The International Center Newsletter

TAKING OFF

Vol. 24 Fall, 2014

Hello from All Corners of the World!
The first student featured in this issue is Mr. Yuki Sagayama who studied
abroad in Taiwan and the Netherlands. When he was in Taiwan, he masteredboth Chinese and English, and taught Japanese to over 300 people as a volunteer. He is now in the Netherlands and still teaches Japanese to many students.
He always looks for his own style of study abroad and challenges something
new. We hope those who wish to study abroad in the future will learn somethingfrom his experiences and way of thinking.

Yuki Sagayama (Junior, Law)I

Yuki (Left) with international students studying at Fontys University of Applied Sciences

INDEX
Hello from All Cornersof the World!

1-2

Kishibe Festival 2014:
A Million Flowers are
Blooming

3-4

Flavor in Hawaii:
Hideaki Miyahara

4studied at Wenzao Ursuline Universityof Foreign Languages in 2013 as an
exchange student, and I am now studying at Fontys University of Applied Sciences. I am writing this in the Netherlands.
I would like to tell you the greatness ofstudying abroad. Many students think thatyou go abroad to acquire a language, but I
now know that it is only a part of it. For
that matter, you can acquire a foreign language to some extent while you are in
Japan if you try. Then, what more is there
in studying abroad?
If I had to sum up studying abroad in
one word, it is “challenge.” This challenge
starts before you go overseas. First of all,you have to prepare for study abroad for along time to accomplish the goal. Even
though you have decided to study abroad,
you cannot leave Japan the next day. Youstudy English and other subjects, submit
your applications to OGU and your host
university, have an interview, attend thepre-departure class, and do other preparations. This takes at least a year. In fact,
you may need almost two years for all thepreparations in order to accomplish yourdream to study abroad.
Once your study abroad starts, youhave to adjust to the new environment.
When you are overseas, Japanese is notyour main language anymore. Even if you
are in a country where people understandsome Japanese, the environment is notJapanese classes (Top: Taiwan, Down: TheNetherlands)

exactly the same as in Japan. You have tocommunicate with people, take classes,
and make friends in the local language.
This is not easy to do, but by the end ofyour stay, you have overcome many difficulties, so you of course grow up as aperson.
Study abroad also gives you many otherchallenges. My personal challenge is toteach Japanese and Japanese culture. I
started this while I studied in Taiwan andcontinued doing it after I came back toJapan as a part-time job. I also have opportunities to teach Japanese in the Neth-Vol. 24

erlands and Belgium. I taught Japanese
to students from Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Vietnam, Hong Kong,and Taiwan. I use English and Chinese
to do it. It was extremely difficult at thebeginning, but after doing it for over ayear, I really enjoy it now. I met manydifferent people through this and it became a valuable asset in my life.
Another challenge I tackle in the Netherlands is taking a course on International Laws. This is a high-level classeven for local students, so international
students are usually not allowed to takeit, but I asked the teacher to give me
permission to take it. I am now sittingwith Dutch and German students in theclass. The content is extremely difficultand sometimes over my head, but I
would like to make my utmost effort until

Page 2the end and gain something from thecourse.
I believe you can challenge manythings in Japan. However, think aboutteaching Japanese overseas. You
don’t have enough materials to teachor even a classroom to use, but you
think how you can deal with the situation and do your best. You face a completely different situation and you are
the one who makes things work. Don’t
you think you can get much more fromstudying overseas? I think so.
The exchange program gives you agreat chance to study abroad for along period of time and at cheapercosts. Why don’t you study abroad as
your final challenge in the 16-year education that you started from elemen-tary school? The OGU International
Center will help you. If you are interested in studying abroad, please go
there to talk to the staff. If you want totalk to me, I will talk to you as much as
I can after I return to Japan.

At the Study Abroad Fair held atFontys University of Applied Sciences with the director of the OGU
International Center, Prof. MikeMatsuno (Yuki on the right)

The next student is Ms. Yuna Iwai who is currently studying at Wenzao Ursuline University of Foreign Languages inTaiwan. She took part in a short-term Chinese program in Taiwan when she was a freshman. She was greatly impressed with the warmth and kindness of Taiwanese people, and this experience made her want to study again in
Taiwan. Her dream to be an exchange student came true this year. Yuma, as does Mr. Yuki Sagayama, proactively
challenges many things and has strength to face difficulties. One of her goals in Taiwan is to make a guidebook ofKaohsiung where she lives now. It will be interesting to see what kind of guidebook she will make through her own
experiences. Here is her essay about her exciting study abroad.

Yuna Iwai (Junior, Hospitality Business Administration)My life in Taiwan started withmany difficulties. I lived with
two Chinese
students
and one Taiwan- 留学たちと(本人右から2人目)
ese in a dorm.
They were so
nice to me, but I
always felt likean outsider because I could notcommunicate
well with them inChinese. It was Yuna (Second fromright) with otheralso hard for me to international students
adjust to the strict
dorm rules and to accept that my common sense is not quite the same as thatof the Taiwanese. The first couple ofdays here was harder than I expected. Iwas depressed with the situation without
my parents, friends, and teachers whounderstand me well.
On the fourth day after I arrived in
Taiwan, something happened to makeme recover from my depression. It wasmy birthday that day. I received many
presents from my friends and myroommates, and surprisingly, I received four whole cakes. I was so
moved by that and almost cried. I wasable to overcome the hard days surrounded by kind and warm people.
After that, I myself was surprised how
much I could become positive. I
strongly hope to become fluent in Chinese and started to study much morethan I ever thought I could when I wasin Japan. I now am able to chat withmy roommates in Chinese little bylittle. I truly appreciate them. They areso patient with me all the time. I hopeone day I can communicate with themsmoothly.
In the first week of my study abroadin Taiwan, I learned how difficult it is tostudy abroad, but I am so happy tofind something I can be enthusiastic
about like this. I am always surprised
to see the motivation and aspiration
the students have toward their study,
so I will do my best to the end. I be-lieve this is the only way for me to repay those who support my study
abroad. I will make my study abroad
the best experience ever!

