ppl who lived in japan (2 Viewers)

[pLuvia]

hey guys and girls i no most of u's would been to japan, or lived there.. i was wondering if uve lived theres:

1. what organisation did u do it thru
2. wat grade did u do it in
3. wat did u learn from the experience
4. did u do a homestay
5. how long did you go for and wat would be a recommended time period to stay for

my answers to it.. btw i havent been yet thinking of goin...

1. ?????? finding out
2. i wanna go at the end of yr 11 so i can c where my weaknesses are so i can improve in yr 12..
3. ppl's comments, learnt bout culture, improvement in japanese
4. i wanna do a homestay
5. thinking of 1 months, be gud time period to go?? because i wanna go in the summer holz.. and i think we only get like 6 weeks rest so yeh...

wat r ur answers and opinions to these

douzo....

 

[pLuvia]

1. what organisation did u do it thru:
i went through my school sith some other school mates
2. wat grade did u do it in:
year10
3. wat did u learn from the experience:
that japan is a hole if you stay with teachers and fun by your self or with friends. The school girls there are so shy and sensitive. Anything can make them upset.
4. did u do a homestay:
yes i did. My home stay drank and smoked and cut her self. i just smoked and drank with her. she started crying when one day i forgot about dinner.
5. how long did you go for and wat would be a recommended time period to stay for:
i went for two weeks during school holidays. if your going through the school two weeks is enough MORE than enough. if your going by your self or with friends then take 3 months.

my teacher says that the families in japan are really generous.. hey its funny.. the word.. しんせつ means kind rite.. wouldnt that be the same meaning as generous.. newayz.. my friend got it rong.. bak to da pt..

yeh my teacher says their realy generous and nice.. do they treat u well.. coz i dun wanna be treated like crap hahha

 

[pLuvia]

they were okay... they gave me a basket full of chocolates and chips and all these goodies that was really cool of them. We didnt talk much so it was just general chatters about australian life, school, about 'white' aussies, kangaroos and about my parents. They always asked me if i was hungry and over piled my plate during breakfast and dinner. But i would have to say that the parents that i had were more generous than the kid. Dont worry you wont be treated like crap its just how you handle the situation.

this may sound like a dum Question but... did they speak to u in jap or eng??.. i just dun like the feeling wen they say sumthin to u.. and u dun understand.. and u say.. wakaranai.. and then they stop saying it ahhah.. did u follow the jap customs.. like b4 eating u sed.. itadakimasu and after.. gochigosama.. wen ur leaving... itedekimasu <<<--- i think thats wat it is.. and wen sumone comes bakk.. irashai.. etc.. can sumoen check that.. i just remembered all that from "chobits" i was neva taught those jap customs ahhaha

 

[AcStyle*]

1/ Did it thru school who used some Australia-Japan travel group thing
2/ Yr10, back in 2001
3/ Basically all the stuff u learn from txtbks, etc u experience first hand. Plus u get to find out abt new Jpop acts!
4/ Yes, we spoke a combo of Jap & English...there was always a dictionary nearby
5/ I went for 2wks, wish i could hav stayed for longer tho!

And abt the customs, i remember the first meal i was waiting for them to say 'ittadakimasu' but no one said ne thing so i just went along with it. It was the same w/ other ones lyk 'tadaima', etc. Maybe it was bcos i was there or sumfin but they didnt do ne of that stuff...

 

[pLuvia]

1/ Did it thru school who used some Australia-Japan travel group thing
2/ Yr10, back in 2001
3/ Basically all the stuff u learn from txtbks, etc u experience first hand. Plus u get to find out abt new Jpop acts!
4/ Yes, we spoke a combo of Jap & English...there was always a dictionary nearby
5/ I went for 2wks, wish i could hav stayed for longer tho!

And abt the customs, i remember the first meal i was waiting for them to say 'ittadakimasu' but no one said ne thing so i just went along with it. It was the same w/ other ones lyk 'tadaima', etc. Maybe it was bcos i was there or sumfin but they didnt do ne of that stuff...

hye can u tell me the jap customs.. like the things u say wen coming home.. wen leaving home.. b4 eating.. etc.. coz i was neva taught that but learnt sum from jap animes.....

i alredy have a rough idea on wat sum of them are..

b4 eating - ittadakimasu
after eating - gochigosama
leaving home - ittedekimasu
wen sumone comes home - irashai

nething else??

