Being immersed in a different lifestyle even for just a month opened my eyes to a new perspective on life and an alternative way of thinking and living. Somehow, though, leaving everything I’ve always known and entering this whole new world did not feel as unfamiliar as I expected it to be. Maybe because it has always been there. I was stuck in my own world, the situation I was born into and the life I’ve always known.
Now that I am back home, I feel as if I am connected to the rest of the universe. The whole new world is a state and a way of living I had closed my eyes to before. It is a state of a newfound openness to life and its infinite possibilities. It is a way of living that is not mediocre. It is alive! It is in each one of us. In it, we can find our greatest dreams, challenges, our life’s ultimate treasures and the abilities to go beyond what we have imagined we could do.
My mission was to "build a bridge between Japan and my country, myself and my host family, my heart and people’s heart" as the letter from YFU/Japan Foundation Inc. said.
I took this as a wonderful challenge, an opportunity for a life-changing experience. I was going to Japan, to immerse myself into a whole new culture and learn to live in a very different place for a month. Life as I knew it would change. I, along with four other Filipino students, were going to Japan as exchange students under the Japan Foundation and Youth For Understanding (YFU). I remember being told that this adventure would be what I made of it. The more of myself I put into it, the more I would get out of it.
I prepared myself by studying Japanese. I read everything I could get my hands on about Japan. I also practiced simple Filipino songs and bought some souvenirs from my country.
The day of departure finally came. All our bags were packed. We were ready to go. All minors, we boarded the plane. We just met one another a few months before that day but we quickly became friends. We were all on the way to a huge challenge and an amazing experience. This gave us a special bond. We were all very talkative during the flight, voicing out our excitement and anxiety.
We landed at the Narita airport. I felt the thrill and curiosity one always feels when in a different country. I was like a little child in a huge classroom, amazed at every Japanese sign, all the cute Japanese kids, the country’s uniquely styled clothes, all the people speaking a different language.
We met the three Swiss students, who are also YFU delegates. I think they instantly spotted us in the crowd because we were wearing the same look that only an exchange student can have – the perfect combination of excitement and anxiety. At the Olympic Youth Center, we had our orientation and first meal in Japan. Of course, very eager to experience the culture of Japan, each of us picked a Japanese dinner. We had a pleasant evening, chatting with and getting to know the others. Conversation revolved around the similarities and differences between Japan and our own countries.
For the next few days, we had Japanese language lessons. Although we had relatively less experience in Japanese language studies than the Swiss delegation, we felt proud because we learned a lot and really did our best.
We took a tour of Tokyo. We learned more about the rich history of Japan and deepened our appreciation for the Japanese way of life.
On our last day together at the orientation site, we said goodbye to the Swiss students as if we had known them for a long time. Maybe our quick connection was also because of the same inner desire to venture out into the world, and to take on a challenge, to discover what there is yet to find.
I became more confident, more independent, more disconnected from everything I knew, yet more connected to the rest of the world I had yet to discover and to the world within me. We landed at the Kansai airport. I looked around, found the right gates to enter, and finally, spotted a bunch of smiling faces and waving hands. It happened so fast for me. I met my host brother. I smiled and avoided his eyes. We gave each other nervous, excited, confused grins. Our eyes darted from one camera to the next. I was introduced to the area representative to whom I uttered a few Japanese greetings. I was off to enter this reality for the next month. I had only my bag and my ready heart.
It was a 30-minute drive to our home. During the first 10 minutes, I sat on the edge of the backseat. I looked out at the window, fiddled with my bag, and answered my host brother’s questions. He’s 18 years old and was a YFU exchange student to America for a year. He is an amazing person. I learned a lot from him. After those first 10 minutes all my anxiety faded away. I sat comfortably in the backseat, finally let go of my bag, and asked him question after question. Never again did I feel the same nervousness.
We arrived at my host family’s house, my home for a month. It’s a beautiful house, a blend of modern architecture with a touch of traditional Japanese style.
When I met my host parents, we immediately dove into an amazing conversation, about the Philippines, about Japan, about my family and how they live. Fortunately, my family could speak English very well, although I often asked them to speak in Japanese so that I could learn the language.
My father, otosan, told me about his lovely Japanese yard, and he explained the concepts of Zen gardening. I think these concepts are astonishing. I was surprised that there was such a wonderful meaning behind the incredible arrangement. Beauty really does start from within. Otosan became my Japanese culture and history professor.
My mother, okasan, was very interested in Filipino cooking and I, Japanese cooking, so I frequently assisted her in the kitchen. I also cooked a couple of Filipino dishes for them, which they enjoyed. I’m glad they did because I love both Filipino and Japanese food. In my otosan and okasan I saw the virtues of hard work, which I think is inherent in the Japanese culture. Through them, I also saw the thoughtfulness of Japanese people. They are concerned about the people around them. I saw that Japan is a very clean and an orderly country because of the people’s sense of responsibility and obedience.
