市山ゼミ紹介

Introducing the 3rd year students—2016

My last name is Funayama. I’m from Akita Prefecture. My hobby is singing. When I was a junior and senior high school student, I joined the chorus club and I took part in many concerts and competitions. I am going to join a concert with my former chorus members in Akita in May.
 Last year, I studied in Ireland as representative of JIU for four months from September to December. At Limerick University, I studied about Irish music, communication, literature, and English. These classes were very difficult for me, but I was able to participate in discussions about various topics with classmates. Joining discussions means, I could make many friends and I could talk to them about many things. I had a special time in Ireland. This experience is my treasure. If I have chance to go to Ireland again, I would like to meet my friends.

My name is Ted, majoring in International Exchange Studies. I decided to major in this course because I am interested in the relationship between Japanese and other foreign cultures. Just a small background about myself I was raised in Sydney, Australia and just returned two years ago. Before my return to Japan, I used to major in Construction Management, but due to low amount of job opportunities, I decided to major in International Exchange Studies. My future plan is to attend a graduate school and receive a Master’s degree in either International Studies or International Relations and work for the United Nations.
In my spare time, I like to go to the gym and move my body around to stay fresh minded and to live a stress-free life. Many people say that I am very sociable, I try to communicate with others and create new friendships and keep them.
Thanks to JIU, I received an opportunity to go to the Walt Disney World Internship of 2015. I worked as a Front Desk Cast Member at the Pop Century Resort. WDW was filled with valuable and rich experiences.
Moreover, I look forward in working hard with my classmates and further enrich our bonds. 

Hello. I am Maira. I am a  third year and I'm majoring in internacional exchange studies. I am double Japanese and Brazilian. I have lived in Japan for about ten years. I can speak Portuguese, Japanese, English and I am trying very hard to learn French. Cooking is one of my passions. One of my best dishes is “Escondidinho de carne” (it is mashed potatoes and minced beef with tomato sauce). Also I have loved singing all my life. If I tried to define myself in one word, it would be a “big mom”.  It's a little too fast to say that, but this word describes how I usually am. I really love taking care of everyone. I’m always doing something for someone, such as cooking, teaching, listening or taking care of them.  I have three siblings so taking care of someone is really strong in my personality and I really do love doing it. Last year, I took part in the Disney College program. I worked in attractions and Quick Service (which is a kind of fast food restaurant). I loved doing guest service and I could use my languages skills a lot. So in the future, I would like to work where I can do guest service. I would like to combine it with my languages skills. I did have one of the best times of my life in the Disney program. I had an amazing experience and made great memories for life. Thank you for taking a time to read my introduction.

Hello, I am Saoko. I major in International Exchange Studies. I am a mix between Japanese and Chinese, however my Chinese blood is more dominant. My aim is to become fluent in English and also Chinese by graduation. I recently came back from Hawaii, Leeward Community College for my study abroad. I had an amazing experience, and became familiar with a lot places and Hawaiian culture. For example, the American culture, the delicious Hawaiian food, and the Hawaiian history along with the, aloha spirit and much more. The study abroad program has given me the opportunity too not only learned English within school, but also a chance to speak outside of school with some locals in Hawaii.

A lot of people ask me, “what else can you do in Hawaii other than surfing and shopping?” Well, I have to tell you that Hawaii offers you a lot of fun and exciting activities. One of my favorites was hiking up “Lanikai Pillbox Trail”. This place offers you the view of great Hawaiian Ocean along with an abandoned overlook used during WWII. I would like to use this opportunity to further enhance my studies.

My name is Kazu. I'm from Kesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture. My hobbies are listening to hip hop and watching sports. Especially I like basketball, soccer and volleyball. I used to play volleyball for 6 years. I learned industry studies in high school when I was a high school student. I wanted to be an architect, but when I was a third year in high school, I went to America and Canada with other high school students of all over Japan for two weeks. I wanted to learn English and industry studies. We visited companies, factories and universities in America and Canada. Also I went to a high school in Canada and I did homestay. I had a great time. And then after that, I thought that I wanted to study English and go abroad again. Now I'm learning English at JIU. I cannot go study abroad yet, but if I have a chance I want to go to Brazil next because I took Portuguese and I have Brazilian friends. In the future I want to live in America and I want to work in the fashion business. I want to try a lot of different things in the future. Nice to meet you.


My name is Yuka, and I am from Toyama prefecture. Since last March, I have been living in the Togane Global Village; it is a dormitory for both Japanese and  international students. I study communication, and foreign languages: English and Chinese. I also study international relations and English teaching methodology.
Last September, I went to Taiwan for half a year to learn Chinese and to experience a different culture. I used English. It was a really good experience and it made me more motivated to study.
At JIU, I belong to the students' association. We help with all official ceremonies and organize students' activities. I am also a member of the Students' International Development Society for international volunteering. I am the leader of both. Furthermore I started participating in J-Bridge to communicate with international students and to support them as a Residential Assistant.
In the future, I would like to be a teacher of English or Japanese and to take part in the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JICA). Therefore I will keep studying hard.


Hi everyone! My name is Kaori and I'm a 3rd year student majoring in International Exchange Studies. I was born in Peru but raised in Japan. After graduating from my elementary school I went to Brazil and lived there for two years. I went to Brazil because my father decided to move there, for business purposes. Now I'm here at JIU studying with people from around the world with different languages, cultures and experiences. It is always good to have friends from different countries to talk and share our experiences with. I like to travel and I hope that before I graduate I can go visit all my friends that I have made here. This June I am fortunate enough to be able to participate in the Disney Internship Program in Florida. I'm excited and can't wait to go there to learn a lot, make wonderful memories and have an unforgettable experience. Thank you for your time to read my introduction and have a nice day!


I was born and grew up in Okinawa. When I was a high school student, I was inspired by some friends who desired to study abroad. Thanks to them, I have become interested in studying English and studying abroad. That’s why I chose JIU since they have many programs to go abroad. I studied abroad until this April as an exchange student in Canada. I took ESL courses there and had lots of experiences that I can’t have here in Japan. For example, generally, people in Canada--even children--are interested in and talk about politics. I didn’t really know enough about Japanese politics and history. I realized that I must know about Japanese politics as a Japanese person also Okinawan person since I would like to work in a foreign country. My study abroad was a precious and valuable experience that I will never forget. Now, I try not to waste my experiences and try to keep and improve my English. Thanks! Erina


Eikin
Hello everyone! I used to major in English and Computer Science in my previous university. But it was too difficult for me to understand those complicated programs. I wanted to make some changes so I came to Japan last year as an exchange student. Here I can continue learning English and experience my favorite anime culture. “How incredible the Japanese anime is,” this thought occurred to me for the first time when I saw One Piece which totally embodies the essence of adventure. And every time I go to Akihabara, my mind starts buzzing with all what’s ahead.
I was a little shy and always in my own mind. But I think expressing your own mind is of vital importance. So I will try my best to practice speaking up. And I’m so full of anticipation about the next two years in Ichiyama Seminar.


