Hello!
Before coming to Japan I didn't really have any expectations for the school, dorm or anything like that. I just felt that whatever it is I'll be fine, because I got this awesome once in a life time chance so I really shouldn't complain. Coming to Japan though and meeting the other students I've realised that far from all people feel this way. Which is totally fine, but probably worth mentioning here.
Some students are disappointed about, well, everything as it seems. They ended up in the wrong city (because you don't get to choose), the next school they will be going to wasn't up to their thought standard (cause we don't get to choose school either) and so on.
When I went to open campus to my school I noticed that a lot of students weren't so good at drawing (and this is a school were almost all subjects have to do with drawing). There were of course some really awesome that stood out, but so did the bad ones. It's like someone who's never drawn anything their whole life one day wakes up and says "I'm gonna be an illustrator!".
I don't mind though. Atleast I wont be the person with the suckiest drawings at the school! But that's something another person complained about. I guess to them it seems like the school has no "standard" (?), that they just let anyone in without checking if they can actually draw or not.
But I think that's normal for trade schools, because you come there to learn the trade. It's different for university, there you have to show what you can do before they let you in.
Another person complained about the schools equipment, (I think about the pc's and things like that). They also said that things about the scholarship and stuff were not like they had expected read/been told. And they didn't really like that.
Also, if you apply for this scholarship or any other of the monbukagakusho scholarships be prepared that you might have to go to a year of preparatory language education at a language school before you can move on to trade school/uni. Doesn't matter how good you are. There's a person here that have lived in Japan almost their whole life, and they speak it better than their "mother tongue", still, they were not allowed to skip language school.
A person I met in Sweden that applied for a university scholarship and got it (that's 4 years of free education in Japan ppl) but then refused it when they heard that they HAD to go 1 year to a lang. school. Got it, but then refused it, because they aldready thought they knew enough Japanese, and they probably did, but to throw away that chance for something like that..!
When you apply for a scholarship like the one I'm here on, you'd better not keep any expectations. If just getting to come to Japan isn't enough for you, look somewhere else or be ready to be disappointed. You just cannot get everything =P. (Or maybe you can with another scholarship!)
Dec 13, 2014
Dec 2, 2014
Arashiyama in Kyoto
Right now it's the season to go look at red leaves. It's a thing in Japan, just like it is to watch the sakura in spring.
My hostfamily invited me and my friends to go to Arashiyama (we we're a part of a big group of foreign students, around 50 people) which is in Kyoto. Arashiyama means "storm mountain".
Me and my friends were all really exited to go, but unfortunately I got a really bad cold that day, I couldn't breathe and could barely keep my eyes open. It really stopped me from enjoying the place to the fullest.
There were A LOT of people at Arashiyama and we had to stand in a really long line just to be able to cross a bridge, lol. With all the people I couldn't take a lot of nice photo's but I'll post what I got that is good enough! =)
This is a bamboo grove, it doesn't look so special in my pictures but in real life it was really nice to walk through it!
At the end of the bamboo grove you walk a little bit more and get to the "top" of the mountain. You can then walk down the other way and walk back to the station along the water.
My hostfamily invited me and my friends to go to Arashiyama (we we're a part of a big group of foreign students, around 50 people) which is in Kyoto. Arashiyama means "storm mountain".
Me and my friends were all really exited to go, but unfortunately I got a really bad cold that day, I couldn't breathe and could barely keep my eyes open. It really stopped me from enjoying the place to the fullest.
There were A LOT of people at Arashiyama and we had to stand in a really long line just to be able to cross a bridge, lol. With all the people I couldn't take a lot of nice photo's but I'll post what I got that is good enough! =)
This is what we came for:
Really like all these small leaves on the mossy ground:
This is a bamboo grove, it doesn't look so special in my pictures but in real life it was really nice to walk through it!
At the end of the bamboo grove you walk a little bit more and get to the "top" of the mountain. You can then walk down the other way and walk back to the station along the water.
Nov 13, 2014
English speaking Japanese robot-children o.0?
Today we had a school trip to Nara (where I've already been, but it was still ok!) and there some kids also there on a school trip came up to me and started asking me some questions about where I am from and such, and then telling me where they were from (Gifu-ken apparently).
