Name:Steven Tang
Major:International Business
Semester:Fall 2014, Spring 2015
Favorite Dish
Katsudon, cheese gyudon, curry, okonomiyaki, sukiyaki, shabu shabu, and everything my host mom made.
Favorite Course
Okada Sensei's Intensive Oral Japanese class was definitely a very helpful class. Since I am living with a host family and doing an internship, this class helped prepare me for daily conversations I would have with my host family and co-workers. It was very useful and fun to apply what I learned in class to my daily conversations and definitely allowed me to carry on conversations in Japanese with more confidence.
Best Excursion
I truly treasured every moment I spent with my host family, so it's hard to pick just one to label as the "best excursion." I think the most memorable moment was when during my first few weeks in Japan, my host family took me to a matsuri. We watched the kids perform taiko drumming, my host family showed me how to do a prayer, we played some festival games and ate delicious food together.
Homestay Experience
Deciding to participate in the homestay program was definitely the best and most rewarding decision I have ever made. Who knew that I could find another place to call home 7,000 miles way from my actual home?
Of course, in the beginning everything felt a little awkward. It really does take courage to become part of someone's family, especially when they are in a different culture and speak a different language. But somewhere between our daily conversations and our exchanges of "おはよう" and "おやすみ," we really became a family! They truly made me feel like I was one of their own, and I truly enjoyed every moment I spent with them as part of their family. They even sent me messages over winter break and invited me to live with them again! Living with a host family really immersed me in the language and culture in a manner that I wouldn't have been able to do if I was visiting, or staying in the dorm, and I am truly grateful that I took this opportunity!