Vol. 4
November 16, 2009

Kishibe Festival on October 23 and 24, 2009
International Students and the Intentional Student Support Team (ISST)
Traditionally, each year towards theend of October, OGU celebrates autumn
on campus as hosts of the Kishibe Festival. The festival enjoyed extra ordinarily
nice fall weather this year. As the International Center welcomed fifty-one students
from all over the world, this was the perfect opportunity for them to participate ina traditional school event! The International Student Support Team (ISST) andthe international students quickly rallied
together to plan a food booth. The nameof the booth was “世界の屋台村” (World
Food Booth) that featured diversified
food from various countries. The following is an account of the events and how
the international students and ISST members worked tirelessly, for approximately
one month, to make the event a success.
You would not believe what a highlightthe booth was and how much attention it
attracted throughout the festival!
Preparations for the festival began minus any blueprint from previous years andwith many unknowns of how it might turnout. Matt Freel and Berenice Despreswere selected as chair people of the twoday event. There were language barriers
between both the international students

International students at the boothand Japanese students, as well as among
the international students themselves.
Although at times communication was achallenge, the students were both resourceful and patient in their interactions
with one another. During the planningstages, there were discussion held in Chinese, Korean, German, French, English
and Japanese in small groups, and later
other students would interpret the details
discussed. Had this not have been such amulti-cultural group with high level
multi-language skills, this event might
have otherwise become an impossible
undertaking!

Student making Kaiserschmarrn

Each student took on various planningroles, such as making posters, cooking
food samples, food shopping, etc. Students’ voices echoed through the halls ofbuilding #1 late at night as they worked
diligently preparing to complete theirtasks.
Items featured on the booth menu for
the
first
day
were
dumplings,
Kaiserschmarrn (an Austrian pancake)and Pearl Milk Tea. Some of the Chinese
student helped others to make dumplings,
and together over 500 dumplings were
sold. At one point during the planningstages, the Kaiserschmarrn became a little
worrisome to one committee, but in theend those students prepared them andpulled it off successfully! The Taiwanese
students asked their families to mail tapioca to them in Japan. They later madePearl Milk Tea which everyone enjoyed!
On the following day, students made Kimuchi Jeon (Korean okonomiyaki withspicy pickles) and French crepes, andagain Pearl Milk Tea. As you can imagine, the Korean students were quite themaster chefs when making Korean Jeonas were the French for the crepes. Theinternational booth sales doubled on thesecond day of the festival!
The Japanese students worked in harmony with the international students invarious tasks on both days of the event.
The international students also helped the
I-Chat Café next door to their booth asStudents dancing the Macarena

well as the Yo-Yo (water balloon) booth,which was sponsored by Professor
Shirai’s seminar class. A flood of international center teachers and host families
also made appearances at the booth toshow their support. Naturally, this added
to the energy and the sheer enthusiasm of
the event!
Despite the limited planning time forsuch a large scale event, together the international and Japanese students made ita huge success! Their enthusiastic presence at the Kishibe Festival will not soon
be forgotten campus-wide. In fact, notonly does it stand to further strengthened
deeper bonds among themselves, but also
helps to promote the internationalizationof our campus. While the festival was
only a small part of the big picture inintercultural exchange; it is the hope that
the OGU International Exchange Program
will continue to play a leading role incultivating students’ desires to “get involved”, gain confidence to try new adventures and perhaps become future
global leaders.

Page 2

Special Feature: The Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Netherlands is known for tulips and windmills. It borders Germany to the east and Belgium to the south. Japan and theNetherlands have shared a close relationship for many years. As you may already know, technology and research brought
to Japan from the Netherlands is called “Rangaku” (Western studies). The year 2009 celebrates the 400th anniversary of
the beginning of commercial relationship between the two countries! OGU currently has two partners in the Netherlands: HZ
University of Applied Sciences and Fontys University of Applied Sciences. This section of the newsletter will highlightreports written by students who study, live, or work in the Netherlands.

