Mushi Mushi So what's it like living in Japan? The question is too general and could be answered in many ways. You can talk about sushi all day and get confused. On the other words, you might even confuse your friend when you described your version of Japan. When I first heard about the Toyokawa Trip Back In Spring for Malaysian students to experience the cultures and living in Japan, I really didn't want to go. Thanks to my best friend and teacher's advice, I changed my mind. It was fun to answer hard, unexpected questions during the three interviews from three different teachers from local and Japan. I can still remember the time when Michelle (my sister) frightened me that I had failed the interview. She eventually cheered me up that I did pass the interview and her lie was just a joke to test me. Imagine my pure joy when I received a letter from the Embassy of Japan stating that I, Moo Thian Yeng would get to travel to the land of rising sun! The Japanese cultures seemed so original and to me very fascinating. Politeness, respect and kindness are stressed in the society. Its such a great place to be that I might think of moving there someday (just joking! I would not trade to live in Malaysia for anything). Host Family The Narita International Airport in Tokyo was really busy! Everywhere I walked it always seemed that there were a lot of people. Did someone call me Rachel Thian Yeng (my penname)? I looked behind and saw someone with a cheerful face and holding a board on which my name was written. I quickly took my steps and went to ask him if he is the representative, Mr.Yasuhiro from the Embassy of Japan. He said yes and I quickly went for a checkup by looking at the photo. Yes, he was the person I have been looking for. "Hello, may I know where are you taking me to meet my host family? " I asked. "In the Embassy of Japan", he said. And that's where I met my nice host family, I shook my hands with Mr.Takahiro (a cheerful person with great personality. I never thought that he was a great cook too behind a successful environmental engineering career!), Mrs.Tomoko (an excellent housewife who love shopping and had green hands), Seiko (a fun loving fashion gig who helped me a lot with the Japanese language) and Hideaki (a talented and friendly person). Luckily, the Embassy of Japan had done me with great mercy to look for a Japanese family with good English tongues. Otherwise, I'm clueless on how to survive in Japan! Morning Waking up in spring was beautiful! I woke up at 5a.m. everyday to help my host family to do some household chores. Seiko was quite friendly and I could not help feeling time passed quickly. Japanese high school uniform is stylish. It's basically a white long sleeved shirt with a black skirt 10cm above knees, sleeveless sweater with V neck shape, wore Futon (a long socks) and black leather shoes. I loved breakfast most. Mrs.Tomoko was a great chef. Japanese tarako spaghetti was completely unique and yummy. It was basically fish egg spaghetti. It tastes better than it sounds! At around 6.50a.m, I take a 10 minutes walk with Seiko and Hideaki to nearby train station. We chitchat about the latest things in Japan as well as Malaysia. She told me what and who are popular in Japan and I told her the same things. The MRT Train System is more advanced than the LRT Train System in Malaysia. I arrived at Minamikarasuyama, Tokyo in a flash. Students use a special student card to pay for train rides through the automatic machines. The machines say thanks! (Looks like the machines are also polite too in Japan) The good deeds I have ever did on that day was to offer a seat to an elderly person (I had to! I was sitting on the silver seat. In Japan, you are supposed to offer the seat to an elderly person if you are sitting on a silver seat!) The School The Yokota High School was beautiful. The building looks more like an office with many facilities like a swimming pool and surrounding with clean environment. I could just smell the fresh fragrance of cherry flowers flowing through my nostrils. There were a lot of educational posters scattered here and there. I was actually excited when I went into the hall and found students clapping on both sides. I got a surprise of life when I was introduced in front of thousand students in an assembly on my first day. I just said hi and waved my hands *^_^* Kiritsu Kiotsuke Rei The moment the teacher entered the door, the monitor would tell us all to kiritsu (stand with our arms straight)."Kiotsuke!"(everybody stiffened up) the monitor continued. 'Rei"! We would all then bow down and everyone shouts out in unison, onegai shimasu which mean " please help us to learn" actually made up a funny mistake by saying "good morning, teacher". Oops, I did it again! (I made two mistakes by greeting in English) The monitor, Yurie was very kind to me and taught me what I should say next time. Lessons were great and interesting, as I could understand most of the things that the teacher taught me because they always made sure that I understood what was going on in the class. I brought a Japanese-English dictionary with me everywhere. Teachers The Japanese teacher was a delight. Miss Mitsumi planned a short picnic for the whole class in the Shinjuku Central Park during the weekend. I made some low fat kiwi cheese delight (tiny cheesecake with kiwi jelly as a topping in a plastic cup) enough for the whole class to last. Apparently, they all seemed to like it. My first homemade dessert was a success! We took some photos together. I even took a photo of the cherry's blossom as a part of my memory of Tokyo's beautiful scenery. What do you think? School Clubs I remember talking to an English teacher, Mr.Kamahara in the literature class. I asked if we all could do a part for English week like drama. He said ok and asked the others what drama they like. Some of them suggested "Midsummer's Night Dream" and "Under the Bicycle Wheels". As both of these dramas were quite complicated, I suggested to the teacher that perhaps we all could do some drama about tragic love during the old time Japan. A long survey was being carried out and during lunchtime, we all talked about the drama. We planned a drama about a triangle love with a tragic ending based on one of the Japanese folk tales. The heroine, Kayoko Nemoto was at her wedding with someone she never