Monthly report/ March 2023

2023.04.09 (April 15th)

March 2023. A month full of happy and nervous moments, friends and fun! I can't believe there's only 3,5 months left in Japan before returning back home to Finland! I really don't want to leave but I'm pretty sure I will come back to Japan pretty soon in the near future!

March was a special month in many ways. The school days were abnormal and irregular due to the spring break, tests, shortened lessons and other special events. I also experienced lots of unique things outside of school. On March 1st I visited Meiji-mura with two of my classmates and later during the month I've been to the Van Gogh art galleria, Ōsu Kannon and shopping district, Nagoya City too many times, Matsumoto Castle, Hakuba Ski Trip, Nyakuichioji Shrine in Nagano, RYLA Seminar camp in Toyota and lastly Hikone-jou and my host family's place in Shiga.

Other than traveling and visiting lots of places there have been lots of exciting events, work, nervousness and situations where I've been way outside of my comfort zone, but in a positive sense however. For example I've had plenty of presentations in school in both English and Japanese, sports days "spring fair, kyūgi taikai", new renovated school building was introduced, fun moments at the hairdresser, speeches on Rotary meetings, performances in Hakuba and the RYLA Seminar, my lecture in my school that I did in Japanese and lastly, the CBC "Gogosuma" TV interview that me and my friend agreed to do in Japanese, was indeed a unique experience!

Meiji-mura, trying what it feels like to be pregnant (home economics class), Koyo HS Spring Fair and my obento written with "Rine" (my nickname). My presentation, host father's special dish, action photo at home and ume tree. 

Thoughts and memories

Generally, I would say that the topmost thoughts and feelings of the past month are very very positive and heart-warming again, as usual! I feel that I'm so relaxed and unconcerned with my everyday life here, so there's really no worries or things that are going bad etc. In general, everything's so good. I've got lots of friends, I'm learning the language more and more, creating lots of memories and getting closer to my host families!

The happiest and best memories from March are, for example, one time during class when I answered correctly to a question (Japanese) during social studies class that the other students couldn't answer. Everyone was surprised, including me. Also the presentation/lecture that I had in Japanese about Finland, myself and exchange studies for students in my school. We had an absolutely great time together, laughing and learning lots of things and sharing our appreciative thoughts of the past months. And of course also the Hakuba Ski Trip and RYLA Seminar were absolutely amazing and lastly the TV interview!

Less happy moments were for example those moments when I felt guilty for doing something that I should not have done or said. Also those moments when I felt that I couldn't do things in my own way, simply when communication didn't work and when different opinions appeared. Other than that, I can't remember anything.

An absolutely amazing month overall is behind and now I'm looking forward to April! Thanks to every person who is making this year successful and fun!

Thank you!

Hakuba Ski Trip 2023, RYLA Seminar 2023 in Toyota, playing memory with host family, last trip with host family to Shiga, karaoke and trip to Miidera cherry blossom light up.  

Monthly report/ February 2023

2023.03.06 (April 15th)

February 2023. First month with my second host family. An absolutely amazing month full of fun memories, new experiences and people! Still five months left to go in Japan. Time goes fast. During this month I've adapted to a new lifestyle including home, foods, rules, transportation, family values and people. It has only been four weeks in my new family however, it feels like we've been friends for ages and that we've lived together for much longer!

After moving to my new host family, I was kind of excited but at the same time stressed, since everything was strange and I was scared of doing something wrong. However, the stress only lasted for a couple of days since we became close with my family relatively quickly. The reason why we became so close was that, well first of all my host family is just so caring, social and kind. But something that especially helped me was to ask A LOT of questions. I didn't do that in my first family which often left me confused and unsure, so I decided to change that in my next family.

The first week was mainly about adapting to new habits, schedule, food, rules, customs etc. The first weekend together, we went to my host fathers house in Shiga Prefecture. I met some relatives there and we went to see Lake Biwa by boat, ate Japanese cuisine, went to the sauna and did a day trip to Ōsaka. On the next day, I broke my little finger and ring finger on my right hand during PE lesson. We played basketball and the ball hit my fingers too hard.

Setsubun,  "Guriko" and "Takoyaki" in Ōsaka. First weekend with my host family and relatives in Shiga-ken. I broke two fingers, the last PE lesson with the third graders, first time by train with my siblings and cooking with host siblings.

Thoughts and memories

Fun memories from February month are absolutely the fingers I broke during PE. It was a first-time-experience, and since it was difficult to finish some tasks, like washing my hair, my mum washed it for me. It will be remembered for a long time. I also had a 30 min presentation about Finland, myself and exchange, in Japanese for the second graders and we had a lot of fun. And in general all the funny conversations together with my host family and friends at school.

An embarrassing memory is Valentine's Day as Japanese Valentine's Day is totally different from Finnish style. We made sweets together with my family, so I decided to give it to a friend, a boy in school, which was very embarrassing since it was my first time.