 

[pLuvia]

1/ Did it thru school who used some Australia-Japan travel group thing
2/ Yr10, back in 2001
3/ Basically all the stuff u learn from txtbks, etc u experience first hand. Plus u get to find out abt new Jpop acts!
4/ Yes, we spoke a combo of Jap & English...there was always a dictionary nearby
5/ I went for 2wks, wish i could hav stayed for longer tho!

And abt the customs, i remember the first meal i was waiting for them to say 'ittadakimasu' but no one said ne thing so i just went along with it. It was the same w/ other ones lyk 'tadaima', etc. Maybe it was bcos i was there or sumfin but they didnt do ne of that stuff...

hye can u tell me the jap customs.. like the things u say wen coming home.. wen leaving home.. b4 eating.. etc.. coz i was neva taught that but learnt sum from jap animes.....

i alredy have a rough idea on wat sum of them are..

b4 eating - ittadakimasu
after eating - gochigosama
leaving home - ittedekimasu
wen sumone comes home - irashai

nething else??

 

[poloktim]

Well, they don't spell words with numbers. =\

Also, coming home is wrong.

When you leave, you say "ittekimasu," and the person who is still there says "itterashai."
When you come home you say "tadaima," and the person who is home says "okaerinasai."
Also, unless you're a rude bastard, you don't say "gochisousama," but "gochisousama deshita."

 

[pLuvia]

Well, they don't spell words with numbers. =\

Also, coming home is wrong.

When you leave, you say "ittekimasu," and the person who is still there says "itterashai."
When you come home you say "tadaima," and the person who is home says "okaerinasai."
Also, unless you're a rude bastard, you don't say "gochisousama," but "gochisousama deshita."

wats does gochisousama mean newayz? thank you for this meal?? and wats the difference between.. gohisousama and gochisousama deshita?

 

[poloktim]

wats does gochisousama mean newayz? thank you for this meal?? and wats the difference between.. gohisousama and gochisousama deshita?

Deshita adds the politeness to the phrase, and also, since the meal is over, adds the past tense to it. Often it's interpreted as meaning "It was a feast."

 

[sweetsweetcandy]

hey guys and girls i no most of u's would been to japan, or lived there.. i was wondering if uve lived theres:

1. what organisation did u do it thru
2. wat grade did u do it in
3. wat did u learn from the experience
4. did u do a homestay
5. how long did you go for and wat would be a recommended time period to stay for

1. LABO
2. End of Yr 10
3. Mainly about the lifestyle and culture. Also, yummy jap food and many j-pop bands that rock.
4. Yes. If you go, you should do a homestay because it helps teach you about the lifestyle more and the culture. My host sister was two years older than me, but she had a sister the same age as me. She took about 2 hours every morning to do her make-up and hair lol. Very fashion obsessed.
5. One month. I recommend at least 3 months.

And yes, they are overly generous to the point you feel bad that they insist they pay for everything... I mean everything. In addition, I was showered with gifts and more gifts coz it was New Year's. Of course I'm thankful, but it was like whoa at first.

I agree with a few posts above about them not always following what we may think as strict customs, such as 'itadakimasu' before a meal. Though sometimes they did it and told me to as well haha.

Also... there was a lot of embarassing bicycle riding for me because my host sister kind of had to cart me around on the streets on the back of her bicycle X_x

They spoke a lot of english to me, which was a bit annoying coz I wanted to practise my jap but it felt weird replying in jap when they're speaking english. Then when I spoke jap, they laugh I know it's all in good humour and amusement, but it's still a bit cheek warming.

If you're going to go during OUR summer holidays, bring warm clothes or you will freeze. Shopping there is extremely expensive.

Try to check out the school life as well. I only went to school for 2 days, but it was interesting. They have school slippers and bathroom cleaning duties and stuff. It's cool.

All in all, I had a blast.

 

[pLuvia]

1. LABO
2. End of Yr 10
3. Mainly about the lifestyle and culture. Also, yummy jap food and many j-pop bands that rock.
4. Yes. If you go, you should do a homestay because it helps teach you about the lifestyle more and the culture. My host sister was two years older than me, but she had a sister the same age as me. She took about 2 hours every morning to do her make-up and hair lol. Very fashion obsessed.
5. One month. I recommend at least 3 months.

And yes, they are overly generous to the point you feel bad that they insist they pay for everything... I mean everything. In addition, I was showered with gifts and more gifts coz it was New Year's. Of course I'm thankful, but it was like whoa at first.

