REPORT ON JAPAN HOMESTAY BATCH 27 BY MUHAMMAD NABIL LANANG ALIMAN (2)

MUHAMMAD NABIL LANANG BIN ALIMAN JAPAN HOMESTAY BATCH 27

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THIRD DAY

On the third day, I had the golden opportunity to visit the Chuo Junior High School

which is the nearest school from our house. Before otosan went to his office, he sent me to see

the Vice Principal of the school. I was given a cup of hot ocha (green tea). After I greeted him, I

met all the teachers. Then, I introduced myself in front of my classmates. I was asked to sit

beside a Dubai girl, the one who can communicate with me well in the school. She was a student

there, came 3 months earlier.

I had the chance to interact with the students. They were really friendly to me. The most

important thing was everybody warmly welcomed me. I was so pleased to meet them. I showed

pictures of me at various places in Malaysia. They were quite fascinated and expressed a desire

to visit Malaysia someday.

The classes that I attended for the day were Mathematics, Social Studies, Music, English

and Science. I skipped a class right before noon as the Vice Principle took the effort himself to

teach me syuji. He also taught me the Japanese way of giving business card to someone else. I

applied the knowledge during the meeting with the Principal in the teachers’ room.


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Arigato sensei. (Thank you, teacher).


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FOURTH DAY

Hippo Family members would gather to do activities on the weekends. Therefore, my

foster parents brought me along to the Muse Hall. There, I met Alia Nabihah. We sang some

Malay songs.We danced and played some games such as ‘scissor, paper, stone’.

Our next destination

for sightseeing was Seibuen

Amusement Park. If you want

an affordable amusement park

experience in Japan then

Seibuen is not bad. Nearby is

an indoor skiing facility called

Sayama Ski Slope. To get

there, we took a ride on Seibu

line from Ikebukuro. At the


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park, there are three main interesting places - the snow park, ice skating and theme park. First,

we played snow. I was so ecstatic. This was the first time I saw snow and touched it. My dreams

of playing snow came true! I enjoyed playing the snow so much with my foster family.

After that, otosan and I headed to ice skating rink while okasan and ototo went to the

theme park. Although Malaysia also has many places for ice skating mainly in Kuala Lumpur,

this was my first experience to play this activity, far away from my country.


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FIFTH DAY

It was Sunday, the weekly rest day for the public. There was no restriction, nor particular

plans for me by my foster parents. I had to tell them where I would love to be at or to visit.

Firstly, we went to Malaychan Restaurant for some affordable Malaysian food and

motherly love from its owner, Fukuzawa Shoko. She has been running it for seven years. To find

Malaychan leave Ikebukuro station from the Metropolitan Plaza exit, walk past Tokyo

Metropolitan Art Space and continue towards Nishi-Ikebukuro Park. Malaychan is not far from

Rikkyo University, in an interesting section of Ikebukuro with a number of other ethnic

restaurants (Indian, Chinese, Italian, and French) a minute away. I ordered tom yam noodles.

Hmm, the taste was so nice. At the first glance, I thought the waitress were Japanese. Actually,

she is a Malaysian student that works part time there. After I came back from Japan, when my

eldest sister saw the above photo, it turned out that the waitress was her schoolmate. What a

small world!


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After that, we spent most of our day visiting the temple at

Ikebukuro. It was a bit ordinary on the outside (beautiful,

certainly, but in a very traditional way). But the inside (which, incidentally cannot be

photographed) was gorgeous and the temple itself is often visited. I even saw a monk inside the

temple. There was also a line of shops selling various souvenirs.

In the evening, we played bowling. Otosan played very well, like a pro.


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SIXTH DAY

Since morning, everyone was not cheerful. This was what we called a sorrow day. I felt

like only yesterday I came to meet my foster family. Time flies so fast when you are having fun.

There were a lot more things I would like to share with them. All participants said goodbye to

their respective foster families.

It was still too early to check into a hostel. So after we placed our luggage in lockers, we

went to Akihabara. As soon as we came out from the Akihabara train station, the first thing I

noticed was the large crowd. Colourful buildings, billboard showing advertisement mainly in

Japanese; I assumed the advertisements were for the electronics product. Akihabara is the

famous ‘electric street’. It is also affectionately known as ‘akiba’ by the Japanese. Akihabara, I

would say, is the stuff for geek legend.