Once again, the main thoughts of this month are very positive. I adapted super quickly to my new family, I've experienced tons of fun things both in school and at home but most importantly, I've gained a lot of confidence recently. My Japanese has improved a lot and that has resulted in easier communication with classmates, host family and also strangers when in need. I'm not as stressed and strict with myself as I've been back in time. I'm becoming more relaxed over time. I'm so happy!

I want to thank you all for the continuous support and care from the Rotary community! I'm very lucky to have a great supporting team like I have now!

Thank you. Looking forward to March!

Jiiji, Atsuta-jingu, ichigogari, dinner with friends, table tennis game with host family at grandmother's place, "hitsumabushi", and Valentine's Day with my class.

Monthly report/ January 2023

New Year's breakfast, New Year's dinner with grandparents, Itsukushima Shrine, Himeji-jou, making mochi, my class having a trial during social studies class.

Memories, thoughts and emotional well-being

January was probably one of my busiest times in Japan however, it was a lot of fun. I feel like I've finally started to gain confidence, happiness and a stress free state of mind, so I really enjoy my time here. I've started to take the first move, become more active, talkative and outgoing. As my Japanese skills have started to improve recently, everything feels much easier I think. Right now, I can understand basically all everyday conversations and topics, also in school. One day, after a long time I joined health class and to my surprise, I could understand everything that was being taught. It made me so so happy that I was able to participate in class and even answer the teacher's questions.

Recent thoughts. Lately, I have started to pay more attention to the use of language. Since I've become used to hearing the language I've started to realize differences in the use of language by both students, teachers, host family, TV reporters and Rotarians, for example. However, the differences have made me even more confused, as I sometimes don't know how polite language I'm expected to use. Also, I can't speak very good polite language, so talking in spoken language or "tamego" is easier for me. In general I can read the atmosphere but from time to time it's extremely difficult to know how polite to be and when. Recently I've also been in lots of situations where people think I can't understand what they say, then they say it in English. But in reality I can actually understand what they are saying. It's funny but I understand that they want to be kind.

Good memories. There's so many of them but the trip to Hiroshima with my family was so fun and made us become closer. The sleepover at my grandmother's house. I talked a lot with both grandmother and grandfather and we laughed a lot and had a great time together. But in general, all those small happy moments have had an important place in making my days feel happy and meaningful. Small talk, laughing together, talking about a lot of things, hanging around with friends, receiving compliments, smiles and greetings makes life better.

Some uncomfortable or embarrassing memories. There are not many that I can remember. But once when I lost in "janken", I had to go and return the locker room's keys to the teacher's room. Since it was my first time alone and I was very nervous I made many mistakes, so that was very embarrassing. Also during my host club's meeting, there was something special going on and I didn't realize that everyone stood up to give applause, so I sat on my chair until someone told me to stand up. That was indeed embarrassing but everyone laughed, so maybe it was okay.

In conclusion, a very busy but a month full of memories and experiences. I finally became comfortable enough with life here and I've started developing good relations with lots of people in and outside of school. However, actually, I've already started thinking about the day I leave back to Finland. It's only 5,5 months and it will go so fast! I don't want to leave but I guess that's a normal feeling for the majority of all exchange students. I'm looking forward to the last five months!

Thank you for your continuous support!

Day trip with my host Rotary Club to Takayama, in Ichinomiya City Museum, my bed sheets and blankets that I absolutely loved, eating my favorite food "taco rice" for the last time, leaving my old family and moving in to my new family, first evening at my new place.

Monthly report/ December 2022

December 2022. Last report of 2022! Already 4,5 months have passed! Can't believe we're already almost halfway through this exchange!

Wow! What a month! Things have started to get so much better. December was the best month so far. Lots of fun at school, with the host family and Rotary! A month I'll remember for sure! Right now the temperature has also been going down. The winter is here! The mornings are very cold as the temperature can be -2 degrees celsius.

At the beginning of the month I went with a group of my classmates to Higashiyama Zoo and Skytower. It was my first time ever to go out with my classmates. On December 6th it was the Independence Day of Finland, so I decided to celebrate it by putting on a mask with the Finnish flag when I went to school. Also I had a blue&white candle at the dinner table when we ate dinner with the family. Also, something that has never happened to me before was, I overslept three times this month. Well actually just once, two times my alarm didn't wake me up because of some issues which then made my mornings very stressed. Luckily, I was not late!

In school we had a science lecture for a nearby elementary school that came to visit. My group theme was biology and medaka fishes. Soon after that we went on a trip to Iwate and Miyagi prefectures with Rotarians, ROTEX and exchange students. That trip is indeed one of the best memories from this month! We traveled by shinkansen and bus, ate owanko-soba, visited Rikuzentakata where the tsunami destroyed the whole city in 2011, took a bath in onsen, visited exotic animals and tons of shrines, ate delicious foods and stayed overnight at incredible places. Rotary orientation with presentations, kahoot about Finnish language during homeroom, cleaning the school before Winter Holidays, trying on my kendo protectors for the first time, having lots of fun in PE classes and so much more!

