Madison Jenack
UMBC Exchange: Nanzan University
Major: Modern Languages and Linguistics
Pre-Departure
Just a couple more days before my flight and not only am I super excited but also super nervous. It is such a new feeling to me to be without the people I am used to being around like friends or family, but I think this kind of experience can be very important for growing as a person and getting a harsh but refreshing sense of independence by being alone in a totally new environment. My choices for my last experiences in my local Annapolis area were visiting downtown Annapolis to have tea and roasting hot dogs at a bonfire. While I look forward to gaining a new sense of independence while abroad, I also am bringing a few keepsakes of home with me like a picture of the Chesapeake Bay and a painting from my best friend. 
This is my first time flying internationally and thanks to my friend who previously studied abroad, I had some insightful input. She mentioned to me how it’s important to bring things not widely available in Japan like deodorant or hair care products for non-straight hair, so if you are considering going abroad be sure to look into things that you use daily that may not be accessible in the country you plan to go to! So, with my suitcase full of deodorant, curl gel, and everything else I hold dear I feel closer to being prepared. I had a lot of difficulty packing light for the purpose of having more space to bring things back, but I was able to leave a lot of space for souvenirs or any other shopping done while in Nagoya. With it being in the dead of winter when I arrive, a lot of my packing space is taken up by coats or scarves. I think that will be worth it though not only to experience the winter light shows in Nagoya but also the coming spring season and the flowers blooming.
As for preparing for the airport procedures and my flight itself, a stranger at a cafe gave me some advice on taking melatonin to combat jet lag. With a fourteen-hour flight time and a placement test only a couple of days after landing, I was really worried about jet lag. I think I will do my best to lessen it and work around it, but I believe jet lag is not something that can be completely avoided. I also stocked up on things for during the flight like a good pillow, a blanket, some Dramamine (just in case?), and an eye mask. I was recommended to fly with ANA by a few frequent Japan goers, so I feel a little better knowing it seems like I will be in good hands. I am staying at a hotel on my first night in Japan due to my flight time not matching up with staff availability to check into my dorm, but I managed to get a really comfortable-looking and very cheap place in the heart of the city. The hotel has an AMAZING looking public bath so I am looking forward to relaxing after the flight and unpacking.
Looking ahead to what is to come in the semester, I am most excited about the growth I hope to make in my Japanese skills. The intensive Japanese program looks challenging, so I will have to make my best effort to stay on top of things and to earn the results I hope for. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to attend Nanzan University and to improve my Japanese skills by living in Japan. Another thing I am excited about is exploring Nagoya! I have been looking into all sorts of places in the area like thrift shops, restaurants, nature parks, and traditional bathhouses. One specific place I am looking forward to going to is Yabaton, a restaurant popular for one of Nagoya’s specialty dishes: miso katsu. I have eaten a lot of Japanese food but surprisingly never katsu and people say that miso katsu is one of the best. As the third largest city in Japan, Nagoya has so much to offer and seems endlessly rich and vibrant. I plan to go explore the city with the people in my residence but also maybe some alone walks in the nature parks to refresh, but maybe that will be more realistic when the weather warms up. I cannot wait to update you on finds in the area and experiences throughout my time in Nagoya!
Blog #2
After having settled into my new home in Nagoya for over a week now, I feel I have undergone a lot of new and challenging experiences. My trip to Japan and my first night here were hectic and stressful in a way that made me feel scared and uncertain, but then after the first few times of experiencing kind encounters with strangers who could tell I was lost, staff at my dorm residence who have been nothing but kind and helpful, and amazing times with friends I met in the program, I have a feeling that makes me look up at the sky as I walk to class in the morning and appreciate the cold but refreshing morning air.
Just a day after I checked into my dorm we took our placement tests, but despite my jet lag after a sleepless 30 hours, I was able to place into the course I was hoping to be entered into! Our first day of class was on Tuesday, and I am really looking forward to the rest of the semester after having experienced a little of the professors’ styles of teaching as well as how approachable they are. For anyone at UMBC thinking of going to Nanzan to study abroad, Nanzan goes off of the Genki textbooks for the first two IJP levels and then moves to Quartet beyond there. So, you might just have a very smooth transition if you studied Japanese at UMBC with the Genki textbooks.
Aside from the academic details of the courses, I am also really happy to have been placed into classes with some friends I have met along the way since getting here. One thing I have noticed is that despite how worried I was about having trouble making friends while being here, I have never had an easier time making friends in my life. My assumption is that everyone is kind of in the same boat: far from home, in a new environment, and feeling lonely and looking for a group. For these reasons, all of the international students come together in a way. With a good majority of the Japanese students being away, I have not had too many interactions but the leader of my group in the dorms is Japanese and she is very down to earth and easy to talk to. I have had so many great times just within the past ten days hanging out with friends, like going shopping and experiencing the night life in Sakae and Kanayama.
On Monday, some friends and I spent the last day of our three day holiday weekend by going to Nagoya Castle, probably the biggest attraction in Nagoya. There were crows everywhere and the sight of them flying above us and the sounds of them cawing throughout the park added to the atmosphere in my mind. The castle itself is massive, being the second largest castle in Japan. For any architecture or history buffs, this is an obvious must-see. I often had seen the castle pictured with cherry blossoms, but the absence of the cherry blossoms was more than made up for with the camellias that are in bloom right now. For people who may not be history buffs: the park that surrounds the castle is full of little shops selling trinkets, souvenirs, and beautiful handmade jewelry and items. Not only this, but the food stands have things like matcha lattes, red bean treats, and dango. Some people may consider these tourist traps but I feel like the park might have been incomplete without red bean Kit Kats and matcha ice cream.
In terms of my language acquisition, I spend sizable portions each day speaking and listening in Japanese while out and about at the store, using transportation, and on campus. The Japanese language course I am in uses Japanese only for my level, which will definitely have a massive impact on improving our skills. When it comes to Japanese usage in my friend group of Japanese second language speakers, there seems to be a mixed opinion. Some people in my group feel that we should only use English or their other native language amongst themselves to avoid language fatigue. I initially disagreed with this but now I wonder if straining yourself to a point of mental exhaustion could be bad like how overdoing it at the gym can be bad. I still try to use Japanese more often than not, but if you are considering going abroad, maybe think about how you would want to go about things when it comes to language use.