5 things that every students who will study abroad in Japan need to know

First thing first, I arrived in Osaka on early April just as planned. To think of it, I can't believe I've been living in Japan for more than half a year! Gosh it feels like in a dream, time passes surprisingly fast and oh how my skin has adapted to Japan's weather just fine *lol*.

There's just SO MUCH I wanna write about my experiences here, finger cross I'd still be writing posts after this one. ((Oh, I just saw my visitors chart and surprised how people still read my blog recently eventhough I haven't write anything))

Really, I wanted to write everything, but you know how it goes when real life is more exciting than you expected, you just dont wanna sit in front of your laptop and write. That's pretty much exactly what I've been doing in Japan besides sleeping and watching lame Japanese variety shows on TV.

Well, these are 5 things that every students who will study abroad in Japan need to know:

1. Prepare your ass for riding bicycle

*If you're coming from a country where everybody commute with bicycle, just skip this part*

In Indonesia, we dont commute with bicycle. Considering the distance and the pollution, there's just no way, let me repeat with echo, NNOO WWAAYY you can go to work or school everyday with bicycle. Thus, my ass is not prepared for long distance bicycle ride. So yes, on my first 2-3 weeks living here, my ass was crying everynight (as if they can cry). The pain continues every morning when I get on my bicycle again. But then it gets better, of course. Now my ass is so tough, even after miles and miles rides. Okay, enough about my ass. It starts to get awkward.

2. You can buy basically EVERYTHING in 100 yen shop

I knew about 100 yen shop in Japan since I was in junior high when my brother in law had tons of times of business trips to Japan, but I just realized how convenience it is until I had to fill an empty apartment with limited budget. You dont need to worry about spending a lot of money because you can find ANYTHING there. And I mean it when I say 'anything', because they really sell anything. From potato peeler to neck pillow, you can buy all at one place with a very reasonable price.

But I had to be really careful not to buy any unnecessary thing just because they look cute and only 100 yen.

3. Japanese houses have thin walls

I'm not even sure if you can call them walls. It's very light and doesn't keep the heat nor cold from outside. So, in summer, your room will be so hot and humid, and in cold, it will freeze your blood.

When I arrived, it was roughly 5 celcius degrees. As a girl who came from a tropical country, it felt like I was pushed in to a refrigerator and locked in it. I didn't took a shower the next day *lol*, I wore 3 layers of clothes and 2 socks to sleep. It was nightmare. I blame the thin walls.

4. It's not easy to buy a cell phone

Buying cell phones in Japan is something that I never thought would be so complicated. I couldn't buy a cell phone until 2 weeks after I arrived here. I was looking for a 0 yen smart phone, but there are sooo many terms that I had to fulfill. First the bank book and then the cash card and then there are tons of datas that they need to collect before they hand me the phone. It's really different from Indonesia where people can buy a cell phone in 10 minutes.

5. Vending machines are everywhere

They're literally everywhere. In a parking lot, inside a hotel, under the stairs of a crooked mansion, inside and outside the stations, in a shopping mall, every floor of a tall building you can find in big cities in Japan.

And not only soft drinks, they also sell beers, liquors, potato chips, banana, even condoms (i never actually find a condom vending machine but I heard they exist).

Yep, I guess that's it for now. It 10.30 PM here now and I'm getting sleepy. Promise I'll write again *still, finger crossed*

How Education Went Wrong in Indonesia

I just saw the movie Whiplash. For you who already watched it, it was intense, right? But I’m not going to write a review about the movie.

It’s just, this movie somehow reminds me of my elementary school’s math teacher. She was able to make this fear atmosphere every time she walked into the classroom. The class would be in a total silence, pupils are nervously prepared their books on the table, and yes, we were afraid of her. Or was it just me who got very, very scared of her?

Why the hell did I get so scared of her?

I’m not very excellent in math. You wouldn't believe how much time I spent standing in front of the class being punished, desperately trying to solve the math problems she gave just to get my ass back to my seat, and almost crying thinking how stupid I was because I couldn't give her the right answer. And she, in all of her arrogance, successfully made me think that I’m not an excellent student and that I’d probably end up not having a good education in a higher level and would not have a bright future. She was totally brainwashed all the students, probably the parents too, to think that math is the basis of all kind of education.

This is where education went wrong.

A teacher should see what their student really best at, and not push them to be good at something they don’t have any interest at, or simply just not born with that particular ability. I’m not saying that if I’m not good in math then I shouldn't study math at all. D’uh.

What if someone was excellent in other subject but they already got this ‘not having a bright future if you don’t excel in math’ stereotype planted in their brain and lose their interest to education? Teachers SHOULD NOT turn this against their students and make the students feel embarrassed by not excelling in a particular subject.

Well, here I am, being not good in math, reached a high level of literature education in a reputable university, graduated cum laude, got a full time job 1 week after my graduation ceremony, and make enough wage to pay my own study abroad in Japan.

If she thinks that I can have more than that if I was excelled in math, then why did she become an elementary school math teacher in a small town herself anyway? Shouldn't she be riding her limousine eating caviar after having a holiday in Hawaii with her private jet plane?

Wow it turns out to be an emotional post, sorry.

So it begin...

They say when you stop searching, it will come to you unexpectedly. ‘It’ can refer to almost anything. Dream, purpose of life, love, life goal maybe, anything. I think that is exactly what happened to me.

I never dreamed about studying in Japan, but yes, I’ve always dreamed about living abroad. Since I was born and live in a tropical country, I always love it when it’s cloudy and almost-rain-but-it’s-not-raining sky, so probably I can fit in to some Europe country. But that never happen and looking back I never really try to make it happen. So I let this be an eternal daydream. However, here I am, planning toward a 1 year study in Japan. Who knows? Sounds cool, though.

I'll be going to Osaka approximately in beginning of April 2015. It is super exciting that I can leave my boring job and face a new world in Japan. I know it's not going to be raining candy everyday. It's gonna be tough. But it's a challenge and it's a risk I'm willing to take.

I'm going to keep the journal on this blog. But not only that, I'll be posting any interesting things I find both in Indonesia and Japan. Or maybe other country. Hope so.

So… Let the journey begin!