So, last year exactly at this day (Sept 25th, 2014) I went to Japan for exchange program to Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Feeling nervous yet super excited. (Whoop, it's gonna be long story. You can't imagine how hard it is to summarize A YEAR with plenty experiences into one post haha XO).
CHAPTER 1 JAPANESE
So, guess what, I was going to Japan but knew nothing about Japanese. Tada! Well, you can't count 2 months class of Hiragana and Katakana as "knowing the language", that's why. Fortunately, I got my "pariban" or far far cousin, Richard (who turned to be my boyfriend days later -- yes, based upon Bataknese tradition, we are not genetically family so it's legal to date your pariban -- helped picking me up at the airport. Spent a night at the airport waiting for the earliest (any) transportation. Then, we got into a long and tiring journey up to my school from Haneda Airport. Got my two big suitcases sent directly to there by the airport service, but still had many heavy handbags encumber us on the way. Finally were able to get there and ought to attend the opening ceremony right away, with no proper sleep beforehand. Surprisingly, the opening ceremony complete with all the instructions for daily living, were all in Japanese. I still remember how I met Vanessa (a Philippines that I thought was Indonesian), Julia (a French), and Caroline (half French half Philippines). I also awfully forgot Katakana till I fortunately got a help from Julia to write my name in Katakana for the attendance list. Fortunately, we use English for daily conversation to everybody including all my classes, except when communicating with locals in public places (these locals were so depressing to me at first!). After Richard left, want it or not, I got myself accustomed to all the Japanese myself. Had a hard time starting from 100 level, the very beginning level, but fortunately made it and able to skip to 300 level at the following semesters. But, from this Japanese experience and from seeing many of my friends could actually speak 2 or even 4 languages, it really motivates me to have another study abroad not in the English speaking countries.
CHAPTER 2 THE ATMOSPHERE
So... I'll make it simple. First, all the people are different. It's all foreigners, either Japanese or westerns or other Asians. There are just a few Indonesians (at least whom I used to see). Then, the dorm. I used to live in my house all my life because my uni is also so near. This was my first time living alone. But I can say I made it, because fortunately I got a dorm that is all fully equipped. I got my toilet, bathroom, kitchen and studying desk in (I just felt pity that I still needed more cupboard or buffet). Inside the dorm, we got many public facilities/rooms to socialize. Food, hmm it's really good but I miss spices a lot! Thank God I worked at Indonesian restaurant so I could have some spices sometimes. Train, whoaaa, complicated lines, big and wide stations (some stations are like some of small airports in Indonesia), but it's very convenient (and on time!). Oh yah, I also got a bike that I use everyday to work, or to grocery shopping, or just to the nearest station before going anywhere (even to go to class which is near,lol). I had a lot of fun times with my baby blue bike till I could even ride with no hands (for about 1min only tho)! About places, okay start from shopping places. Shopping, ohhh how I love shopping. My advice for you (or actually for myself), always bring as few clothes as possible so you don't have to throw a lot when you go home (especially if you're a shopping junkie like me), or else, suffer a lot of money for international package (like me too)! huhu. Other places were amazing. Here are some places outside Tokyo that I remember visiting: Osaka, Universal Studio Japan (Harry Potter), Dotonbori, Kinki University, Kyoto, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Nagano, Beppu, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Fukuoka, Oita, Kitakyushu.
And inside/near Tokyo, I had good times here: Tokyo DisneySea, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Kichijoji, Harajuku, Koremasa, Mount Fuji, Shizuoka, Shibazakura Garden, Odaiba beach, Odaiba Statue of Liberty, Mount Takao, Tokyo Skytree, Akihabara, Joypolis Amusement Park, Ebisu, Gotanda, Ropponggi, Zushi, Kanagawa, Yomiriuland Amusement Park and Swimming Pool, Ginza (also a place where I worked for intern), Madame Tussasuds Wax Museum, Yuigahama Beach, Kamakura, Ueno, Yokohama and many more. These all were memorable! Oh, and I think I have to tell you that this was the first time I spent the four seasons full! It was surprising that the winter is soooo cold (even my friends from Russia said so), it was because of the crazy wind. And the summer was awfull. There was a week (or two maybe) full of the very humid weather and the strike of the sunlight made it hotter than Indonesia.
