Life in ICU, Life in 2MD

      I moved in the dorm in the 31st of August. And I still wasn't able to adapt to the Japanese culture. But ICU had a lot of plans and activities for us students, so if you were able to adapt or not, you have to play by the rules and continue life.

      When I moved in to 2MD, people were very welcoming and kind. The first persons I knew and made friends are Joko-sempai and Yugo-sempai (I'm used to call everyone older than me sempai). We talked a lot in the first day. From video games, to Japan, and all other stuff. We also had dinner together since they had this initiation for old members of the dorm that you have to pay for all the food that the newcomers will eat. I felt really guilty but blessed at the same time.

      Adapting is really hard for me. I had zero nihonggo skills, so the language barrier adds up to it. And I always forget the polite ways of greeting people and stuff. Good thing the dorm people are there to help me when I would ask.

    ICU is a breathtaking scenery. Even as you step in from the gates, you are welcomed by the vast number of trees and the greens around. The university is really huge, so I'd have to ride a bike to go from my dorm to class. Even their dining hall is HUGE at first, but after knowing the number of students, I guess it is the fair size for the population. Everything is here, from library services. food, stores, banks, post office, computer use, and many more.

      In every organization, there would always be a way to welcome new members. And for 2MD, it was a party. Obviously there was alcohol, so I had to drink with them (which is my first time to drink with friends). We also had an initiation, where we had to dress up as gundams (theme of our dorm) for the whole day in class. We also have to do "jingi", a stand-up comedy where we have to make the president laugh at our jokes until we can get a 'yosh' (approval) so that we could end our embarrassment in front of the women. It was difficult and embarrassing, but through that, I was able to get along with the dormers pretty well. I got to know them, they got to know me. And it helped in my adapting process. In the end, we had to do the bakayama presentation, where we have to dance in front students. It was really fun. That's our dorm uniform. :)

      In registration day, I took the subjects Intensive Japanese 1 and Contemporary Japan: From Ramune to anime. They sum up to 18 units, which was the maximum number of units to take. In the first week, I was mentally drained from the intensive class. Because it`s my first time to learn nihonggo, it's really difficult for me to learn fast, especially the hiragana and katakana. Plus, I was pressured by the performance of my classmates, it's like they were having no problems on it at all. It was torment for me. On the last day of re-registration where you can change or drop your subjects, my Intensive Japanese teacher (Matsui-sensei) talked to me. She was very kind to ask about my problems and all in the subject. I told her that I was suffering. So she told me that she would help me in her free time for me to catch up. I was really touched, to see her as a teacher who does not want to spoonfeed her students, but wants her students to be equal in terms of knowledge level. It motivates students like me to study harder, knowing that our professors works hard too. But I have 2 scholarships as of now, and if I fail any of my subject, not only do I have to pay the whole amount of scholarship (amounting to Php500,000), but I would be a disgrace to my country as well. I may be a risk taker, but this time, the risks are just too high; and knowing my limits, I may not be able to achieve it. So I decided to change from intensive to Japanese 1 (normal pace). Right now, though I am less challenged because of the slow pace of the discussions, but I am happy to get high marks and perform at my best in class. 

      In those experiences, I learned to adapt really quick to the environment. Even I can't mention my name properly anymore (Id mention 'kuraku' instead of my real name Clark). And my expressions start to be like an ordinary japanese (with the "eeehhh", "soo desu ka", etc.) But hey, maybe its for the better, right? :)

The Fear of Loss: UP Cebu 2012 Cheerdance Competition

        We all fear of losing. Not only does it hurt, a feeling of bitterness and regret overflows your thinking, giving your mind uncontrollable actions and thoughts. Yes, this was the feeling I felt when we lost the cheer dance competition.

      I was a person who prefers to stay in the bench or the sides, cheering our division and just shouting and screaming when our division performs. I never wanted to do something tiring, of the fear of losing and being blamed at. 

       But all that changed this year. Days before I was to book my flight to Japan, the school announced that our intramurals will be held on the 28th-31st of August. As an aspiring leader and an officer of our division, I was motivated to contribute something to our division. To add the motivation, my mom decided to book my flight on the 29th, since she said I have to have time to adjust in Japan before I move to the dorms, which will be on the 31st. One day to help, what could you give?