Hello, everyone! My name is Etsu. I’m from China. My hometown is Lanzhou, the capital city of Gansu province, where the Yellow River runs through. In most people’s impression, the city located in the northwest area would be inaccessible and dry. They think it is an area that is all desert and often ask me “Is there wi-fi in the desert?” I don’t know how to answer it and just joke “Yeah, do you envy me?”
I studied in the BinHai School of Foreign Affairs of Tianjin Foreign Studies University for two years and came to Japan as an exchange student last year. Sometimes I feel that life is interesting because when I was in senior high school, once I bought a picture book at a railway station named 上京はしたけれどdrawn by Naoko Takagi. At that time, I felt that I would be there someday, and now, I’m really here. I think this is life--predictable and unpredictable.
I like cooking if I don’t have to wash dishes after meals, and I like music and travel as well. I also have some nuisances that never change such as math and insects.
I’m the only child in my family. I have always been protected as I grew up. So I think overseas life is a challenge. It is also a good chance for me to improve myself. After graduation, I would like to go to graduate school to learn media. I’m interested in journalism and want to work in this area in the future. Maybe this road is unknown and difficult for me, but I will try my best. I think in this process, I will be a woman that is not sweeter, but much stronger.
Thank you very much.


My name is Shinnosuke and I am currently a student in the International Exchange Studies at JIU. I was born and lived in Frankfurt, Germany for 15 years. While I was in Germany I studied in an international school from kindergarten. After coming back to Japan, I went to two different schools. First I went to a junior high school as a third year student, afterwards I went to an international high school. After graduating from high school I went to the Brighton in the UK. After studying in the UK, I came back to Japan and entered JIU. Currently my goal at JIU is to go on to the “Disney Internship Program in Florida” and come back with good experience. This is all for my future dream goal to become a hotel manager of the one built by myself. This is for people who have strict religion rules to travel to countries with ease and stay at the hotel as if it was their own house in their country.


Hello. I am Honoka. I was born in Kagoshima prefecture, and I grew up in Chiba prefecture. My hobby is listening to music and playing the drums. I am involved with the light music club at JIU. I would like to work in the aviation field in my future. I work hard at studying English and Chinese. I am taking the teacher training course to get a license to teach English at junior high schools and high schools. Last year, I went to National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism in Taiwan for about 5 months. I learned English, Chinese and about hospitality there. There are a lot of delicious foods, very kind-hearted people and beautiful scenery in Taiwan.  I really liked living in Taiwan. I had a lot of experiences and grew up. I will make use of these experiences, I would like to try various things and  enjoy all that’s available to me here at JIU.

My name is Han Bo Yu and my English name is Kyle. I am an international exchange student and I am from China. I love China very much. So far I have been in Japan for almost 5 years. And I love this country. From my first time in Japan there are so many interesting stories I would like to share. Most of them are very embarrassing. So, I am afraid I can only tell you a few of them. Speaking of my culture shock I’d like to talk about bowing. It is really fine for me now, but for me, as a Chinese, I only do that when I have to.  However, in Japan, it feels like every second we all need to bow. So, I really did not understand why. However, people learn things, and, so do I. What I learned is that everything that Japanese people do is always for a good reason. Why do they do that?  Because Japanese culture is about giving--offer your feelings of respect. So, if you are going to show it, you bow. You act, not just think like, I know that, I do not need to do that. So I think that is a very interesting point about Japanese culture, and, I like it very much. It became one good reason for me to decide should I live in Japan in the future. And after those years in Japan, I felt like this is my second home, a place with many beautiful things to learn. And I really loved it here. Also another thing about me is I really like dancing and performing. When I was young my dream was to become a performer. Even though I am not very good at both of them, I think after some hard work, I will be good enough to be a performer. Maybe it is not going be easy, but I will try my best.


Hello,everyone. I’m so glad that Jesus gave me an incredible chance to join Ichiyama teacher’s seminar. Maybe you are not familiar with me yet, but it’s just a matter of time because I’m confident that I’ll impress you a lot. To cut a long story short, I have a special name and that is Anqi. It means angel in Chinese. Fortunately, I’m kindhearted and have a face that won’t let you be disappointed. At least, I’m not a narcissist but a girl who can tell the objective truth! In terms of age, I’d rather say I’m an 18-year-old girl, but it’s a pity that I cannot say that. If we had met several years earlier I could have said this number out loud. After all, no girl is happy to get older and it’s also a universal truth. At present, I’m studying in Japan, but I’m a Chinese woman who was born in Beijing, China. I haven’t experienced the life in rural areas, so it’s hard for me to see worms and gradually I lost the courage to face those disgusting worms. One time, when I was walking outside, a big caterpillar fell off the tree and at that moment, I thought I was going to have a heart attack and die. Although I’m afraid of those ugly worms, I’m still a brave girl in other aspects.
Moreover, I have had a dream since I was in junior high school–to be a surgeon. I want to cure those who are injured with my own hands and I’m full with curiosity about internal parts of the body. Sounds horrible,right? Nevertheless, it’s just a distant dream that awaits me.



May, 2013: Seniors in my seminar have replied to the following questions:

1. If you could have a super power what would it be and why?
2. If you could change one thing in the past three years, what would it be?



Sharla– Canada

1.     I wish I could fly! Then I could visit places all over Japan (and also be able to visit my family without spending thousands of dollars).
2.     I wish I had come to Japan as a first year student. I think I would have had more opportunities to see more of Japan. My 3rd and 4th years of university are extremely busy with studying and work so I don’t have much time to enjoy all the things I would like to while I’m in Japan.

Jaron–Hawaii (America)

1.     A super power I wish I could have is 超再生 Super Regeneration. No matter how damaged my body becomes I will be able to repair myself. From a cut to a damaged organ, I can regenerate myself.
2.      I would not change anything within the past 3 years because I probably wouldn't be the me right now and I probably wouldn't be here in Japan right now.

