Study Abroad Success
Study Abroad in Japan
Most people I think, get into Japanese culture just Japan, in general, through this kind of creative medium, just because it's so different from mainstream cartoons and animation that we see in America.
Angela Arnold: Good morning, this is Angela Arnold and we're talking today with Tamara Saunders who spent some time in Asia with the Princeton in Asia program so she's going to give us a little bit of background about how she spent her time in Asia and what country she visited and how she got started with that. So, Tamar, welcome aboard.
Tamar Saunders: Hi. I went to Japan approximately two summers ago and it was through a program called Princeton in Asia. Even though they specialized in year long fellowships they had several summer fellowships for undergraduate students and I applied for one that was specifically called Osala Fellowship which had been going for about, I think, 95 years. I think, that was the 95th year I was going.
Basically the program was structured around teaching English at four companies in Tokyo, Japan and living with a host family. Basically you were on your own the whole time. One of the unique features about this program was how you're being paid to come to Japan and teach English. It was just a great way to actually become acquainted with Japan, without being a tourist or anything like that or money coming out of your own pocket.
So, that was one of the two greatest features of this program that I really appreciate it for even today. Other than that that pretty much sums up the program.
So, that was one of the two greatest features of this program that I really appreciate it for even today. Other than that that pretty much sums up the program.
Beautiful Geometry in Japan
Angela: That sounds great, Tamara. Did you have a love of Japan and Japanese culture and things like that, before you got started or how did you pick Japan as the country to visit?
Tamar: It definitely started when I was younger mostly. I got [inaudible] elementary [inaudible] of Japan and that was mostly through Japanese animation. Most people I think, get into Japanese culture just Japan, in general, through this kind of creative medium, just because it's so different from mainstream cartoons and animation that we see in America.
Primarily because the style of animation is different, the plot lines are different. You see different character names, kind of an introduction to another side of the world that you're not really familiar with. That's kind of what garners the interest. I kind of got in through Japan or that was my first contact with Japan through Japanese animation. It quickly became more academic when I came to Princeton. I started taking more classes on Japanese culture and Japanese language courses, as well, that kind of made me actually want to go to Japan eventually.
The kind of bringing everything together from watching Japanese animation when I was younger to taking courses about the status of women's rights in Japan. There was just a multifaceted approach to my end trip in Japan by the time I actually went to Japan. That's kind of what started it and it's kind of continuing it now.
Tamar: It definitely started when I was younger mostly. I got [inaudible] elementary [inaudible] of Japan and that was mostly through Japanese animation. Most people I think, get into Japanese culture just Japan, in general, through this kind of creative medium, just because it's so different from mainstream cartoons and animation that we see in America.
Primarily because the style of animation is different, the plot lines are different. You see different character names, kind of an introduction to another side of the world that you're not really familiar with. That's kind of what garners the interest. I kind of got in through Japan or that was my first contact with Japan through Japanese animation. It quickly became more academic when I came to Princeton. I started taking more classes on Japanese culture and Japanese language courses, as well, that kind of made me actually want to go to Japan eventually.
The kind of bringing everything together from watching Japanese animation when I was younger to taking courses about the status of women's rights in Japan. There was just a multifaceted approach to my end trip in Japan by the time I actually went to Japan. That's kind of what started it and it's kind of continuing it now.
Angela: And what are you going to be doing now? You mentioned continuing it now. What's in your future?
Tamar: Recently, meaning about a month ago, I found out that I got off the waiting list for a scholarship called the Ito Foundation Scholarship for International Education Exchange. Basically, the scholarship allows, it's a little bit better than Fulbright, because they pay for you going to school for two months, excuse me, two years instead of one year.
They're going to be paying for my education at a Japanese university and a field of study that I had to write a proposal for. Mine is primarily going to be linguistics and global studies. So, I'm going to be doing a master's program at Sophia University for the next two years.
