別れの言葉はどう告げますか？
最後の日がいつも一番苦しい日です。どの言語でも難しいと思います。今度、「お元気で」とか「じゃあね」といった別れの敬語を学びました。英語と違って、日本語の「goodbye」に当たる言葉の意味はまた会いましょうという意味があるみたいです。皆んな永遠の別れについて話したくないのではないだろうか。
今、シンガポールの図書館から書いています。宿題がなくなったことに慣れることができません。思い返してみると、僕はどうやってこのプログラムを乗り切ったのだろうか。毎日毎日何時間も勉強しました。小テストに言うまでもなく、末試験のような試験を二回受けました。でも、中田先生やクラスメートのおかげで、八週間が楽しく過ごしました。まだ昨日初めて京都に来たような気がしますが、明日はもう八月です。光陰矢の如しですね。ホストファミリーがいないので悲しかったですが、毎年アジアに帰るだろうから、また必ず会いに行きます。感謝の気持ちは言葉では伝えきれません。一生忘れません。
I figured I would write the last part of this blog in English. I’m not great with reflections or saying goodbye. So, I’m sorry if this is shorter than you would expect from a final post.
What truly made this program for me was the people. I don’t think my Japanese would have improved at the pace it did without all the support from my professor, classmates, and host family. I can’t speak for the other classes, but if you ever do this program, I cannot recommend Nakata-sensei enough. She has extensive experience teaching Japanese and pushed us to do our best. She has a great sense of humour and was willing to go off-topic in class. Somehow, my class was the perfect blend of personalities, and by the end, it felt like we had become a close team of companions.
Then, of course, there’s my host family. I was extraordinarily lucky to have gotten a host family that I almost seamlessly fitted into. I say 第二の家族 or second family, but really, it’s more comparable to getting a new aunt, uncle, and little cousin (I say little, but she’s 15). It was hard initially but being vulnerable and open to your host family can go a long way. If you’re like me and struggle with making plans to go out with others, having a host family around, even if you’re all just doing your own things, makes the summer a lot less lonely. Really, if you have the opportunity, stay with a host family.
Studying abroad my freshman summer was, in hindsight, an excellent decision. Of course, I was pushed by circumstances to apply since I’m attending Mystic my sophomore fall, but it was a much better use of my time than doing some internship for a job that I’m not interested in. After attending KCJS, I can focus on Mystic in the fall, return to Williams in the spring and continue my Japanese without being too behind, and spend sophomore summer with a clearer direction in where I want to go. The experiences I have gained from these eight weeks will undoubtedly help me in my future pursuits.
Oh, and before I forget, I’m still practising the shinobue. Hopefully, when I return to America, I can share some songs I learned with you.
So, for the last time,
じゃあ、以上です。読んでくれてありがとう!
次回まで!