I agree with a few posts above about them not always following what we may think as strict customs, such as 'itadakimasu' before a meal. Though sometimes they did it and told me to as well haha.

Also... there was a lot of embarassing bicycle riding for me because my host sister kind of had to cart me around on the streets on the back of her bicycle X_x

They spoke a lot of english to me, which was a bit annoying coz I wanted to practise my jap but it felt weird replying in jap when they're speaking english. Then when I spoke jap, they laugh I know it's all in good humour and amusement, but it's still a bit cheek warming.

If you're going to go during OUR summer holidays, bring warm clothes or you will freeze. Shopping there is extremely expensive.

Try to check out the school life as well. I only went to school for 2 days, but it was interesting. They have school slippers and bathroom cleaning duties and stuff. It's cool.

All in all, I had a blast.

oo cool cool... umm.. yeh im only thinking of going for a month.. coz of the holz.. so.. yeh.. sounds like u had a great great time.. how much was it wen u went.. 4k +.. ??.. i just need ta no the price.. and how much cash did u bring lol .. if i go in the summer holz.. and its chrissy hahahaha u no wat that means.. no.. im not greedy.. and like i dun like receiving prezzies if they dun get nething in return and i dun really want to giv them our crappy aust key rings.. etc. hahaha

 

[sweetsweetcandy]

oo cool cool... umm.. yeh im only thinking of going for a month.. coz of the holz.. so.. yeh.. sounds like u had a great great time.. how much was it wen u went.. 4k +.. ??.. i just need ta no the price.. and how much cash did u bring lol .. if i go in the summer holz.. and its chrissy hahahaha u no wat that means.. no.. im not greedy.. and like i dun like receiving prezzies if they dun get nething in return and i dun really want to giv them our crappy aust key rings.. etc. hahaha

I bought them stuff in Australia and gave it to them when I got there. They seemed pretty thrilled with the aussie stuff.

I brought WAY too much money, but I'm not a big spender, so I probably should've spent more.

The trip cost about $1500 or something like that, I don't remember, but it was a good and affordable price. We got to go to a "LABO" camp in Daisen with snow and traditional jap cabins with the tatami mats and futons and sleeping on the ground with 20 people (camp food was gross though, had to suffer through artifical lumps for 3 days), which was awesome and that was included in the price.

I don't regret going at all. I didn't even think I'd go through with it at first, but it was awesome. You do experience some culture shock at first, coz things are really different from back here and it all kind of comes to you at once... so I was crying a bit in my sleep for the first few days. Believe me, I'm not a homesick kind of a person at all but I just felt like I couldn't handle living like this for another 4 weeks lol. But then at the end of it, I was crying coz I didn't want to leave all the friends I made haha.

Jap people are so emotional. At the end of our 3-day camp, we all sat in a circle, turned off the lights and shared stories. All the girls and some of the guys were crying haha. I was like 'whoa... you've only known them for three days...'. My host sister cried, but she's like a drama queen lol. But she's cool.

 

[pLuvia]

I bought them stuff in Australia and gave it to them when I got there. They seemed pretty thrilled with the aussie stuff.

I brought WAY too much money, but I'm not a big spender, so I probably should've spent more.

The trip cost about $1500 or something like that, I don't remember, but it was a good and affordable price. We got to go to a "LABO" camp in Daisen with snow and traditional jap cabins with the tatami mats and futons and sleeping on the ground with 20 people (camp food was gross though, had to suffer through artifical lumps for 3 days), which was awesome and that was included in the price.

I don't regret going at all. I didn't even think I'd go through with it at first, but it was awesome. You do experience some culture shock at first, coz things are really different from back here and it all kind of comes to you at once... so I was crying a bit in my sleep for the first few days. Believe me, I'm not a homesick kind of a person at all but I just felt like I couldn't handle living like this for another 4 weeks lol. But then at the end of it, I was crying coz I didn't want to leave all the friends I made haha.

Jap people are so emotional. At the end of our 3-day camp, we all sat in a circle, turned off the lights and shared stories. All the girls and some of the guys were crying haha. I was like 'whoa... you've only known them for three days...'. My host sister cried, but she's like a drama queen lol. But she's cool.

so u went for a month.. hmm.. cools... i mite not go by LABO.. theres this organisation which i wanna go thru.. yet i dunno the name ahahah so that doesnt help.. yeh b4 i go.. im gonna tell them that i dun eat raw food.. lol.. that mite put them down coz thats all they eat.. raw fish, etc etc

 

[pLuvia]

also wats with the j pop etc.. did they like introduce u to many jap artists etc.. meaning they gave u cds. to listen to etc..
the only jap artists i no are..