      Our university holds the cheer dance competition as the first event, since it's what people wanted to see the most. And since I'm not the athletic type to play major games, and since they were in need of males as lifters and all, I decided to join the team.

      Practice was deadly. We only had 14 days to practice and master the whole routine. To add to the heat, the other divisions have already completed their routines (we have four divisions: Humanities, Sciences, Social Sciences, and Management --> that's where I am). Practice was from 5:30pm to 9/11pm on weekdays, whole day on weekends. Everyone was motivated to win, scared to lose, and ready for the challenge.

      I had zero skills at first. I didn't know how to lift, roll, dance, jump, everything. I felt left out at first and I had self-pity.  But that didn't stop me from the challenge. I challenged myself to be someone reliable and someone who will stand out. 

     In the first few days of practice, where I still didn't know any skills, our Kuya Adrian was showing off his scorpion move to the females (only girls had to do this). I was assigned to do a cartwheel, and I sucked at it. Practicing at my cartwheel, A thought came to my mind: since I wanted to stand out, why not do a scorpion? So that night I stretched my arm and legs at their full capacity, and alas, I did it! It really gave me a boost. And what's more, I get to perform it in the competition! If I could do this move, I'm sure to do the rest. So I, with the rest of the team, worked really hard until the last day of practice. (The picture is how a scorpion is supposed to be executed).

      Intramurals day 1: Cheerdance competition in a few hours. I was nerve-wracked. Everyone was anxious. We had to win, since the cheer dance team in our division was winning the title for 4 years. And it would be a great insult if we were to lose. Even before the competition, I was already hyperventilating of nervousness, but thank God we were able to do our routine without any mistakes or injuries. We were happy with out performance, and we wanted to win. But at the announcement of the results, we came 3rd. 3rd. A straight drop from our champion title. It was painful. Everyone was crying. I felt like a failure. The only thing I could contribute was in the cheerdance, and I failed to give my all. Well that's how I felt. But Ate Rhoda (our choreographer) was really proud of us, and that made me really happy. After our emotional moments, we got over it and continue to move on, side that's how life is supposed to be.

      I learned a lot from this experience. I learned how to dance, to lift, to cheer, and to manage my time. I also gained a lot of friends, and a NEW family. We may have lost, but we're determined to reclaim our title next year. T-Y-C-O-O-N-S!!

New world, New Life

        Okay. There are a lot of reasons as to why I haven't updated my blog up to this date. First off, I was busy with my academics (exams, case studies, etc.), extra-curricular activities, and my application for ICU. To top it off, I joined in our division's team for the cheer dance competition, which was supposed to be the day before I leave for Japan. Plus, when I arrived to Japan, I TOTALLY FORGOT TO BRING MY LAPTOP (of all things! *My PSP as well*) so I had to buy a new one here since it would take forever to deliver it. 

        It wasn't easy to finish my application to ICU. On the last week before I left for Japan, immigration told me that I had to issue a certificate to allow a minor to travel abroad (since I'm still 17). And yes, it was agony. I felt like giving up and all, but thankfully I survived the everything (with the help of my mom and friends). Now here I am, typing off this blog in the student lounge of ICU. :D

        Where to start? Probably the day I arrived to Japan. First off, my simcard got busted, so I wasn't able to receive any texts that morning, my flight got delayed (by 2 hours) and I wasn't able to go back to the lobby to say goodbye to my mom. :( When I arrived in the airport, I was soooo lost, I just followed everyone. The airport was SO huge, I didn't know where to go. Thankfully the employees were too kind to help me. So I processed my alien card, got through immigration, and met my uncle in the baggage area. Too bad I wasn't able to process my working permit at the airport (since I didn't know where to go). So we went to my uncle's home in Nishikawaguchi, Saitama to stay until I moved.

        On the 31st of August, we travelled early to ICU (2 hours from my uncle's place) and finally moved in to my dorm, 2nd men's dormitory. Everyone was very welcoming, I wasn't able to feel any homesickness tendencies at all. This will be a great year, I know it will be! :D

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