My name is Hiwi Ashby. As at time of writing (late January 2007) I am one week short of finishing my first semester as an exchange student at Waseda University, an arrangement resulting from an agreement between Waseda and AUT. I am funded by a very generous scholarship from the Sasakawa Fellowship Fund for Japanese Language Education. I have one more semester to do before I return to New Zealand to complete my degree. As of 2007 I am a 3rd year student doing a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Japanese.
My exchange is different to most. Firstly, as far as I know I am the first student to have gone to Waseda from AUT on this particular agreement. Also, my exchange started half way through 2006 and will finish halfway through 2007 leaving me one semester before I can hopefully graduate. Administratively speaking it was very complicated to organise but I am glad that I was the first and would like to thank my programme leader Yvonne Pakenham for putting up with me through the application process to make it possible. I hope that because I did it the hard way and ‘set that path’ so to speak, it will be a little bit easier for the next person.
This is a group of Waseda students exploring Shinjuku: French, Italians,
Germans one person from Estonia, Egypt and of course me, 3rd from right.
University Life
I am enrolled in an Intensive Japanese Language Program, which is indeed
very very intense. You have to take a minimum of 13 classes a week and a
maximum of 15. One class is 90 minutes long. I take 14 classes but find
myself very tired at the end of every day. Homework is daily and tests,
assignments and reports are frequent.
One very simple thing I would advise to any prospective exchange student
is to know exactly what classes you are taking. Out of my 14 classes I
accidentally took two classes which are very similar in nature and
sometimes I feel like I am doing the same thing over and over again
which is quite possibly true and quite possibly avoidable. We were given
a very detailed class outline but I still wasn’t able to differentiate
between the two and somehow I ended up taking both.
So other than that I enjoy my classes very much. Before you start
anything you will probably be required to sit a placement test. Another
very useful piece of advice I received from a student at the start of my
exchange was, believe it or not ‘do not cram for the placement test’. It
is probably the only time during your exchange that not preparing for a
test would be a good thing. I say this because if you are like me and
cram surprisingly well before an exam you will have all this extra
knowledge of grammar and kanji etc. when you sit the placement test so
it is likely you will get a high score. However we all know that any
information that is crammed can only remain in your memory on a
temporary basis, so once you are placed in a high level all this extra
Japanese you learnt will disappear and you will be left still be in a
high level. Believe me, you are doing yourself no favours by studying at
a level which is above you.
It’s like trying to swim but your head is barely above water. This will
reflect in your grades. Likewise being placed in a level which is
beneath you can be just as harmful. To make sure you are at the level
which suits you best what I recommend is simple. Have a good night’s
sleep and eat breakfast and finally, be on time for the test! Arriving
in a hectic state of mind certainly won’t help either.
Waseda Central Library to the left
Entrance to my dormitory
Dormitory vs Apartment
I live in one of the international dormitories which is owned and run by
Waseda. Waseda has an interesting way of deciding which dormitory to
place you in. They don’t give you a list of dormitories and let you
decide, they ask you how much you are willing to pay and that’s how you
are placed. At the moment I live in a place called Koenji which is
definitely a young people’s place to be. There are lots of interesting
shops (mainly 2nd hand clothes stores which is an entire subculture in
Japan) and a lot of Restaurants and Bars that have live music. It’s a
fun place to live.
A
photo of most of the students in my dormitory at the Welcome Party.
There are people from China, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Czech
Republic, Turkey, Brazil. Germany, Italy, Vietnam and of course me from
New Zealand.
My dormitory is only for exchange students. As there is no interaction
with Japanese people at my dormitory, I joined a circle (see next
section). The best thing about living in an international dormitory
which is run by your university is that whenever you have problems there
is always someone to go to. Also you can make friends from all around
the world which I believe is also part of being an exchange student in
Japan. The obvious down side is the use of English as the common
language.
At times I wish I lived in an apartment of my own. At the dormitory I
feel an almost lack of privacy as bathrooms, kitchens and toilets are
shared. Small things like people watching what you cook make you realise
how important it is to have somewhere private. Of course I have my room
to myself but there is something different about having your own place.