Yoshika--Shizuoka
1.  1つだけ超能力を持てるとしたら、空を飛んでみたいです。私は時間があるときにサイクリングをしたり散歩をすることが好きなので、もし可能なら空中を散歩してみたいです。もちろん地上で見る景色は見上げるものがたくさんあって壮大感を味わうことができますが、飛行機でもなくヘリコプターでも飛べないぎりぎりのところを飛んでみたことのない景色を見てみたいです。

2.  何かを変えられるとしたら、学生のうちにたくさん旅行しておけばよかったと思いました。来年社会人になったら休みたいときに休めなかったり、連休なんてなおさら取れないと思うので時間に余裕のある学生のうちに色々なとこに行きたいと思いました。

Matthew -Hawaii
1.   If I could have any superpower, I would have the power to manifest anything I could imagine because the power of the human imagination is truly unlimited. If I so wish it, I could think of an invention for the good of mankind or if I’m lazy, I could just imagine a dish that I’m thinking of and make it appear.
2.   If there was anything that I could change from the past three years it would have to be the fact that I got back into smoking. There was a point in the past three years that I have stopped smoking for about a year and a half, but once I came back to Japan, I started smoking again. Biggest regret I have within the past three years.
Nobuko–Chiba

1.  過去を変えたいと思う理由は、一つでも過去が変わると今の自分とは違う人生を
   歩むことができると思ったからです。
2.  私は、短期大学から4年制大学に編入したので最初から大学に行き、英語を基礎からきちんと学び、大学の留学制度を利用し、多くの海外制度に参加し、異文化交流したかったです。

Ryutaro–Chiba

1.一度行ったことのある場所あるいは任意の場所への瞬間移動能力が欲しいです。そうすればガソリン代や電車代を消費せずに大学へ行ったり家に帰ることができるので、自分の行動範囲が拡がると思ったからです。

2.過去に起きた玉突き事故をなかったことにしたいです。そのときに両親や友人、またその現場にいた人たちに多大な迷惑をかけ、未だにその近くを通ると怖くなるからです。

 Mirim--Korea
1.時間を戻す能力が欲しいです。 時間を戻すことができると、間違った行動をした時とか、ミスをしてしまったことをやり直すことができるからです。
自分の行動を見直ししてから過去に戻って、もう一度正しい行動をすれば後悔をしなくても済むと思います。

2.もっと早く英語に力を入れればよかったと思います。私は今まで日本語にだけ力を入れてきましたので、現在、英語が上手ではありません。
ですので、何かを変えられるとしたら、英語にもっと早く興味を持ち、日本語と一緒に勉強したいと思います。

Fumi--Fukushima
1.   記憶力が悪いので人の名前や大事なことを忘れてしまうことがあります。一度聞いたり学んだことは忘れない能力が欲しいです。
2.   東金に住んでいるのですが、楽をするためにずっと電車通学していました。一年生から自転車で通えば何万も貯金することが出来ただろうと思います。

Haruka--Niigata
1.世界中の言葉が理解できて、世界中の人と話せる力。 私は人と会うことが好きで、コミュニケーションが好きなので世界中に友達を作りたいという気持ちから英語を学び始めました。なので時間をかけずにこれが実現できたら一番幸せになれると思い、この能力を選びました。
2.3年前大学に入学したとき、私は将来なりたいものを一つ決めた状態で入学してきました。なので、もし、入学する前にもっと視野を広く持っていたら将来に対する考え方が変わっていたかもしれないなと思うので、その考え方をリセットしてみたいな、と思います。

Mari--Nagano
1.病気を治すパワーが欲しいです。注射や手術や虫歯の治療は痛くて嫌なので、自分で全て治してしまいたいです。病気を治せたら、家族や友達の病気も治してあげます。
2.3年生で留学に行き5ヶ月しか行けなかったので、2年生から1年間留学に行きたいです。

Yuki--Tokyo
1.     全部の言葉を話すことができることができる力を手に入れたい。そうすることで、世界のどこでも生活でき交友関係を幅広くもつことができるのではいかと思う。更には全部の言語をはなせることで、ビジネスチャンスも広がる可能性もあるのではないか。

. 過去3年間で変えたいことは、3年前の自分を更に英語の勉強をするように変えたいと思います。そうすることで今よりよいTOEICのスコアが持てたのではないかと思う

Argel-- Hawaii
1.  I want the super power of duplication. I would never go hungry because I can duplicate my food and I would help the world by using my powers to help feed the homeless and the needy. I wouldn’t be alone to because I would duplicate myself. I also could use my duplications to go to work for me if I needed a break.
2.   One thing that I would change in these past three years, I would have spent more time with my family before I left to go to Japan. While I did spend time with them before I left, I spent more times with my friends. I realized how much I miss them only after coming here. My dad is not one to show his emotions easily and he cried on one of my last nights in Hawaii. That memory sticks with me most and I want to make my parents proud.

Aimi--長野
(1)  別れても悲しまないように次々に彼氏ができる能力
最近別れて傷が癒えるまでだいぶ時間がかかったので、そうならないように。タイプはあるけど、色々な人と付き合ってみたい、考え方を聞いたりして学びたい、自分自身も共に成長したい。

(2)  インターンシップ、留学に行きたかった

バイトでお金を貯められなかったまた、一身上の都合で行けなかった。
健康体になる事、そしたら色々な事が出来るチャンスも得られると思う。
これからは勉学に仕事に丈夫な身体で立ち向かっていきたい

Tomoyasu--Chiba
 1. スーパーパワーゲット出来るとしたら、何が欲しいか もし、ゲットするなら未来の予知能力が欲しいです。突然のアクシデントが分かっていれば、その時になって冷静にかつ迅速に対応できるからです。

2. いままでの3年間で変えることが出来るとしたなら何か
 長期留学に挑戦したかったです。日本から見る外国ではなく、外国から見た日本を主軸に頑張る事がこの大学に入学した理由のメインでありながら、金銭面などの理由から実現出来ませんでした。しかし、3年次の時に国際法を勉強している中で、他の国でもっと深く学びたいという気持ちが強くなったことも影響して卒業後はフランスへの留学を視野に入れています。

Rinn--China
1. If I get super power, I would like to have the power to hear what other people think. If I can hear what other people think, read their thoughts, I can know how to help them, offer them what they really want. And with this ability, I can know how other people think of me, so that I could avoid misunderstandings.

2. If there’s something I want to change that might be the bad habit of using money without a plan. I didn’t have a plan of using money. I used to spend a lot of money on something that I wanted but put them aside after I was not interested in it anymore. When using money, I should take more time to think and decide if it's something I really need.

Takuya--Kanagawa
1.  剣士になりたい!理由は、日本の伝統のサムライになりたいから。
2.学校を真面目に行けばよかったと思う!学校に行かなすぎて自分で後悔してる!自分の今後の人生で、将来自分が死んでも後悔しない人生を送りたいから!

Ayami--Akita
もし、スーパーパワーがゲットできるなら....どこにでもワープできるようになりたい!!なぜなら...旅行が好きだから、お金も時間も関係なく世界中を旅したいから
3年前変えたいこと。もっと海外に行くチャンスを掴みたかった!なぜなら.....大学にいってなかった時期が多くてそういうチャンスをつかめなかったから。だから、変えれるなら初めから大学でしっかり学びたかった

Evan--Hawaii
 ???




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May 2013: New Seminar Members Introduce Themselves
The question was: If you could go to only one place where would that be?


My name is Anri. I’m from Akita Prefecture. I attended the Disney Internship and I just came back in January this year. If I could go anywhere I’d like to go to Spain because my best friend who I met in the Disney Internship, is from there. She and her family invited me to visit them in Spain! I would love to go there and see her and have fun eating Spanish food and enjoying the culture.