They had a really good accent, and were seemingly wellspoken in English, atleast it seemed to at first. But the more they spoke the more apparent it became obvious that they were only reciting from a script. They were speaking like robots and they all took their well rehearsed turns to talk to me.
There was no life in their voices, and had I started talking to them about something completely different they probably would've stood there dumbfounded without being able to say anything in return.
When they had said all they wanted to say to me they gave me two small origami birds and I was allowed to take off. I should've tried their real English ability, I wish I had, but it was just such a weird experience to talk to these robots that my brain just stood still. Like "wtf just happened?".
Those kids weren't the only ones trying to get foreigners to speak to them in English (it also seems to be a common thing to give foreigners that do talk to you origami stuff), it looks like a lot of schools have this as a sort of English assignment. Now this would sound like a good idea, but when they do it like this the kids aren't learning anything! They just have to remember a few phrases and when who is going to say what, then when it's done they might as well forget those phrases again.
No more English speaking robots please! ...
They had a really good accent, and were seemingly wellspoken in English, atleast it seemed to at first. But the more they spoke the more apparent it became obvious that they were only reciting from a script. They were speaking like robots and they all took their well rehearsed turns to talk to me.
There was no life in their voices, and had I started talking to them about something completely different they probably would've stood there dumbfounded without being able to say anything in return.
When they had said all they wanted to say to me they gave me two small origami birds and I was allowed to take off. I should've tried their real English ability, I wish I had, but it was just such a weird experience to talk to these robots that my brain just stood still. Like "wtf just happened?".
Those kids weren't the only ones trying to get foreigners to speak to them in English (it also seems to be a common thing to give foreigners that do talk to you origami stuff), it looks like a lot of schools have this as a sort of English assignment. Now this would sound like a good idea, but when they do it like this the kids aren't learning anything! They just have to remember a few phrases and when who is going to say what, then when it's done they might as well forget those phrases again.
No more English speaking robots please! ...
Nov 6, 2014
I got to see dinosaurs!
I've never seen dinosaur skeletons live before so I was really exited that there was a museum close to us that had some. I went there with two of my friends, and even though the amout of skeletons weren't that great, it was still awesome! If I ever get the chance I'd like to go to a museum dedicated to only (or mostly) to dinosaurs. They aught to have more than this one, since it had more parts not about dinosaurs than about them.
I tried taking some pictures with my phone but the lighting wasn't that good so they didn't turn out so well..
Cool, eh? There was also a wale skeleton hanging outside the museum, but sadly I don't have a good picture of that..
The museum lay in a nice big park, so we went for a stroll there too.
It was a nice day =)
I tried taking some pictures with my phone but the lighting wasn't that good so they didn't turn out so well..
Cool, eh? There was also a wale skeleton hanging outside the museum, but sadly I don't have a good picture of that..
The museum lay in a nice big park, so we went for a stroll there too.
Oct 27, 2014
Halloween events at USJ
This Sunday I went to Universal Studios Japan again!
This month I really wanted to go because they have this Halloween even with zombies coming out and walking the streets etc.
And also on that day they had some sorta costume competition so there were a lot of cosplayers there and it was really fun to see.
The only downside of it all though, was that there where people there like never before! 3-4 hours plus for all rides available (no thank you!) and even though we went and got our tickets to the Harry Potter world before noon, the time we got for when we could enter was 6.40...
When we decided to go to eat, all the restaurants were packed and with long lines of people outside them waiting. So in the end, we took the train to one station away and ate there.
But then when returning and wanting to enter USJ again we got redirected to another entrance where the said waiting time was 90 minutes!
There were just too many people in there..
But oh well, even though we didn't ride anything and so on there was still things to do. We watched performances and stuff, and took pictures with cosplayers etc. There was also supposed to be a parade, but we missed that during the 90 minute wait to get in, lol.
When the darkness came around, at like 6 o clock the zombie show started. And to be honest, it wasn't as fun as I thought it'd be. But it was interesting hearing people scream haha.
Might be going to USJ with another friend next week, and then I really hope that it wont be as crowded.. Though I was told that it's because of all the Halloween events going on, and they will be going for some more weeks so I suppose not.
Here you have my favourite cosplayers of the day: Kaonashi, No-Face (2 of them):
(Yeah, I'm not to good at the Harry Potter pose, lol)
This month I really wanted to go because they have this Halloween even with zombies coming out and walking the streets etc.