CHAPTER 3 EXPERIENCES
Oh, how I miss the atmosphere there. Both in campus and dorm, there are a looot of parties, either the legal event from campus or spontaneous ones by the students. I met (and made) a lot of (and various) friends with all their unique personalities. Welcoming Parties (plural), Halloween, Dorm-drinking-parties, clubs, going to Salsa club with my senior, going to Ageha a lot of times with many different people (especially Stephanie, my lets-pretend-to-be-lesbian partner whenever we got some boys striking us), meeting up with Indonesian figures at Campus Event for Indonesian Language student (I met Andrea Hirata, a famous novelist!), visiting some incredible places nearby by bike, performing as a model of Indonesian Traditional Costume at Fashion Show in front of many people (this is one of the bestttt, my first fashion show ever!), all the cooking-together at dorm kitchen, Thanksgiving Party, trying onsen and other typical Japanese stuff, hiking Mount Takao at fall, HAVING A WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY PARTY organized by my bestfriends (ah, how I thank you all!), karaoke-ing, shopping to all corners in Tokyo, Christmas Party, Christmas Celebration at Indonesian Church, PARTICIPATING AT SNOW CAMP TO NAGANO (ohhh, the best! I miss the snow, the children, all the partners,etc), New Year celebrations, ice skating, playing with snow, working as waitress at Indonesian restaurant,DOING INTERNSHIP AT JAPANESE COMPANY Recruit Marketing Partner, losing my bike once (not because of the thief, but because the police took it out when I parked in front of McD and left it there for going somewhere far), visiting all the cities at Kyushu Island, TRYING SHINKANSEN (3 days free pass ticket was definitely worth it!), PARTICIPATING AT COOKING CLASS for teaching about Indonesian food, BEING A FREELANCE AT AN EVENT ORGANIZER and get a lot of free pass or staff pass to some famous clubs, PARTICIPATING AT A MODEL UNITED NATION at Osaka with my 4 other Indonesian friends and met so many cool people there, registering for a member of 2 Japanese skin care and treatment by my own cash, experiencing a lot of earthquakes (one was so big, it cracked my long mirror), JOINING HIPHOP CLUB (buktsu) AT CAMPUS, PERFORMING DANCE AT SCHOOL EVENT (oh how I value that moment, it brought me back to my performance experiencs at senior high school and my home university events), watching Kabuki, JOINING BELLY DANCE CLUB AT SCHOOL AND AT STUDIO, watching Hanabi, wearing Kimono, taking typical Japanese Purikura photos, and especially, the best experience I had there was: to learn about how to love not the way I used to when I was a teenager, but in way more mature, sincere, and thoughtful way.
CHAPTER 4 FRIENDS
I am feeling lucky that I'm surrounded with all good friends all my life. Before I left, I got my 11 favourite girls and 4 other cool guys pick me up to airport. Thanks a million, Nija, Emmi, Bebet, Ami, Floren, Anggi, Riri, Suci, Septhi, Vanni, Jamet, Danis, Mahes, Dhony. And for my superb partner at Pengurus inti BEM FISIP UI 2013 for the farewell, and for my XL Future Leaders mates who made me a big farewell banner. I'm also super lucky for all the people I met there. One by one, till I pretty much made friend with almost all of them (or almost all). Being direct, I just wanna say thank you and sorry to them. First, the thank you part: Thanks for Takatoki, Stephanie, Kaori, three people I first hang out with (plus Richard, of course). Thanks for helping me with all the administrative tasks, and to introduce me to a restaurant I did baito (part time) at, and also for Kana! For all the friends I met there (I still remember exactly where and how I met you guys one by one, it's just impossible to write them all down), so hopefully "Thank you" would do my grateful to y'all: Vanessa, Julia, Caroline (whom I considered my best 3 first friends), followed by Kety, Summer, Mimi, Pery, Aki, Nick, Julie, Eunbi, Shin, Tatyana, Rok, Ben, Lukas, Juan, Veronica, Warut, Chi, Aya, Maria, Yasmeen, Mennatallah, Wilson (who soon follow as the dorm best peer, half of them were the best, they threw me a birthday party etc), Christina (a beautiful Spanish girl whom I spent my (and her) last days in Japan together), Manon, Amine, Jean, Julie, Claire (to me, I considered them my French bestfriends for they play a role in my life even till now), Adiya, Oyu, Jie, Akansha, Neang, Tommy, Zak, Isaura, Ian, Fransisco (my classmates), Keisuke, Erhan, Mais Pinar (my Turkish-related besties), Jen and Luang (two Laos neighbours), Kenny, Maho, Bethany, Tolu, Elle, Georgie, Anna, Steve, two Alexs, Usher, Janie, Harisson, Masa, Aakash, Mikaela, Obada, Imad, Isabela, Valerio, Pizzo, Doso, Daniel, Larissa, Jordi, Anatol, Vera, Ekaterina, Leticia, (my