「Hamilton College」カテゴリーアーカイブ

John Lyons: Miconos Swimming Circle

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 For my CIP, I participated in a Kyoto University swimming circle called Miconos (http://www.miconos.net/ ). This experience was great for me, and taught me about Japanese college social life. I met a lot of really nice people, had a blast swimming, and am happy to be able to continue participating in this club next semester.

Prior to coming to Japan, I had some presumptions on what Japanese sports circles would be like based on my own experiences studying abroad four years ago at Doshisha International High School, my playing Water Polo at the club level at Hamilton College, and from various TV shows and anime. I had believed that sports circles would be very strict, and that participating in practices and other events would be mandatory. This assumption stemmed essentially from my applying an even stricter hierarchical relationship, and expectation to participate to my surprising strict Water Polo club in America. But when I started participating in my circle, I quickly realized how wrong my assumptions had been. While there certainly is a stricter hierarchy relating to senpai-kouhai status, there is very little pressure to go to practice or other events. When I was first searching for a club to join, I found Miconos’ website which stated that swimming was to be done at one’s own pace, and that members were expected to participate in the after. After is the act of members of the club going out to dinner after practice. Despite the website’s claims, I found that even amongst the members who went to practice the number of members who participated in the after was less than those who don’t.

Additionally, I discovered the swim at one’s own pace part turned out to be a bit of an understatement. The club is much less focused on swimming than I had thought a swimming club to be. Although I did not expect everybody to be swimming for the full two hour practices, I was still surprised by the lack of swimming going on in the swimming circle. Most members would do a lap or two every now or then, but the majority of the time in the pool was spent chatting with each other. Most members were part of a swimming club at their High School, so they are definitely able to swim much more than they do, but instead most of them eventually spend a good amount of time in the pool’s Jacuzzi rather than swimming laps. In my college’s Water Polo team, we bond over overcoming arduous training regiments together, but in this Miconos that is not the case. I had assumed that the circle would be an incredible tight knit group that spends most of their free time with each other like a high school club. But Miconos did not reach the level of camaraderie that I was hoping for in a sports circle.

Although Miconos was not at all what I was expecting it to be, it is certainly not a bad experience. Because there is a larger focus on talking than swimming, I am able to better work on my Japanese by conversing with my fellow club members. Considering that most of our conversations pertain to past sporting events in High School, I believe that most of the members I converse with still love swimming. Yet, because they are no longer competing in meets, they are able to simply swim because they want to. Additionally through the club, they are able to meet people with similar interests, thus although the club does not have the athletic camaraderie that I love about sport teams, the circle appears to consist of several groups of friends, usually split by grade. Right now, I straddle an awkward position of foreign exchange student where I am friendly with most of the people in the circle, and their friend groups, but I am still an outsider to each one of the groups.

Overall, I am incredibly happy with the circle that I am participating in. It has taught me a great deal about Japanese college social and sports culture. It’s always a fun time swimming, talking and eating dinner with the members. Although I may not be completely satisfied with my current situation, I have a whole other semester to better get to know, and become better friends with my fellow club members.

I believe the most important point in picking a CIP is finding one that deals with something you have a lot of experience with, and are passionate about. Whether that be a certain sport, musical instrument or even a niche interest. Commonly shared experiences are some of the easiest way to make connections with people, and as foreigners, we really don’t have many with Japanese students when it comes to everyday life. But one shared experience you are bound to have in your CIP is an interest in whatever the subject of said CIP is. Therefore, you will have a lot more to bond over, and talk about if you are more invested in the topic which your CIP covers. This can come from connecting over long arduous practices routines you suffered through while in high school, songs you know how to play, and teaching others how to play them, or a show that you and those in your CIP have watched and enjoyed separately. It will definitely be awkward in the beginning, especially if you are the only foreigner in your CIP. But if you can reach out and bridge the gap between you and the members of your CIP through these shared experiences, I’m sure you will have a great time.