I’m Momoko. I’m from Chiba Prefecture. The place I would like to go to is London, England. There are two reasons why I would like to go there. First of all, I really want to see Big Ben. When I watched  Meitantei Conan, it was in the movie and I grew interested in it. Another reason is that my host father who lives in Canada, is from England. He showed me some pictures of England and they were beautiful. That is why I want to go there.

今一番行きたい所はカナダです.
その理由はこの前に行った時本当に楽しかったからです。
ホームステイの人達も皆いい人だっだし、もう一度会いにいきたいんです。
あと、その時冬だったからバンクーバーはいつも雨が降っていたから、
寒かったし外での活動ができなかったんです。
今回は夏に行きたいと思ってます。Jaekyeong  (韓国)


私はまだ行ったことがない北海道に行きたいです。北海道には様々な観光名所やおいしいものがあります。有名な五稜郭に行ってみたいしドラマの舞台にもなった富良野に行って「北海道の自然」を感じたいです。そして絶対おいしい魚介類が食べたいです。出来ればとれたてのイカやホタテやアワビが食べたいです。北海道も広いので何回行っても飽きないと思います。毎回新しい魅力が発見出来ると思うので、北海道がいいです国際交流学科3年茜(Akane)です栃木県出

私はエジプトに行きたいです。理由は三つあります。一つ目は、生でスフィンクスやピラミッドを見たいからです。そして、ピラミッドの中に入ってたくさんの壁画を見たいです。二つ目は、私が小学生の頃にした占いで、エジプトに行ったら人生が変わるという占い結果が何故かずっと忘れられないからです。三つ目は、現地の民族衣装を着たり、工芸品に興味があるからです。私は、エジプトには神秘的な雰囲気があると思うので実際に行って体感してみたいです。光香(みか) 千葉県出

フランスに行きたいです。私は幼い頃から15年間モダンバレエを習い続けていて、私のバレエ団ではフランスとロシアの基礎を取り入れているバーレッスンや動きを練習しています。そこで、バレエの動きや表現力をもっと研究したいと思ったからです。また、私は食べることや洋服などのファッション関係にもとても興味があり、ディズニーインターシップでとても仲良くなった友達が案内してくれるとのことだったのでフランスに早く行ってみたいです。祥子


今は行きたいところはハワイです。私の知る限りハワイは世界で一番美しい島だと思います。おいしい空気と青い空が相まって、浜のそばに住むことは考えただけでもすごく嬉しいです。自然の景色だけではなく、人文的な景色もいっぱいあります。例えば、国家歴史遺跡とか。とりあえず、旅が大好きな私にとって、ハワイに夢中になっています。セイヨウ、中国出身

My name is Ye. I come from South East China. I want to go to Korea this year. Maybe I have seen too many TV soap operas about Korea. It is because I like the Korean style of clothes. I want to go to Korea’s Dong Daimon to buy some clothes like dresses and so on. Their local make-up is very attractive especially stylenanda’s 3ce series. If I have a chance, I will go to Korea this year.

私はポーランドに旅行したいです。台湾からヨーロッパまで時間がっかかって、その上、ポーランドには独自の文化があり、交通も非常に便利で建物が芸術品のようで、都市に特別の雰囲気があります。都市には昔の景色が残っていて、現代の科学も存在していて、極端だが両方はバランスをとっている姿で存在します。道を歩くときどちらとも文化の変化を感じます。キリスト教徒ではないけど、教会を見学したいです。その中の芸術品に興味を持っています。最後はポーランドのイベントです。異文化を感じて、外国人と一緒に楽しみたいです。
チョウ、台湾

私は、沖縄県出身で、出身地以外で行きたい場所はハンガリーです。理由は第二外国語でハンガリー語を履修しているときに、ブタペストの街並みの写真を見てとてもキレイだったので一度自分の目で見てみたいと思いました。 なりこ

私はヨーロッパのほうにいってみたいです。パリやドイツやイギリスに行ってみたいです。あっちほうめんのファッションが好きというのと習慣、文化が気になるからですまた世界遺産も見てみたいですし、街並みがきれいだとテレビで見たので私も直接見てみたいです。以上の理由からヨーロッパ方面とくにパリに行きたいです。ふゆみ

行きたい国:ノルウェー理由は、私はノルウェーに友人が居るからです。そして、彼らからノルウェーの自然や文化の話を聞いて、とても憧れがあるからです。日本も自然の多い国だと思います。しかし自然に関しては、私はノルウェーの自然にとても憧れて居ます。私はノルウェーの夜空に浮かぶオーロラが見たいです。これらの理由から、私はノルウェーに行きたいです。ゆきこ

Shuko (Fukushima)
エジプトに行きたい理由は、まず一回も行った事がないからです。またエジプトにはスフィンクスやピラミッドなど世界的に有名な歴史的建築物が多く、ミステリアスな感じに興味があります。そして、エジプトの文化や生活のことをあまり知らないので、行って直接目で見て、肌で感じてみたいと思ったからです

るみ 栃木
トルコに行きたいです。トルコの世界遺産を巡りたいです。高校時代に世界史を学んで、特にトルコ周辺に行っていろいろ照らし合わせてみたいから。それから中華とフレンチとトルコの世界三大料理を食べ歩きたいです


まきほ
私はトルコに行ってみたいです。世界遺産のギョレメ国立公園およびカッパドキアの岩石遺跡群には「必見」の場所がたくさんあり「妖精の煙突」と呼ばれる多様な奇岩、ギョレメ谷などを一度見てみたいです。神秘的な地下都市のカッパドキで洞窟ホテルに宿泊したり気球ツアーに参加し上空からカッパドキの景色を眺めたいです。




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2012 New Members



Interview by Nobuko:
I asked Tomoyasu about his experience.
He is a 3rd year student at JIU. He looks serious at first, but while I was talking with him, he was very friendly.
He has been to America for 2 weeks. He experienced many things during his time there. When he was in America he had one roommate from Korea. Actually, it was his first time to do home stay as well as visit America. He likes to converse with foreign people, but he couldn`t understand clearly because they talked to him very quickly. He also visited a few schools and taught Japanese culture to children and students. When he came back to Japan he continued to improve his communication skills and now wants to work at a travel agency after graduating. He is studying for the national examination in order to work at a travel agency and the examination starts in September.




Interview by Tomoyasu:
I asked to Nobuko about her future.
She just transferred from a junior college to Josai International University this year and is a 3rd year student.
She wants to work as a ground staff at the airport because when she was young she always visited the airport. That is how she became interested in the job.
Before she came to JIU she went abroad to Australia for one month. She had a lot of experience and good time there but couldn`t understand clearly when people tried communicating with her. Now she is studying how to communicate with foreign people and improving her English skills.
When I talked with her, we at first appeared to have nothing in common, but after we found a few common points. First, we were born in Chiba prefecture! We graduated high school in the same school group. Lastly, we did many sports including Kendo and Swimming.