Views from Higashiyama Skytower, Independence Day outfit, Science Lecture preparation, Mt Fuji, group photo before leaving Nagoya, Iwate Safari Park and dinner at an Izakaya in Sendai.

Memories, thoughts and emotional well-being

In general I would say that the feelings and memories left from this month are very positive. Some bad memories from this month is when I accidentally said only "arigatou" to my teacher but I corrected myself very quickly, however it was still very embarrassing. Also those moments when I could see that a teacher was annoyed because of other students trying to help me instead of doing what we were supposed to do and the moments when students ignore your existence and treat you coldly or even disrespectfully. Good memories are for example the Tohoku trip, meet ups with friends, the kahoot game I created and played with my class during homeroom, random chats with students in the school and other strangers, Rotary orientation, Rotary Club Christmas party, taiku lessons and finally Japanese New Year! That was a unique experience indeed! More about it later.

Since November my well-being has been improving a lot and I've become more brave and open compared to what I was in the beginning. I feel like I can be myself and show my true personality more and more everyday. School is fun as I feel relaxed to talk and ask things from anyone, my schedule is not too tough and I'm getting closer with my host family. I've realized how I should and want to spend my free time and how to relax. I'm avoiding unnecessary stress and worry and instead trying to focus on the present and how to improve with a positive mind and thinking about the best for my exchange year as my motivation. 

I think the spring is going to be great!

Thank you for your continued support! Happy New Year 2023!

Just finished cleaning the school before Winter Holidays, Christmas Day with relatives, I made Finnish Christmas tarts, snow on Christmas Eve!

Monthly report/ November 2022 

2022.12.10

November 2022. From hell to scratch and back on track. This month (Oct-Nov) was the absolutely toughest one but it taught me extremely important things that made my living much easier and healthier. I've got fully used to life here and it's starting to feel like home. The language is not a problem in terms of listening but speaking is a little difficult still however, I feel that it's starting to get better recently.

Lots of things happened during this November month. The month started during the toughest time for me during this exchange so far. I was going absolutely overboard with my stress, confusion, anxiety, loneliness, overthinking and sadness. After keeping all the emotions and worries inside for too long, it resulted in a stress breakout during school time. I wasn't homesick and I didn't want to go back to Finland. I love Japan. I just didn't know how to be an exchange student and how to communicate. I was too confused and too lonely with my thoughts and issues. But not anymore!

Trying a wedding kimono dressed by my host grandmother. Rotary District 2760 meeting at Centrair Airport. Biology lab. Dinner at my friend's house. Matsumida Shrine entrance. Toyota hakubutsukan.

After talking a lot with my teachers, Rotary club, my own mother and host family, I started to calm down and realized that I'm allowed to not be perfect all the time. I'm allowed to chill, have fun and hang around with friends. I finally started to slowly let go of the stress.

This month I met up with a friend who lives only 10 min away from my host family's house. She had been to Finland for a student exchange last year. We met with her friend in Nagoya and went to karaoke and to Hisaya-odori kōen on a picnic. We also visited Ichinomiya Matsumida Shrine with my host mother. I tried a very beautiful but heavy Japanese wedding kimono as my host grandmother is a kimono teacher. In the middle of the month it was time for Kokusai Rotary D2760 District meeting at Centrair Airport. The 3rd orientation was held in the Nagoya Planetarium. During the test week I visited Toyota Hakubutsukan and Kyōto. Kyōto was absolutely stunning! It was a perfect day together with my host mother, sister and mother's parents! Lots of fun memories!

During this month I've further improved my skills in kendō, shūji, basketball, Japanese, English, kanji and other practical skills like folding clothes, singing, regulating my time and cultural mannerisms. Since this month I also have PE four times per week and bukatsu (kendō) three times per week. It's tough but I enjoy it a lot!

Memories, thoughts and emotional well-being

Fun memories from this month are absolutely the smallest things like having a small happy conversation with someone, no matter if it's the own family, Rotarian or a stranger. Receiving a smile or a "hi" from someone, being a part of the conversation during class, playing basketball or soccer with friends during PE and talking during recess. Just those short happy moments together with people makes life much happier. A moment that made me especially happy was on my way to school when a grandpa stopped to talk with me, asking about my country, my life in Japan and about my future dreams. It made us both very happy I think.

Some bad memories are all the moments when I was left all alone, unsupported, sad and unintentionally ignored. Those days when I was so tired and had no self-confidence were the worst but yet they taught me a lot.

After the chaotic start of the month my emotional well-being has been getting better all the time. I think the panic attack was necessary in order to make me realize that I need to calm down. I feel much more comfortable in school and at home since everyone is aware of my situation. Also my schedule is not only about studying anymore, there's also opportunities for creating memories and for participating in the lessons. I'm even learning Japanese much faster and talking more to my classmates than before. I'm not alone with my thoughts anymore. I feel like I've finally realized my purpose for my stay and how to calm down.