So, depending on the type of person you are, the apartment option,
though more expensive, might be better for you. Be warned though, some
places won’t accept foreigners and you are often required to pay two
month’s rent as a down payment which is not like a bond because once
this two month’s rent is paid you will never see it again. It is almost
considered gift money.
This
is my bedroom. It’s small but I have it all to myself. What you can’t
see is the cupboard (wardrobe) which is above where my mattress and
blankets are folded and you can only see part of my desk. This is very
typical of a Japanese Dormitory (However A Rasta colored carpet is not
typical of a Japanese dormitory - that’s mine)
Circle
Waseda is famous for many things but what may not be so well-known is
its student organised social groups – over 3000 of them. These clubs or
groups are called Circles. I joined a circle about a month after I
arrived, knowing that I wouldn’t get much interaction with Japanese
students as both my course and my dormitory are only for foreigners. I
believe strongly that joining a circle is just as important as your
studies - there is no point in learning all this Japanese if you have no
one to use it with in a natural setting.
My situation is quite different as I spent 10 months as an exchange
student in Japan in my 7th form year so when I arrived in Japan in
September it was very natural for me to re-integrate into Japanese
society. And also because I spent a year and a half at AUT studying
Japanese in a formal setting, I was confident in my Japanese abilities.
So I had no problems banging on the door of my club room and asking them
to let me join. Many exchange students that come to Japan for the first
time find it hard speaking in Japanese to Japanese people. But I think
that we should just put these fears away and try our best. Japanese
don’t expect perfect Japanese so why should we expect it ourselves? I
make mistakes all the time but my friends like me better for it because
they know that I’m trying. I often have my friends in fits of laughter
because of the things I say but laughter is the best way to become
friends with people. I also spend a lot of time encouraging other
exchange students to join clubs and to get out there and be part of
campus life.
Me and friends from my Circle after one of our performances I am the
strong one in the middle.
Cellphone
Everyone in Japanese has a cellphone. Well, maybe not everyone, but
certainly every university student. There is no phone in my dormitory so
I needed to purchase a cellphone so my family could contact me in case
of emergency. There are many cellphones to choose from and many
different contracts. Of course they have pre-paid phones in Japan but
the rates are not very competitive so most people just to go on a
contract. Most contracts are for a minimum of two years so you will end
up paying a disconnection fee at the end of your exchange. Although
cellphones are very useful in Japan as they are ingrained into Japanese
culture (you’ll see when you get here) if you aren’t careful your phone
bill can rise to the sky. I have heard horror stories of people being
put on to the wrong contracts and the phone bill has become very
expensive. From what I’ve heard and seen, if you are put on the wrong
contract due to a language barrier the phone company will show
absolutely no mercy and you will have to pay the bill, no matter how
outrageous it may seem. The only way to avoid paying the bill is if you
can get the person at the store who signed you up to admit he or she
made a mistake. A salesperson who admits a mistake would be fired
instantly, so unless you are a hypnotist I would suggest taking a native
speaker of Japanese with you who can explain to you in English what
everything is. It’s common sense to never sign a contract unless you
understand the details.
One interesting thing I learned from a friend, is that in New Zealand if
you assault a person while they are working, you would probably be
charged with assault. In Japan if you assault someone while they are
working it is considered theft and you will most likely be charged with
theft resulting in the withdrawal of your visa and then being sent back
to New Zealand. So, generally speaking, if you have a temper, keep an
eye on it!
Money
Food
My dormitory doesn’t have a meal plan, as some do, so I cook everyday.
Don’t feel bad when it seems that all your money is going on food - feel
bad if your money is going on other stuff but you have no food. Food is
the best thing to be spending money on. However in Japan certain things
are roughly the same price as in New Zealand and certain things are much
more expensive, in particular fruit and meat. Say goodbye to the good
old 10kg sack of potatoes. In Japan, I think that the earlier you learn
how to shop wisely the better. I think I ate out for two months before I
got into good cooking habits. However with all the stresses at the start
of an exchange eating out is the least of your problems as there are
many cheap restaurants which are aimed at university students.