And also on that day they had some sorta costume competition so there were a lot of cosplayers there and it was really fun to see.
The only downside of it all though, was that there where people there like never before! 3-4 hours plus for all rides available (no thank you!) and even though we went and got our tickets to the Harry Potter world before noon, the time we got for when we could enter was 6.40...
When we decided to go to eat, all the restaurants were packed and with long lines of people outside them waiting. So in the end, we took the train to one station away and ate there.
But then when returning and wanting to enter USJ again we got redirected to another entrance where the said waiting time was 90 minutes!
There were just too many people in there..
But oh well, even though we didn't ride anything and so on there was still things to do. We watched performances and stuff, and took pictures with cosplayers etc. There was also supposed to be a parade, but we missed that during the 90 minute wait to get in, lol.
When the darkness came around, at like 6 o clock the zombie show started. And to be honest, it wasn't as fun as I thought it'd be. But it was interesting hearing people scream haha.
Might be going to USJ with another friend next week, and then I really hope that it wont be as crowded.. Though I was told that it's because of all the Halloween events going on, and they will be going for some more weeks so I suppose not.
Here you have my favourite cosplayers of the day: Kaonashi, No-Face (2 of them):
(Yeah, I'm not to good at the Harry Potter pose, lol)
Oct 21, 2014
6 tests!
On Thursday and Friday last week we had 6 tests.
Thursday 5 tests: Math, Socialstudies(?)(meaning Shakai), Nihon Jijou 1 and 2(dunno what it is in English), and Japanese
Friday: English
I felt bad the days before the test because I thought I would probably fail a lot - especially Shakai which has a lot of kanji you need to know!
And then when it was finally over I just felt so relaxed. And also suprised.
Shakai went well, because the day before we were told by the teacher that the questions on the test would be exactly the same as those on our practice sheets, which ment I had sufficient practice. And yes, the test went by easily. Though, I don't know if I've actually learned anything.
Math kinda went as expected. I hope I didn't get a 0.
Nihonjijou 1 and 2 - had a little bit of trouble here with one of the nihonjijou tests. But just found out today that I got 100% right on atleast one of those tests, so maybe the result of the other one isn't so bad either.
Japanese did not go as expected! I am pretty good at all that listening stuff atleast compared to some people but this just felt bad bad bad. My overall score is probably gonna be sucky.. And I thought I had Japanese in the box enough to atleast get a good score on the schools tests (because they are usually easy).
I guess this is around the level of the final test you take before you graduate.
English went fine. As expected. But I was a bit annoyed at one bit there where I might have been making some mistakes (probably, yeh). Also the person (they told me this) next to me copied all my answers, lol, because they cannot speak English. I guess it doesn't really matter but what if you do that and you are great on paper but then when the teachers (not that it happens) speak to you in English you can't say a word, wouldn't that be a dead giveaway for cheating?
Well, glad it's all over with. I hope they don't plan on putting all the big tests together like this again. It's damn annoying. No time to relax...
Thursday 5 tests: Math, Socialstudies(?)(meaning Shakai), Nihon Jijou 1 and 2(dunno what it is in English), and Japanese
Friday: English
I felt bad the days before the test because I thought I would probably fail a lot - especially Shakai which has a lot of kanji you need to know!
And then when it was finally over I just felt so relaxed. And also suprised.
Shakai went well, because the day before we were told by the teacher that the questions on the test would be exactly the same as those on our practice sheets, which ment I had sufficient practice. And yes, the test went by easily. Though, I don't know if I've actually learned anything.
Math kinda went as expected. I hope I didn't get a 0.
Nihonjijou 1 and 2 - had a little bit of trouble here with one of the nihonjijou tests. But just found out today that I got 100% right on atleast one of those tests, so maybe the result of the other one isn't so bad either.
Japanese did not go as expected! I am pretty good at all that listening stuff atleast compared to some people but this just felt bad bad bad. My overall score is probably gonna be sucky.. And I thought I had Japanese in the box enough to atleast get a good score on the schools tests (because they are usually easy).
I guess this is around the level of the final test you take before you graduate.