A month of darkness, reflection and development. Thank you for your continuing support! Looking forward to December, Christmas and New Year!

The Finnish exchange student Iida came to our house for one night. With my host mum, sister and grandparents to Kyoto. With the exchange students to Inuyama Castle.

Monthly report/ October 2022

October 2022 - Getting used to life in Japan.

After two months I feel that I've finally gotten used to life in Japan. I feel comfortable taking naps in the train as I know where to get off, I have got used to the late lunch, the lessons and the long lasting club activity evenings in school. Also, it isn't as tiring to listen to the language anymore, as it was in the beginning.

October has been a month full of new things as all months are. At school, I have developed my skills in shūji, badminton, kendō, kanji, Japanese, English and much more. I have made more friends from other classes and outside of school. With my friends we have been to karaoke, sushirō, kendō games and restaurants. Lots of fun memories! I have attended my Rotary club's monthly meetings and it is always good to see the members and have a talk together. With my club we went to see a Kabuki show and it was absolutely amazing! The kimonos, the make-up, the music and the acting was gorgeous! I felt it was a different experience. On sports holiday I visited my club's president's work and got to see his band's music performance. In the same week my class made a one-night school trip to Inabu, Toyota. Global Science Camp. It was a tough trip but the nature was so beautiful and it was my first time to sleep on a tatami floor. During the weekends we have also visited places like Ichinomiya Tower, different festivals like Hagiwara Chindon Matsuri and Shirakawa-go. It's clear that autumn has arrived as the leaves are changing colors and the mornings are getting colder.

Shocks and memories

Some fun memories from this month are definitely moments from PE classes when we had fun and tough games together, when I had English classes with the second graders where I talked about Finland and they wrote messages on my taiku-sai t-shirt, taiku-sai itself, kendō practices and lastly when I got the opportunity to help local people when they were in trouble. I once helped a young man on the train as he was feeling very sick and later helped an old lady in the stairs on the subway and also gave a seat to an elder because no one else did. A heart-warming memory that just made my day much better was when the neighbor from many hundred meters away from our house said "tadaima" when I was on my way home from school on a Saturday at noon. Small things really matter. Bad memories from October are all those lonely moments when nobody sees you and you are just sitting there quiet, tired and sad thinking about what to do next. Also those moments when you say things wrong in Japanese that might hurt someone, even though you didn't mean to say it. There haven't been any shocks but few things that surprised me or got my attention are for example that in kendō, everyone respects each other and greets formally and respectfully. Also, there are buildings where you can park your car that has a lift. I have also realized the way Japanese people communicate indirectly, often leads to misunderstandings, rumors or false information. And lastly, how hard Japanese people actually work.

Thoughts and emotional well-being

Ever since October 1st my emotional well-being has gotten better but there are definitely days when I just want to cry my eyes off. It's easier as I've got used to life here but I feel that the stress, anxiety, loneliness, worry and overthinking makes me very exhausted and that's why I don't seem to enjoy myself here. Of course I like it very much here, but everything feels so tiring and difficult even though it shouldn't be. I have long days, from 5.30 to 23 almost every day and the every day goes fast. There should be time for doing tons of things but on the other hand I don't have the time, energy, motivation or lust. But it will definitely get better! 

Overall, I think I have learned a lot of things even though I don't feel like it. I have gotten used to life here, I can manage everything mostly by myself and I have realized pros and cons not only with Japan, but also Finland. Now I'm looking forward to November!

Global science camp, kendo and kabuki

The weeks keeps on going one after one. I haven't had the time and energy to update about my life here, other than the monthly reports but now it's time for one normal update for once!

In general my school life and emotional well-being has been getting better since October 1st but there are days when it's very tough. I feel like I am still getting too little sleep and overall every day feels like a big obstacle to climb over: I don't feel like getting up from bed, I don't feel like studying and learning new things even though I want to. There is not much time for just sitting and reflecting over life and what my purpose is here in Japan. I do things because I have to. "Linnéa, relax." - I wish I could, because it's not easy, haha. I am still very quiet, stressed and anxious. I feel like I am still giving a picture of myself as an uninterested, depressed and tired person which makes me even more anxious. But I am learning more Japanese every day, especially listening skills are improving while communication is still kinda rusty. However I believe when my mother and other elders tells me that it takes time before the speaking starts improving - you will feel a much bigger difference when the spring comes. 

Now to the main topics. After that the test week ended in the end of September I joined the kendo practices for the first time and goodness I was impressed by the level of skills, the rituals and especially the level of toughness. They were working hard for about 2,5 hours. The club contained of only four members however they were still doing their best. Every Saturday they practice for 4 hours and the amount of practices per week is 6 times/week both including morning practices. The first time I only watched them practice but the second time I was already holding the shinai (the bamboo stick) practicing rituals, steps and overall kendo 101 things. Everything was new and weird but it was very interesting. After the second and third practice I was already receiving compliments for my quick development. I didn't know how to react since I felt very lost and green during practice but maybe the pro's know what they're talking about. The group is absolutely awesome and everyone's so kind and positive. I definitely enjoy going to practice after a long, tough day of school. My plan now is to join practice three times per week, buy the kendo wear asap and then when I go back to Finland I would like to continue practicing and if possible, also take the kendo wear back home somehow. But it has been a cool experience and now I'm looking forward to becoming better!