ジャック・ライオンズ：京大水泳サークル

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僕にとって運動はとても大切だから、絶対スポーツクラブに入りたかったです。でも、クラブは授業と合わないのでサークルに入ることにしました。僕は高校でレスリングと水球をしてたので、そのようなサークルに入ろうとしましたが、なかなか見つかりませんでした。その代わりに、水球と関係ある水泳をすることにしました。僕の水泳のサークルは京都大学のサークルですが、桂に近い京都アクアリーナという国際的な行事が行われるプールで活動しています。一週間に一度活動がありますが、活動がある日は週によって違います。水曜日にある日もあれば、土曜日にある日もあります。

このサークルの部員の数は約三十人ですが、まだ全員と会ったことがありません。普通の日には約十八人が京都アクアリーナに来て、一時間半に泳いでその後で十人は帰って、残った八人は一緒に夕食を食べます。僕はたいていその八人と河原町三条の周りで夕食を食べています。しかし、一時間半泳ぐと言っても、全員ずっと泳ぐわけじゃないです。実は、その十八人の中で、ずっと泳いでいる部員は僕と会長の岩本さんしかいません。それでも、このサークルの雰囲気は僕にちょうど良くて、皆は大変優しくて実に楽しい経験です。

Tracy Le: Bazaar Cafe

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Volunteering at Bazaar Cafe has been one of my favorite things to do here in Kyoto. Every Friday I go to the cafe and help out in the kitchen or as a waitress.

It has truly been an eye-opening experience for me in many ways. For the precise reason that most of the staff at the cafe are volunteers and they come from different countries in the world that Bazaar Cafe is a strange and refreshing experience. On one hand, the working environment is very Japanese – the manager is Japanese, the customers are Japanese – you have to be polite, efficient and attentive; but on the other hand, everyone in the kitchen is speaking a mixture of Japanese and English and other languages and offering unique cultural tidbits at every turn of conversation. The staff have been some of the warmest people I’ve met in Japan. It’s fascinating to hear them speak about why in Japan, or what they think of Japan; their experiences, from common or bizarre, give a glimpse into the Japan from the perspectives of minority peoples, and lets us see the lives of people we would usually not encounter everyday. That, underneath the idea of homogeneity so heralded of Japan’s society, there are many unique lives quietly transforming social boundaries and ideas.

Even on the customer’s side, many are Doshisha’s students and professors and/or regulars and friends of the manager. They, too, have been engaging and interesting people. Some have come talked to me out of genuine interest in foreign students and workers in Japan. It’s a comforting experience.

All in all, I’ve had an amazing time at the quaint little cafe by Doshisha. I try and go there at least once a week, twice if I have time, and I really recommend it as the food’s great and it has a good ambiance for studying or chatting.

レー・トレーシー・バザールカフェでの幸せ

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私のCIP活動はバザールカフェという同志社大学に近く人道的なカフェでボランティアしていることです。

なぜか「人道」というと、まず、バザールカフェのウェブサイトを見ましょうか。

(http://bazaarcafekyoto.web.fc2.com/)

皆さんご存知のように、

世の中には国籍や性別、年齢、障がいなどなど、様々な背景を持つ人々
が暮らしています。
そしてその中には、様々な事情により、一般社会で働くことが難しい状況
にある人々もいます。

バザールカフェでは、
特定のマイノリティに限定せず、
「働く場」
「多種多様な背景・文化を共有し、人と人とが出会う場」
「人々が安心して過ごせる、守られた場」
の提供をしています。

ということが書いてあります。

実はカフェに行った前は、そこでどんな人が働いているか全然想像できなかったので、バザールカフェのスタッフの皆たちに会うときは思ったよりすごくいい印象を持つようになりました。

現在、私は一週間一回で金曜日行く予定ですが、時間があって土曜日も行ったことあります。それで金曜日は、普通に、管理者の星志さん以外に４にんぐらいがボランティアに来てくれます。いつも私と一緒のはフィリッピン人が二人、ナイジェリア人が一人でタイ人が一人いますから、とても国際的な台所です！（笑）

仕事は皆と料理を作ったり、お客さんに飯を持って差し上げたり、食器を洗ったりすることなどですけど、仕事のほかも楽しいことがたくさんあります。確かに、バザールカフェでボランティアする中に一番楽しいことの一つは色々な背景がある人と話せることです。「どうして日本に来たのか」「日本での生活はどう思う」という質問が、直接聞かずも他の人の面白い感想や反応が観察できました。

それで、今日は今まで大体の説明でした。次回はもっと詳しく書きたいと思います。とりあえず言いたかったのは、私はバザールカフェが本当に好きなので、皆も来て欲しいです！ぜひ来てみてください。