EPT(names changed to protect the innocent, as I originally posted this on my fb linking to my friends it mentions, the multiple uses of nationalities are actually all different people )
So what was it like? I'll tell you what it was..
It was going for ramen with a Finnish friend every friday to the oba-chans ramen shop, and just chilling.
It was watching a drunken frenchman sumo wrestle a drunken australian in a small room filled with people.
It was trying to explain it in Japanese the next day ^^
It was waking up every cicada in the city with fireworks, and being attacked by them because of it.
It was seeing German friends's face when we went into that military shop down shinsaibashi. (It sold.. honest to god Nazi stuff. (hoodies, weapons, uniforms.. you name it)
It was watching my host brother and sister's faces do a 180 when trying English christmas cake for the first time. (ooh icing.. argh what is that!)
It was talking nintendo with one polish guy, and politics with another.
It was watching my drunken russian neighbour dance in his pants at 2.30 am in a room filled with broken glass..
It was the Korean girls starcraft insprised putdown of another Korean girl that had me dying of laughter in class..
It was "The Big tree's" "the flying scenes" "The Miyazaki" and everyone who had to suffer it.
It was my teacher calling another student a brown noser, 10 minutes after I taught her the word.
It was being in a lift with 4 french guys and thinking "What are the chances of this.."
It was watching watching my Dutch friend and my Finnish friend try and outdo each other, everytime alcohol was involved.
It was waking up and fiding hentai in your mailbox..... thanks to them ^^
It was hearing my female Russian friend threaten to kick a Japanese comedians ass on tv.
It was staying awake untill the sun came up just talking to people.
It was having Frenchman threaten to kill me on my own leavers card.. (he was joking)
It was having a policeman shout at me for making a noise.. me of all people.. the non drinking one.
It was sleeping on my Japanese friend's floor and having his cat drop a deck of cards on my face.
It was putting my Australian friend to bed because he was so drunk he literally couldn't find it by himself.
It was seeing everyone outside after every little earthquake "Did you feel it?"
It was the amount of food made at christmas by everyone.
It was the all you can eat yakiniku places.. and the waddling home afterwards
It was being told my nose was interesting by a very inebriated Japanese girl.
It was hearing "Sugoi!!" over and over everytime my French friend had his cards out doing tricks..
It was everyone buying cards to try and do the same...
It was pasta at 4am, just because...
It was Japanese peoples face's when trying Finnish candy..
It was eating bbq in the middle of a park with 100+ friends on a nice spring day..
It was all of the Japanese friends I made, and who'd put up with my murdering of their language.
It was the many other things I forget, but the many people I won't.
Because more than anything, It was the people.. that made Japan awesome.
If anyone ever questions whether they should study abraod, or live abroad for a period. Hit them.. hard. Everyone should do it, without fail. You'll learn so much about yourself and meet so many interesting people, and go to so many wonderful places.
I've made so many international friends, learnt so many things about different cultures. I can say nice "Nice ass" in polish.. I now deeply regret forgetting how to speak French, once you realise by speaking only one language, you are really limiting yourself to not only how you communicate, but who you communicate with. Theres 6 billion+ people in this world, not all of them are going to be nice, but the one's I met in Japan were, almost unquestionably.
TLDR.. go on exchange/live abroad for a while if the chance appears, you'll meet people and do things you never even considered, and have so many awesome memories.