Interview by Melike:
I interviewed Rin, a transfer student from China. To my questions about her language knowledge and usage, Rin says that apart from Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese, she speaks two additional languages that she's been studying over years: English and Japanese. She uses these languages differently in her daily life--English and Japanese when communicating with store clerks in grocery stores or studying at university, and Chinese when talking to her family and friends. Her usage of English has helped her especially when Japanese became too difficult while explaining something or being explained to in some situations here in Japan.
Rin thinks that English knowledge is necessary in both school/work and in our daily lives in the twenty-first century. She explains that English is widely used and in order to communicate with the rest of the world and get the information we need from each other, we need to use this language as our tool. Even if we don't go abroad or talk to people who don't speak the same language as ourselves, we still see English words everywhere around us.
Rin seems to be using her language knowledge widely and agrees on the fact that this interview would not have been taken place if we had not spoken the same language--English.
Interview by Haruka:
Jaron Guitang  is a new student from Leeward Community College in Hawaii.
I asked him about his interests.
Haruka: Jaron, what are your hobbies or interests?
Jaron:  I like to play the piano, ukulele, guitar, and also I like to learn Japanese and Korean languages.
H: Wow you can play a lot of musical instruments! Which one is your favorite?
J: The songs that I like the most are the ones I play on piano, but I grew up playing ukulele.
H: I like the piano, too, but I haven’t played for a while because I don’t have a piano in my room. Have you played it since you got here?
J: I don’t have a piano in either. So I think I might forget everything….
H: Oh no.... I hope you will find some place to play it soon.
Let me ask about your other interests. You said you like to learn Japanese. Why are you interested in Japanese?

J: My great grandfather or great-great grandfather is Japanese but I have never learned Japanese or about Japan. I wanted to know about his background. Also the first manga I read was called “Usagi Yojimbo”  in elementary school. That also inspired me to learn Japanese.

H: Wow that sounds cool. When did you begin studying?

J: My second year of high school.
H: That is why you can speak Japanese well!
J: No, not yet, “まだまだです!”  That is why I’m here: to learn Japanese.
H: Okay,  Jaron. Thank you for this interview.
J: Thank you!

Interview by Jaron.
I’m Jaron Guitang and I interviewed Haruka.
After being able to have a fun and educating experience during the Disney Internship, Haruka wanted to use what she learned there and apply it her (near) future career.
1. Can you further explain what you mean by future career?
         I aspire to work for an airline company. Not as a cabin attendant or anything but as an employee at the airport or as they say ‘Ground Staff’.

2. Why did you decide on being a ‘Ground Staff’?
Well, because of all the interactions with various people during the Disney Internship and me being from Japan, I feel like I have experience in showing hospitality towards not only people from Japan but from other countries as well since I am also able to communicate in English.

3. I guess you’ve been abroad before then, since you obviously have a well grasp of English?
*Laughs* I don’t know how good my English is but yes I have been abroad before. Australia: 1 month, California: 3 times/2 weeks each, and Florida: 6 months.

4. So what would you say you receive through your internship at Disney in terms of experience?
That internship gave me working, living, and study experience in America.
Through these I feel that it gave me ‘World Class’ customer service experience.

5. Lastly, Besides English, are there any other languages that you have or are studying at the moment?
Yeah! I have studied and rather like Spanish. Also I have studied Chinese (Mandarin) as well, but only a little.

Interview by Fumi:
1. How long have you been studying Japanese?
 A. I've studied Japanese for 2 and a half years.

2. What do you want to do with your Japanese skill?
A. I want to work in Japan; I want to be an English teacher or a translator around Tokyo area.

3.What do you think are the good points of learning Japanese at JIU?
A. I think being able to be around Japanese students and to talk to them gives us foreign students that are studying Japanese a better chance to use Japanese to communicate and learn more.

4. Do you think Japanese people have something in common with Norwegian?
A. I can't think of anything in particular that's similar between Japan and Norway. Both languages and cultures are very different.

Interview by Argel:
I am Aji Yanuaria. I interviewed Mirim. The topic of my interview is future plans.
1.       What are your future dreams?
 I want to be an airline cabin attendant.

2.        What kind of job do you want to do? Where? Why?
 I want to be an airline cabin attendant in Japan and an interpreter in Korea. Then I would like to travel between both countries as an interpreter.
3.       Where would you like to live?
Before I marry, I will live in Japan. When I get older, I want to move back to Korea. In Korea I want to live in the countryside with my family.
4.       What kind of person do you want to marry? Even if you are married, will you continue to work?
I want to marry someone whose feelings for me will not change no matter what. Someone with money is also a good thing. I plan to work even if I marry because interpreting is a job that age does not matter.
5.       How many kids do you want?
I want two kids: one boy and one girl. Having one kid would be lonely so I want at least two.

Interview by Mirim Lee:
I interviewed Aji. The topic of my interview is inter-culture.
1.       What differences are there between Hawaiian culture and Japanese culture?
The Japanese don’t say what they feel. Hawaii people normally say what they are feeling.
2.       Where in Japan do you want to go and why?
I want to go to Nara. I want to go there because I want to see the wild deer that live there. I love animals.
3.       What country would you like to go to for a vacation and why?
I want to go to Venice, Italy. I want to find love more than anything and I think that it would be the perfect place for a couple. But first I need to find a girlfriend.
4.       What do you know about Korea?
Korean people are judgmental. Also I know that Korean parents are generally strict.
5.       What type of Japanese culture do you want to experience?
I want to experience “Gokon” because it looks fun.

We also interviewed Ichiyama-Sensei. The topic of the interview was values.
1.       If your house was burning down and you could only save one item, what would you take?
I would take my wallet because it has all the important things such as credit cards, money, and ID.
2.       In your life, what kind of values do you have?
I value hard work. I believe that people who work hard appreciate life more.

Interview by Yuki:
I interviewed Yoshika about her hometown.
Yuki: Where are you from?
Yoshika: I'm from Atami city in Shizuoka prefecture.

Yuki: What is the local specialty food in your hometown?
Yoshika: Oranges and green tea are local specialties in my hometown. Also, 'IKA-MENCHI' is a local specialty food.

Yuki: What is "IKAMENCHI"?
Yoshika: It's like a "Nerimono" of squid.
Yuki: I see. If I have a chance I would like to try it.

Yuki: Do you like "IKA-MENCHI"?
Yoshika: Yes, I like it. It is an easy way to eat many kinds of fish and shellfish.

Interview by Yoshika: 
Yoshika: What do you usually do in your free time?
Yuki: I like to read books.

Yoshika: So, what kind of book do you like?
Yuki: I often read psychological books.  I want to be able to understand why people take certain actions and behave certain ways, and I also like to communicate with people.