partying friends whom each person played an unforgettable role that thought me a lot of things), Vincent, Daizo, Christelle, Torben, Lucas, two Kanas, Carina, Steffi, Mikhail, Olga, Zlata, Nina, Julio, Aga, Arevik, Heidar, Michael, Jorge, Jun, Jung, Mauro, Lorenzo, Marti, Cinzia, Marti, Anush, Uma etc (in-front-of-dorm-beer-party-people), Zeva, Lin, Angelica, Carlos, Francesco, Rick (300 classmates), Anastasia, Rachele, Nomin, Kristina, Shayani, Clea, Janine, Bella, Campos, Denisse (friends I coincidentally met) and some others that I met less often. Not all of them are my best friends, but I thank them all because I learnt something (or for some people, many things) from knowing you all and having (either lot or few) chit chat with each of you. Each of you either teach me about love, sincerity, acceptance, betrayal, jealousy, and all other lessons that broadened my perspectives. And the sorry part is: I personally wanna say sorry that I was at first spending almost all my times with you (especially my peers), but by time, you might feel like I was rarely appear daily. Let's say, just when we're throwing party. I was busy working (it's another unforgettable memories I wanna tell as well) and preparing myself for my "hidden big dreams" that I couldn't tell you. Why? Because not so everyone care about other's dreams, and it's normal. But at least, I promise myself that there will come a time in a future, that time and money won't matter for me and when that day comes, I will come visit y'all, especially Musky Tears, my French fellows and Christina. Promise! Still, I have to admit that the biggest thank you is for my 12 girls. Those people who understand, accept, and support me in all my ambitious dreams. Who accept me for who I am, stand there still through ups and downs together, no matter how far we're separated, how different we see life, how different we act upon destiny, never betray behind my back, etc. Thanks for being the best of the best for me. As soon as I'm on top, you're all my priorities after my family to "be paid back" with all the love and sincerity.
CHAPTER 5 WORKING EXPERIENCE
I know exactly that I am a sinner, but for some reasons (so much reason actually), I do believe in God. You know why? I keep getting all the lucks I have never imagined. I knew nothing about Japanese at first, but just in a month, I got my Baito (part time) at an Indonesian Restaurant at Parco Mall Chofu. I also got a bike from my whoever-senior that worked there before but I actually never met her.Yes, I intended to work while studying, but I never imagined it could be that fast, even without big effort. I mean, it was not like I'm looking around everywhere applying here and there, but my friend Kaori (who also worked there) told me the opportunity, and so, I applied. And for whatever reason, I got accepted. About this baito, it's so cool yea bit tiring. There were times when I really had to ride my bike right away after the class, just because I have baito in 30 mins. I also remember times when I had to ride my bike there in the middle of heavy snow. Or when during fasting Ramadhan, I had to cover my friend's shift because some people going back to Indonesia and we got just few people working. For most of the time, I got back home around 23:30. And during exam weeks, that was awful! I gotta manage my time so well to be able to manage both. But, I don't regret it at all. I even thanked God for that. I learned a lot. About my own time management, hard work, sacrificial, Japanese language, Japanese protocol, etc. I also thanked God for being able to do internship when I was in Japan. I called it fortune because I literally didn't plan or even wish for it. Yes, before I went to Japan I wanted to work, but never came to my mind to work in Japanese company. I mean like "real working" not just "part time". But, I have to admit that it was such a challenge. I found it much more difficult than working as waitress (of course). Not about the number of time spent or what, but about the responsibility and the "pressure" on the environment. Like how "introvert" and individualist the other employees were, how Japanese people implicitly saying that "if you wanna work with me, speak my language", and so on. But after all, that was all worth it. Such a priceless experiences!
So yeah, here it is! Having not so many time to continue no more (would probably revise/add some parts later), but that's all for tonight. For photos, too much to choose so just take a look at my Facebook if you wish. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/widyaaputri.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAY THIS POST BRINGS OUT SOMETHING FOR YOU AND SEE YA IN MY NEXT STORY, ANOTHER JOURNEY OF MY LIFE.