BoA - korean but hey she sings jap
mikuni shimokawa - nice singer.. *thumbs up*
ai otsuka - cool songs... and yeh. thats all i no haha

 

[sweetsweetcandy]

so u went for a month.. hmm.. cools... i mite not go by LABO.. theres this organisation which i wanna go thru.. yet i dunno the name ahahah so that doesnt help.. yeh b4 i go.. im gonna tell them that i dun eat raw food.. lol.. that mite put them down coz thats all they eat.. raw fish, etc etc

I don't eat raw fish either and it wasn't a problem. When they took me to this totally awesome and gigantic sushi train restaurant, I just ate the other stuff. It was fine. Believe me, there is plenty more food to try. If your host mother is a great cook like mine was, you'll be eating 24/7. The food just keeps coming at you. We even had home-made okonomiyaki.

In regards to j-pop. I went to karaoke and basically I watched a lot of Japanese television and there's always bands displayed there along with the numerous game shows and commercials that get stuck in your head lol.

A few good jap artists:

Utada Hikaru
Orange Range (I love "Hana" and "Ishin Denshin")
Jupiter (I kept hearing their song everywhere in Japan. It's got some long name, but it's really nice)

In Japan, I didn't get to hear their songs much, but:

Spitz
Every Little Thing
Winds

 

[magicspell]

my teacher says that the families in japan are really generous.. hey its funny.. the word.. しんせつ means kind rite.. wouldnt that be the same meaning as generous.. newayz.. my friend got it rong.. bak to da pt..

yeh my teacher says their realy generous and nice.. do they treat u well.. coz i dun wanna be treated like crap hahha

well it depends on where abouts in jap u stay. like wherever u go, u'll find da ppl all very generous n all.. but there are some places in jap that give u the wrong image... im not really making much sense here.. well what im trying to say is.. like say u want to do an exchange in aus n ur looking forward to going to the beach etc, and u end up in nrth territory.. u might go bac thinking that aus is nothing but red land.. if u get what i mean...

 

[pLuvia]

well it depends on where abouts in jap u stay. like wherever u go, u'll find da ppl all very generous n all.. but there are some places in jap that give u the wrong image... im not really making much sense here.. well what im trying to say is.. like say u want to do an exchange in aus n ur looking forward to going to the beach etc, and u end up in nrth territory.. u might go bac thinking that aus is nothing but red land.. if u get what i mean...

ooo i get ya... i dunno how this host family thingy works.. but can u choose wat family u go to.. and the place od destination?

 

[sweetsweetcandy]

ooo i get ya... i dunno how this host family thingy works.. but can u choose wat family u go to.. and the place od destination?

Generally, you should be able to choose your destination, unless the program you're going with only offers one. I chose to stay in Osaka.

I don't think you can choose your family. In my case, I wrote down my interests and they paired me up with a host sister who had similar interests, supposedly. More than likely, you'll get a host sister the same gender as you, but there have been cases where it's a guy for a girl or vice versa.

Also, more than likely, your host family will be good to you. There was one girl who went on the LABO trip and got a terrible host sister who was absolutely awful to her, but the rest of her family was nice. That's the only bad case I heard about. My family rocked! They treat you really well and it feels weird coz they seem to respect you so much.

 

[pLuvia]

Generally, you should be able to choose your destination, unless the program you're going with only offers one. I chose to stay in Osaka.

I don't think you can choose your family. In my case, I wrote down my interests and they paired me up with a host sister who had similar interests, supposedly. More than likely, you'll get a host sister the same gender as you, but there have been cases where it's a guy for a girl or vice versa.

Also, more than likely, your host family will be good to you. There was one girl who went on the LABO trip and got a terrible host sister who was absolutely awful to her, but the rest of her family was nice. That's the only bad case I heard about. My family rocked! They treat you really well and it feels weird coz they seem to respect you so much.

well tomoz in skool im gonna ask straight away lol.. wats a gud place to go... r the country sides gud/?? or the ct?

 

[sweetsweetcandy]

well tomoz in skool im gonna ask straight away lol.. wats a gud place to go... r the country sides gud/?? or the ct?

I was in the city. It really depends on what you personally prefer or what you want to experience. I think the houses in the city are probably bigger. And of course, the city will be busier.