The Importance of a Family in a Foreign World

      There’s always a first time in everything: First steps, first words, first day of school, and so much more. With these first times, most of the times there are people who are there to support us along the way as we try to accomplish these “first times”. Adaptation in an event or in a society is always easier when we have someone we know who we can ask for help or guidance. But in a situation wherein it is one of your “first times,” and yet you are all alone and a stranger to everyone as you try to adapt to it, how will you act on it?

This is one of the situations that I will be facing next month. It will be my first time to study in Japan for 10 months, a thousand of miles away from my home country. Even though it will be a wonderful experience, it is scary to think of the fact that you will be staying in Japan for 10 months, with no one you know to ask for support and all.

      2 months ago, I received a packet from the school that I will be studying to this school year, International Christian University, which is in the heart of Tokyo, Japan. In the packet, there were a lot of papers to fill up and accomplish, including the application for the on-campus dormitory and off-campus stay. Reading the details and comparing prices, I realized that the on-campus dormitory is cheaper than outside the school, so I chose to apply for the on-campus dorms. There were 6 dorms in which I could apply for, they are: 2^nd men’s dormitory, Canada house, global house, zelkova house, oak house, and ginkgo house. Upon reading at the testimonies of some dormers in their respective houses, only the 2^nd men’s dormitory (2MD) got my full attention. It’s not that the rest are not worth it, but it’s because I feel that my personality belongs with those in that dorm. I also want to contribute to the activities of 2MD since it would be their last year in operation. Plus, it’s the cheapest dorm to stay. So without hesitation, I applied for 2MD.

      A month later, I got the results of the dormitory application. I was so happy to see that I got accepted in 2MD! It really got me excited! Plus, I got accepted in the scholarship for free stay in the dorm, which means I don’t get to pay any single yen for the dorm! :D

     My excitement is also added with great nervousness and fright. Since I will be a foreigner to Japan and it’s like starting all over again, I will need a lot of support to adapt in it. 2MD said that it will be a buddy-to-buddy system, and that 2MD is a family, in which I can ask for help when I need it, which means that I won’t be having a hard time in Japan at all.

      To my future dorm mates, I hope to see you soon, and I hope you will guide me in all the challenges I will face as a foreign exchange student. :)

The Start of my Rising Sun (Part 2)

There were a lot of initial requirements that were needed to be submitted, like a CV, professor’s recommendation letter, school papers, and a killer essay on how can the Philippines benefit from the foreign exchange program (I might post another blog about this). After 3 days, the papers were finally submitted. I never really expected any good results from it, since I didn’t put much effort in my essay, writing only up to 510 words, just enough to meet the standard of 500 words; and I didn’t quite understood one of the requirements. But who would’ve known that I passed the initial screening that I applied for?

Just when I thought I would directly apply for my passport and all, unfortunately there are still 2 screenings that I must pass, one of which is a panel interview. In the interview, they asked me as to what university in Japan I would apply for. Since I am bit of an ambitious person, I applied for Tokyo University, Waseda University, and Osaka University. Luckily, I passed the screening, but I was not accepted to any of the universities that I have applied for. Instead, they assigned me to International Christian University.

A lot of documents have to be submitted, along with my passport, scholarship application forms, and much more. Thank God I was able to submit everything in time. Instead of the JASSO (Japan Student Services Organization) scholarship that I applied for, I got accepted in the JICUF (Japan ICU Foundation) scholarship instead.

Who would’ve known that I would be able to accomplish my goal earlier than expected? I guess it all just needs a bit of hard work, perseverance, and faith in God. Never fail to face and challenge adversities, it may be your biggest reward in life. :)

The Start of my Rising Sun (Part 1)

Ever since I was in my second year high school, I have been introduced and addicted to the world of anime, an ever-pop culture in Japan. Since then, my love, appreciation, and gratitude for the Land of the Rising Sun was unwavering.

In my first year of college, I met a mass communication student in my batch. When we get to be acquainted, I learned that she was 2 years older than me. I asked her if she had any problem during her high school life, or any reason as to why her age does not coincide with the ordinary students in our batch. Only then have I learned that the reason why she was a year late was because she studied in Japan for a year, funded by the Japanese government and all. That thought amazed me, and ever since that meeting, I had a new goal in life: to be able to study in Japan, even for a year. And boy, how God quickly answered my prayer!

There I was, scavenging for foreign exchange programs to Japan that I could apply for. I’ve looked up programs from JENESYS, AYF, and MEXT, but none of those were applicable for me. I almost gave up, but I decided that I would just apply for the Monbungakusho Program (5-year masters program in Japan) after I graduate.

Then, in my second year semestral break in my college life, a friend gave me a link in Facebook for a foreign exchange program with the partner universities in Japan. Since I was not busy with academic or extra-curricular activities at that time, me and my friends decided to give it a try. (to be continued)

Getting Started, Getting Ahead

                Over the past years have I been hearing about people making blogs, following people, and posting interesting stuff at Blogger. I guess you could say that I do things after they become cool. Nevertheless, here I am, at my third year in college, making my first post in my new blog. 

            Why have I started doing this, you ask? 2 months from now, I will be leaving for Japan as a foreign exchange student. I’m sure it will be quite an adventure, and there will be a lot of great memories. Since I don’t do journals or diaries, I decided to make a blog so that I can keep track of all of my adventures in Japan. Exciting! :D

            Long before have I also dreamed of making a website where I can do game reviews and stuff (mostly on PSP, GBA, and PC games) since I’ve had my fair share of sleepless nights, sore eyes, and stiff fingers on playing games. I also believe that it might be helpful for future gamers out there, in times when they might need hints in games, or maybe when they forget the Konami Code (haha!).

            I also like to do reviews on books, business trends, and cooking, since I’ve always dreamed of being a chef and a corporate leader at the same time. To summarize things, I aim to be a well-rounded blogger. I do hope I could do all of these things soon. J