Michelle Ching

Feeling like I had been in the same place all my life, I had a strong desire to go far away. When the opportunity to study abroad arose the summer before my senior year, I felt that it was my last chance to get away, "see the world," and try to learn more about myself. After studying Japanese at Berkeley for four semesters, I thought that going to Japan would be an effective way to reinforce my studies and experience the culture firsthand. Furthermore, the program at ICU was perfect in terms of the length of the program and its offering of a range of language class levels.

I had the opportunity to participate in a volunteer trip, where we visited an area affected by the tsunami in 2011. We saw that the communities were still in recovery from the disaster and had the privilege of meeting and listening to the stories of locals. This was the most interesting cultural experience I had abroad because it showed me a different facet of Japan; the seeming simplicity of life contrasted starkly from the hustle of the center of Tokyo where I frequented the most. At the same time, the complexities of the visible and unspoken hardships faced everyday by the people there, though different for everyone, seemed translatable at a universal level.

My greatest feeling of concern before and while studying abroad came from a feeling that I needed to see everything and do everything while in Japan. I felt that I would be wasting this unique opportunity if I did not take full advantage of it. This way of thinking only brought me stress and worry, until I realized that within a small part of Tokyo, this small corner of the world, the breadth and diversity of things to see and experience are infinite. I accepted that it would be impossible to do everything, even the things that I truly wanted to do, and I found that exploring supermarkets for a day instead of exploring well-known historical landmarks was not a loss, that studying abroad for me was not completing a checklist but rather just being present and taking it all in.

On a weekday, I would buy a simple breakfast (banana, bread, juice) from the dining hall before going to class at 8:50 AM. Class was three 1 hour 10 minute periods separated by 10 minute breaks, where we had the chance to mingle with students from other classes in the hall with the popular vending machines. After class, I went to the dining hall for lunch, which, for me, was usually a plate of fish or vegetables and a bowl of rice. I made sure to get the complimentary hot tea every time. On a day without too much school work, I would take the train to the center of Tokyo, a trip that usually involved exploration of a new neighborhood, shopping, and food. I tended to return to the dorm after nightfall, where I would finish my day with a shower and, of course, homework.

I took one intensive Japanese language and culture course. This was essentially equivalent to having three instruction days of a Berkeley class in one day. It was more fast-paced and challenging, but also more rewarding.

I am truly grateful for the opportunity to meet so many different people during my time abroad, from local children and volunteers to students from all over the world. Meeting people in an environment where everyone is learning and where everyone has the chance to learn from each other was definitely a different dynamic than what I was used to in the US, and I was able to make meaningful connections with people I would never have met otherwise.

Living in Japan helped me see my own home, the US, as well as Japan, through different lenses. Every country, city, neighborhood, and person has their own personalities and nuances, and I believe that having the privilege to experience a new lifestyle and culture can help one better connect with and understand someone else. In addition, studying abroad showed me that there is a huge world out there, with many sights to see, people to meet, and lessons to learn. I think, after this experience, it will be difficult to sit still knowing this.

Do some research to find things you would want to do (but also go with the flow while you are there!). Take advantage of the opportunity to study a language in an immersive environment; it makes a difference!