Hello Lovelies!
Long time no see (sorry sorry sorry ~!)
As promised, long ago, i’m gonna post my photos from my first trip to Japan!
Yes, i’ve made another two trips to Japan since that time, will update about these two as well.
Unfortunately my photos from my trip to Japan 2014 have disappeared, or might be on my father’s computer!
So the photo’s i found from that trip on my computer were just photo’s from my date with Takao and then a few with my friend Kazuna, as well a few from a matsuri i went to!
So i’m gonna summarise the three weeks i was in Japan 2014, 18th of December to 8th of January 2014!
My main purpose with this trip was to do my high school final exam essay/project, and the them i had chosen was Cultural differences between the Japanese and the Swedish schoolsystem!
Since i went Children- and recreation program i had do do this big essay/project about something concerning school and children, so i took that in mind and thought ”Hey, why not include my big interest as well?” and yeah.
My friend Kazuna, whom i got to know and befriend through my Instagram, helped me out and told me that her older sister had asked her old school if it was okay for me to come there and interview the students and bam! i had a place set! 😀
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When i first arrived in Japan i was supposed to meet Kazuna by the gate, but she hadn’t arrived yet when i got there.
I waited and waited and soon after a while i began to fear that she had played a mean joke on me – that she wouldn’t come and pick me up.
Panicking i did my best to connect to the airport’s Wifi so i could use my phone to call her, but i couldn’t connect it.
Close to tears i sat down on my bags and began to think of every tpossibility to why she hadn’t come and where i had gone wrong.
As i sat there and thought over my life choices a crew of six men suddenly approached me, they said they were from a very famous TV show called ” YOUは何しに日本へ？” ( Why did you come to Japan?) and they wondered if they could interview me for their show.
I answered in Japanese that of course i didn’t mind and said that it was fine, after the shock that i spoke and understood Japanese calmed down they began asking me questions such as:
* Why did i come to Japan?
*How old were I?
* Were i traveling alone?
* Why did i learn Japanese?
*How did i learn Japanse?
* When did i start learning it?
* What do i like about Japan?
* Where will i go and what will i do in Japan?
Etc. Etc.
Eventually they asked me if i were waiting for someone, since they had seen me stand there for a long time.
I explained to them that i was waiting for a friend that were supposed to come and meet me there by the gate. . . two hours ago.
They were shocked and worried by the fact that i had waited for so long and no one had yet to come for me, they asked if it was okay for them to wait with me until my friend came and i thanked yes for the company.
They shared their Wifi with me so i could contact Kazuna and i was happy when it connected and i managed to call her!
I asked her where she was and why she was late; she had missed the bus she would’ve taken to Narita airport and that she had to wait for the next one but that she now was on her way.
So, after 4-5 hours she finally came and i thanked the Tv-crew for the interview and for keeping me company.
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Final exam Project:
Cultural differences between the Japanese and the Swedish schoolsystem!
So Yuri, Kazuna’s older sister, had asked her old teacher if it was okay for me to come by a schoolday and observe a few classes and interview some students as well as teachers.
When me and her got to the shool that morning, we started by going to the teachers office/room (i don’t know what to call it) where i introduced myself to the teachers and once again explained to them what i was doing there.
They were all very shocked that i spoke Japanese and their reactions made me laugh!
But soon the teacher that i would accompany on her class arrived and her reaction was most hiarious!
I swear, she shuffled back so quick i was afraid she would fall over.
” E,eh? Eeeeeh!!?!?!? Why!? Why do you speak Japanese?! How come-!?! ”
”Amazing!! You’re so fluent!! How come you speak Japanese? How long did you study it? You’ve studied by yourself!?!? Woow!!! ”
”How old are you? You’re so cute and beautiful ~!! ”
She was so excited and shocked, her reaction was so cute and funny!
After she calmed down she handed me a book called Kokoro (= Heart ) that they were curently reading in class and also a sheet with the books story, both in japanese and english (the English, oh horror!!! The grammar was soo. . . i don’t dare to think back to it).
Then we made our way towards the classroom, but before entering she whispered to me a plan she thought would be interesting.
She told me to speak in English, to present myself and what i was doing there – to let the students try and understand and then i would repeat it all in Japanese.
So, she went in first and said that there would be an extra person in class that day (me) and that they were to listen carefully, then i heard her tell me to please come in.
Slowly i made my way in to the classroom and it echoed with gasps and whispers.
