During my stay here I have had the opportunity to stay with two different Japanese families over the holidays and I almost felt a little bit too welcomed. I was not allowed to pay for anything by myself and breakfast, lunch and dinner were always served with me waiting at the table and even though I offered my help on several occasions, it was not accepted (except for one time, when there was other guests in the house, then I could join in wiping the dishes). This actually made me shorten my plans for staying since I just felt so spoiled even though some part of me also enjoined it. The Japanese certainly have certain expectations on hosts and guests.
I also realize that I would have had a tough time if I hadn´t known people in Japan already when I came here, without the support of my friends here I think it would probably have been a lot harder. Even around my neighborhood people are friendly and really make me feel at home here, there is a lady that I sometimes run in to at the supermarket that used to study English at Kyoto University and we usually talk in mixed up English and Japanese together, and in the beginning she also helped me find different items at the store that I would have had a harder time tracking down. I also think this relates to the Japanese sense of community, I really do feel a strong bond among the neighbors here and people are keen to talk to one another when passing by, even if it is only small talk about the weather.
And I have learned a lot since I came here, and not only in school at Kansai Gaidai University but also about my self. I now appreciate things that I earlier had taken for granted, such as heated houses and easily accessible nature. Coming from Sweden a country with only 9,4 million people and a size bigger that Japan, it is very easy to go for a walk surrounded by trees. There is also a lot of things I have found here in Japan that I could not have found at home, such as delicious foods or my surprising passion for pottery. This has also helped me several times to start up a conversation, since Japanese people seem to treasure the art of ceramics very much and are delighted to talk about it.
All in all, I am very happy that I am able to have the experience of living and studying in another country. I learn something new almost every day, regarding Japanese life, my self and my wishes for my future.
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| My friend Chihoyo found me a record store! |
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| Ohh pottery, what would I do without you? |
