CHIAKI

November 12:

After the big Culture shock, I am getting used to the life style which is how I live with 16 other Amricans. I am trying to show the understanding about this differences. Meanwhile, there are situations which I lay back and observe how things are going. However, it still makes me sad to see the pile of dishes in the kitchen. During the weekend, we don't decide own choir to do. Also, the African friends who is helping us to cook and clean don't come to our house.

Today in the discussion with other students, we talked about how we deal with cultural differences. A student said that the good thing in the certain culture could be a bad thing in another culture. As I talked before, when you talk about culture, there is no such a right or a wrong thing, and also good or bad. It is just so different from the experiences which we have been. Therefore, some of them might be acceptable, and some are not.

The question is how we present ourselves in the situation which is not acceptable for us. Should I say, "Don't treat a dog like that!" to Africans who have no clue about animal rights. Moreover, an American student believe that "Humans are created as equal." I think that this is a great thought, but I could not help speaking up,"This is so American." because I face more often in being Africa that there is a reality that humans are not treated as equal.

However, I think that to be a minority in other culture requires to make a compromise, which I call showing the respect and understanding about the culture. I have been shaping myself in order to survive in this situation. Likewise, in the crowded train I have to fit a tiny space surronded by strangers. Imagine! or probably some of you have experienced before know that this is not comfortable. However, as we are getting on and off the train every morning, we don't feel awkward as much as we felt before. In addition, we start to assume and tell ourselves before getting on the train,"Ok, for sure I won't get a seat and I have to stand to be next each other with strangers for next half hour or so."

The reason why I take this example is that I have a similar feeling where I am now. Likewise, I won't be surpirsed to see the pile of dishes during the weekend or Africans who are not friendly to dogs.

As I go back to the question, the way which I am dealing with the African and American cultures is that making a compromise according to the situation and case, but I show my prospecitve: what is different between you and me, and also making efforts to explain about this is because where I come from. Therefore, I believe that I am not trying to change their way, and also I am not changing myself either.

Living in different culture inspires me a lot because there are so many things to learn about others and myself. I explain myself is the person who haven't found the place where I want to belong to since I experienced so much about different cultures.Therefore, I am assuming that it's probably hard for me to go back to Japan, but living in the U.S. won't be easy to do either. That's why I like to know more about other part of world.

A few month ago, I got e-mail from my friend who spent time in Whatcom for a year when she went to back to her own country. She explained to me the situaiton where she was that was "I came back to the reality." I understood what she meant very well. Facing myself as a Japanese is sometimes a hard thing to do because I found that many things from different people and culture inspired me more than being in Japan.

You may have a hard time understanding what I am saying because I know that describing the experience which you have never done is hard to imagine. However, hope that some of you understand, and some of you don't understand please ask me if you have a question.

November 9:

About 3 weeks ago, I got a reaction toward Maralia pill that I took. I was so concerned because I didn't know what it was first. Africans said that this was because of the sun but I boubted. I went to the hospital in this town. There were not enough facilities to take care of people. It made me a little nervous because I understood what the doctor was saying through the translation. In addition, the doctor seemed not sure about my sympton. I was told to get an injection kit at the pharmacy, and went back to the hospital to get an injection. I gave 50 CIF (this is less than 30 cents) to the nurse. There were a bed, a sink, a table and a bottle of liquid in the room where I got an injection. What I was shocked was when I went back to the hospital to get second one. The boy who were sitting next to me had a big circle on his leg. I stared at his leg, and I figured that the part was pretty irritated. I was not sure if he could be taken care by the hospital. It was so sad to see that.