Tamar: Recently, meaning about a month ago, I found out that I got off the waiting list for a scholarship called the Ito Foundation Scholarship for International Education Exchange. Basically, the scholarship allows, it's a little bit better than Fulbright, because they pay for you going to school for two months, excuse me, two years instead of one year.
They're going to be paying for my education at a Japanese university and a field of study that I had to write a proposal for. Mine is primarily going to be linguistics and global studies. So, I'm going to be doing a master's program at Sophia University for the next two years.
My host father was a priest, a Buddhist priest.
Tamar: Oh yeah, I had two host sisters and they were about 33 years old, early thirties. And then my host parents, I lived in a temple. They were temple people actually. My host father was a priest, a Buddhist priest.
Basically, if you adhere to the basic Buddhist principle and things of that nature. That was the family structure. It was temple. It was different from regular Japanese family, in terms of that they had a huge house; they had a five-story house, which was originally an apartment building.
Osaka Temple, Japan
The temple people had a very interesting way of living; I don't think they pay taxes in Japan, so that gives them a lot more freedom, in terms of financial spending. My host family is a little bit well off in terms of that.
I lived on the third floor. It was set up really well. I came, mostly my breakfasts and my dinners there. They were always very eager to take me out and try different foods. Like everywhere in Japan. They even paid for most of my trip to Kyoto. We all went together and they made sure I ate almost every three hours, like I never had so much food within three days.
Yeah, they were just...their kind of...I guess take on living in Japan was the food and so they wanted me to try almost everything and everything was delicious. Until this day, every time I go to Japan I always eat with them somewhere, you know that they say oh this has the best okonomiyaki, this has the best sushi, this has the best jabu jabu.
You know, I am just really thankful, and I'm grateful that I was able to get such a great host family like them. Because there's not a lot of instances where you're not so lucky to get into situations like that. Especially, there's host families that let you stay in your home, and that's really it.
They really don't, they'll interact with you and whatever. But, my host family went over and beyond. I don't think there's anyway I can pay them back mostly, except just being in contact with them and just them being my second family.
I lived on the third floor. It was set up really well. I came, mostly my breakfasts and my dinners there. They were always very eager to take me out and try different foods. Like everywhere in Japan. They even paid for most of my trip to Kyoto. We all went together and they made sure I ate almost every three hours, like I never had so much food within three days.
Yeah, they were just...their kind of...I guess take on living in Japan was the food and so they wanted me to try almost everything and everything was delicious. Until this day, every time I go to Japan I always eat with them somewhere, you know that they say oh this has the best okonomiyaki, this has the best sushi, this has the best jabu jabu.
You know, I am just really thankful, and I'm grateful that I was able to get such a great host family like them. Because there's not a lot of instances where you're not so lucky to get into situations like that. Especially, there's host families that let you stay in your home, and that's really it.
They really don't, they'll interact with you and whatever. But, my host family went over and beyond. I don't think there's anyway I can pay them back mostly, except just being in contact with them and just them being my second family.
Like the first night I was in Japan my host mother
asked me to take a bath with her.
'Thousands' of people wait to cross the street
Like the first night I was in Japan my host mother asked me to take a bath, she wanted me to take a bath with her and she was really afraid at first because America is very big on privacy and Japan is kind of not.
It's very communal, it's very family like and this is the family unit. When she asked me though, I think, I was delirious from the plane ride, so it encouraged me to say yes. At the same time, there was a necessity to want to fit in, and be involved within the family and just Japan in general, because there was nothing outside of that.
I was there for six weeks, I mean eight weeks technically. I wanted to be just as involved in the family as if I was like a family member. I didn't have any friends outside to just like get away from that. And, you know, we did have a communal bath and everything. That's just a story in itself. It was really funny…
Angela: Yeah, it sounds really good. It sounds like they really did take you in as a member of the family.
Tamar: Yeah, exactly. I didn't feel homesick one time, not one time when I was there. I was actually really tearful when I left. I felt like I was leaving actually half of my family behind.