My older brother, onisan, showed me around. He walked into this whole new world with me. Our conversations would always be interesting because we spoke mostly in English, with a lot of Japanese, and some Filipino words that I taught him, too. He laughed at my amazement at ordinary things, like the number of vending machines at every single corner and the strange food in the grocery. I was very adventurous. I tried all the food that I could. My favorites became Japanese rice tea, salmon sushi black sesame, and all the Japanese chocolates. My onisan was very patient and very good at explaining everything.
Sometimes we took the dog for a walk. At other times, we had errands to do. We would also walk around the streets where similar houses stood, or in busier streets where convenience store, groceries, and restaurants, and in the quiet streets with a view of the ricefields. I made friends along the way because I tried practicing Japanese by greeting some people on the street.
I stayed in Wakayama, in southern Japan, a place very much like our own provinces, with vast ricefields and countless fruit trees. In Wakayama, I was amazed at the peach trees and the incredible size of the oranges. I was also thrilled with the weather. My okosan laughed at my excitement when I woke up one day to find the garden covered with snow. I just felt like a little child, innocent and excited as I made many new discoveries each day.
I felt very comfortable with my host family. I did not have to make an effort to adjust at all. Okasan, onisan and I had a couple of badminton afternoons. Since none of us was really that good, we got more exercise from laughing. Once, we played putter golf as a family, and we alternately encouraged and competed with one another. We went shopping and ate a lot every day.
We went to Kyoto. There, I saw traditional Japanese houses and plays in a museum/studio center. I also had a chance to see the Wakayama castle and a temple, a peaceful place that calls you to listen and forget everything for a while. I felt great love, not just for God and my religion, but for life, the people and the universe, when I was in the temple grounds. I am a Catholic, and the Sunday after this visit to the temple, I asked if there was a church near our place. We tried calling, but that was already after office hours. I decided to just pray in the room where I stayed for quite a while. My host brother even had to come in to check if I was okay because I was in there for a very long time. I realized a lot about their religion and my personal beliefs – that they aren’t that different after all. I understand my religion more fully because I have opened my eyes to other beliefs. I have learned to love and embrace everything.
I made a lot of friends in Wakayama, especially in the school where I went to. On the first day, I introduced myself and greeted everyone in Japanese. I struggled to communicate with my classmates and had such a difficult time. I was getting worried and frustrated when a girl approached me and invited me to eat with her and her friends during the lunch period. I gave her a huge smile. During that first lunch period, I brought out my obento, a Japanese lunchbox, and enjoyed the beautiful and delicious food my okasan prepared. I shared some Filipino sweets with my new friends, and they let me hear Japanese pop music. After eating, I brought out a pack of origami paper, which they immediately folded into beautiful designs, using the Japanese art of paper folding. This is one of the things I admire in Japanese people: their love of simple beauty.
I also appreciate the kindness of the Japanese. They would always greet me and show me around, welcoming me to be a part of their lives. I joined the English club, the music club and the softball tennis club. My classmates also invited me to go to a game center after school, where we took many purikuras, which are small pictures printed on sticker paper. We played a lot of fun games. The young Japanese are so creative, as I saw in the drawings of my classmates during arts class. They have a unique fashion sense, and I enjoyed going around the shops.
My friends and I wrote letters to one another every day. I fell in love with cute notepads, pencils and stickers that they use. I bought a lot of these to bring home. They are also such great friends. One friend of mine waited for me before going to a marathon that all the students had to participate in. She knew I didn’t know where to go, so she waited for me and rode her bicycle beside me going to the place and also going back to my house after the marathon. Even if it was out of her way, she did it because she cared about me. We used the language of the heart, which is universal to all who are willing to be open to others. We used electronic dictionaries, sign language, broken English for them, and broken Japanese for me. It was a very enjoyable experience.
I went to school almost every day. I participated in English class, art and physical education. Since there were other exchange students in the schools – one from France, one from Germany and two from Australia, we had Japanese lessons in the library six times a week. Studying the language with Japanese-speaking people made me see the point in actually taking time to study a new language. It made me realize that there is so much to learn and explore in this world. It opened my eyes and ears to so many ideas and possibilities that I didn’t even imagine I could explore.
During the entire trip, I was frequently asked questions about the Philippines, and this heightened my nationalistic pride. I found myself answering the questions with so much enthusiasm. Being a representative of my country to Japan made me appreciate the uniqueness in Filipino culture, values, food, and geography. I remember my own amazement at the awe in my Japanese father’s face when I said that there are 7,107 islands in my country, I didn’t realize that this is so remarkable. I also learned to appreciate the things I’ve always had.
This experience has been absolutely life changing. I have found myself, discovered the world as I have never known and learned to appreciate and truly live life.
Even now that I’m back, I constantly find myself unsatisfied with living a life I used to have. I no longer am stuck in my own world. I have found this whole new world.