English went fine. As expected. But I was a bit annoyed at one bit there where I might have been making some mistakes (probably, yeh). Also the person (they told me this) next to me copied all my answers, lol, because they cannot speak English. I guess it doesn't really matter but what if you do that and you are great on paper but then when the teachers (not that it happens) speak to you in English you can't say a word, wouldn't that be a dead giveaway for cheating?
Well, glad it's all over with. I hope they don't plan on putting all the big tests together like this again. It's damn annoying. No time to relax...
Oct 6, 2014
Tyfoon and -> Going back home?
Today we do not have school because there's a tyfoon! But wth, there is no wind outside. Call me uneducated on tyfoons but aren't they being a bit overdramatic here?
I don't mind though. We get another day off :).
---
Also, I forgot to write about this before I think, but it's a little important so here goes:
If you want to go to Japan on the scholarship that I am here on (you can read about it in some very early posts) then be prepared to not be able to go back home until you've ended the first year at the Japanese Language School and started at your Senmongakkou.
If you aren't here on this scholarship you can leave as you please, but as a scholarship student I need to write a "reason for leave", and if the reason is not in the style of "someone is dying", or "if I don't help out at home something really friggin bad will happen!". They will not let just leave if you write "home sick" or "my family wants me back".
I was planning on going home during the winter holiday because my family really wanted me to, but when I told them about this they agreed that it's best not to lie and just wait. Because next year you don't need to write a "reason form" for going back anymore. Cheers!
But this year when you're studying Japanese they do not want you to go back because they think this is the year when you need to prepare the most.
My teacher also said that not a lot of scholarship students have actually gone back during the first year.
I was thinking it doesn't matter so much, but it means I wont be able to see my family until next years summer holiday and that's almost a year from now. Even though I am not homesick yet a year is still a long time and a lot can happen.
I don't mind though. We get another day off :).
---
Also, I forgot to write about this before I think, but it's a little important so here goes:
If you want to go to Japan on the scholarship that I am here on (you can read about it in some very early posts) then be prepared to not be able to go back home until you've ended the first year at the Japanese Language School and started at your Senmongakkou.
If you aren't here on this scholarship you can leave as you please, but as a scholarship student I need to write a "reason for leave", and if the reason is not in the style of "someone is dying", or "if I don't help out at home something really friggin bad will happen!". They will not let just leave if you write "home sick" or "my family wants me back".
I was planning on going home during the winter holiday because my family really wanted me to, but when I told them about this they agreed that it's best not to lie and just wait. Because next year you don't need to write a "reason form" for going back anymore. Cheers!
But this year when you're studying Japanese they do not want you to go back because they think this is the year when you need to prepare the most.
My teacher also said that not a lot of scholarship students have actually gone back during the first year.
I was thinking it doesn't matter so much, but it means I wont be able to see my family until next years summer holiday and that's almost a year from now. Even though I am not homesick yet a year is still a long time and a lot can happen.
Oct 1, 2014
Dorm life strikes again!
Recently we have been getting notes about people doing their dirty
business in the shower rooms, etc. And today we got one saying that
apparently someone has poured out noodles or something in there too,
therefore blocking the drain.
We also have:
People not putting on the kitchen fan and thus letting the room fill with smoke until the firealarm starts ringing.
People who hang their DIRTY underwear in the toilet and forgets them.
People who pour their noodles in the sink and making it block the drain.
People who leave their dirty dishes in the kitchen, right in the way of the cleaners that come once a day, thus the cleaners have started taking those and placing them on the floor in the corridor.
Cleaners that all seem to be atleast 50 plus, but more likely around 60 and should all be retired by now. And I'm not trying to be offensive but they don't do a very good job, and because of their age I can sorta understand it.
There's always long hairs on the floor, and the walls are full of dust. The shower rooms are filled with this brown dirt that I don't know if you even can get rid of anymore!
And apart from this there's lot more to say, that I probably have just pushed to the back of my mind.
Even so I do like it here, sometimes not even knowing why. Haha.
We also have:
People not putting on the kitchen fan and thus letting the room fill with smoke until the firealarm starts ringing.
People who hang their DIRTY underwear in the toilet and forgets them.
People who pour their noodles in the sink and making it block the drain.
People who leave their dirty dishes in the kitchen, right in the way of the cleaners that come once a day, thus the cleaners have started taking those and placing them on the floor in the corridor.
