Park Joo Byung from South Korea - April 2012 admission

It has been over a month since I arrived in Japan. In these past 30 days or so, I have been blessed with the opportunity not only to encounter a variety of new experiences, but also to savor every minute of these encounters. I have so far visited so many places which their names I cannot pronounce very well, but one of the places I can recall is the Byodoin Temple in Uji. This was a remarkable place not only because of its marvelous history and beautiful structures, but also because it was where I got to socialize with my classmates more. Thanks to this marvelous bonding with my classmates, I am no longer afraid to have meals by myself.

I have also met as many people as I have visited places, and so far I cannot pick any favorites because they have all been so kind to have made every day of my stay joyful, and sometimes challenging. Excluding my friends, I have met very interesting professors, some of whom give very difficult but necessary lectures. From this I have realized once again, as I have always done in the beginning middle school and high school, that ahead of me lies a long road of difficult challenges. However, this time it is very different because I will not only succeed in making it till the end of this road, but I will also make sure that I enjoy this process long journey.

It was quite refreshing to have summarized my accounts and reflections thus far. I look forward to see what my friends have to say about their adventures in Japan, certainly because their accounts will be even more amazing than mine. With this I conclude my first piece and pass the baton to my fellow classmates.