“Three Weeks in Venlo”
by Yuriko Nakanishi (A junior majoring in International Studies)Yuriko studied English at Fontys
University of Applied Sciences in
the Netherlands for three weeks
during this year’s OGU summer study program. She was the only Japanese student
who attended. The following is a candid
testimonial of her very interesting and educational experience.
This summer, I had the pleasure of living
in Venlo in the Netherlands, a small community near the German border, for three wonderful weeks. Although I had traveled previously overseas, it was never alone. Early in
my stay, I could not even imagine what it
was going to feel like to be the sole Japanese
student, studying among so many other foreign students.
During my first week in the Netherlands,
Anne and Oliver, Fontys students now
studying Japanese at OGU, showed me all
around Venlo and nearby cities in Germany.
We even visited the amusement park together. I shared time with Anne’s friends andplayed cards and board games late into thenight. They made my first week very enjoyable, although I did feel somewhat homesickat times. One evening, I phoned my familyin Japan and just the sound of their voices
made me want to go home. In the end, theyencouraged me to make the best of my shorttime in Venlo. At that moment, I made mymind up to do my best and enjoy every single minute of the remainder of my stay.

On the second week, I joined the summer
school at Fontys University to embark on my
English language program. I was very surprised to learn that all of my classmates wereGermany nationals and further, all of theclasses were instructed in German. During
the class break time, the students chatted inGerman. I had never studied German andcould not speak English well enough, so at
first, I did not understand any part of theirconversations, which limited me from being
involved in the group. Therefore, I kept tomyself. After a few days, I realized, if I
remained disengaged with my classmates, I
would not benefit from my study abroad
experience at all. Nor make new friends.
Above all, I had a strong desire to makefriends. The very next day, I decided tomake a change! Despite the fact that I could
not understand what my classmates weretalking about at all, I gathered up enoughcourage to jump in and get involved in thegroup. Everyday, I set a small goal for myself. For example: “I will talk to one student
today.” Once I changed my attitude, I madenew friends and felt much more at ease.
Also, I learned that one of my classmates,
whom I had previously thought was a little
scary, was actually very nice and even alittle funny. Another student shared with mesome Japanese words he had learned. Finally, I became comfortable and felt part ofthe class. Although my classes were challenging, having nice classmates made life at

Yuriko with Anne (right) and her friend

Fontys much easier and very enjoyable.
I even went shopping alone and attempted
to communicate with a waiter at cafe to test
my English skills. I did okay and the experience was very good for me.
Through my study abroad experience, I
met many new people. I also made goodfriends in class and really enjoyed my overall stay in Venlo. I not only learned more
English, but most importantly, I learned tobelieve in myself even more. Althoughat first, I was a little concerned about what
my study abroad experience would be like,in the end, making friends, living alone forthe first time, meeting many new people andlearning new things helped me feel independent and gain much more self confidence.
Today, more than ever, I am determined to
study English more intensely and would liketo return to the Netherlands and Germany inthe near future!

“Life in the Netherlands – English Only!”
by Hiroyuki Toma (A sophomore majoring in Foreign Languages)Hiroyuki has been studying at HZ
University of Applied Science sinceAugust of this year. He was thefirst OGU student to study in the Netherlands. The following are some interesting
stories about his student life!
It has been nearly six weeks since I began
my studies at HZ University of Applied
Sciences in the Netherlands. Today, I will
share a bit about my University here and theremarkable experiences I have encounteredso far.
As the first OGU student to attend HZ, I
didn’t have much prior information about theschool before leaving Japan. The only thing I
was sure of: I would be the only Japanese
student enrolled here. I was on my own! I
thought it would be a great place to study
English, although I had no idea what a challenge it would be not to use any Japanese.