Yoshika: Why did you choose this department?
Yuki: Actually, I changed from the Pharmacy department to International Exchange Studies last year, because I decided to become a teacher. Also, I want to communicate with foreign students.

Interview by Inyoung
1. Inyoung: What’s your name?
   Ryutaro: My name is Ryutaro Tomizawa.

2. Inyoung: Where are you from?
   Ryutaro: I’m from Yachimata city in Chiba prefecture.  I have lived in Chiba for 20 years.  I live in Narita city now.

3. Inyoung: What are you interested in?
   Ryutaro: Recently, I’m interested in Japanese.  Maybe other people think that it is strange because I’m Japanese.  But I think that foreigners know Japanese language more than me because they sometimes use Japanese words I don’t know very well. If I can get more Japanese knowledge, I might be able to understand what they say. In addition, I want to be able to translate English into Japanese well. 

4. Inyoung: What do you want to learn, study in this department?
   Ryutaro: I want to learn English in this department.  In my previous college, we were told that we should pass level 2 of the English examination and have a score of over 500 on the TOEIC by our teachers. But I couldn’t achieve those because I didn't study enough. So I need to study harder in order to pass the exams.  Actually, I got over 500 on the TOEIC after I entered this university.  In June, I will try to take English examination again. 

5.Inyoung: What do you want to be in the future?
  Ryutaro: In the future, I want to be an airline worker. Especially, I want to work with air cargo or logistics. I want a job that deals with passenger’s luggage or containers. 

6.Inyoung: Have you ever been to another country?
  Ryutaro: Yes, I have.  I went to Australia for 2 weeks when I was a student at a technical college. I took part in a home stay program in Australia, and we had to participate in the English classes and activities.  Australia was so hot and there was not enough water, but we could learn English, culture, history, and environment. The Green Island was so beautiful and became my favorite place in Australia. 

7.Inyoung: If you have enough time, what language do you want to learn?
  Ryutaro: I want to learn Korean because I studied it an hour every week in my previous college.  Of course, I studied Korean in this university, but it was so difficult.  I quit learning Korean, but I sometimes take Korean examinations. In the future, I want to learn Korean so that I can speak it fluently, talk with my friend in Korean, and visit Korea.

8.Inyoung: My final question, what do you think about your personality?
  Ryutaro: I’m told that I’m easygoing. That’s true, but sometimes I try to be precise about everything. When books are scattered, somehow I want to straighten them. Moreover, I like to take notes in classes. Also it annoys me if a bus or train comes later than when it is supposed to.
              
 Interview by Ryutaro:
  
1.Ryutaro: What's your name?
  Inyoung: My name is Inyoung Bang.


2.Ryutaro: Where are you from?
   Inyoung: I'm from Seoul, Korea. Many people said to me Korean always eat “Kimchi,” but actually we do not always eat it and some people can't actually eat spicy food such as Kimchi.

3.Ryutaro: Have you ever been to another country except for Japan?
  Inyoung: Yes, I have. I have been to many countries but I'm going to talk about England. When I was a junior high school student, I went there for a year. Actually, in Korea, most people learn American English. I think that British English is a little difficult to pronounce and to memorize the spelling. What made me decide to study in England? It's a very simple answer. Do you remember the movie "Harry Potter"? I saw it more than three times and it made me really want to go to England. Anyway, I wanted to learn British culture, manners and language.


4.Ryutaro: What are the differences between your country and the England?
   Inyoung: A lot of things are different. For example, you know, in Korea when you enter your house or another person's house, you have to take off your shoes. But in Western countries, we don't have to do that. In addition, in the West, the number 13 is considered to be an unlucky one and the number 4 is considered ominous in Korea. Moreover, many Asian people don't talk that much when they eat. But in Western countries, people seem to talk more.


5.Ryutaro: If I visit the country, what place do you recommend? Why?
  Inyoung: Of course, London. I have travelled there with my family. Around the Thames River, you can walk and see the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. Big Ben is one of London's most famous landmarks. But recently, another Big Ben was built in Italy. Also, tons of tourists from all around the world used to flock on the banks of the River Thames to see the Palace of Westminster and to hear the chimes of Big Ben, as the bell is known, although its real name is The Great Bell. If you visit Korea, you should contact me. I will show you around.


6.Ryutaro: What is the best country you've visited?
  Inyoung: That's a difficult question. I also went to Australia for a month when I was 10 and England. BUT! I think Japan is the best. I travelled to Japan a lot of times, but it's my first time to live here by myself. In fact, I graduated from a high school in Saitama prefecture. I could communicate with Japanese people and that made me improve my Japanese skills.  I live in the school dormitory and living there had  its advantages and disadvantages. However, there were 30 students there and all of them were from Korea. We didn't have any trouble for 3 years.


7.Ryutaro: What other country do you want to go? Why?
  Inyoung: I want to go many countries but especially Brazil and Thailand. First, I really love to watch soccer games, and Brazil is the strongest team in the world. Moreover, I want to see the world-famous Rio carnival. In addition, samba is a “quick dance” of Brazilian origin. I like dancing so I want to learn it. According to a Korean newspaper, Brazil's GDP is less than half of that of the U.S.A, but the Brazilian level of happiness is higher than that of the Americans. Second, I like spicy food so I want to eat really spicy food in Thailand. I also want to ride a rickshaw. I saw it many times on television, and it looks really exciting. In addition, in the future, if I marry someone, I would go to Bali on my honeymoon.
      




2011 Members: Juniors


Introducing Mei
Kazu wrote:
Her name is Mei and she just transfered from another university (獨協大学) to JIU this year. Her major is 国際交流 and now she is a 3rd year student at JIU. She has a lot of experience in sports including baseball, soccer, bowling and tennis. She loves fire works. She comes out every sumer night to play with sparklers. A few years ago, she did it too much and the fire alarm went off! After that she was more careful as she was doing it in public spaces.


Her older brother is a graduate of 市山先生'sゼミ.
Mei Commented:
Thank you for introducing me! Actually, I used to play futsal and baseball just for fun. I can not play well. Now, I don't play any sports because I have no chance after transferring. So, if you have the time, please let me know.

Introducing Kazu
Mei wrote: 
I would like to introduce Kazu. He has been to America to study for two and a half years. He went to the University of Iowa.  When he was in Iowa, he got in serious trouble.  When he was cooking, he got a little distracted, and after a few moments, there was an explosion and the fire alarm went off.  So other students who lived in the dormitory had to get out and of course, they got angry. Anyway, he lives at his own pace and he is an interesting person.
Kazu commented:


Thank you very much for your introduction. Yes, let's play sports sometime together. I'll beat you!!And... I'm sorry, I might have given you the wrong infomation about my stay in Iowa. The University of Iowa does exist, but I went to Coe College for 3years and a half and plus 1 year as an ESL program student. I'm sorry for giving you a vague answer.
Introducing Mayumi
 Shie wrote: 
I'm going to talk about my classmate Mayumi. Before she came to the Josai International University, she wanted to work for an airline. But she found out there are more jobs where she could use English to communicate with other foreigners. In our university, there are some language classes that we could take. In her first year at the university, she studied French and now she’s interested in Chinese. She knows there are lots of chances to communicate with foreigners by participating in programs in Canada, America, or communication internships. If she has time, she is  thinking about attending the summer program. Also there are a lot of exchange students in our school, and she would use this chance to communicate with them and think about her future career.