In the middle of September my class and some teachers packed our stuff and took the bus to Inabu in Toyota's forests. It was time for my first school trip in Japan and this time it was a school related trip so it was not for vacation purpose but for studying purposes. Since Inabu was located high up in the mountains everyone were wearing jumpers, jackets and long pants and then there was me with a t-shirt and shorts hehe. The bus trip took about 1,5 hours and the view on the way to the destination were absolutely stunning! Beautiful forests, fields, watercourses and much more. When we arrived we ate our lunch and listened to a lecture before heading to the forest. The bus took us very high up to the mountains and again the views made me too stunned to speak. Unfortunately I left my camera in my room. During our time in the forest my group studied insects; what species lives here and on what plants they live on. After coming back we had dinner and soon after that everyone were busy making presentations for the whole evening. Late in the evening some went to take a bath and continued making their projects like my group for instance. In the night 90% of the students were hanging around the camping place even though it was prohibited but I was too tired for that so I tried my best to sleep, however I could only sleep for about 4 hours. On the next day after eating breakfast everyone finished their presentations and after that we held our presentations for everyone. Lastly we cleaned up the place and left. A nice trip in general but again, a little tough for this kid haha. Lots of new memories and experiences again!

Lastly, on October 20th, me and my host Rotary club went to see a Kabuki show in Nagoya City during the daytime. I really like hanging out with my Rotary club as I get to meet all the friendly and heart-warming people. I can always put my trust on them and every time I feel so welcomed and protected. Outside the theater house was a lot of people waiting, dressed well and  the majority of them were old people. When I entered the theater I was stunned by the scene! It was so so beautiful and cool. I could feel it was a different experience. Everyone were given a lunchbox with amazing traditional Japanese foods. I couldn't understand anything of the language but the kimonos, the make-up and the music was gorgeous! It was a touch of the Japanese culture for me and I really liked it! I definitely want to go again!

A couple of weeks of interesting experiences and fun times together with awesome people! Next up is the monthly report. See you soon!

Monthly report/ September 2022

2022.10.09

September 2022. A month of emotional roller coaster.

This month has also been a month of tons of new experiences, lots of new people, new foods, new surprises and so on. The month started with my first meeting with my host Rotary club. It was the day of my presentation (in Japanese) and I can't even remember how nervous I was because that's how nervous I was. The meeting place was absolutely gorgeous and the food was so good but sadly I was not able to finish everything due to my nervosity and lack of time. Fortunately the presentation went well but it was way too long than the recommended length of five minutes, whoopsie! But it was fun! After the meeting we headed to the school as it was my first day of school that day. I was very nervous again and I remember when walking towards the classroom how everyone was watching and waving at me. I could not stop smiling.

The first weeks of school were very tough for me, honestly speaking. Early mornings, learning how to go to school by myself, the heat, long periods without food, the new environment, the new people, the new language and all the stress was very exhausting, and still is. Despite that I got to experience lots of special things right away. Like Bunka-sai. I experienced the tea ceremony, the senpai's theaters and lots of other very clever games. I also made some new friends. A fun and an embarrassing memory from the bunka-sai was when I mistook two teachers as students haha. More about that later!

The first day of school. My class's number is 101. /Sep 1st   

Photos from the culture festival a.k.a. "bunka-sai". /Sep 8-10th

During September month we also visited Takeshima Island with my host mother and her parents. I absolutely loved it! The nature, the sea and the historic vibe combined was exactly to my taste! It was my first meeting with my host grandparents. Grandmother was so so nice and loving. After visiting the island we went to eat Japanese food and to see the Takeshima aquarium. Definitely a day I will remember for very long! Other experiences during this month were Beer Garden with the Rotary club. At the restaurant called "Beer Garden" I met my second host family, which I didn't know was going to happen actually, and also my Rotary club's members. The place was located on the rooftop and it was nice and cozy and amazing food. The atmosphere was great and we had an awesome evening together. On the same day I also got my school uniform and when I went to get it, the lovely workers were happy to communicate with me in Japanese and they were interested to know about my life in Japan, about Finland and about my Japanese studies. In September I talked to a few strangers, which I found quite fun actually. I talked to a young woman with a Marimekko handbag and to an elderly lady at a shrine next to our house. It's fun to share short conversations with people, it makes the day more brighter. 