Dance performance at the CultureFestivalVol. 24

Page 3Kishibe Festival 2014: A Million Flowers are Blooming
The Kishibe Festival: A Million Flowers are Blooming was held on October 18 and 19. International students from allover the world participated in the festival again this year. They sold many international foods, including the all time
favorite “Gyoza” Chinese dumplings, and the very popular French donuts “Beignet”, Belgium waffle, and traditional
Bajan sweet “Bakes”. It was a truly international event as students communicated with OGU students using bothEnglish and Japanese, and worked side by side to operate their booths. It was just like a multi-ethnic world. On bothdays, many teachers, homestay families and home visit families came to the students’ booths. We would like tothank all of them for their cooperation and support. We were able to donate 55,000 yen to the Red Cross this year.
Here is a short comment from one of the booth leaders, Mr. Felix Van Helden from Germany.

Felix Van Helden (University of Bayreuth)For the first time I experienced theKishibe Festival. I will keep the Kishibe Festival in mind as a verycolorful, crowded and exciting festival fullof friendly people and a variety of fun,interesting booths.
The Japanese university and students
care a lot about the Festival and think ofdetailed preparations in advance whichmight be the secret behind this nice festival. I had a lot of fun during the preparations, especially while making and trying
our special Barbados Bakes which we soldat our booth. The different booths selling

food, drinks or offering lotteries were very
nicely designed and advertised their products through beautiful colored posters. The
stage on which bands, singers, and great
cheerleading groups performed was oneof the main attractions of the festival. It
offered a nice alternative to all the booths.
When I look back now, I remember thepreparation work which was fun as well as
tiring at times, but I know it was worth theefforts as the festival was really great toexperience. I am happy to have been partof that.

At the boothIntercultural exchange starting from “What is YoYo?”

At the Kishibe Festival, international
students at the International Center
have their own booths, and additionally join the Yo-Yo booth managed by
the seminar class of Professor Yoshio
Shirai. Professor Shirai’s seminar class islike a mock company in which students
become a president, director in purchase,
director in finance, and so on. This is agreat way for students to get a simulated
experience of corporate management.
What is Yo-Yo? Of course, International
students know Yo-Yo that moves up anddown with a string, but not the one we findat the festival. Seminar students came to
the International Center to show the stu-dents how to make Yo-Yo with water. They
used as much English as they could plus
gestures to communicate with overseas
students who hardly speak Japanese.
There were some happenings such as YoYos that suddenly burst or water did not
go into the Yo-Yos properly, but the international students really enjoyed seeing a
new kind of Yo-Yo for the first time.
It was fine weather on both days of theKishibe Festival. International students
helped the booth making Yo-Yos and talking with customers in Japanese at thebooth. Colorful Yo-Yos surely will remainpart of their happy memories of Japan.

The Smell of Home-Baked Cookies: Susette BurtonT

his year, the smell of home baked
cookies and brownies at the Shoin
Sensei Sweet Shack added to thefun and excitement, as students, teachers, staff and the Kishibe community enjoyed the 53rd annual Osaka Gakuin
Kishibe Festival on November 18, 19.
The warm sunny weather and enthusiasm of all involved made for a wonderful

two days of eating delicious foods, making
new friends, raising money, and just having a good time.
As part of the festivities, for the past
three years the Shoin Teachers who workat the Kokusai Center have had their ownbooth. The teachers sold nachos the firstyear and cookies the past two years. Thisyear, the Shoin teachers mixed ingredientsAt the booth operated by foreignteachers (Susette in the middle)

Page 4and baked about 300 cookies – chocolate chips,
oatmeal raisin, brownies and other sweet delights tosell at their booth.

evacuees back home to spend the New Year holidays with family members.
(OGU Lecturer)

They reached their goal of selling 300 cookies
over the two days with the help of some great student volunteers who helped staff their booth.
The Shoin teachers raised more than 20,000 yen,which will be donated to Minna no Te, a support
group for the evacuees in Kyoto, who were forced toleave their homes in Fukushima following the March
11 earthquake and nuclear disaster. The donatedfunds will help pay for transportation to take theFlavor in Hawaii～Hideaki Miyahara
One of the greatest resorts in the world, Hawaii has experienced historical hardships. However, Hawaii to me isa wonderful place with blue sea andsky, white sand beaches, and an abundance of colorful flowers. The beautiful
warm weather there always makes me
happy and excited. My favorite eating
place in Hawaii is one of the most popular local hamburger chains, Teddy’s
Bigger Burgers. A shop was recentlyopened in Tokyo, but their Waikiki shopis worth a visit at least once because it
is located near the beach and has a great view of Diamond Head. You
can definitely feel that you are in Hawaii! Please go there when you are inWaikiki. (Staff at the General Affairs Office)International Center
Osaka Gakuin University/Osaka Gakuin Junior College
2-36-1 Kishibe-Minami, Suita City, Osaka 564-8511, Japan
Tel: 81-6-6381-8434 Fax: 81-6-6381-8499Email: inoffice@ogu.ac.jp

Please also take a look at our blog!
http://inoffice.blog102.fc2.com/

2014.11