Long time no see!
If you think being on exchange means no quizzes, no unit tests, no papers and exams, then you’re so, so, so dead wrong. In fact, I was almost killed. Almost slain by the onslaught of midterms and papers that seemed to have come all at the same time. That feeling doesn’t change by being away from UBC.
The realization that I’m at school for the purpose of studying really hit me. Really hard. In the face. So hard that I might have to get some reconstructive surgery.
But, those exams have gone and past. I know a lot of UBC students have just started their finals, so who am I to complain? After all, being at a place as pretty as Sophia (as depicted above in a photo I took two days ago) makes me remember that I’m here not just for the courses, but here for the experience.
Again, the experiences you receive while being on exchange are not always what you imagined them to be. You gotta make sure you’re not wandering the lands like Don Quixote, viewing the world through an idealistic lens. Having been to Japan before, I know not to make this mistake.
Continuing on that thought, when I was in high school, I went on a school trip for two weeks to Japan. I was one of the few Asian kids who went, the rest being mostly Caucasian. There was a day where we explored the city of Kyoto and despite our freedom to do whatever we wanted to, we naturally organized ourselves into single file lines, as if we were following an imaginary teacher at the end of our obviously “foreign” parade.
There was a group of school girls. They were in their uniforms, some with pigtails, some with hair set straight down, huddled together on the side of the path. I passed them and they said nothing. My friend behind, visibly Caucasian, passed soon after. Immediately, I heard a flurry of “gaijin, gaijin, gaijin!” Meaning foreigner, they instantaneously recognized my friend as someone different and treated him as if he were some sort of celebrity.
No, I wasn’t jealous of this attention. Nor do I think the attention is entirely positive! In the end, the whole trip was superb and part of the reason why I decided to come back for a university exchange. However, that scene lingers in my head to remind me that I have a different perspective of being an “Asian” foreigner.
I recently read this article by Bernie Low called “An Asian Foreigner’s Perspective On Living in Japan.”
Reading through it, I found myself nodding my head to each point the writer made. I did in fact have different experiences. I did in fact, realize I was being treated differently than my peers. It’s a sad reality, but it’s something I have to live with nonetheless. While I may be doing fine in the process of making friends, I see now that it’s harder to initiate friendships with Japanese students just because I look Asian. Being another ethnicity other than Asian automatically grants you an ice breaker. A conversation starter. A certain, mysterious allure. If I was a Disney star who wanted to start a brand of perfumes to sell here, I could name it “NOT ASIAN” a scent by Brendan Ha.
I’m not complaining. Let’s get that clear. However, you notice these things and you can’t help but to interrogate them. It’s an interesting part of the adventure of studying abroad. You get to situate yourself in a broader context and by doing so, you get to understand who you are as a person. While I may look outwardly Korean, having been born and raised in British Columbia, I have a stronger sense of being Canadian.
And I’m proud to be who I am.