Introducing Edgard



 Yuuki wrote: 

私はエドさんを紹介します。
彼はアメリカのカリフォルニア大学リバーサイド校から留学生として来ました。
専門は言語学です。何故日本語を勉強しているかというと、カリフォルニア州にはアジア人が多くエドさんの友達にもたくさんアジア人がいてもっと話をしたいので日本語を学んでいます。エドさんは他にも中国語やフランス語を学んでいます。
将来、日本語の先生になりたいと言う夢があります。
好きな食べ物はスペイン料理で、特にお母さんが作ってくれる料理が大好きだそうです。嫌いな食べ物は生のオニオンでハンバーガーには絶対にオニオンをいれないそうです。

Introducing Shie



Mayumi  wrote:
詩絵ちゃんは半年間アメリカに留学し、ディズニーランドでアルバイトをしながら英語を学ぶインターンシップに行ってきました。最初は慣れない早口の英語に戸惑い、辛かったらしいのですが、向こうの人は優しくて分かりやすくゆっくり話してくれたり、身振り手振り付きでとても助かったと言っていました。
詩絵ちゃんは動物園のツアーガイドに配属されたらしく英語を使う機会が多くてとてもやりがいがあったみたいです。
その経験を生かせるよう、英語の勉強を頑張っている頑張り屋の女の子です。ぜひみんなで仲良くなりましょう!
Shie Commented:
Thanks Mayumi for the introduction. I was working at Walt Disney World in Florida until a few months ago. It was the greatest experience for me. I worked at two places when I was there. First I worked at an attraction in the Animal Kingdom. After that I worked in the  Quick Food Service. It was really hard, but the people were nice and helped me a lot with the work. This experience was not only about studying, but also about learning more about other things that I haven’t seen or done before. I was so glad to participate in this program as this experience gave me more confidence.
Introducing Sayuri


Kanako  wrote:
I would like to introduce to you my friend, Sayuri. She has been interested in foreign countries since she was a child. She was looking forward to studying a lot of subjects before she was admitted to junior high school, but the classes were boring and then she disliked to study. Regrettably, English, too. However, there was an occurrence that changed her feeling. One day, one of her friends was talking with a foreigner in English. Sayuri was there, too, and she thought that she would like to join this conversation. That one was the trigger, and then she went to Australia for half a year to study English. She studied English hard and tried to talk to with the people who were there, but it was really hard. At the time, she thought that she really wanted to study English more and more, and that is why she decided to attend Josai International University. She has been at JIU for about 3 years, and she told me about some good points of JIU. For example, there are many native speakers here, so the students can talk to them even though we are in Japan. She said that it is a really a good environment to study English and improve her English skills. She also went to the University of California, Riverside which is our sister school to study English when she was a freshman on a scholarship program from JIU. When she was there, she only took English classes, so it was like an immersion program from morning till evening. It sounds hard, but she said to me that she could study English thoroughly. She has had a lot of experiences so far, and now she wants to have jobs where she could make use of her English. For example, as an English teacher, or at companies where English is used. Therefore, she has been studying English more and taken some qualifications such as computer skills, bookkeeping, and financial planning. She also has started to learn tea ceremony. The tea is traditional Japanese culture, so I think it is good lesson for her when she will tell the foreigners who want to know about Japanese culture. As you can see, Sayuri is a challenger, hard-working, and she also always never forgets to enjoy the moment. I think these are her strong points. Therefore, I hope that when she finds careers she wants to pursue, she will do her best to make use of her experiences. I also expect that she prepares nice tea for us one day. 


Introducing Moet
Saki  wrote:
Moet is a fellow third year student, has a bright character and personality. She grew up in America, and had a lot of interesting experiences there and, in the future, wants to lead an internationally oriented life.





   She attended high school in America. The fondest memory of this time was her time in the marching band where she played the drum. The marching band played before football games to entertain the spectators.  Although she had a wonderful time in America, she still had a dream of being a 女子高生(Japanese girl high school student). She thought the Japanese girl high school students have a unique school experience. She read about and saw manga and dramas in America.
  In the future, she would like to get a master’s degree and participate in 青年協力隊, which is a Japanese organization for young adults to volunteer to teach abroad. As you can see, Moet has already an international background, and in the coming years, she will become even more of a global citizen. I wonder which country she will be living in ten years time.
Introducing Joseph





Hitomi wrote: 
I'm going to introduce Joey.
He comes from Hawaii. He likes to travel. He wants to go to Venice in Italy because he is interested in the Italian people, the architecture, and the history of the country. Also he wants to go to the north pole.
He cares more about people's personalities than their appearances. I think he always cares about his friends, so he has a lot of friends.
Introducing Hanako
Asuka wrote:




Today, I got a new friend, Hanako in the  seminar. She is so cute. As I talked with her, I found she is very kind and cheerful. It was fun for me to talk with her. When I asked her about her hometown, she gave me a lot of information of enjoyable spots and delicious foods! I was happy to make a friend with her. And I want you to know more about her so let me introduce her. I think she is very active because she has many hobbies. She likes making her own albums of her favorites. And she likes to go shopping, too. She also spends a lot of time    reading books and comics and watching movies. Especially, it's most impressive for me that she is interested in "haiku" written by Naoki Matayoshi, a comedian. He writes free-verse haiku and essays. I have read his books and I could enjoy them because he uses few words in a poem but they are still very impressive. I enjoyed talking about our favorite things with her. If you're interested in culture and literature, you must meet her!
Introducing Asuka
Hanako wrote:




Hi, everyone. This is Hanako. I’ll introduce Asuka. She is from Nagano Prefecture. She graduated from a junior college in Nagano, and she came to JIU this semester. She is interested in architecture and traditional buildings, like the Osaka castle, churches that have windows made of colorful stained glasses, and so on. She likes to appreciate their beauty. She also likes finding attractive buildings. When she is walking around and finds a wonderful building, she gets excited. If you like walking or buildings, just talk with her!
 She also likes her hometown in Nagano. I asked her which building she recommended. Then, she recommended the Matsumoto Castle in her hometown. It is called the crow castle because it is black. She said the black is very beautiful, and also, the view from the top of the castle is awesome. The fall is the best season to go there because you can see the colorful mountains. In that season, leaves change colors, from green to red, yellow or brown. When she was talking about it, she looked happy. We should go to her hometown, and see the crow castle and enjoy the views.
 Now, what she wants to see the best is the Sagrada Familia. It is a church which is still being under construction in Spain. I hope she goes there and see it someday.
Asuka Commented: 
I think traditional works have their own beauty. They look so attractive and impressive for me. I can feel the time it took for the work to be completed when I see them. It makes me happy and excited to encounter old buildings which I don't know.

