A Year Forward

August 29, 2013.

One year has passed

A year ago, I embarked on the biggest adventure of my life. A year ago, on this same day, I left for Japan. A new place. A new experience.  Ever since, a lot of things happened. Good or bad, memorable or not, it was all worth experiencing.

On the month of June, on my last few weeks in my stay in Japan, I tried to make a summary, reflection, and somewhat my message of thanks to important people in my stay there. I never realized that it was impossible to reflect and give thanks when youre still on that experience. So I decided to just finish giving a summary and write the later two while I think about it after I go home.

“525,600 minutes. 525 thousand moments so dear. 525,600 minutes. How do you measure, measure a year?”

These are the first few lyrics of Rent’s Seasons Of Love. One of my favorite songs. But moving on, how do you measure a year? How do I measure the life I spent in Japan?

Going to Japan was my lifelong and my initial dream for a higher dream. When I entered college, since I loved Japan culture and the language, I decided that this would be the first country I should visit before others. I had this dream aimed after graduation, on my masters degree. But for some lucky and God-given miracle, I got the opportunity 3 years earlier than I expected.

Before I even came to Japan, I looked like this: a young, thin, innocent-looking kid who hasnt reached puberty yet.

After approximately 10 months, I realized i've changed a lot. My hair is long, thick, color, and permed, I gained around 10 kilos, and I got the puberty that every teenager went through.

In my stay in Japan, i've had my share of all experiences: best, good, bad, worst. Ive had unproductive times, and some were so busy I cant even imagine how I was able to do those things. But most importantly, I was able to carve great memories into my mind.

Since it was nearly 5 months from the last time I posted something on my blog, I wanted to just give my whole trip a quick summary and hopefully write each experience on separate blog posts.

September and October– Adjusting process. I had to cry because the food in Japan was too expensive. Trying to adjust to the dorm life in 2^nd Men's Dormitory, living far from my family, and exploring Tokyo and making friends and Joining clubs. In this time I was busy practicing my archery and at the same time singing at the a capella club that I joined. First time at the Pokemon Center!

November – somehow got used to the life in Tokyo (you cant generalize Japan life from Tokyo life; Tokyo is a country in itself with a totally different lifestyle). Got my first part time job at a phone factory, Travelled to Nikko. Somehow adjusting again from the change of seasons (it was the peak of autumn). By this time I gained 3 kilos.

December- My 18^th birthday, alone. That was really sad. Met with my fellow Filipino Foreign exchange students and spent a good Christmas Break around Tokyo.

January and February – Basically this was mostly on improving my Japanese skills. Somehow unproductive because of winter. My first time to experience snow! Went to Disneysea with my best friend. Also did Mochitsuki and alumni homecoming of the dorm. And I don't know if its because of winter, or I just ate too much, because I gained a total of 10 kilos on that time!

March – Met with my fellow Filipino foreign exchange students again and travelled around Kansai (Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, Kobe) and Fukuoka. A lot of first times (including coloring my hair). I guess the most rare experience I had was when I travelled from Fukuoka to Tokyo by local train on two days! (Refer to previous blog post: )

April – The most beautiful time of the year! The Cherry blossoms were a great sight! The dorm had new members (they call it by the year of graduation, to its 17s). I was not able to participate in the first few initiation days (since it was still vacation, and I was in my uncle's house in Saitama). Basically I was ready to go home (with my flight booked and all). But boy was I wrong. I guess my feelings of wanting to go home got disrupted when I became friends with the 17s in our dorm. I still remember it on how I got invited on a dinner together with them. I guess we got close since we were all 18 year olds (and I'm second youngest :D). Ever since, we then did a lot of things together. Got to eat Okonomiyaki for the first time, and lost at a rock-paper-scissor game for the first time (because you have to treat everyone for ice cream if you lose T.T).I was also able to enhance my Japanese skills (not to mention learn some nasty and slang words >:D). I got to know other people too from other dorms. And I lost 3 kilos in this time, probably because I started jogging since the weather was warm enough. Got in ICU Hub because I got to hang out with them often before our Korean class.

