Sooo ... My next topic in general there about the University and of course the first day.
orientation units and welcome parties
The first few days or weeks at the university consisted of many events that we should get closer to university life and, of course, welcome parties. I think we had 2 pieces in the first week and yesterday we would have to actually have one. Which is of course now because of the flu turned out ... The orientation
units were very nice and informative in the beginning, but essentially we were told three or four times the same: waste separation, Rules of the lessons. So we really had understood the second time after at all, but good.
It was, at least in retrospect, the impression that the right hand knew what the left did. That these fears are confirmed, unfortunately, later even more should, I did not even ...
Here is a picture of unity in the orientation of the largest in the Rokko Hall KISC:
course we got to know all our teachers ... Do you think I could remember a name + face? - Nope!
We did not only focus units in the university, but also in our dorm. In this we were then and rules of behavior, and explains functions and premises. Why this was but the first 2 weeks after the feeding place, you need not ask me. In the 2 weeks we had already found out for themselves how what works.
After the orientation units were the most welcoming ceremonies scheduled. As I was already reported by a friend, Japanese celebrations are always 2 hours long and consist essentially of "speeches, food and games. Why should it be different for me. But even though this party had no right parties, then, one could have great fun and maintain and above all: We got very good food for free!
all excited to hear what the speaker is saying. Unfortunately, we do not understand anything, because it was both too low and the other Japanese men speak somehow always mumble ... well ... important it was not ^^'''
tests
Now for the lessons and the other tests, which we had by ourselves. First, the "best" of all:
The health check
We had to Medical Center on a given day, at a specific time, since girls are Boys were examined separately. What we were not told was that the Health Check on the one hand for all students of the university took place (We assumed that there would be a special for us foreigners) and the other part of the health check on other days took place. Why the University is not all divided so that it is actually separated by foreigners and locals, I do not understand, because now we had to wait in a huge snake classify and wait and wait.
When we finally made it because to get into the building. We foreigners were first pushed to the side so you could get on with the Japanese women. Who will follow after the Japanese women? - Right, the Japanese!
We have not completely forgotten, they pushed us now between the Japanese and the Japanese. I had already mentioned that the Japanese are not really good at organizing it?
Well, now it went for us, we did unfortunately have no idea what we should do. We were given a blank sheet, in which our results should be mentioned, unfortunately, was nowhere where we could find something. So we wandered aimlessly through the masses of people first and if there would not have been some of our tutors, we were completely lost, because no language here a word of English ...
The health check now consisted of weight (! In full gear), size (? Why I am 2cm smaller than in Germany), questioning the doctor (have diseases - No -. Ok, they can go.) eye test (If we make ourselves), blood pressure (So good values I have never had), urine sample (Why are the toilets on the 1st floor and the test in the basement Oo) and finally X-rays of the chest.
As you can see, I had the whole damn crap again make, though I had done everything in Germany already. Without this check-up I could not do I apply ... Japanese ...
At the end of us all was then again explained in Japanese, that we should now go to the hospital and should allow us to investigate measles and AIDS. The results we should then submit there ... Have a bird?
good as they could only explain to us all in Japanese, I'm not able to understand, and I will not quite make ... Especially since I need to pay only for the measles investigation 6000Yen and if I do not should have sufficient antibodies, I would have to pay again 10.000Yen. About the AIDS test, I was kept informed not only ...
Spending our stamp for the execution of the health checks in the explanations have had. I will take care of me no more about it ...
Want to know how long now this check-up has lasted? Yes I need to mention that we were in between the time the only girl among hundreds of boys ... About 3 hours!
The day was eaten .... and we totally ko
placement tests
To us now assign the correct levels for teaching, we had to make a 30min-level test. This test consisted of two pages of questions that queried tasks understanding of particle and Kanjifragen all rudimentary. What we are during the test Was to determine that no one has looked at the clock, so that we could take as much time as we wanted. The placement test was subsequently not really important, because for each course, which covered a particular topic, we had in the first hour or take a test. Okay, better safe ^^'''
The other test consisted of the course accordingly listening comprehension tasks, language tests, Kanjitests and writing tests.
For other courses and the Kokusaibunkagakubu there were no tests, because everyone had to see for yourself whether your level sufficient to Japanese in order to pass these courses.
it was found now my timetable:
timetable Courses and other activities
Here is a brief summary of courses and my other activities, such as Tandem and host family, and I can write the second not long, because my family until the end of May is presented.
Monday
13:20 to 14:50 - Japanese Culture
It could be a very exciting class, if with our teacher Mr. Kawai not get the impression that he was not interested in the whole. As the title suggests, it is about the Japanese culture. So far we have talked a bit about the holidays and weddings. Unfortunately, his Japanese for something again soon and mumble, but with the help of the pictures I can understand it somehow. Only when he starts asking questions, I am in a fix as part of something.
15:00 - ~ - Tandem with Miki (Language Exchange)
The Language Exchange - Program is provided by the university, where you can apply and the university seeks a then a suitable partner My partner is. Miki. Sorry I could not learn very well. Because we have so far only met once briefly to exchange numbers and set a date for our tandem. I'm curious how it will work.