Cleaners that all seem to be atleast 50 plus, but more likely around 60 and should all be retired by now. And I'm not trying to be offensive but they don't do a very good job, and because of their age I can sorta understand it.
There's always long hairs on the floor, and the walls are full of dust. The shower rooms are filled with this brown dirt that I don't know if you even can get rid of anymore!
And apart from this there's lot more to say, that I probably have just pushed to the back of my mind.
Even so I do like it here, sometimes not even knowing why. Haha.
Sep 23, 2014
Spo-cha and Bikkuri Donki
This Sunday I went with some Japanese people I know a bit to a place called "Spo-cha" where you pay per hour (?) and get do to various sports and games etc, anything you want, within that time. Spo-cha's seem to be pretty normal in Japan because I've seen their buildings quite a few times, but since I'd never actually been there I didn't really know what to expect.
We were 7 people in total and only one that I had never met before, but they were really nice and a total opposite of the stereotype that Japanese people are shy, lol.
We played basketball, football, tennis, volleyball, batting, etc (though you only play for 10 minutes each, and the area is very small compared to a real "arena"). I had lot's of fun but I totally suck at sports and I'm still afraid to even try to do well when it comes to sports, so as always I mostly just stood there and let the others "do the work". They didn't seem to mind though, cuz they are all really nice people ^^.
I also got the chance to try roller skating again, which reminded me of how fun it is, and also made me want to go slaloming. And after that we got to ride "mini bikes" (I'll show you what I mean in a picture below) and though I didn't do it right in the beginning and thus "lost" big, it was soo much fun and now I want one!
Beautiful!
There was also a place with arcade games(?), that you usually have to put in money to use but since you pay by hour at Spo-cha you got to do them all for free. So I tried some shooting and car games, and if we would've had more time I'd have liked to play more.
All in all, I really liked Spo-cha, and I'd definitely go there again if someone wants to go with me (because you need to be atleast 2 people if you wanna play the sports).
When our time was up we went to a restaurant called "Bikkuri Donki" (you could translate that as "surprised donkey"). I have seen "Bikkuri Donki" buildings many times before but I never understood what it was, because it usually looks something like this: (Picture found on google)
Scary shit. And the inside isn't much better. But it seems popular and it's really just a normal hamburger restaurant with good food. If you get the chance, go there, just because it's weird.
----
Dat face.. lol. Was fun though. Wanna play some more games!
Tried batting, which I've always sucked at. But baseball is really popular in Japan, so some people were really good!
Tennis is fun, even though I can't do it. =)
And as often happens in Japan you end the day with taking Purikura (which as always makes me look like an alien!)
Thanks guys, I had lot's of fun! =D
We were 7 people in total and only one that I had never met before, but they were really nice and a total opposite of the stereotype that Japanese people are shy, lol.
We played basketball, football, tennis, volleyball, batting, etc (though you only play for 10 minutes each, and the area is very small compared to a real "arena"). I had lot's of fun but I totally suck at sports and I'm still afraid to even try to do well when it comes to sports, so as always I mostly just stood there and let the others "do the work". They didn't seem to mind though, cuz they are all really nice people ^^.
I also got the chance to try roller skating again, which reminded me of how fun it is, and also made me want to go slaloming. And after that we got to ride "mini bikes" (I'll show you what I mean in a picture below) and though I didn't do it right in the beginning and thus "lost" big, it was soo much fun and now I want one!
There was also a place with arcade games(?), that you usually have to put in money to use but since you pay by hour at Spo-cha you got to do them all for free. So I tried some shooting and car games, and if we would've had more time I'd have liked to play more.
All in all, I really liked Spo-cha, and I'd definitely go there again if someone wants to go with me (because you need to be atleast 2 people if you wanna play the sports).
When our time was up we went to a restaurant called "Bikkuri Donki" (you could translate that as "surprised donkey"). I have seen "Bikkuri Donki" buildings many times before but I never understood what it was, because it usually looks something like this: (Picture found on google)
Scary shit. And the inside isn't much better. But it seems popular and it's really just a normal hamburger restaurant with good food. If you get the chance, go there, just because it's weird.
----
And as often happens in Japan you end the day with taking Purikura (which as always makes me look like an alien!)