May – Probably the most unforgettable time of my stay in here. Did a LOT of first times. I don't even know where to start. The best was the Golden Week Holiday. With the 17s, I was able to go eat my first raw meal at Tsukiji Fish Market, attended at a Japanese Christian Church with my dorm mate's family, and did a homestay (technically it was that way) at Tochigi. And at that time, I also wore a Japanese high school uniform, and got to experience a kotatsu for the first time! That time, the most memorable was probably lying down in the middle of the rice fields and just staring at the sky full of stars, something you don't experience in Tokyo. Then went up Tokyo Tower on the next day. The following weekend I was with my best friends on lunch at a themed restaurant. It was great! On the last week of May, me, my previous roomate, his girlfriend, and his new room mate went and travelled together at Mt. Fuji and around it. Went to the 5^th station of the mountain, went around caves, and the famous Aokigahara Forest (Suicide forest). On a day we were able to do a lot of things. Plus, I was able to eat probably the MOST interesting meal. It was called Motsu. Guess what its made of? Cow's womb. O.o

June- I already sound like a bipolar by this time, telling people on how i'm excited to go home, and on how I still don't want to go home at times. I'm all set for home: my stuff are sent back, i'm around 20% from packing, my papers and requirements are now finished, and i'm enrolled back at my home university. Now i'm just waiting for my final exams, and then gonna meet people for the last time to say my goodbyes and thank you's.

And now I am back to my home, it’s already the third month since I came home from Japan. I have adjusted back to the climate, the school pressures, and the usual things I do here. After everything that’s happened, it was just like a dream, as if I was just sleeping the whole time thinking of these wonderful stuff that I experienced. Sometimes out of nowhere the best memories of my stay in Japan often come back randomly, when im asleep or when im doing homeworks. I guess my heart hasn’t fully adjusted yet. And I guess what they say is true, once you get out of your shell, there’s no going back in.

This experience wouldn't be the best one weren’t it for everyone. I can’t enumerate all of you here, but yes, I really mean everyone. Last year was a big stepping-stone into going forward to my future, and to the realization of my dreams.

第二男子寮の生活 (Life in 2MD)

       April 22, 2013. 6 months and 25 days Since I arrived in Japan. Looking back, I recount memories, both happy and sad, as I spend my remaining days in this memorable country I'm staying now.

10 months away from your country was too long, I realised. In fact, 7 months is already too long. I miss tons of things back home in the Philippines: family, friends, the scorching heat, the abundant beaches, the cheap food, everything. Last spring break, I was dying of going home. But now, as I get closer to going home, I can't help but be sad at the same time on how I will miss Japan.

Recently, spring term in ICU just started. This term i'm taking Japanese 3, Korean 1, and International Marketing. Though it's only 3 subjects, they take a lot of my time studying and attending classes. But i'm not talking about that (maybe on the next blog). I want to talk about one of the few and the greatest thing i'll miss about Japan: the dormitory i'm staying in, 大二男子寮 (2nd Men's Dormitory)

Let me recall the reason I chose this dorm. On my previous blog posts, I wrote (probably. i'm too lazy to reread LOL) that I wanted to go into this dorm because it was the dorm that got my interest. I really wanted to experience a real Japanese life. Not the ordinary traveller/foreigner experience. Well guess what, I definitely got it.

During the application process for the dorm residence, I recall friends asking me if I could handle it, or if I could live to this kind of atmosphere. "Crazy", as what the letter said, and so as from the students from ICU itself. But I thought that this dorm would open me to the real Japan, to the best Japanese experience ever. So I applied for 2MD.

The dorm's acceptance letter

I was happy receiving the acceptance letter from the dorm, with the rules and all, and that I should be at the dorm on the 31st of August. 

I arrived in Japan on August 29, stayed with my uncle at Kawaguchi in Saitama. When the 31st came, we woke up early, and my uncle drove me to ICU. We got lost on the way, since ICU was a bit hidden, it was hard for the car's GPS to locate the entrance of ICU. But when we arrived, we were too early. We arrived around 8am, and the dorm opened at around 10:30am (if I recall right). So we waited around the parking lot while I'm adjusting to the chirps and heat of Japan's summer. When the time finally came, we drove to the dorm (and got lost too because we didn't know that vehicles weren't allowed inside the school. So when we stopped at the dorm, brought my luggages out, and suddenly people from the dorm started to help us and orient me. I remember the first time I set foot on the dorm, a camera went to my face, and I was told to introduce myself. I had zero nihongo skills, so I spoke in english. My uncle and aunt left, and I was led to my room to unpack. 