There are personal gadgets such as digital cameras, IPods, video cameras, handphones,

PCs, notebooks and more. I also found parts for digital cameras, wires for computers, and used

cameras and camera parts. General electrical household items may also be found here. Akihabara


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sums up everything I could associate with modern Japan. Here I can browse state of the art

electronics in the plethora of gadget shops, join the otaku (die-hard fans to manga and anime –

Japanese comics and animations), or pop in for a coffee and a game of chess with a French maid

(yes, really) in one of the many maid cafes.

Even though I am not into electronic I am glad I have visited the largest electronics town

in the world.

After that, we went to a halal restaurant that selling ‘kebab’. The kebab was so tasty, the

portions were huge and it was affordable most of all. yum yum ^_^.

We checked into the hostel at about 10.30 p.m.


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SEVENTH DAY

The last day was the best day

overall. We went to Tokyo Disneyland!

We were so eager to be there. Sensei

frequently warned us that it was very

cold as the place was situated near the

seaside. As for that, I put on my

warmest jacket and a pair of long john,

an inner wear. After that, I did not feel

too cold, thanks to the shiny bright Mr.

Sun. We left early in the morning so

that we could get in line to get tickets before the line got too long. Upon entering I saw lots of

souvenir and food shops. It is called the World Bazaar. This is where most shops and restaurants

are located.

The Disneyland features the educational, fun races and other

theme related activities. I played almost all of them, except the

Haunted Mansion that was closed for maintenance. Many of us felt

so disappointed to know that. We thought the place was one of the

best places available there, after the Sky Mountain.

All the goods sold were the items of Disney characters, and

the price was quite expensive. Hence, I did not buy anything there. Nevertheless I spent a fun-

filled day where excitements awaited me - Tokyo Disneyland and relived my childhood dreams.


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EIGHTH DAY

Finally, this was the last day we were in Japan, and my report almost come to an end. At

night, we stayed in a hotel just a stone’s throw away from the Narita Airport. Our flight was

scheduled to depart in the morning.

The plane soared high at about 11.30 a.m. I was lucky to be seated beside the window. I

love to see clouds. Inside the plane, I never slept. I killed the time by playing video games and

watching some movies. The meals provided were good.

We arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 6.00 p.m. We took group

photos; and not long after that, my parents came, the real ones. After I bid goodbye to everyone,

I followed my parents back home.


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CONCLUSION

My stay in Japan exceeded my expectations. Meeting with family and friends was the

best part of my homestay. I loved talking to my host family, first in English, then switching over

to broken Japanese. I definitely felt like a part of the family. Each day was a new experience of

fun and adventure. Each day was a challenge in language, travel, and emotions.

Even though we were not related by blood, I definitely feel I now have an extended family.

Homestay is my most valued programs or adventure I would say. The experiences I have

in Japanese homes will remain in my heart all my live. To others who are interested in joining

the homestay program, please do not expect 5-star treatment when you stay with your host

family. Always be accommodating and willing to learn. You may not visit as many places as you

will on a group tour, or eat luxurious dinners. My okasan cooked most of the time, and I

definitely enjoyed eating new dishes! It is good if you can offer to help out with the dishes and

laundry.

This experience has encouraged me to be more open about exploring new venues and

new climate. I never thought that I would be able to live comfortably for a week in the home of

strangers, but I must stress that the hospitality of my Japanese host family was beyond all my

expectations. I did enjoy doing cultural exchange through everyday life.

The program was an invaluable learning experience for my friends and I; something that

all participants will cherish for a long time to come. A big thank you to the Hiroshima

International Club and the Ministry of Education and all those who aided in implementing such a

once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Arigato. Terima kasih.

REPORT ON JAPAN HOMESTAY BATCH 27 BY MUHAMMAD NABIL LANANG ALIMAN (2)

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Transcript of REPORT ON JAPAN HOMESTAY BATCH 27 BY MUHAMMAD NABIL LANANG ALIMAN (2)