An unique experience during September month was the typhoon that was expected to be very severe but at the end, didn't cause any problems at all. It was like an autumn storm. On a day-off we went with okaasan (mum) and little sister to Nagakute to do pottery and the nature in that place was absolutely stunning! The pottery was also a lot of fun. At the end of September I went to Nagashima Spaland. With the palms, the sea, the pool water and the sunshine it felt like arriving to Florida! It was incredibly exotic and hot, but beautiful! On the last day of the month we went to Kinjo University with our Rotary district. It was a Christian girls-only school with very modern and huge facilities. It was nice to meet up with everyone again and to exchange thoughts and opinions which helped everyone on working through difficulties that may appear during the exchange. 

During this month I had experienced every Saturday family dinner with my host family, grandfather and host father's brother's family. I always look forward to spending time together with everyone while eating ojiichan's amazing food. We've talked, played board games, watched tv and played table tennis together. So much fun!

Sometimes you need to ventilate yourself, let's say. For some reasons I've felt extremely stressed and anxious every day since I arrived here and this Wednesday day ended in emotional breakdown after talking about an emotional thing and receiving information about tasks, challenges etc that needed to be done in a short period of time. I was tired, stressed, low in mood and iron and and just couldn't do anything but burst out in tears. That big emotional breakdown made me realize how much I had been enduring until that day. I was scared of crying in front of my family as we were even eating dinner at that time but for my happy surprise my parents were the sweetest ever! They hugged me, gave me sweets, milk and tissues and they tried their best to keep up a talk about how well it's going and how appreciated I am. They prepared a hot bath for me and on the next day my mum took me to buy food and snacks and we even made Finnish food that day, probably to make me feel better. Couldn't have a better family than this! Just so sweet :)

Takeshima Island, Beer Garden, the (summer) school uniform, pottery, Nagashima Spaland, Studio Ghibli shop and Kinjo University. /Second half of September.

Culture shocks and memories

Some new surprises I experienced this month were for instance how chill my school is regarding rules, communication and hierarchy. The students are always happy and relaxed and the atmosphere in the school is absolutely fantastic! Students and teachers respect each other and during lessons everyone talk, laugh and joke like friends from 10 years back. Teachers wear casual clothes and students are not scolded when wearing the uniform incorrectly. They play music in the school during lunch break and being late from lessons is not a very big deal in you have a reason. Other things. Of course the very well-functioning Japanese rail- and subway system. The trains are always on time, people stand in queues and the instructions are well made at every station. The third shock was definitely how social and open Japanese people are in real life, compared to what my image of them was. Firstly I thought the majority would be more serious and shy but that is not the case based on my experience so far. I also learned was to step out from the subway/metro while people are getting out during rush hour. In Japan, vending machine drinks are very cheap and in restaurants there is hand wipes with alcohol, cases where to keep your mask and bells for calling the staff when you want to order. There are way too many things to tell....

Fun memories from September. On my way to school I met an ex-exchange student that went to Finland 2021-22 via AFS. We could communicate only in Finnish as her Finnish was so good! Other fun memories are from PE lessons in school. In one lesson we played volleyball and during warm up we were passing the ball in a circle and I unintentionally kicked the ball very hard and it hit a girl in the chest area. We had a great laugh! During bunka-sai (culture festival) I also made the embarrassing mistake that I mistook two young male teachers as students while introducing myself to them and the worst part was that even asked them if they were students. But that happens right, haha? On my way home from school and also in Nagashima I met some foreigners and we just automatically said hello to each other as being a foreigner in Japan is quite rare. That was really fun! Some compliments I've received from Japanese people here is for my language skills, eye color, my hair and even my back. I've got compliments that I have a strong and healthy back. One bad memory or experience from this month is when I accidentally said "Ohayou" (=morning) instead of saying "Ohayou gozaimasu" (=good morning) to an elder. That felt very bad but it's a part of the experience.

Thoughts and emotional well-being

Honestly speaking, this month has been extremely tough on me, I have been very exhausted, anxious and stressed. A month of emotional roller coaster. There have been days where I walk home from school in tears and days where I come home dancing and smiling. My Japanese listening skills improve everyday but speaking is a little complicated and I feel like I am not doing what I am supposed to do. I can't see any progress which makes me super pressured. A period of time without being able to express myself, my thoughts, opinions and feelings made me close myself, instead of trying and making mistakes to learn. But this is what is going to make me stronger and grow up right? I also realized I have started missing physical touch like hugs and kisses. Besides that, my life in my host family is going very well! My family is so supportive, understanding, hard-working and caring. I just feel very bad for not smiling and speaking enough to them. But life here is fun in general. I love the environment, the food and special moments of sharing thoughts and experiences with everybody. Now I am looking forward to October! Thank you for all your support!

 Monthly report/ August 2022

2022.9.19

Time for the first monthly report!

AUGUST 2022. THE MONTH OF NEW EXPERIENCES. 

A month of much excitement, nervosity, preparation and new experiences, people and routines. This month changed a lot in my life forever. This exchange year has been my dream for many years and now it finally came true! I want to sincerely thank everyone for everything you have done to make this exchange year happen! Next, I will summarize the first month of my exchange and it will include experiences, culture shocks and other fun/not so fun memories. This report is made long on purpose.

