“I know we’ve only known each other for two days, but I consider us family.” We’re halfway through the program and this is one of the few quotes that has stuck with me. It was said by William Rubison, a student on the trip, and it never occurred to me that 32 strangers would turn out to be your confidants for 4 remarkable weeks.
The youth hostel staff has been so generous to us. Not only have they prioritized our well-being by giving us free breakfast, but they also have allowed us to use their meeting room which is where we attend class. The classes are from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and Garard sensei as well as Stinson sensei have been the best duo anyone could ask for. They are straightforward with their teaching style whilst being hilarious.
I have been learning about how to better understand different and diverse cultures as well as how to appreciate Asian cinema. Aside from teaching the course curriculums well, they have taken time out of their day to take the group out on wonderful excursions. It’s because of them, the group's wonderful tour guide, Yuki San, and the Santa Barbara City College Study Abroad team that I get to experience all these amazing things. Beginning with a visit to a Temple where I had a traditional matcha-making tea ceremony, to visiting places outside of the city; such as Hakone, I have become more culturally aware of Japan's lifestyle.
The tea ceremony was the first time I have ever tried matcha and it was delicious. I wasn’t able to create foam with my whisk at the top of my matcha, but at least I had fun. A proper matcha tea ceremony consists of a matcha whisk which you use to whisk the matcha powder and then add water. What I found most interesting about the traditional tea ceremony is that the tea master (the person who hands you the tea), hands you the tea in a bowl with an intricate design, facing you. When you are finished, you sip the bowl to make a loud enough noise, and by doing so, you are showing your appreciation to the tea master. You also turn the bowl so the intricate design is now facing the tea master to show that you are finished.
My favorite thing about Japan has been the lifestyle. It was interesting to watch Japanese people going about their everyday lives: walking, talking, and eating. For example, railway stations have designated sections directing people to where they should walk, depending on whether they are going upstairs or downstairs. When speaking, folks often add gozaimasu at the end of their sentences. “Ohayo gozaimasu” or “arigato gozaimasu” means good morning and thank you, very much. By adding gozaimasu, you are initially emphasizing thank you in a more polite manner. When eating, you must never stick your chopsticks in rice because it may remind people of death, and it is usually considered rude behavior. I will say that the napkin situation in Japan needs improvement. I have learned to collect my unused napkins because not many restaurants have them.
I’ve noticed that people in Japan like to apologize quite often, even if it appears they have nothing to apologize for. They also like to make everyone feel included. The sidewalks have textured tiles, and the crosswalk has a button you can press. This is so that those who are blind or visually impaired can walk and cross the street safely. The button plays a soft song.
When going to shrines and temples, depending on what type of shrine and temple they are, the appropriate behavior would be to wash your hands in their bamboo faucet, approach the shrine, bow twice, clap twice, and bow again, then you may throw a coin in. All of this while making a wish. So far, I have seen the Big Buddha, Senso-ji Temple, Shinto Shrine, and Tokyo-daijingu Shrine.
People always talk about love and what it is like to fall in love with a place. I was so unsure about what they meant and it often made me panic, but I think that I have a pretty good feeling about it now.
About the writer:
Emily Pineda identifies as a tri-racial scholar who enjoys writing and learning about different cultures. They are thrilled to embark on this new adventure, and excited to share a portion of Japan with you. For more Tokyo posts, follow @studyabroadsbcc or follow Emily at @hiemilyagain.
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