It's very communal, it's very family like and this is the family unit. When she asked me though, I think, I was delirious from the plane ride, so it encouraged me to say yes. At the same time, there was a necessity to want to fit in, and be involved within the family and just Japan in general, because there was nothing outside of that.
I was there for six weeks, I mean eight weeks technically. I wanted to be just as involved in the family as if I was like a family member. I didn't have any friends outside to just like get away from that. And, you know, we did have a communal bath and everything. That's just a story in itself. It was really funny…
Angela: Yeah, it sounds really good. It sounds like they really did take you in as a member of the family.
Tamar: Yeah, exactly. I didn't feel homesick one time, not one time when I was there. I was actually really tearful when I left. I felt like I was leaving actually half of my family behind.
Angela: Wow.
Tamar: That's it.
Angela: That's good though. Now, what is the Japanese bath like? I mean is it, I've seen movies, of course. But, what was it like?
Tamar: OK, I'll give you kind of the comic story. I'm not going to make it too hilarious. It started out kind of like I was delirious and jet lagged and I kind of really wanted to sit in and be part of the family and I knew this was part of Japanese culture. You know, like the communal bath, but you know it was just weird that I was going to be doing it with somebody that I was going to be living with for the next eight weeks.
Angela: That's right.
Tamar: Seriously, when I look back on it, I would not have done it any other way. We went in there and you know and you're kind of like taking off you're clothes. Well, then it kind of hit me, that I am going to take a bath with a woman that I just met five hours ago. You're just getting undressed and putting you're things in the basket and then you enter the bath area. First of all how the Japanese bath system works, which it makes a lot more sense than what we do, you know in terms of our bath.
Angela: OK.
Tamar: We just get in the bathtub. You know and we're just full of dirt, oil, grime and you're just bathing in that, basically.
Angela: That's right.
Tamar: And like, it doesn't make any sense.
Angela: No.
Tamar: So they have this hot, kind of like Jacuzzi, sauna bath next to them and then they have this area where you wash off, like all the dirt, grime that you collected during the day. Then once you're clean of all that, then you get into the bathtub together and you guys just chill out for about, you know, 20 minutes, and talk and like go over the days. Then you get back out and you wash some more, and you get back in, and you just hang out and talk and relax.
It was such an enriching experience, in terms of... After the initial shock of being naked with another person you have not known that long, I really got to talk and take the bonding to another level. Because when I got up that morning, I felt like I had known my host mother for five years instead of 24 hours.
Angela: Yeah.
Tamar: From that day forward, I felt like I was a part of the family. Since the second day, I felt like I belonged. She said, let's go shopping, let's go here. Yeah, ever since that day.
Angela: Well, that sounds really...
[Cross talk]
Tamar: And I'm glad. After that I was a regular communal bath goer. Every time I got off of work I would always running to public baths. It's literally like $3 to go in, and you have all these different hot tubs you can try, not hot tubs, they're really like these natural springs they have. They have certain minerals in each one.
Angela: Oh.
Tamar: And you just go in and chill out. Oh, yeah. I loved it. Every time I had a chance.
Angela: Do you select which bath you want to go to, in terms of what minerals or anything like that?
Tamar: Yeah. Usually it's a really huge bath, and they have one for men and women. You come in and they usually have what minerals are in each bath in Japanese. Even though I couldn't read Kenji that well, but I could tell which one was sulfur, once one was a Dead Sea bath, which was all salt water. That was an interesting experience, because it's just all salt.
You walk in and your whole body's burning, because anything that's left open, in terms of pores, it's going to start burning. And you just float indiscriminately. It's crazy.
Angela: Oh, wow.
Tamar: You could tell which one...some were extra hot and I would find out the hard way.
Angela: [laughs]
Tamar: And then others were freezing cold. A lot of old people would usually hang out in that area. Then they would have the outdoor baths. It's raining and its hot water beneath you, and steam and stuff coming out of them.