Thanks guys, I had lot's of fun! =D
Sep 15, 2014
Fujikyuu Highland - Scariest amusement park in Japan
During the night on the 12 of September we took a busride up to Fujikyuu highland - which is said to be the scariest amusement park in Japan.
When we finally got there it was around 6.40 am and it was friggin' cold, the park hadn't opened yet and there was no place to get food or shelter in sight. For a brief moment there it felt pretty sucky to be there, but we walked around the park and food shops started popping up all over the place.
After eating we could finally get into the park, and as we got closer to daytime the cold started to wear off.
It was a lot of fun, though I was a bit disappointed in all the "scary" rides. They weren't scary (though that's not really something I want), and they weren't fun. It was just fast and unenjoyable for me. I guess I've learned that just because a rollercoaster has the lable "scary" doesn't mean that it will be fun. My friends seemed to like it though.
We were the til around 9.30 (they close at 8), and then went to eat again. Took a trip to Donki Hote to buy some clothes (because it got cold again) and then got back on the bus. At least this time I could sleep somewhat better there than when going up.
We got back to our dorm at around 7 in the morning, and I think pretty much all of us went to bed straight away. Sleeping at the bus is no fun.
All in all it was a great trip and even though the busride was long and the sleep short, it all went better than expected and I really enjoyed the trip.
Photos:
Before ending the day at Fujikyuu we took our chance for a horse ride as well, lol.
This rollercoaster is called "Takabishi" and was the only one I felt a bit scared to ride. I really didn't feel like doing it at the time, because, just look at that picture! That's looks friggin awful. And going up before the downfall it really felt awful. Buuut, turns out it wasn't that bad. It was actually a bit fun. Of all the big and scary rollercoasters we rode I liked this one the most.
This is the ghost house o.o I hate scary stuff so I did not want to go in there, plus, the waiting time was 3 hours! Me and another person went and rode Takabisha instead.
This is "ee janai ka" which seemed fun but it wasn't really fun.
These ugly things are like the Power Rangers of Fujikyuu and you see them in lot's of the videos playing.
The gang for the Fujikyuu trip =) Thank you all! I had a great time!
See Mt.Fuji behind there?
Entrance:
When we finally got there it was around 6.40 am and it was friggin' cold, the park hadn't opened yet and there was no place to get food or shelter in sight. For a brief moment there it felt pretty sucky to be there, but we walked around the park and food shops started popping up all over the place.
After eating we could finally get into the park, and as we got closer to daytime the cold started to wear off.
It was a lot of fun, though I was a bit disappointed in all the "scary" rides. They weren't scary (though that's not really something I want), and they weren't fun. It was just fast and unenjoyable for me. I guess I've learned that just because a rollercoaster has the lable "scary" doesn't mean that it will be fun. My friends seemed to like it though.
We were the til around 9.30 (they close at 8), and then went to eat again. Took a trip to Donki Hote to buy some clothes (because it got cold again) and then got back on the bus. At least this time I could sleep somewhat better there than when going up.
We got back to our dorm at around 7 in the morning, and I think pretty much all of us went to bed straight away. Sleeping at the bus is no fun.
All in all it was a great trip and even though the busride was long and the sleep short, it all went better than expected and I really enjoyed the trip.
Photos:
Before ending the day at Fujikyuu we took our chance for a horse ride as well, lol.
This rollercoaster is called "Takabishi" and was the only one I felt a bit scared to ride. I really didn't feel like doing it at the time, because, just look at that picture! That's looks friggin awful. And going up before the downfall it really felt awful. Buuut, turns out it wasn't that bad. It was actually a bit fun. Of all the big and scary rollercoasters we rode I liked this one the most.
This is the ghost house o.o I hate scary stuff so I did not want to go in there, plus, the waiting time was 3 hours! Me and another person went and rode Takabisha instead.
This is "ee janai ka" which seemed fun but it wasn't really fun.
These ugly things are like the Power Rangers of Fujikyuu and you see them in lot's of the videos playing.
The gang for the Fujikyuu trip =) Thank you all! I had a great time!
See Mt.Fuji behind there?
Entrance:
Sep 3, 2014
Inari Jinja - The Fox Shrine
This is a big place that goes up and down a mountain - which means, a lot of walking upwards. But it was worth it, even in the warmth. I really liked this place.
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