (Nationwide..?)

I’d have to say White is still my favorite since it has a cookies n’ cream effect to it. But if I had to choose from the crazier flavors, Sakura Maccha Latte is quite tasty.

Some people choose to be sake or sushi connoisseurs, but me, I like Kit Kats.

Location: minami-ku, nagoya-shi, aichi-ken, Japan

Ready, Set…

I’ll be in Ireland this weekend.

Isn’t that crazy?! I’m so unbelievably excited, so please excuse any overuse of exclamation points in this entry!

I spent today packing, packing, packing. Sorting, shifting, bagging, washing. It almost got the best of me, but I managed to corral my clothes into my suitcase. I feel like I’m taking way too much and not enough at the same time. It’s kind of driving me crazy. I’m sure I’ll forget something; I’m just hoping it’s something I can easily replace or live without!

I’ve also been trying to plan what I want to do in Dublin in my free time during orientation. I’m especially looking forward to a Hop-on, Hop-off bus tour of the city that will bring me to a lot of the main attractions.

I’m also looking forward to eating! Mm fish and chips. I’ll report back on all that’s tasty and good in Ireland, though I will warn you that I had all my wisdom teeth out a week ago so I will be eating slowly and cautiously. But still voraciously.

What an adventure! I have lots to read on the plane. Unfortunately I’ve spread myself a little thin book-wise and have been reading both Dracula and Still Life with Woodpecker (both of which I highly recommend)! I also bought the first book in the Sookie Stackhouse series that True Blood is based on. And I have probably half a dozen other books I was hoping to get around to before I left, but now might get left behind. But soon enough I will have new novels and poetry to read for my English classes in Ireland!

I’m so excited! Yeah! Good luck to everyone who’s packing or about to pack!

“Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” – Mark Jenkins

Location: New Providence, NJ

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