Since I came here, I strongly and more often feel that the world is not fair for everyone. Likewise, there were a lot of children who are working without going school, old men who are beggin money and foods, and the street childeren who are digging foods from the garbage on the street. I knew it, but I have never faced this fact that the poor existes. Contrast to the poor, there is a place where we can access to the internet, do grocery like being in the U.S., and eat pizza and hambergers. Today, I felt really weird to be there while I was eating pizza. I didn't really like it even though the taste of pizza was pretty good. I paid 5000 CIF (about $6) for the midum pizza and a dirnk. When I think about this, in the U.S. which is normal to pay this much for pizza, but not in Africa. There was no wonder that the people are eating pizza were either African who were wearing tie and shirt like business people or French people. It makes me think a lot what I am here for...... I came here to study about Africa.

November 8:

It has been more than one month since I came here. However, there are still a lot of moment that confuse me about what other people are doing. It 's because of cultural differnce between American, African, and me. It 's very easy to say that's the way it is because there are no such right or wrong things when you are talking about culture. However, thinking about the situation where I am is that this quote from the class expalins pretty well. "Threats to unique cultures are also threats to unique perspectives on life?" My interpretation of this quote is that when nobody understands your culture, and it seems other cultures are taking over your acts and thoughts which you have been used to. When you feel this, you experience the "threats". Being here in this house makes me think that I am very different from other people. I think if I came to Africa by myself, it would be a lot different experience for me, but I still think that this experiece is contributing me in order to find myself more clearly.

Well, now I like to talk about the things that I have been enjoying here. Firstly, I really enjoy doing wood curving with the great teacher, Diero. I have made Masks and little female dolls which were polished pretty neatly. I liked the works that I spent my time on rather doing anything else. Finally I'm getting know the use of tools. Diero curves wood like butter, but wood is wood for me. Today, I started to make elephants family which is consisted of five elephants. This is little more complicated and required more precise work. I hope that this the five blocks of wood are shaping like elephants some day.

Secondly, what I'm enjoying here is dancing and drumming. We are having a lesson every Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7 to 9 p.m. Drumming is hard and requires a lot of practice to be a good drummer. Only one hit of drumme sounds a lot different between teachers and me. Meanwhile, I love African dancing. This is really good work out because after one hour dancing I totally get sweat. We are still working on the first dance, but this is almost complete.

Thirdly, I teach English at the private school where is located only three minutes away from our home. We are not really teaching yet. We got observe the lecture a few times. From my observation the learning style is not really effective and practical. I wish I could contribute more. I'm looking forward to having a small group work shop or prctice speaking individually.

There are things that I enjoy, and also there are things that I cannot enjoy. However, I can say with my confidence that this is the great experience that won't happen again in my life, and I will never regret to come here. My trip to Ghana is scheduled next week. I'm really excited to be away from the big group. I heard that there is a Japanese fishing company in Ghana. I like to see how Japanese people are living in Africa, which seems interest me a lot. Meanwhile, I feel little gulty because Japanese are catching too much fish. Anyway, I like to tell more story when I feel like writing.

November 4:

It was really an intereting experience for me to go to Japanese embassy. Meanwhile, it made me think that who I am and where I am from. I felt strange to be a Japanese because American embassy were not evacuating people, and also our African friends kept saying, "Don't worry. I will protect you."

This is not only thing that I felt that I am a Japanese. Living with American students was not easy for me at the beginning of a few weeks. I felt I was minority because the way of living with 18 people was not what I expected.

I grew up for 18 years in Japan wher forms such a strict group society. I learned to cooperate with people and follow the rules when we do somthing together as a group. I didn't realize this until I came here. Also, this is that the way it is because the past year that I spent in the U.S. when I had such a great time with my international firends helping each other. On the other hand some people grew up in the U.S. where their societry is based on the individualism didn't know how to cooperate with people. I was really shocked and felt alone. However, my ESL friend, Mads (from Norway) was always nice to talk about my feeling toward Culture shock which is funny because it was American Culture shock but not African's.

November 3:

Since I arrived here in Cote d'ivore, this is the first time to write about my experience and thoughts. I was thinking a lot, however, I didn't know what to write about. It was a lot happening during the first month so that was overwhelming for me. Also, I don't like to write about something which is not thoughtful.Well, I will tell my story in Africa.

