Japan Summer Immersion Program : What I have Learned From the Trip

Wazzup Pilipinas!

DepEd and Japan Foundation Manila did not send us to this trip just to have fun, although we surely did. We had tasks to complete, assignments to finish, reports to write and present, and reflections to think about. In summary, I have learned and realized the following from my ten-day immersion in Japan:

1. Always be a good ambassador of your country. Do this by acting professionally, speaking well about your country and its people, and doing the very best that you can in everything you do. The Japanese people are known for being hardworking, and for excelling in whatever they lay their hands on. So because they give their best, they expect the same from us.

2. Always look at the time. Never be late. But don’t be too early either. We got lost in Osaka not because we were tardy but because we rode the train too early. In Japan, every second counts. You have to ride the train at the exact time stated in the schedule. Or else like us, you will end up elsewhere.

3. Learn as much as you can. Do not waste time. Be productive with free time. We didn’t have any problems because we worked first, then had fun after. Even if we stayed up late at night, we didn’t have anything to worry about because we finished our tasks before dinner time so we could enjoy and relax thereafter.

4. Learn to appreciate Japan, but without demeaning or belittling the Philippines. It is easy to fall into the trap of noticing everything nice about Japan, and complaining about what we have back home and whining away about all our faults and shortcomings. We cannot compare apples to oranges. Japan is a first-world country while we are a third-world nation. Surely, a great difference lies between the two. I love Japan, but I also love the Philippines. My heart has room for both, and I wouldn’t speak ill of my own country in order to praise the other, or vice versa.

5. Bring what’s good in Japan and apply it here in the Philippines. Things like being serious with their craft, constantly seeking excellence and perfection, being punctual, and more --- these are some things we take for granted. In Japan, they study the art of wearing and producing kimono for four years! For some people it might be a waste of time. But for the Japanese, it is not. They can tell if the one wearing the kimono was dressed up by someone who is a novice or by someone who has had years of experience and expertise to do it. They treat even the simple as something serious and sacred. They put so much value to everything, and do not take things lightly. I would like my students to do the same and adapt this very wonderful trait I learned from my interaction with the Japanese people.

What I can do in Nihongo

The E3 course is primarily a language program, though we study about culture to harness our language skills. At this point in the program, here are some of the things I can do in Nihongo:

1. Write and read Hiragana and Katakana at a much faster pace; Answer reflection questions in Hiragana and Katakana;

2. Clarify questions from airport officials who could only speak Nihongo; Seek their permission for specific requests (ie, take a bottle of water in the hand carry, etc.)

3. Introduce my country, my school and my family to my host family, students in Kitamoto High School and to our volunteers;

4. Engage in longer discourses with my host family, students in Kitamoto High School and our volunteers, instead of simply answering a question from them, or just asking them a question and obtaining a response;

5. Explain the purpose and tasks involved in our field work to our volunteers and host family, and communicate what we want to do at Kitamoto High School;

6. Give our presents (pasalubong) to our host family, volunteers and students assigned to our group, and explain what they are;

7. Give our personal impressions and appropriate reactions in particular situations (ie, when eating a delicious meal, when seeing something interesting); Describe certain emotions felt (ie, happy, surprised)

8. Seek assistance and help from train station employees and even from strangers in going to our destinations, especially when we were lost in Osaka and Tokyo;

9. Ask people how many minutes or hours it takes to get to a particular venue or place, and whether it is near or far;

10. Asking for the price of a particular item, and if there are other models or versions or colors available;

11. Communicate to our host family and volunteers which Japanese foods we can and cannot eat;

12. Ask for an extra serving of rice, or order a particular food; clarify my ordered food from the cafeteria;

13. Seek permission if I could take photos or videos of a particular product, and if I could upload them or use them for my classes;

14. Request a stranger to take our group picture;

15. Ask our host family, volunteers, or students assigned to us if we could have our pictures taken with them;

16. Borrow LAN cable from the receptionists of the Kansai Kokusai Center and tell them when we are going to return them;

We sincerely thank all DepEd officials (Dr. Lolita Andrada, Ms. Rose Domingo, and Ms. Ana Sol Reyes) and all Japan Foundation officials (Mr. Shuji Takatori, Ms. Yukie Mitomi, Ms. Cecile Aquino, Ofune Sensei, Flori Sensei, Suma Sensei, and all our other teachers) for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Our trip to Japan was postponed twice, but it came at the right time, and it was really worth the wait.

Contributed by : Isabelle Sanchez