On my first three days here, I was a guest at
the home of Sjoerd, the first Dutch exchange
student to attend OGU. Although my journey is still in the early stages, I pledge toremain very positive about my future life
here regardless of what struggles may comemy way.
I live in a small ocean-side city with about
45,000 people in Vlissingen, Zeeland State.
The sunsets in this area are spectacular!
Huge trading ships are a common sight, as
the trading industry is very strong in thesouthern region. There are few modernbuildings, yet, many European style homes,
with very colorful rooftops. People use bicycles as their main transportation and there
are even road signs dedicated solely to thebicycle traffic. Too, I can hear citizens remind me in Dutch when I accidentally walkon the left side of the sidewalk traffic---

With other international students at HZ“move to the right when you walk” they callout to me. As you can see, traffic of any kind
is taken very seriously here and the people
closely abide by the rules.
In this part of the Netherlands, the groundis below sea level and there are no mountains in sight. Although this country is wellknown for the beautiful tulips, one would seePage 3
far more windmills than tulips in the Netherlands. Lastly, literally everyone in this country speaks English!
What would you imagine a small
town University of Applied Sciences tobe like? Perhaps that it hosts many local
students whom only study science-related
subjects? In contrast, it is surprisingly quite
different. In fact, this University hosts over
400 foreign students from all over Europe,for example: From France, Germany, Spain,
Austria, Rumania, Bulgaria, and Switzerland, and also the U.S., Canada, Mexico,
Australia, Kenya, Korea and China. All of
the students mentioned study not only thesciences, but also International Business(IBMS) and trading. HZ is quite the internationalized university!
Once I moved to the dorm, my real stu-

dent life began. Honestly, dorm life was achallenge from the beginning. Since I
am studying in Europe, naturally it is assumed that I am a fluent English speaker.
While I wasn’t worried about my limited
English before my arrival, once people
spoke to me directly in fluent English, I felt
regrets that my English skills were so low.
At the time, I couldn’t understand a word
people were saying to me. For example,
various paperwork, regulations and rules
were explained in English and there could
have been big potential problems. Had thishappened, I wouldn’t have been capable ofsorting them out due to my limited level ofEnglish. It was necessary for me to be independent and take care of everything by myself. I had a difficult time at first. Gradually,
I became more accustomed to listening toEnglish and now I can occasionally attend
parties with friends, have drinks out at thepub, and play soccer with local kids at thesoccer grounds near the university on Saturdays.
At school, I have a lot of daily homework,
yet now, I make more of an effort to improve
my English level in hopes of taking regular
IBMS courses next semester. In addition to
the challenges of my everyday life here, I
soon plan to take an even bigger risk andventure out to visit my friend who lives in
Paris.
I realize time flies as fast as an arrow. For
that reason, I want to make sure my study
abroad experiences are the best they can be
and will become unforgettable treasured
lifelong memories. I intend to make that
happen by studying hard and playing hard!

“My Fun Life in Japan” by Anne A. Van Overbrüggen
Anne attends Fontys University of Applied Sciences. Although she attends school in the Netherlands, she is a German
national. Currently, four of our exchange students from Fontys University are German residents. Due to Fontys’ close proximity to the German border, it is common for their enrollment to host students from both Germany and likewise throughout
Europe. Both Anne, along with Oliver, who was mentioned earlier in Yuriko’s article, were a great support to her during her
stay at Fontys. Anne is a very kind and thoughtful young person and is most willing to try new things. She is currently diligently focusing her efforts on mastering Japanese!

D

ear Fellow Ryugakusei,
Wow! It has been nearly eightweeks since our arrival in Japan.
Eight weeks of fun, a little culture shock anda host of new friendships. My classmatesand I, in the A-Class, already feel successful
after mastering the basic survival skills for
the Japanese language, “はい、そうです。”
and “えきはどこですか？”.
We have all studied a great deal in classand also spend extended time studying to-“Study Meeting” at Osaka Castle