Resting under the summer heat on Aoyama

When I finished unpacking, I went to the social room. I remembered giving out dried mangoes to my new dorm mates. :D Though it was hard communicating, but I guess language barriers didn't stop me from enjoying this time of my life. I remembered Joko , Isami, and Paul toured me around the school, and taught me the difference of Bakayama and Aoyama. It was a long day for me, So I decided to rest and wait for the night. When I woke up, we went out for dinner, and went out drinking. I got to know my fellow newcomers. We were four, 3 One year regulars (including me) and one September entry student. It was a really great start. I thought that was it. But boy was I ever so wrong.

So on the next day we went on to school orientations, residence cards, and dorm orientations. And we were oriented with our initiation process. And that's when they told us about THE Jingi (emphasis on the capitalisation). For those who don't know, the Jingi is one of the dorm's unique culture and initiation process, where we have to do a stand-up comedy-ish to the women's dorms. We keep on doing jokes until the head of the dorm tells us to stop (because we told a really good joke). And we do a certain stance and stay like that until everyone is done doing their jokes. We were shown and taught on how it worked. I memorised the lines and the position. But it really got me worried. So worried. I was the only one who didn't knew japanese. And I had zero knowledge on Japanese humour. So it disturbed me almost every night, thinking on what jokes to do. But after 4 days (3 for the women's dorms, and one for 2MD), we finally finished the jingo. It was a real relief. Though difficult, it was fun. And it was one way of socialising with the other newcomers. We got to know each other well, and some women recall us by the jokes we did like "hey you were the one with that joke" or something like that. 

Just when I thought it was done, we had another initiation to wear a costume to school for a week and dance on the last day in front of the whole school. It was a bit embarrassing, but it was really fun. People loved our performance. That night, as we were about to rest, we had our final initiation. It was finally the time of the dorm to welcome us as official members. We laughed, drank and all. A great (and tiring) 2 weeks of initiation. 

Wearing our gun dam-themed costumes to School

April newcomers! :D

Time passed, studying, exploring Japan, and other stuff. During my stay, my fellow 2 OYRs left the dorm for personal reasons. It was really sad, being the only OYR left at the dorm. But the dorm did not stop their craziness. It was still fun, and somehow it made me feel I really belonged. I was experiencing the real Japanese life. 

And now spring came. A new batch of newcomers came. They had more initiations than what we did. I wanted to join from the start, but sadly I wasn't able to because I was on Saitama until the last day of spring break. I was able to join at their Jingis and the dance at the school. Seeing them do their initiation, I can't help but see myself 7 months before, doing the things they did. It was so nostalgic. So happy. And I can't help but laugh at the memories and on how I did before. Especially that I know a bit of Japanese now, I can't help but feel stupid saying those lines and all and not understanding a word, just now. 

       Here are some pics of the dorm:

The first dorm meeting upon our arrival

This is how our jingi works

....and then we stay like this until everyone is done with their jokes

April newcomers after their last initiation :D

This was after our dance at Bakayama

Our signature pose after the dorm play

We won the most interesting play!

Club 2MD From our ball party last December

Alumnis doing the jingi pose on our Mochitsuki and 2MD alumni homecoming

Nabe party with Roomie his girlfriend and friends. :D

And now as i'm writing this blog post, I can't help but have mixed emotions right now. I already booked my flight for home, which will be in 2 months time. I'm excited to go home, to see my country and serve my fellow people again. But then I'm also sad. Sad that i'll be leaving Japan. Most especially the dormitory. I learned a lot of things from staying in this dorm, some things that other dorms could not teach me, and that was how to live a full Japanese experience. But this sadness also serves as my motivation. When I get back, i'm gonna try to graduate on time, and maybe apply for another program at ICU. And hopefully I can stay at this dormitory again. 

I won't be saying my goodbyes yet. I still got 2 months. 2 months to try and enjoy my dorm life and japan life to its extent. But as early now, I just want to say, 

第二男子寮、いご、よろしゅー、おーたーのーもーしーまーすー！　本当にありがとうございます！とても楽しかった！