When I got off the plane, I felt the humidity. It reminded me the summer in Japan. I could't believe where I was. The woman whom I met on the plane helped us to get through the custom. There were a lot of strangers who offered us to carry our laggage. It was little bit hard to ignore those people because they seem so friendly, for example they smiled, shaked our hands and introduced themselves. I thought the person was one of the Kathryn's friends. However, we figured that he was not. After we got through those strangers, we fianally saw the familiar face and some of our African friends. It was so nice to see Kathryn. We drove through the town in the dark. People were selling foods and cooking outside. I heard the cheerful music and loud voice while I was feeling the air of Africa from the back seat in the car. It was the things which I have never seen in my life.

The first dinner in Africa was spaghetti. We sat around the table with our African friends. I had a nice conversation with frnacois who is helping a lot for our program. He asked me what I was expecting to do here. I had a good feeling at the first night in Africa.

The next day more students arrived. They seemed so excited. I thought this is so called "Honeymoon stage". I assumed that those my international friends understand what it is but I will explain for other people don't know what "Honeymoon stage" is. This happens when we are going to other cultures such as going to travel to foreign countries. Everything what we see seems new to us. Therefore, we think that things are wonderful and great. It 's because things in different culture are different from our own. I think I was very calm and I felt strange to see those who were so excited.

At the beginning of several days, it was the time for us to get used to the life here rather than having a class. I went to the Japanese embassy in Abijian to deport myself. I was thinking this was giong to be an easy process such as just filling out the application form. However, I had to explain who I am, where I am from, and why I am here at this moment when the political situation was pretty unstable. I had a long lecture from the man who works at the embassy. He told me many times to be aware of the situation which might get me in trouble. However, I insisted on staying here because I just arrived, and also the place, Grand Bassam, where I am staying is pretty safe compared to Abijian.

August 25:

I am an international student from Japan. I have been in Whatcom for a year. This past year which I spent in a foreign country, the U.S., gave me great experiences such as meeting students from all over the world and learning their cultures. Since then, I am very attracted by knowing and showing the respect to the people and different cultures. However, I realized that I never met people from Africa. Last fall, I was sitting at the cafeteria and eating lunch alone. There was a lady who was also eating lunch. I didn’t know her, but I spoke to her, “Are you a student or an instructor here?” She said that she is teaching Art. After I talked little while, she suddenly started to talk about the trip to Africa, which she has been planning. She gave me her phone number so that I can contact her when I made up my mind. The lady whom I talked to was Kathryn Roe.

The life here in the U.S. is not easy. For example, the place where I used to live in Japan has a good transportation system so it’s not necessary to have a car. However, I realized that it’s difficult to live here without car. Since I started to live in an apartment with my roommates, going grocery became a big occasion during the weekend. Something like this, in the foreign country something happens that it doesn’t go well as we expected. Therefore, I surely expect that I will face something, which I have to put more energy on. However, I believe myself that I am flexible and strong enough to adjust different culture because I met a lot of students from all over the world and strength myself by riding a bike around Bellingham.

Now I am almost finishing up the book, “Do they hear you when you cry.” This book is about a 19-year-old girl who lived in Ghana had to escape from her country because of the dangerous ritual. It was really surprised to know that she was same age as me when she had to leave her country without having anything. I was so frustrated because I couldn’t understand how come this horrible thing happened to her. Meanwhile, I thought myself how lucky I am. By reading this true story, it made me feel like I want to see what’s going on in Africa by my eyes.

On Sep 30, the day after I had 20th birthday, I am leaving for Africa. I consider this is going to be my second stage of my life. I am really excited to see, hear, and smell Africa. At last I thank my mom, sister, roommates, and friends all over the world that encourage me to go to Africa.

©WCC African Study Project