How to go on an exchange program to japan
How I did it: I asked my parents to go on the exchange. We chose the agency and made all the preparations. I went to Matsuyama (Ehime, Shikoku, Japan) on March 29, 2007, and stayed until January 20, 2008. I couldn't describe it is in one or two words if asked. It was damn special to me! I really wanted to go somewhere, and I was really into Japan at the time. Even if I wasn't, I think I'd recommend it to anyone. I was very well-treated there and I did learn lots of things.
My experiences vary from going to this very strict high school, getting best friends, communicating, eating, and being a good student.
My school was as strict as strict can mean. I used to have my hair dyed reddish black, and I had to change back to my natural color, which was dirty blonde. My uniform made me feel too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter, but I couldn't wear anything but it and it pissed me off so much!! There were so many things at that school that I didn't get why should I do.
For example, everytime we had PE (which was 3 times per week), we had to run about 3km. I had never run so much in my entire life before!!! It was enough having to go to school by bycicle. The worst was that after running we had to change quickly for the next class, without any shower at all.
I kept asking myself why, why, why. I was also shy at the beginning and didn't feel like I was succeeding at making friends - I can't make them at school in Brazil neither. But the people in my school just loved me for free. I started to try to be more confident in myself, more communicative and all.
At first it scared some people away, but the best ones stayed. They thought it was just my brazilian personality that made me be that extroverted, so they just got much more in love with me! I started to send them mobile phone messages and that tied our bonds a lot more. And finally I could accept that I shouldn't just be a prick and deny running; I had to run, after all, everybody else was running, why should I be the little princess who's too fragile to run 3km? I was very mad at me for having been so weak, and tried to surprise myself, giving my best at PE classes.
The day before the school's marathon, I gave a speech to the entire school, yeah, in front of everybody. I told them about my experience and what I was going through, all the running and the suffering, but how grateful I was to be there and that I had learned the lesson: Never give up. I told them that I had found out the "japanese student spirit", to never give up and try your best, challenge everything. Because I was in Japan and giving up was not a choice for me! After all, I chose to go there. I chose to challenge. I learned that I have to take my choices with responsibility.
After the speech, some of the girls even cried, and some of my senpai (veterans) wished me luck. The principal told my home room teacher that I had told his students everything he was trying to tell every year, that your will power can lead you anywhere, and that giving up is not a choice. And that with me telling them, it looked like they had really taken those words seriously.
I did end up running the 10km without any walk nor stop. Two of my teachers run along with me - they weren't going to, but they chose to participate because of the speech! They found out that giving their best would also make people realize that they have to give theirs, too. It was one of the best days of my life. I was the last one to complete the running, but when I came back, all my friends from school and teachers were waiting for me with a big crossing finish line (ok, I don't know how is it called but I'm sure you understood), with messages from all of them.
The picture I uploaded here is from the day I went back to Brazil, at Matsuyama's airport. Those in the pic are my classmates. My host parents and sister cried a lot. When I went to cross the doors to my flight, all of them got together and held hands up high so I'd pass under their arms (I suck at describing in english!). And they asked me, "mata aou ne?" (Let's meet again, right?) :')
Mark yourself on the place you go as I did. Matsuyama Central High School still remembers me as the marathon girl :)
Lessons & tips: *Don't be shy - they're very shy, so if you're western please represent your home country entirely and be communicative. They love westerns!
*Learn basic japanese before going, always ask to be corrected and always talk in japanese, pick slangs from the beginning and BUY A MOBILE PHONE, they communicate through these ONLY.
*Bring them souvenirs from your home country.
*Be a good exchange student; don't break the rules and be a good daughter/son to your host parents, always trying to help them and make things easy for them.
*Think twice before complaining.
*Don't compare your home country to Japan.
Resources: I went to Japan thanks to EIL agency. It's a good agency but if you think you'll need lots of support I wouldn't recommend because they don't get in touch very much.