loved at all as a result of her father's selfish decision about marriage (her father intended to use his daughter as a price for his family's business). Her childhood friend, who was the heroine true love, Hamada Takenori decided to stop the marriage by shooting the bridegroom with an arrow. The bridegroom only loves the heroine's beauty only and was never truthful to her. �� Kayoko Nemoto, who saw Hamada trying to kill the bridegroom, stopped the bloodflow by taking the shoot. Therefore, Kayoko died but before her last breath fled away, she asked her father not to punish the Hamada with death and forgive him. She even told the hero that if god prevails, she hopes to be reincarnated and meet him again in her next life. Unfortunately, the heroine's father whose hate heathens because of his daughter's death had caused him shame, Hamada was outcast and Kayoko's bodies was buried in Mount Fuji. After her death, there was a bad drought in the village for years. Kayoko's father realized his mistakes went to his daughter's grave and asked for her forgiveness. Cherry flowers that had not been blossomed for many seasons released its lovely petals. Kayoko's spirit appeared and told him that she already forgives him. Thus, this was one of the Japanese folk tales that had touched many hearts for centuries. It was not easy to write a script but with my new friend's help, everything seemed to go smoothly. Seiko, Miki, Mariko and Mallory (an American Exchange student) were helpful and creative. They were my translators in Japanese too. The English week was a success. As soon as the drama was finished, each English society members who participated in the drama took a step to the stage, holding each other hands and said thank you in English. Audience's applause was inspiring. It was one of the most glorious moments of my life. Hinamatsuri Festival It was really a pleasant festival in my teenage years. The Hinamatsuri or Doll Festival was originally observed in order to pray for the well being of the people by making dolls from straw and grass. Emperor and Empress doll are displayed on a tiered stand with beautifully arranged peach flowers. Diamond shaped colourful rice cakes and white sake (Japanese wine which looks like water but taste hot) were also displayed on the five tiers which were connected to one tiered stand. In the early morning after a breakfast, I wore a flying crane kimono, which was bought by Mr.Takahiro (I was so grateful to him that I washed his Porsche every evening). Japanese girls would wear their lovely kimono that day and pray to the dolls. Naturally, the misfortunes and the sins of the body will be exorcised into the dolls. I walked slowly with Seiko and Mrs.Tomoko to the Mogamigawa River, which was crowded with lagoons of colourful kimonos and floating boats of dolls or flowers. As soon as we reached there, I kneeled down on a rock with Seiko and practice nagashi-bina. This was believed to take away a person's troubles. Since the elaborated empress doll was lovely, I decided to keep the misfortunes to myself.� Instead, I placed some cherry flowers on a paper boat and set it adrift on the river, flowing to the blue Pacific Sea. At night, I could saw many fireworks flashing through the black skies every minute. Shinjuku Street was lined with lanterns hanging around the peach and cherry trees. Varieties of outdoor entertainment including Ikebana, flower arranging, traditional calligraphy doll making, origami and cultivation of bamboo and flowers. I managed to catch a an orange goldfish with a small net after a few attempts and gave it to Mesoo, Seiko's cousin sister since I could not bring it back to Malaysia. Musical performances like Sanseiyoseikai were graceful and enchanting, I must say. We witnessed the Taiko, Japanese drum ceremony after the musical performance. It was both powerful and aspiring. Most of the drummers were university students. Utada Hikaru looked lovely in kimono. She was performing an old classic Japanese song and her smash hit song, "It's Automatic"! Everybody gave out loud cheers as she walked around; waving and shaking hands with her fans. I couldn't resist singing the chorus "it's automatic" although I could only sing this line in her song. Somehow, I could feel that she was wishing everyone to have an unforgettable Hinamatsuri. Later, Seiko lit up some firecrackers and divided it among us.� We all had fun chasing each other, waving the burning firecrackers (I had a strange feeling that I was holding the miracle of joy in my hand). Farewell, Land Of Rising Sun I am going to be late for my English class. J.C., help me! My two cold hands suddenly touched my bright cheeks. Tears of joy streamed my eyes. "Helo, Rachel!"; cheered the whole class. Miss Mitsumi had organized a farewell party for me! Someone wrote "Farewell, Rachel" on the blackboard. We had fun playing games like suikawari where the players was blindfolded and spun around a bat three times, then walked slowly to the watermelon which was tied with a rope, floating in the air and hit it open! It was funny and delightful. We took many photos with the camera I brought along (I kept my camera in the school closet) and ate the watermelon. The whole class gave me big card with colorful signatures either wishing me to have a happy life or do not forget us." I almost forget I had something to give you all, "I said. I handed them each a wooden pen with a carved figure of a doll and printed Malaysia. They just laughed and thanked me. Seiko clasped my hands and asked me to forget her not. I promise that we both will meet each other one day although we knew that the one-day might be long and impossible. I shook my hand with my host family for one last time and could not stop myself from waving at them as I walked to the inspection areas. Sunlight colored the blue skies into yellow gold as I looking through the window of airplane.Yes; I have been to the land of rising sun. I secretly prayed for their happiness and I would love to show the wonder of my motherland to them one day. ������������������������������������������������������������������������ Author's note: Hope every reader like my stories. I would like to encourage peoples to on an exchange student program in Japan.It's a good experiences because the peoples and country is really beautiful!
Copyright © 2001 Rachel Thian Yeng |