「Activity」カテゴリーアーカイブ

Raaef Ahmed: Fly Dance Studio

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Igloo – Kiss of Life

For my CIP, I took k-pop dance classes at a dance studio every week. I went to the same two lessons each week, one with a friend, and the other by myself.

It was a lot of fun; I loved learning new choreo each class, and just getting to continue doing dance during my study abroad. Also, since I had the same two instructors each week, I was able to build a good relationship with both of them.

At first, especially in the class that I just went to on my own, I was a little intimidated, because there were some regulars that the instructor already knew well, and trying to add to their conversations with the added pressure of the language barrier was pretty hard. I think the solution is to start with things that you already have in common (in this case, anything about k-pop), and then over time you’ll become comfortable enough to talk about whatever comes to mind. Everyone is also super welcoming, they were always happy to reexplain whenever I didn’t understand something, and never got impatient when it took me some time to figure out how to say what I wanted to in Japanese.

Oscar Fong: Koto Lessons

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For my CIP, I took individual lessons on the koto, doing 1-on-1 sessions for an hour every week. We praticed the basics of actually playing the instrument, before focusing in on a few songs that would be performed at the last lesson as a “concert”!

The instrument itself was really fun (and nice to listen to), but long sessions did sometimes make my hand cramp up. I kept at it, though, and eventually reached a point where I was playing along with another instrument in practice for that concert. I even got a beginner’s certification at the end!

I was initially really scared to start this, because I had had almost zero experience with real-world formal situations and was afraid I’d say the wrong thing or do something rude, but interacting with my teacher over the weeks helped me realize that it’s not all that serious – these people are just like you, and there’s no reason to let that scare you away!

Marisa Tomaru – Volunteer at Mistuba Yochien (Preschool)

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My CIP was at Mitsuba Yochien which is a local preschool a ten minute walk from campus. I attended the after school care where all of the remaining students would play in a big room together.

Overall, I really enjoyed getting to know all of the students and seeing the dynamics of Japanese kids in this space. Because the kids are comfortable with each other and I was the outsider, they were very welcoming and wanted to get to know me in a way that I haven’t seen in other spaces. This experience helped me understand Kansai-ben better and speaking Japanese even when I wasn’t confident in what was going on.

To incoming students who are interested: My biggest advice would be to ask the teachers for guidance when you can! They know best and you are there to support them so don’t be shy in asking even though it is very busy at times. Also! Japanese kids (or maybe just all kids) are very friendly and touchy so be prepared for them to climb all over you. And bring a mask because they can be a little sticky sometimes.

Issei Hata: Kickboxing

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My CIP was kickboxing at W-Beast Gym. The Activity is very intuitive; it’s just kickboxing, but in Kyoto. The gym was very small and clean, and everyone was very friendly. I started kickboxing through the CIP, but they were very helpful with technique and providing me opportunities to spar. I recommend everyone to be very proactive when it comes to talking to people at the CIP. I know it can be intimidating but almost everyone around you wants to help you, and with the short time you have in the program it’s very important you make the best of every moment!

Sasha Volakova: Volleyball Club

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My CIP was volleyball: I joined several clubs in Kyoto and played volleyball regularly with locals. After practices, we would sometimes grab lunch or dinner together, and occasionally go for group outings. 

For me, it was a great way to connect with a wide range of people – from same-age university students to office workers, from Japan or various countries – and feel as a part of a larger community in Kyoto. I also progressively got more comfortable with managing unfamiliar and stressful situations, as I was never judged for making mistakes or “sounding funny”.

If you plan to do volleyball, I strongly recommend checking several groups for practices, and always be proactive in conversations. People may seem shy to start talking, but often they are genuinely interested in getting to know visitors from other countries!

Floe Yang: Kyudo

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My CIP activity is kyudo in the 道場 of 武道センター. It was a kind of Japanese traditional sport, and we would use a 2-meter long arch to practice, and it involves a series of actions, not just shooting, but also manners, using arch, etc. It was honestly really tiring at first, and pulling the arch felt challenging. But as I learned more about it, I get to feel what they say how kyudo would make people feel calm and find the internal peace. My suggestions to people coming next is that you should definitely try it, and don’t be afraid to talk to sensei even though we’re usually not that confident about our Japanese skills. I guarantee you they’re some of the most nice teachers I’ve ever met.

Kyle Chen: Archery

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I took a traditional Japanese archery class at the Kyoto Budou Center. It was a 10-class course where Furuya sensei taught us from beginning to end how to walk, sit, and eventually honed our skills in archery in the shooting range.

It was a very enjoyable 10 classes, and I felt immersed in Japanese culture as I was taking classes at the Budou center. The environment felt friendly at the Budou center, and it was a lot of fun picking up a traditional Japanese art form.

I recommend anyone who is even a little bit interested in Japanese archery to sign up. It was a beginner-friendly class, and Furuya sensei is very patient.

Walker Turley: Roketsuzome

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I studied Roketsuzome (wax resist dyeing) under 金井先生. Over the course of the semester I worked on creating a singular large piece.

The experience was very fun! 金井先生 was very kind and even though I wasn’t very confident in my Japanese, he explained things in a not difficult way.

My main advice is to do something you’d find interesting and don’t be afraid to make mistakes; that’s part of the learning process.

 

Camilo Becerra: Volunteering at Nalba Children’s Cafeteria

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For my CIP, I chose to volunteer at Nalba, a children’s cafeteria in the Kitayama area in Kyoto. A few times a week, groups of around 15 children go to Nalba to play, do their homework, and have dinner together. Once a week, I got to join a staff of adult volunteers in cooking the food and playing with the children. Here, I got the chance to contribute to the valuable mission of supporting busy parents in taking care of their children, which was a new experience that I found very rewarding.

I really appreciated the chance to share a special moment of recreation, cooking, and dining with this community. All the staff were very welcoming, sweet, and nice people, and the children were all very fun, sweet, energetic, and welcoming as well. I am glad to have met and shared this semester with them. It was definitely a new experience for me, but I got to learn a lot, put myself in a new situation, and learn how to make some great food!

I would not recommend this CIP for everyone, though. I think it requires a certain type of person to succeed at this activity, and I think that having a pretty high level of Japanese is very useful. The children spoke very quickly, which made communication difficult until my Japanese began to improve. However, I think that if you have a genuine interest in being a part of Nalba, and have an approachable, willing attitude, you can succeed at this CIP.