As I set out on this
journey…
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| Toronto Airport: Look how much better it is compared to American ones! |
I realized that once I arrive in Japan, I’ll be one of the most
conspicuous people in the area, and while I typically enjoy attention based on
my looks and personality, I find myself feeling rather ambivalent about this
aspect of the study abroad experience. I can only imagine the reactions to my
height and particular type of hair from not only the Japanese, but from other
international students as well. Although I’m certain that everyone means no
harm in their questions; they could quickly become daunting for me to answer
because at some point I’ll feel like I’m being objectified, and truthfully, I
probably will be…
Aside from my foreign
appearance and the challenges that will come with it, I wonder whether my
animated personality will come off as endearing and charming, or if it will
simply be too different to the students in Akita and I’ll be perceived as a
novelty.
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| Tokyo Airport: Haneda! Ready to begin! |
Another thought that crosses
my mind as I think about the journey that will begin soon is how other will
react to my Japanese language skills, and whether or not they’ll be taken
seriously. Even though I’m not a fantastic speaker, I still intend to try my
hardest to communicate in Japanese since I’ll be there for a year, plus it’s only
respectful to make an earnest effort to speak to someone in their native
language when in their country.
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