As you may have read, these essays are
collections of my thoughts concentrated on various subjects while I am staying
in Japan. I thought that it might be appropriate to
write my first essay before I leave. And my topic in this essay: my preparation
for the trip.
One major aspect of my preparation
for this trip is the items that I will take with me. Even though I will be
learning a lot on this trip, I am bringing several learning aides to expedite
the process. For help in learning the Japanese language, I am taking Remembering
the Kanji – to learn Japanese’s
borrowed Chinese characters, Handbook
of Japanese Verbs – to learn how to
conjugate and effectively use verbs, Making
Out in Japanese – to learn more
casual Japanese speech that I will probably hear daily, and Japanese
for Everyone – this book provides a
variety of general Japanese lessons that I can work through when attending my
Japanese high school. Along with all these academic books, I will make sure
to bring some paperback books to read through the year -- I am certain that
there will be several times during my trip where I will have nothing to do, and
I will need a respite from trying to absorb all the Japanese.
For capturing the experience, I have
covered several perspectives – a visual perspective using a digital camera, an
animated visual perspective using a MiniDV camera, and a literary perspective
using a blog and these essays. On the
flip side, I have made a photo album with about 90 photos to show to people I
meet in Japan a little of my life in America. I also will be making a PowerPoint presentation
about myself and America to show at events like Rotary meetings. And
of course I will carry a bundle of gifts for my host families and friends which
includes: West
Virginia
t-shirts, American sandals, deck of cards with American motifs, key chains, etc...
I have not only gathered items for
this trip, but have also gathered knowledge. My trip to Okinawa last summer has been a really good stepping
stone for this trip. Although Okinawan culture is sometimes markedly different
than mainland Japanese culture, I believe that I will be able to acclimatize to
my Japanese surroundings much faster than my last trip. I’ll try to use what I
already know about Japan to further my understanding on particular
topics. For instance, Japanese high schools are not as foreign to me as they
seemed before, and this time I can more closely look at the differences between
American and Japanese high schools. With regards to language, I have attempted
to try to learn as much as I can before I go back. This time I’ve concentrated
more on learning through speech through private lessons rather than by reading.
I think my first meeting with my first host family will go more smoothly
because of what I have learned now. Of course, most of what I learn in Japanese
will happen in Japan, because I will be surrounded by the
language. I also have done a little research on the religions of Japan and some local history of Fukuoka in our town’s public library. I will
probably use this knowledge in later essays.
What do I hope to get out of this
trip? Well of course a better understanding of Japan and its people. But I think more
importantly I would like to explore what makes us all essentially the same. I
find it interesting to find pieces of culture and/or history mirrored in
another completely different culture. Plus, I like to travel and try new
things. I am not going merely for deep academic analysis but also to have fun.
I hope to have experiences that I will never forget and meet people that I will
be in contact with for the rest of my life. I am ready for a challenge and
ready to have as much fun as I can!