DAY 7: Japanese Language Test

JAPANESE LANGUAGE TEST

     This morning we had to take a Japanese placement test in order to determent our level for language classes. In orded to come to the test, we needed to register beforehand online. Than we had to remember the registration number, print out a registration form, fill it out, adding the registration number and glueing a photo not older than 3 months. We were also required to bring copies of two sides of our residence card (this is how mine looks like) and student card (here it my student card). Luckily, there are printers and copy machines in every convenience store around. I went to one early this morning. I was able to make copies easily (5 yen per copy) and wanted to print from usb stick... DIdn't work out. I asked the employee of the store to help me, she struggled. Then the head of the store came, but he also wasn't able to figure out how to print the thing... So I left without accomplishing such an important task. 

     To be ontime for he test and print out our documents on the way, me and Ondrej left our dorm a little earlier. However after a few minute of walking,  I realized that I forgot to take my registration number (which was written on a piece of paper). On the way back somehow a folder with Ondrej's documents opened and some of the papers flied away... It was sooooo fun to look at a white guy running around in the middle of the busy crossroad trying to chase some papers that kept flying away from him. In the end we made it: papers were collected, forms were printed out in another convenience store. 

     We arrived at the test place 10 minutes before it's start. Registered. Each student was assigned a seat in a room according to registration number. When everyone was there, a Japanese guy in a suit started his announcement. Regardless of the fact, that some of the people in the room spoke zero Japanese, he started to say everything in Japanese (however translating after to English). The best thing was when he said in Japanese: "those who have never studied Japanese please leave the room and go to another one". =) 

The test was quite difficult from my point of view with a lot of guessing. In had a listening comprehension and grammar part in it. The second part of the test was for more advanced students (composition). All not advanced students were allowed to leave the room after the first part of the test was over. 

BANK

     Opening a Japanese bank account was required. Even though, we are staying here for only 4 months, university staff said, that we might get permission to open an account (sounds promising). 

    We arrived in a bank with a group of international students. The bank was located close to Keio university, thus they had lots of experience dealing with internationals. They counted us, gave us a number and after sometime invited all to come to special backroom. We all were given a sheet of paper to fill out. As usually, only in Japanese. The lady could also only speak Japanese. Lukcily, we had a sample on the table and some of us knew some kanji (so not all of us simply copied gender as female to our forms). We stayed there for about an hour filling in the form. The lady asked, if someone wanted a credit card. Few guys did. They have received another long form completely in Japanese. Lol

     In Japan most of the people have their personal stamp (seal) that they carry around. As we didn't have one, we had to come up with a 4-digit number and our signature to it. From now on it was our stamp-signature for bank purposes. 

      It seemed, that even that people didn't speak much English, they were extremely nice, polite and willing to help. Great experience. 

LIVING IN JAPAN: ORIENTATION FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

     All exchange students had to attend an orientation session about Japanese culture.A very funny a nice lady with perfect English and Filipino origin has told us many interesting things about Japan. Here are few that she has mentioned: 

- girls shouldn't ride a bicycle with knees out (knees got to be facing inside)

- expectations don't always match reality. Don't be biased. Don't expect too much and too high. 

- in general things take a long more time in Japan than in Europe

- Japanese seem to love rules and regulations. They have so many of those. 

- what Europeans consider polite can be different here, beautiful and ugly, delicious and bad tasting are also different. 

- event time vs. actual time. Japanese are very punctual, but some of them live not by actual time, but by event time. It means that next event starts only after another is finished. 

- in the supermarket you don't necessarily have to say thank you. They don't expect that. You don't have to respond to the nice gestures in the stores or to the words. 

- plants in pots  are not allowed to bring to the hospital when you are visiting because it means that you want the person to stay there longer. 

- Japanese people have special envelopes for funerals and for wedding. You are supposed to put money in that envelope. How much money? It is always written on the back of the envelope.

- another tabu is to stick  chopsticks in a bowl of rice. This is done when someone died. 

SIGHTSEEING

     As we were already in the center of the city  and transportation was extremely expensive, we decided to have a look around. A 15 minutes walk took us to a beautiful tower with a great view from the top (which we didn't enjoy as we didn't go up). 

     After visiting the tower, we headed to one of the most beautiful locations in Tokyo during this season : Naka-Maguro metro station. There along the river a garden of cherry trees is planted. THat place is simply amazing! Blooming sakura lighted up with Japanese traditional orange lights. It felt like warm Christmas time, as people were walking around enjoying the view and drinking champagne from glasses. The place is very romantic and many Japanese people came there with their girlfriends. Some have made a picnic along the cannel right on the asphalt.

     Being tired from a long day, we decided to make a stop and eat something traditional. Luckily we had Larry with us who was in Japan before. We found a restaurant that Larry knew ( a chain restaurant) and went it. It was a great choice. TO get to the table, we had to take off our shoes and place them in a special box. From the menu we ordered one from everything and decided to share all meals to try it all. Really amazing meal! Here are a few pictures. Thanks to Larry and a great company! 

LANGUAGE LESSON AND ORIGAMI

     The day was not yet over. Downstairs in our dorm we met some Japanese people and decided to chat with them. After Kotani family came down and brought some tea and sweets. 

     I have asked them about origami. Turned out, that Kotani-san's wife has many books and knows a lot of origami. When I was little, my grandmother brought a huge box of origami paper and a book from Japan. I used to do that often and now it reminded of my childhood. 

     As we had a great opportunity, we decided to study some Japanese with locals. Ondrej who speaks 0 Japanese was wondering about pick up lines in Japanese and was tought things like: "You are beautiful" and "let's go with me for a cup of green tea". Very interesting culture that I begin to fall in love with more and more.