Hokkaido

Finally back home and getting back to normal. I am no longer jetlagged, but already missing certain things from Japan (cheap food, not tipping, heated toilet seats, etc.) What’s the biggest impact this experience has had on you?  The biggest thing I gained from this experience in my opinion is the new sense of confidence. I had to push myself so much to go out and do new things and I never regretted it. I also felt like I constantly stuck out everywhere I went, so I got used to it. Don’t get me wrong, I am more than happy… Read more: Reflection — Final Blog Post

October 10-26 New Word/Phrase I Learned:  This time I want to talk about a word/phrase I didn’t learn while in Japan: you’re welcome. Every time I thanked someone, they would either thank me back or say “iieh, iieh” as in no, no or no worries. Something Surprising/Interesting:  I got pretty used to driving on the left side of the road 🙂 One of the school visits we did was a school in a small town outside of Kushiro with only a few students in each class. We saw an English class with two students, a science class with 3. It was… Read more: Heading Home

New Word/Phrase I Learned:  I can’t think of any specific new ones, but I’ve definitely been using Daijobou desu (I’m good) a lot! People have been very polite here, and offer to help me with quite a few things, so I often tell them I’m alright and thank them. Something Surprising/Interesting:  How often I’ve seen the red-crowned cranes every time we drive out of the city! They’re really everywhere, but always in the hardest places to photograph. We also had the opportunity to see one of the top high schools of Kushiro. It is a special science school and we… Read more: Kushiro: Sept 24-Oct 9

This past week, we started our placement at our school, which is an elementary (grades 1-6) public school with some special needs classrooms! Although it was only three days so far, we’ve gotten a chance to be with nearly every grade and have lunch with multiple classes! The school itself is absolutely amazing! The teachers are so friendly, warm, and welcoming, and go out of their way to make us feel welcomed. The principal and vice-principal took the time to welcome us and are always there for us should we have any questions or concerns. It’s a bit different to… Read more: kawaii desu