Many people send money electronically from their countries to their bank
accounts but this is only good if you are sending large amounts of money
at one time as the fees charged for sending and receiving are very high.
Also the paper work is absolutely mind boggling. When my Mother sent
money over the first time they wouldn’t let me receive it because she
had left her middle name out of her signature, so we had to start the
whole process again. Whenever you sign anything in Japan, be prepared to
write your full name every single time, including your middle name.
At this point I would like thank my father for the name Hiwi Akuhata
Ihaka Ashby! In Japanese I have to write ヒーウィアクハタイハカアシュビー. But after a
while you will get used to writing your whole name.
In my experience the best way to get money across to Japan is to use an
international credit card at the Japanese post offices (Japanese post
office is also a bank) to withdraw money and then put it straight into
your Japanese bank account. Of course there are fees but it’s nothing
compared to wiring the money over. I do this about once a month,
sometimes less.
Simple Tips
1. Souvenirs
Before you come, make the $2 shop your best friend. NZ Flags, Sheep,
Kiwis etc go down well over here.
2. Luggage
You will be surprised at how much you don’t need. This is my 2nd time
round so I knew not to bring much. I was glad. However I lost my
advantage a little when at the airport I met another girl who was going
to dormitory who had two pieces of luggage at 35KG each. Me with my one
15KG bag (maybe it’s a guy thing) ended up taking her two and I gave her
my one. It seems some airlines are more lenient then others.
3. Do not get sick
It’s easy to say but much harder to do especially since there was a
virus this winter which swept Japan. I didn’t get it - I recommend
LemsipMax with all my heart.
4. Get out there
When you arrive walk around the local neighborhood and find out where
everything is. Say hi to people as you are doing it, especially if they
look as though they might be your neighbours. Even if you feel your
Japanese isn’t up to scratch introduce yourself to those who live around
you. They will respect you for it.
5. Be yourself
This is the best way to make friends. By being yourself you will attract
the kind of people who best suit your personality. This is how I live my
life and have made lifelong friends in places I never thought I would.
6. Don’t be afraid
To me this is the most important.
- Don’t be afraid to tell people who you are. My name is Hiwi Ashby, I am half Maori, half European and I am from New Zealand. I will tell anybody who is interested. I talk about AUT, New Zealand, Captain Cook and The Treaty of Waitangi as these things are important to me.
- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, as you will never learn if you don’t make them. In Japanese there are many levels of politeness when speaking, but I would recommend saying whatever comes to the top of your head. Japanese can tell the difference between someone who doesn’t know the difference between the levels of politeness and someone who is plain rude.
- Don’t be afraid to get out there, join clubs and have fun. It’s all part of the exchange student experience.
- Don’t be afraid to jump over the social norms. Because in reality what you might think is normal might not actually be normal. So you could be missing out on something just because you were holding back.
- Most important, don’t be afraid of embarrassing yourself. Most people probably won’t take any notice and as I said above you could be missing out on something. I embarrass myself unintentionally at least once a day. When you are an exchange student you need to be enjoying yourself, otherwise homesickness can kick in. So don’t be afraid.
A Japanese garden located within the main campus of Waseda. It’s very rare to see something like this in Tokyo and especially in Shinjuku.
Coming to Waseda is the best thing that has ever happened to me. It
has made me realise that my dream of one day being a Diplomat, maybe
even the Ambassador of New Zealand to [Insert any Country] is
possible. It has made me realise that having a dream is just the
beginning. Waseda is a University where people study hard and play
hard to make their dreams come true. I have met people from less
fortunate countries than I who dream of owning their own companies
and other amazing things like that. Who would have thought that I,
Hiwi Ashby, a Maori from a broken home from South Auckland would be
attending Waseda University, one of the most prestigious
universities in Japan and possibly Asia. I didn’t, but I’m here now
and the Sasakawa Fellowship Fund for Japanese Language Education
made it financially possible. Thank you very much, and thank you to
Naomi Collins who answered all my questions. In closing, in keeping
with Maori culture and probably many other cultures there are many
people supporting me from underneath and I would like to say a big
thank you to all of them. Let’s just say I probably have the most
humbly proud grandparents in all of New Zealand.