Anne with her host family –photo: Shichigosan (The Seven-FiveThree Festival)

gether well into the evenings. Photos, suchas the one below, show us making memories
together, bonding new friendships, and attending recreational study events near beautiful sites such as Osaka Castle, despite ourcultural differences or any language barriers!
Although much of our time is spent embarked on our study routine, we have also
had time to familiarize ourselves with thecultural differences within ourselves and our
fellow exchange students from other countries.
We have toured Kyoto, Nara and the exciting sites of Shinsaibashi. Interestingly,
each city exposes a different face of Japan.
For example, in Kyoto one can view ancient
temples in the very heart of the city. In contrast, we meet Japanese students on the campus who represent an authentic modern Japan. In order to communicate with them, wemust “Ganbaru” (make an extreme effort) in
our Japanese language studies, as speaking
even minimal Japanese is crucial for any
level of communication in Japan.
Finally, whether our host families canspeak only Japanese or English as well, does
not affect their level of care for us. Endlessly, they support and mentor us about how
to “live and survive” in Japan. For example,
they help us with train directions, navigate
us to campus, help us obtain our alien registration cards and even told us where to buy
German bread. Perhaps the only thing that is
impossible for them to save us from is influenza! This month, many students have beensick and absent from school. Even Yakult,
Asahi beer and all other known protectors
from the flu could not save everyone. However, the rest of us are げんきです (fine)!
So how about we take more cold medicine
next weekend and meet again for a study

meeting at Osaka Castle?
Yours, Anne

Oliver Hamacher“Sizzling Hot Salsa/
HipHop” Dance Workshops

O

liver, an international student from
Fontys University, is a professional
dancer. His performances include adance appearance in a famous American R& B artist's music video as well as T.V.
commercial spots His passion for dance andhis innate desire to “give back,” inspired him
to lead the OGU cheerleaders in not one, but
two of his “sizzling hot” Latin dance instructional workshops. Twice, the Cheer squadenjoyed training to ninety "jam packed"
minutes of electrifying syncopated dancemusic, rhythms, and movement to the Salsa/
Hip Hop beats. Although this was the firsttime the Cheerleaders had experienced suchintense sensuous body movement training,they were very focused, trained rigorously
and were quick to learn the professionalchoreography. Equally important, both thecoaches and the Cheerleaders had fun andthe workshops were a huge success!

Oliver at the Cheerleader workshop

Tips for a Host Family Part 2: Home Stay Expectations by Yuko TeramuraThe structure of each Japanese family home varies. Likewise, does the
dynamics of each family, and theirlifestyles. Host families are diversified incharacteristics and come from different
regions in Japan. The OGU International
Center Office offers a thorough orientation
for international students, which highlightin advance, any potential problems regarding living in a different culture such as
Japan. Students are made aware of eachfamily’s rules and expectations of them.
Equally important, during the host family
meetings, the IC advises host families toclearly inform their students, in advance,of their expectations, rules and their definitions. One example: how and when to use
the Japanese bathtub.

Profile:Mrs. Teramura
first became a hostfamily in 1996.
Her family has
hosted 35 students
from America,
Germany, France,
the Netherlands
and Taiwan.

It is fine for each household to havedifferent rules and expectations. Provided
the host family follows the basic requirements of the International Center, eachfamily can decide independently upon
their individual house rules. For example:
Family “A” might make lunch for theirstudent or Family “B” might not require acurfew. Hence, students might naturallycompare home stay rules or question any
inconsistencies between one home vs another. No need for a family to worry about
how to reply. A simple answer such as,“each family lives differently and ourfamily has our lifestyle that works best forus” might be all you need to share.