A feeling of emptiness before departure 

The moment I had waited for was finally here. Friday, August 19th 2022. The day of departure. I packed my luggage the day before on the floor in our living room. I still did not understand what was happening and there was no feeling of nervosity, pressure, homesickness or anything. I felt very weird and empty. I was spending the last days like I normally did listening to music, packing, eating, checking all the papers hundred times, chatting with friends, picking blueberries, spending time with my family and visiting my grandmother. Thinking back, I think I was preparing more mentally, for example on changing language, meeting new people, enduring the tough humidity and heat and such things. Of course, like there always is, we faced some struggles with the COVID-19 test result validity and the application called "MySOS" and we called several times to the Japanese Embassy in Finland and luckily everything was okay. There is no trip without last minute stress, haha!

Around 13:30 in the day we left home and I said goodbye to our exchange student living at our place and in that hurry I even forgot to tell my dogs off. When we arrived at the airport I started to get a little stressed about the flight, "Will I pass all the security checks?", "Will all the papers be accepted?", "Will I be able to manage everything for the continuation flight in Narita?" etc... Pretty fast I had to wish goodbye to my family and while hugging mum the tears started falling. I met my exchange friend and flight accompany, Iida, at the airport. I was so happy I could share the trip and everything in therebetween with her! Before stepping in, we talked with a Japanese couple from Tokyo. We told them we are exchange students going to Nagoya. We talked about Nagoya's specialities, like "hitsumabushi". That was fun! On the airplane, the flight attendants admired mine and Iida's beer mats that were in use on the Finnair airplanes about 20 years ago. The text said: "We are flying to Tokyo." I was lucky my grandfather had saved them until today. The first flight in my life went very well, the food was great, the atmosphere and the crew was nice. I could not sleep but that was expected though, haha. 

Finally arrived

We finally arrived in Japan on August 20th at about 13 o'clock! I remember looking around from the plane and I was too stunned to say anything. It felt unreal somehow. The first shock came when we stepped out from the plane. The heat was unbelievable! I remember when when stepping out, the way I and Iida looked at each other and told "holy s#it!". That was unexpected indeed. The paper checks went so smoothly and everything was clear and well prepared, like it usually is in Japan. The language quickly changed into Japanese and I was surprised how well everything went. We met Rotary exchange students from Sweden and we did not know where to go with our luggage for security check so I asked a staff member in Japanese and once again, I felt so relived I managed it. We went to the public area and Rotarians were waiting to meet their students coming to Tokyo and neighbouring prefectures. I have to say that I was so happily surprised by their actions! Despite the fact that we were not their students they were so welcoming, took pictures with us and helped us to check in the luggage for the next flight. We talked in Japanese and they were so surprised how well I was able to speak. Two young gentlemen carried my luggage to the check in, so so sweet! 

On the continuation flight I was accompanied by Iida from Finland and William from Sweden and I have to say, I could not have been happier! So many fun memories. A fun memory that could have turned out not to be one, was when buying a sandwich for the first time in Japan in 7-Eleven. I put my passport beside me, while paying (which was so confusing) and then forgot it there. Fortunately, Iida and William came out later from the store with my passport in their hands!! That would have been terrible if I would have forgotten it in there. Also using and flushing the Japanese toilets for the first time was confusing for me and Iida at the beginning. While waiting for the airplane transit bus we talked to a couple of Japanese ladies. They wondered what language we were speaking. So friendly people! 

The flight went well and so fast! We arrived at about 20:00 o'clock in evening. We went to get our luggage again and I have to say, during that long time of waiting I got really excited and nervous as we could see all the Rotarians and families waiting for us. I hugged Iida while jumping several times and screaming inside my head out of excitement. We finally got our luggage and now it was time! I was nervous like never before. At first I could not find my club and then I found the wrong one haha, but lastly I saw a couple of signs with the club's name Marunouchi and my name written on them. To be honest, I do not remember so much from the moment I met everyone, there was so much going on at the same time. I remember meeting my absolutely most lovely host family and greeting them, receiving flowers and being thrown into a one minute speech in front of a video camera. That was my first uncomfortable shock, to be honest. I was all covered in sweat, high in adrenaline, tired and hungry and my face looked like an overheated tomato and then had to give a speech in Japanese, wow! I think my "one minute speech" took only about 15 seconds anyway. I can not imagine how high my adrenaline was that evening haha. I remember I could not recognize anyone but my host family out of all the people who I met. We drove home and in the car we already talked about our music tastes and the language was as far as I remember only Japanese. I arrived at my upcoming home and I was shocked how beautiful it was! A mix of modern and traditional Japanese style, ojiisan's plant room was absolutely stunning and plenty of steep stairs. My room was on the third floor and it was so big and cool! The next morning when I woke up and looked out from the window my eyes fell out, the views were gorgeous. Definitely things I am going to remember forever!