”It’s a foreigner! ”
”She’s so pretty!! ”
”So small!! ”
”Her hair!!!Omg her hair!! ”
”She gonna speak? Shhh!!!!! ”
Trying to ignore their whispers, since i have a huge phobia of speaking in front of people, i began to speak in as clear voice i could muster up, telling them my name and who i was and what i was doing there.
After i was done the teacher asked the students if they uderstood what i had just said.
A girl raised her hand:
”She introduced herself and that she was here to do some sort of project about schools? ”
Then, with a wink from the teacher, i introduced myself and my project once again – in Japanese.
I don’t exaggerate when i say that EVERYONE stood up so quicly their chairs fell over, the surprised and mindblown exclamations from EVERYBODY .
”She speaks Japanese!?!?”
”Holy shit!!! ”
”What does this mean!?!? Why does she speak Japanese!?!”
”Wow!! ”
After a while they all calmed down but i could feel their piercing gaze throughout the rest of the lesson.
After class ended they all came up to me to ask me questions;
”How old was i? ”
”Did i have a boyfriend?”
”How old was i?”
”How long had i saved my hair? ”
”How short/tall was i?”
”When and how did i learn Japanese? How had i become so fluent? ”
”How many times had i been to Japan?”
”Could they take photo’s with me?”
”Could i please stand by the window so they could get a good photo and look on my super blue eyes?”
Needless to say, i had a great time and met many great people!
The next class, with another one, i just stood in the back of the classroom and observed but i learned a lot and got great information for my project.
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Date with Takao in Disney world!
Photo taken during a date with Takao where we went to Disneyland.
A few photos from the parade that went through the whole place !
All the disney characters from the Penguins from Madagascar to the
ever so famous Mickey Mouse and the classic Mary Poppins!
It was kinda funny because many of the characters were
dressed in Japanese clothes such as Yukatas and Kimonos!
We also went to the Shooting place where he challenged me even though it was my first time!
Needless to say, he won – but that was okay, because he gave me the prizes! ^^
Went to a small Lilo & Stitch theater and a Alice in Wonderland café ~ !
Taking a break for some fika and then we moved on to a canoe trip !
We went to the Indian Village we saw from the canoe trip!
I think the Indian Village belong to Disney’s Peter Pan!
I don’t remember from where/what disney movie this tree hut were from, but you could see very far from it!
Peeking out from the very nicely made cliffs !
It was a very fun and happy day!
Q
And yes, he loves cars!
And that’s why he forced me to sit down in this one so he could take a photo of it. . . .
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Ghibli Museum with Kazuna !
I went to Ghibli museum with Kazuna!
It was a lot smaller than i had expected and it was slightly disappointing but all in all it was a very nice place!
Even though it wasn’t as big as i had expected i still reccomend all of you Ghibli-fans out there to go there 🙂
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Matsuri ~!!
So! I got to borrow a yukata to a matsuri ( = festival ) from a friend’s sister !
We were going to a matsuri close by and i felt so pretty in the beautiful yukata!
It fit me so perfectly, it was a tad too long but they said it was normal to just roll it up a bit and keep it there with the Obi ( Obi = the yellow belt, of course it is in many colours!), but the colours also went perfectly ith my hair colour and my pale skin!
I won two goldfishes, which i named Kin ( = Gold ) and Gin ( = Silver ) – because of their colours, one was more gold and the other had more silver in it hence the names!
On the matsuri i met two children that i talked a bit with, just for being polite, who then took me to and introduced me to their parents – the parents then asked me to come with them to a small shrine because their son wanted me to come along so badly (no worries, he was like 4 – 5).
I asked my friends if it was okay for me to go with them a bit, just to humor the children a while, and of course my friends didn’t mind – but the parents asked my friends as well and also promised to look after me and walk me back to them in an hour or two (very polite and righteous country!)
The children dragged me along into the herd of hundreds of people that were dancing a traditional dance to taiko-drums, i tried to decline and told the children that i didn’t know how to dance that dance and that i’d rather watch them dance it – they pulled me along either way and said it was fine if i just tried to do as the others were doing.
I did my best and after a while i think i actually got the hang of it !! 😀
Hiro, the dude in orange shirt, bought me curry and bread – it was very yummy! ^^
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That’s all for now and see you soon in my next update!
Hyunhyun ~ ! ( * ^ _ ^ * ) /
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