Purpose:If students are expected to comply witha rule, it needs to be practical, reasonable
and have a purpose. This not only helps to
avoid feelings of resentment between students and family; it breeds good intercultural understanding and in the end good
relationships. Otherwise, having a rulesimply to have rules might make a student
feel confined and uncomfortable. My family does not place an importance on enforcing students on our house rules, butinstead, we try to explain why we havesuch rules in the first place and attempt togain their understanding.
Essentially, it is all right for each hostfamily to have varied house rules andexpectations. Taking showers is a good
example. Perhaps, as a rule, Family “C”
expects a student to take a shower by 8:00
at night. The time isn’t the important partof the rule, yet the purpose and expectation
should be the emphasis.
Reason # 1:
“Our family usually takes a bath between 8:00-9:00 pm because our young
children go to bed before 9:00 pm. The
bathroom is close to kids’ room, therefore
we would like all showers finished by 8:00
pm.”
Reason #2:“Clothes needed for the next day areoften hung to dry in the bathroom area
every evening. Therefore, it is helpful if

you could take an early shower.”
Giving an explanation for a rule isimportant. Students will understand if you
explain why you have the rule in the firstplace. When they ask about the possibilityof bending the rules a little, it is a goodidea to say you will think about it andconsider the request. Given, the request
makes common sense and it will not makeany future problems for your family. A
gesture of some flexibility gives a student
a voice, helps them feel heard and is positive for cross-cultural relationships.
At times, there may be a matter both
you and the international student cannot
agree upon. It could be a matter of differences in lifestyle and customs, which bothparties can’t compromise nor really understand. This is no one’s fault. If you cannot
solve the problem after discussing andseriously considering it, you can always
consult with the International Center forsupport. An ideal problem solving setting
is when all parties are involved in the process of compromising, consensus building
and decision making. However, on rareoccasions, simple chemistry is a factor andat times a student/family match cannot getalong or live together. In this case, it isbeyond your control and you should consult with the International Center on how
to proceed.
(To be continued to “Home Stay Expectations 2”)

Japanese Instructor Mr. Ryosuke Masuda he is most happy when he can see growth in his students’ learn-Masuda sensei began teaching part time at OGU in December of the year 2000. During his first year at OGU,
only six international students were enrolled in the
program. Can you imagine that? During his university years hemajored in Sanskrit Language and Literature. Originally, Masuda
sensei was an instructor of Sanskrit Literature, until he switchedsubject areas and became aJapanese teacher. However,both areas are language related!
At the present time, Masuda sensei teaches sixteen
students in the advanced
Japanese class. The ability
level of this year’s class isthe highest of any other classhe has had the privilege toteach. As many as six out of the sixteen students have previously
passed Level 1 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. Not
only are the students fluent in Japanese, but also, extremely
knowledgeable about Japan. For example, recently he learned
about one student’s love of castles. Masuda sensei lead a discussion about castles and was about to mention the four Japanese
castles, registered as National Treasures, but that student was
already familiar with each one as she had already visited all four
castles! Unbelievable, because this student has never visited Japanand her home country is Finland! Can you name the four castles?
They are Matsumoto Castle, Inuyama Castle, Hikone Castle, andHimeji Castle. Did you know the answers?
When asked about his fondest moments as a teacher, he replied

ing. For example, this week, they can speak and write words,
which was a challenge for them only a week before. He finds themost joy in teaching when he can see evidence of improvement inall the students do and learn in class.
His final words of wisdom to the international students:“Make the best of your stay in Japan. Since you are already here,
make memories and find joy in many different things. Enjoy
every moment of your stay here!”

Additional International Center News
2010-11 Outbound Exchange Students
Students who are interested in the exchange program for the2010 academic year should begin planning ahead now. Those whoare interested in studying abroad in English-speaking countries
must meet language requirements by the end of 2009. These requirements vary for each study abroad location. For your information: The new exchange program guidelines are now available atthe International Center!
Exchange Student Selection Schedule:□ Applications accepted between: Jan. 12 (Tue.)- Jan 25(Mon.), 2010
□ Written exam: Jan. 26 (Tue.) OR Jan 27 (Wed.), 2010
French, German, Chinese and Korean exams only.
□ Interview: Feb. 1 (Mon.)-Feb. 5 (Fri.), 2010
□ Selection results announcement: Early March, 2010
Names are posted on the bulletin board located near theInternational Center