Final Entry
.
In hindsight, this last year just seems to have gone by so quickly that I need to look at all the entries to realize what has happened since September last year. Has it been a good year; has it been a fruitful year or has it just been an absolute waste of time? Since I am not a philosophical kinda guy I think I just need to compare the expectations I had with the results and see what the outcome is.
Expectations: a) better grasp of spoken and written Japanese. b) getting to know Japanese people and making friends and c) see places and witness events that I could not possibly do anywhere else but in Japan.
I did improve on my language proficiency skills but, unfortunately, not as much as I would have liked mainly due to the fact that 10 Dutch students were housed together and even though I’m a rather gregarious and extravert person, I did not manage to meet and develop friendships with enough Japanese people to have good conversations with. To connect with the younger Japanese crowd was easy but never a lasting thing (the age gap is just way too big) and I didn’t manage to meet interesting folk my age (too conformist and too petty bourgeois) in Nagasaki. Even to make gay friends there didn’t work out. The only thing that I managed to do was to travel and see quite a lot of the country itself. The times spend on planes, trains and buses have been extensive and gruellingly expensive too.
Has it been a waste of time? I can honestly say no it has not. Although the general lustre regarding Japan has disappeared, I think I have come to value the things one normally takes for granted at least for now and I think that I have matured (if that’s at all possible) in more ways than one. The thing I have really come to realize is that I will not go and live without Paul somewhere again for such an extended period of time so I need to consider if continuing doing a MA (Master of Arts) in Leiden afterwards (which includes an other obligatory year in Japan) is a viable option at all.
Went to Leiden University last Monday to register for certain lectures (still not possible to do this online…..) and it felt like nothing had changed. Lectures will start on the 11th and only two more years, deo volente, to get my Bachelors.
頑張って… Gambatte……
Expectations: a) better grasp of spoken and written Japanese. b) getting to know Japanese people and making friends and c) see places and witness events that I could not possibly do anywhere else but in Japan.
I did improve on my language proficiency skills but, unfortunately, not as much as I would have liked mainly due to the fact that 10 Dutch students were housed together and even though I’m a rather gregarious and extravert person, I did not manage to meet and develop friendships with enough Japanese people to have good conversations with. To connect with the younger Japanese crowd was easy but never a lasting thing (the age gap is just way too big) and I didn’t manage to meet interesting folk my age (too conformist and too petty bourgeois) in Nagasaki. Even to make gay friends there didn’t work out. The only thing that I managed to do was to travel and see quite a lot of the country itself. The times spend on planes, trains and buses have been extensive and gruellingly expensive too.
Has it been a waste of time? I can honestly say no it has not. Although the general lustre regarding Japan has disappeared, I think I have come to value the things one normally takes for granted at least for now and I think that I have matured (if that’s at all possible) in more ways than one. The thing I have really come to realize is that I will not go and live without Paul somewhere again for such an extended period of time so I need to consider if continuing doing a MA (Master of Arts) in Leiden afterwards (which includes an other obligatory year in Japan) is a viable option at all.
Went to Leiden University last Monday to register for certain lectures (still not possible to do this online…..) and it felt like nothing had changed. Lectures will start on the 11th and only two more years, deo volente, to get my Bachelors.
頑張って… Gambatte……
posted by 狩人 (Hunter in Japanese) @ 8/20/2006 10:07:00 pm
3 Comments:
At 6:40 am,
Anonymous said…
Welcome back in the Netherlands.
Yep, cherish the good moments, good times and the experience of Japan and keep it close to your heart.
Still no online registration at Leiden omg.
Tse
PS: waarom schrijf ik bovenste stuk in engels????
At 5:18 pm,
Anonymous said…
Ha Paul,
je laatste column begrijp ik? Jammer hoor. Of krijgen we nu een weblog over alle belevenissen aan de kade...?
Dank voor al je bijdragen, het was zeer onderhoudend!
groeten van william
At 6:19 pm,
Anonymous said…
For God's sake don't mature too much. Mixing with all of those children (Dutch students, but they're children to me) should have stopped the maturing process.
I'm glad you're back. I've only seen you once in the past year and that is not enough. All of the experiences you've had must have been enriching - even if you were never to draw on those experiences again, but I know you will. I feel the MA is not for you. I know you could do it - you are so capable - but why have another year away from Poppins? It was great to see you last week and hope to see you lots more now that you're back in circulation - I was going to say civilisation but that would be pushing it as far as Isleworth is concerned anyway.
Well I must get back to work. I think it's "Congratulations" to you. It takes a lot to do what you've done. Just don't do it again. Now the question is "What have I gained from your year in Japan?" Well I now know what a blog is and know where to head for food in Nagasaki, where the best beaches are and all about cherry blossom festivals. Not bad really.
Speak soon
Chris
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