Tamar: That's it.
Angela: That's good though. Now, what is the Japanese bath like? I mean is it, I've seen movies, of course. But, what was it like?
Tamar: OK, I'll give you kind of the comic story. I'm not going to make it too hilarious. It started out kind of like I was delirious and jet lagged and I kind of really wanted to sit in and be part of the family and I knew this was part of Japanese culture. You know, like the communal bath, but you know it was just weird that I was going to be doing it with somebody that I was going to be living with for the next eight weeks.
Angela: That's right.
Tamar: Seriously, when I look back on it, I would not have done it any other way. We went in there and you know and you're kind of like taking off you're clothes. Well, then it kind of hit me, that I am going to take a bath with a woman that I just met five hours ago. You're just getting undressed and putting you're things in the basket and then you enter the bath area. First of all how the Japanese bath system works, which it makes a lot more sense than what we do, you know in terms of our bath.
Angela: OK.
Tamar: We just get in the bathtub. You know and we're just full of dirt, oil, grime and you're just bathing in that, basically.
Angela: That's right.
Tamar: And like, it doesn't make any sense.
Angela: No.
Tamar: So they have this hot, kind of like Jacuzzi, sauna bath next to them and then they have this area where you wash off, like all the dirt, grime that you collected during the day. Then once you're clean of all that, then you get into the bathtub together and you guys just chill out for about, you know, 20 minutes, and talk and like go over the days. Then you get back out and you wash some more, and you get back in, and you just hang out and talk and relax.
It was such an enriching experience, in terms of... After the initial shock of being naked with another person you have not known that long, I really got to talk and take the bonding to another level. Because when I got up that morning, I felt like I had known my host mother for five years instead of 24 hours.
Angela: Yeah.
Tamar: From that day forward, I felt like I was a part of the family. Since the second day, I felt like I belonged. She said, let's go shopping, let's go here. Yeah, ever since that day.
Angela: Well, that sounds really...
[Cross talk]
Tamar: And I'm glad. After that I was a regular communal bath goer. Every time I got off of work I would always running to public baths. It's literally like $3 to go in, and you have all these different hot tubs you can try, not hot tubs, they're really like these natural springs they have. They have certain minerals in each one.
Angela: Oh.
Tamar: And you just go in and chill out. Oh, yeah. I loved it. Every time I had a chance.
Angela: Do you select which bath you want to go to, in terms of what minerals or anything like that?
Tamar: Yeah. Usually it's a really huge bath, and they have one for men and women. You come in and they usually have what minerals are in each bath in Japanese. Even though I couldn't read Kenji that well, but I could tell which one was sulfur, once one was a Dead Sea bath, which was all salt water. That was an interesting experience, because it's just all salt.
You walk in and your whole body's burning, because anything that's left open, in terms of pores, it's going to start burning. And you just float indiscriminately. It's crazy.
Angela: Oh, wow.
Tamar: You could tell which one...some were extra hot and I would find out the hard way.
Angela: [laughs]
Tamar: And then others were freezing cold. A lot of old people would usually hang out in that area. Then they would have the outdoor baths. It's raining and its hot water beneath you, and steam and stuff coming out of them.
A lot of them were charming. There were so many different baths I went to. There was one in the mountains, which had these big windows that were facing Mt. Fuji. You sitting in this bath and all of a sudden a thunderstorm comes by. You're just watching this thunderstorm passing and you're sitting peacefully in this bathtub.
When I went there last summer, I didn't get the chance to take my sister, and I really wanted to. My sister actually confessed to me that she doesn't think she could do it if she even want to. I was just happy going with other people I knew or myself.
When I went there last summer, I didn't get the chance to take my sister, and I really wanted to. My sister actually confessed to me that she doesn't think she could do it if she even want to. I was just happy going with other people I knew or myself.
Now that we know a bit about Tamar's study abroad in Japan experiences in Japan, let's find out about some teach abroad in japan exoeriences.