The first weeks - experiences and thoughts

Culture shocks, thoughts and emotional well-being

Honestly speaking, there have not been many culture shocks so far as the mannerism and culture was familiar and studied before departure. Despite that there are a few things that are different here than back in Finland. Number one: The bathroom sink is outside the toilet room. In Finland: They are in the same space. Number two: People drive with lights off during the day and they use the hazard flasher when backing up. In Finland: We always drive with lights on and no need for hazard flashers when backing up. There are white lights on the back. Number three: You need to take your shoes off before stepping into the fitting room while shopping and you need to wear a bag on your head to prevent getting clothes dirty while changing. In Finland: You can take them inside the changing room but not wear them while changing and no need for bags on the head. Number four: Spiders are big and they live everywhere, in trees, in houses, on the walls... In Finland: They are mostly find in houses in the corners or underneath big stones etc. but nests are not seen in trees due to hard wind and thin leaves. Number five: Japanese toilet paper is very thin. In Finland: The paper is thick and strong. Number six: There are no tissues or towels in public toilets. You need to bring your own tissues/towels. In Finland: Tissues are found in every toilet.

They say that exchange is the most happiest AND challenging year. I have to say that I do agree with that. When I arrived in Japan I managed everything very well and tried my best with communicating in Japanese. However, after arriving at my host family's home I feel like I have gotten extremely shy and quiet, which is very tough on me as an outgoing, social, happy and enthusiastic person. I have found it very hard to communicate, especially without making mistakes and offending anyone. In my case I have found it hard to speak as I am recommended to speak in Japanese but when the topic gets too difficult I feel like switching into English, which is not recommended and then I start feeling very guilty and like I have failed my mission, let's say. I start to think about how to fix the problem in the best way possible but end up overthinking everything. So I have become quiet instead of talking that could possibly lead into something unwanted. It's very very tiring to not be able to be yourself and to not have someone to talk to and that is why I have been down in mood from time to time. I realized how addicted I am to social attention and interaction. Those have been my main thoughts and issues during these first two weeks. But it will certainly get better! I am very thankful I have an awesome, so understanding, so loving and so caring host family! I could not have asked for anything better. I just don't know how to face them sometimes and how to show them my appreciation as I feel like I have not deserved anything of what I am given by them. I am often tired and I feel so useless as there is nothing I can do in return to show my respect. I feel so bad but it is, what it is. Nevertheless, I am very surprised and proud of how much I understand Japanese even though I do not speak it as much as I am actually able to. It is easier to get to know people, to communicate and to avoid misunderstandings when there is a common language.

Summary

August definitely gave me lots of tastes of different things, good and bad. Plenty of experiences and new people. I wish the upcoming months to be even better and to meet lots of new people and to become braver with speaking Japanese!

Ganbarimasu! :) 

Thank you!

Welcome! 

My self-introduction! Why Japan? Why exchange?

2022.09.11

Hello my dear readers! Welcome :)

Right now, I am in Japan and three weeks have already passed. At first I didn't think of creating a blog but we humans change our minds all the time.... I thought about writing (or to try at least) a blog during this year at least once a month, for myself to keep my memories, for Rotary and also for friends to read. You can expect posts about 1-2 times per month. The main language will be English.

Yoroshiku onegaishimasu! :)

Self-introduction

Who am I? 

Name: Linnéa Ukkonen

Age: 17 (2005)

Origin: Finland

Family members: 6

Languages: Swedish, Finnish, English and the basics of Japanese and French

Hobbies: Horseback riding and studying Japanese

Interests: Society, history, sports, philosophy, psychology, geography, ethics & morals etc....

Free time: Listen to music, study, spend time with family, hang out with friends etc...

Favorite color: Blue

Favorite food: Generally, I like everything but fish, salad and meat is delish

Fun fact: I was born 23:59 in the evening 

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Why Japan? Why exchange?

Long story short. When I was a child, I used to watch Studio Ghibli movies but at that time I was not too impressed by what I saw but later, at the age of 11 my interest kicked in in a more serious manner, so to say, as I started watching the movies again. I became interested in studying the language, mannerism, philosophy (way and reason of thinking and acting), history and nature and I fell in love with the unique characteristics that Japan has. But most importantly, I fell in love with the Japanese people. My impression of them was that they are modest, respectful, kind and hard-working. I felt a special connection to the country that I did not have towards other countries. 

Later on when I turned 13 years old I started to think about going abroad as traveling always had been my dream. I liked school and learning new things. I am an outgoing, hard-working and enthusiastic person. That was the point when I thought exchange was the right thing for me and in this case, especially to Japan. I did not feel about going somewhere else. When I turned 14 years old I told my parents that I wanted to go abroad for exchange and since then I had waited for this year. I am very blessed to be able to fulfill my dream even during tough times like this and many other applicants. Now my big dream is finally fulfilled! God is Great! Thank you mum and dad, grandma, friends and Rotary for everything you have done for me that I do not even deserve! 

Thank you!