Tuesday 13:20 to 14:50 - Conversation and Listening Level3
As the title suggests, it is this course for listening comprehension and conversation. Mrs. Tanaka is a very nice teacher, the teaching is just like the conversation class in Hamburg. We hear and thus a conversational situation on a variety of things to have, then answering questions to fill a gap text, apply the whole repetition and then in a "conversation". Whether it really does what, I do not know but at least there is not much homework.
15:10 to 16:40 - Doitsugo Kaiwa (German Conversation)
This is the German language for the Japanese. I decided to teach at Mr. Trump visit to see both how the language teaching in Japan and on the other hand, in the classroom to help a little, like the Japanese have done well in Hamburg. The teaching itself is very different from the Japanese conversation lessons. Essentially speaking, the Japanese even less German, but many learn vocabulary. Mr. Trump is really very funny and cute and therefore very popular.
Wednesday 13:20 to 14:50 - Special Japanese Social Sciences
In this course we will mainly vocabulary for the humanities courses and learn to deal thus with issues that concern more important, people, culture, geography and so on. Mrs. Harima is again very friendly and nice. It tells a lot about their personal experiences and then lets us talk about our views and experience on the subject. Overall, I like her lessons very well.
15:10 to 16:40 - Cultures and Societies in Japan
the course I have taken mainly because the language of instruction will be English. What they basically even, but many Japanese now understand even no English, making it quite a bit then says in Japanese be. We deal here with manga, movies (comparison of Japanese and American version of "Shall We Dance") and Japanese comedy. In group work we do then is, we must then again speak in Japanese because the Japanese do not understand us ...
17:00 - ~ - Tandem with Yuko
Yuko is a Japanese woman who I met briefly during the summer school. She is very nice and hardworking. She learns to be more German in the summer school textbook and I help her with any questions. For those who do not know what to Tandem: They meet with a Native speakers of the language one learns, for a certain period of time. Half the time we speak in his language and then the other half in the other. If one has to tell what is, a really great tandem. I am afraid just before the time when we have no more themes.
Thursday 13:20 to 14:50 - Reading and Composition Level 4
As the title says, is what the course of Mr. Ito to read and write. We learn here that is formulation of texts and essays. For homework we write from and to our articles. The reading exercises are from reading the rules and grammars for the essays. If Mr. Ito would not be so funny and enthusiasitsch, the course would be really boring and useless.
15:10 to 16:40 - Monji Enshu (calligraphy exercises)
The course is unfortunately on the whole pretty boring if we did not stop at the end of calligraphy exercises. Until now that is there most of the lessons from the history of Kanji, their tradition and to the extent. Unfortunately, the lessons are only in Japanese and my knowledge that comes my way not to follow his teacher, so that it is boring, even though it interests me ... So I try to distract me for 1 hour (the Japanese sleep most ...) and in the last half hour I am then paint on the kanji. The teacher must be a famous calligraphy master (so see his kanji also) and its images will even hang in a big museum in London.
17:00 - ~ - Tandem with Yumiko
Now I have my last tandem for a week. Yumiko I also know from the summer school, it was for 2 weeks, my "student" so I knew something better than Yuko. Also Yumiko is very nice and funny. It is also very hard to learn German, but I have the feeling that Yuko is slightly better in part. Nevertheless, I understand it very well. I hope my Japanese is nearly as good as their German.
Friday 13:20 to 14:50 - Kanji and Vocabulary Level 2
Kanjikurs The woman in Fukui is again one of the more interesting courses even if it's all about kanji and vocabulary. But it is a pretty nice person, it also creates good to explain the wealth of vocabulary and kanji. Even though I should know in theory the whole Kanji, I've still taken the course, to finally more Kanji in my head set and I will not again bombarded with new ones. I have to make the feeling and pace of progress so far is very good.
weekend
Host Family Program
When the program starts at the end of the month, I hope I can make once a week at weekends with my family almost Miyawaki. How it will look like and how the family is, of course I know now, but I'll keep you informed.
everyday university life
Now something about the university life per se. As you have noticed, I only have afternoon classes, so I to meet with the others for lunch in the cafeteria and then go to class. The first week was teaching, as I said already, only tests and in the second week we began getting to know and the first exercises. Then already had the Golden Week, we had also free. Last week we had normal lessons again. During the next week because of the swine flu, again fails.
At the end of day I can go on some days with the other home together, ending with just the day with the tandem for me so late that the others are already back home.
I hope that we have to make up not too many lessons at the end of the semester, for the time I wanted to use for traveling. But we'll see.
In the Japanese courses exist only in Kanji and conversation course exams. For courses at the Kokusaibunkagakubu (German, Cultures & Societies, calligraphy), there is then exams. However, since no result has relevance for me, I will decide at the end if I will participate in the trial of Kokusaibunkagakubu.
So that's my first of the university. The next review will be about Kobe, Kyoto and Himeji.