Introducing Saki
Moet wrote:
私は咲ちゃんとちゃんと話す機会があまりありませんでした。いつもおしとやかで静かそうな子だなと思っていたのですが、実はとても明るいstrong ambitionsの持ち主でした!将来は客室乗務員になるのが夢で、そのためにアメリカへ留学をしたり、フロリダのディズニーワールド研修に参加するなどいろいろなことをしています。そのほかにTOEICや秘書検定など将来のためにとても熱心に頑張っていてとても関心しました。咲ちゃんは仕事にも夢があるほかに結婚のこともマジメに考えているそうです。子供は二人、男の子と女の子、結婚するなら日本で日本人としたいそうです。そしてなんと!老後のこともちゃんと考えているのです!客室乗務員を引退したあと、夫婦で世界の国々を旅したあと、最後は本人が留学経験のあるオーストラリアで老後生活を二人でのんびりとすごしたいと言ってました。咲ちゃんはおとなしそうに見えて実はとても前向きで明るい、話していてとても楽しい女の子です!数年後に空で会えるのを楽しみにしています!!!
Introducing Hitomi
Joseph wrote:


As you walk into a room full of students while looking from a perspective of an exchange student you might just notice a group of ordinary students.  At first glance you notice the arrangement of tables.  They are all arranged into a circle so that all the students are looking at each other.  Next your eyes glance around and observe the students more intently.  Nothing out of the ordinary to look at.  Some students are sitting quiet and reserved and others are giggling among themselves.  As your eyes move from left to right you notice one girl beaming brightly at you.  For this girl, we will call her H-chan. Others might know her as Hitomi.

A few things need to be said about H-chan.  She has the aura of first glances that make you feel that she is a very friendly person.  So, you choose to sit next to the girl as you move towards the chair next to her you watch as her eyes follow you across the room until you sit in the empty chair to her left.  You might even decide to be brave and start a conversation.  During this conversation you learn many things about this mysterious girl.  You not only learn her name, but her dreams.

The conversation goes somewhat like so:
As you bravely clear your throat and begin to speak a language that is still causes your cheeks to turn a shade of red as you attempt to not butcher the words as they slowly leave your mouth.  “
こんにちは!僕はじょせぷパンコです!はじめまして!
She patiently smiles while she waits for you to finish your awkward sentence and returns by giving you her name in return.  You learn things like she is 20 and a third year student at JIU.  The way she speaks to you, you make the observation that she is confident in herself and her abilities.  She speaks to you partly in English and in Japanese another observation becomes quite obvious.  She is smart.  You finish the pleasantries and you decide to pry further, how brave of you.

You decide to inquire about her ability to speak English. “You’re really good at English! Is everyone in Japan that good at English?”  You learn that she has been abroad. She has experience with the rest of the world.  She has--must have--big dreams.  You also learn that she’s travelled to Australia, Canada, New York, and Los Angeles.  You once again dare to chance your Japanese to show that you are almost as smart as she, “
どち国一番好きですか?”  She kindly smiles and corrects your Japanese as she answers back speaking slowly enough for you to understand but not slow enough to make you feel dumb. She says, “オーストラリアが一番好きですからとても綺麗です.”
During this conversation you learn something interesting about H-Chan.  She tells you that when she isn’t feeling vigorous or cheerful her favorite place to go is the airport.  She dreamily stares off into space as she imagines her favorite place in the world.  She describes watching the comings and goings of all kinds of people.  “Something about the sight makes me feel better” she says quietly with a smile as class is being dismissed.  A story like ending to a story like conversation you think to yourself as you watch her hurry away to her next class.

You make the final assumption that this girl is adventurous and will one day have a great future.  You secretly wish her well with a wide grin and hurry to meet your friend beckoning you from the door.  You take one last glance back in the direction she left as you leave the room.






Hitomi Commented:
Thank you very much for introducing me! I was surprised at the text because it was very long! I was really happy to read that.
We are good friends since you came to JIU for the first time in the summer of 2010. You gave me your smile, so I can smile. That's why you think I'm friendly. I want to make many friends, so I want to be more friendly!
You are good at Japanese and math. When I couldn't understand English and math, you taught me all the time. If I couldn't get your explanation in English, you tried to use Japanese. You are smart, and I appreciate it.

I like Australia. When I went there for the first time in the summer of 2008, I stayed with a host family for about 3 weeks. It was really fun, because my hostfamily were kind and funny. I wanted to be an architect at that time, but I changed my plans because I wanted to communicate with many people in an international airport.  If I hadn't traveled to Australia, I think I still would want to be an architect. I really appreciate my family and my host family. If you like Australia, have been there, or want to go there, please tell me! I want to talk about Australia with many people. Of course, I like America and Canada, too! Also I like Narita Airport. If you aren't feeling vigorous or cheerful, I will go there with you. I'm lucky that the airport is near JIU. If you aren't feeling vigorous or cheerful, what places help you feel better? For me those are Australia and airports.

I hope everyone's dreams come true!
Thank you.


Introducing Kanako
Sayuri wrote:

I’d like to introduce my friend Kanako. She is a 3rd-year student at JIU. She just came back from the USA this winter. She participated in the UCR/Disney Internship program for 6 months. She had a lot of experiences there. Her dream was to be a flight attendant when she matriculated at JIU. However, her experiences there made her change her mind. When she was in the USA, she had some roommates from other countries. She had a really good time there. She liked talking and listening to their stories. She was interested in conversations with people from other countries. However, some talks were not understandable so she wanted to understand more clearly. That experience made her more enthusiastic about learning languages; not only English but also other languages. Now, her dream is to be a guide who introduces Japan to foreigners. She wants to talk to tourists in their mother tongue. She is sure it will gratify them and herself.
Now, she has a lot of things to study. She started to study interpretation this semester. She reads many books to learn a large number of words. She also tries to read books that are a little difficult. Her experience motivated her to read more. She makes word-lists for new words. When she listens to Western music she read the lyrics in English. She’s tried to work hard, but she seemed happy when she talked about her dream to me. I’m sure her dream will come true.
There is a song she likes. She listens to that song every morning. The title is “Only girl in the world” by Rihanna. The song makes her vigorous. I listened to Rihanna after our conversation. Her singing voice is beautiful and I remembered she is a singer whose name I didn’t know but I knew her popular song “Umbrella”. She is a great singer and Kanako reminded me of her. That’s a good idea to study English by listening to one's favorite songs. I could see Kanako is enjoying studying languages.