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BREEZE #103

MAY, 2016: BREEZE ISSUE #103
A FREE MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER FOR FRIENDS OF JAPAN & TEACHERS OFJAPANESE

2015 FUKUOKA JAPANESE CULTURALEXCHANGE PROGRAM
MARK NEIL GERVACIO
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOAHONOLULU, HI

FIRST IMPRESSION AND THOUGHTSThis was during my last semester as anundergraduate at UH Manoa, and I never really
took the initiative nor spoke to my family about
studying abroad. However, like some kind ofmiracle I was given one of the best
opportunities in my life. I remember it like itwas yesterday; receiving an email from one of
my sensei saying that I was recommended to
be a participant for the second annual Fukuoka
Japanese Cultural Exchange Program. I was soelated that I thought this was all a dream. My first thought was, “Should I do it?” and consulted
between friends and family. I don’t know why that was my initial thought, but maybe it was
because it was my last semester and I didn’t want to be behind on any assignments, and not
being able to graduate. Still, they fully encourage the idea because I’ll probably never be given
this kind of opportunity again.
One other thought that was running through my head constantly until my departure was having
to deal with the airport process. This was my very first trip ever after all. After spending almost
12 hours on an airplane, I arrived in Nagoya with an hour layover. Even though I was stuck in anairport waiting for my connecting flight, at this point I couldn’t believe I was in Japan. On thePrivacy - Terms
evening of Feb. 24, 2016, I finally arrived in Fukuoka, Japan. I was greeted by Mr. Ryuji Nagano,the person I constantly exchanged emails with concerning about the program, the one incharge, and most importantly, the person who made this trip possible not only for me, but forthe other 10 participants (now good friends) as well.

Fukuoka
If I haven’t already mentioned, I am a student
who was born and raised on the island of Oahu
all my life. Living in Hawaii makes it hard for“locals” to get accustomed to cold
temperatures, since we don’t really have awinter season. Also the lowest the temperature
can get is roughly about 59 degreesfahrenheit. What I’m trying to say is that at thetime, once I walked out through the Fukuoka
airport doors, I never felt the atmosphere socold. Furthermore, throughout the week,
Fukuoka kept getting colder and colder to thepoint that one day there was a possibility that it would snow. As I mentioned earlier Hawaii
doesn’t necessarily have a winter season. However, some parts of Hawaii like on the top of
Haleakala, Maui and Mauna Kea, Big Island (Hawaii island) experience snowfall. But where I’mfrom, we don’t get snow. Luckily, I wasn’t the only one who hasn’t seen snow yet. When thatsnow day came, it was indeed a chilling experience that we shared.
One of the things my sensei told me was to try
Fukuoka’s ramen because they are quite
known for their type of tonkotsu ramen. Since
she was born and raised in Fukuoka, she knew
what she was talking about. So one day withmy host family, we went out for ramen forlunch. Since we were in Hakata city after
visiting Kushida Shrine, we headed for Canal
City, a large shopping mall and entertainment
complex. Once we arrived there was an
overwhelming amount of shops, but I only had
one thing on my mind; ramen. In Canal City
they have a floor filled with ramen shops and it was called “Ramen Stadium”. What I noticed
different about these types of ramen shops compared to the ones in Hawaii was that customers
could order from a machine outside the shop. I never seen anything like it. All one needed todo was select their ramen, garnish, extra ingredients, and etc all on a touch screen. Once I
completed my order, I took a seat and waited for my order. Once my food arrived, I dug right in.
It was the best ramen I had. Now I don’t think I’ll ever see ramen the same anymore. If myfriends ever go out for ramen, I’ll probably decline.
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Fukuoka Japanese-Language Exchange Program
Through this program it gives students a firsthand experience with not only culture in
Fukuoka, but Japanese culture in general. Itwas pretty surreal because I usually learn
about Japanese culture through mostanime/manga and in my Japanese classes.
Nevertheless, thanks to this program having
this first-hand experience made me have adeeper appreciation for the Japanese culture.
In fact, I think this program did a pretty good
job at doing that because it touched on various
aspects like customs, traditions, technology,and pop culture.
Another interesting aspect this program provided was that it took us on a trip to the otherexchange students’ countries; which were Australia, China, India, Indonesia, S. Korea, Malaysia,Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. It was emphasized that Fukuoka is great for
exchange programs because it is one of the many Japanese prefectures that has the largest
population of international people. So bringing 11 students from 11 different countries is a great
allusion which shows that Fukuoka can be a great place for foreigners to live and get along.

FINAL COMMENTS
To my professors : Thank you very much for the recommendations. I truly never thought that I
was a student that stood out in your classes. I always doubted my ability. However, no matter
what, you always have words of encouragement.
To our awesome Japanese tutors in Fukuoka : You definitely made the experience a lot more
fun. All of you were very surprised to hear I came to Hawaii, and was delighted to hear you allwanted to visit someday. So if you get the chance to vacation in Oahu, let me return the favorand let me be your guide.
To my host family : Thank you very much for taking care of me and taking me to various culturalsites, I certainly learned a lot of things that the program itinerary couldn’t provide. I hope I
wasn’t too much of a burden. In addition, I am so grateful and lucky to have celebrated my 23rdbirthday with a nice and loving family. Also I’m glad you enjoyed the Spam musubis I made. If
you get the chance to come to Oahu, allow me to return the favor and show you the best partsof Oahu.
To my fellow exchange students : It was a pleasure meeting you all and thanks to the LINE app
we will never be too far away from each other. Please keep in touch! Hopefully, you can takeme around if I come visit your country and vice versa!
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To the Japan Foundation Los Angeles : Thank you for deciding to pick someone from Hawaii
due to being sister prefectures with Fukuoka. Additional apologies for the lack ofcommunication throughout the process, but thank you for being understanding.
To the Fukuoka Japanese Exchange Program Staff : Thank you very much for having me takepart in this program and allow me to learn so much about Fukuoka. Also thank you very muchfor being so patient with me during the application process; As a representative for Hawaii, asister prefecture of Fukuoka, you certainly made me feel like part of the family, and I hope I left
a good impression of what a local from Hawaii is like.
誠にありがとうございました。
Mark Neil GervacioBreeze #110Breeze #109

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Breeze #104

Breeze #1032015 Fukuoka Japanese Cultural Exchange Program

Japanese Langauge Education Update 30

Breeze #102Breeze #101

Breeze #100Breeze #99

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