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“Do you like the movie?” My Japanese host mother asked, putting another ladleful of do-rai ka-re, dry curry, on my almost empty plate.

As I was in the middle watching my favorite Japanese animated movie and chewing my octopus sashimi, all I could do was nod and utter a barely audible “Hai!”

“Anime suki dessyo?” You like Japanese cartoons, I remember her ask.“Hai. Daisuki desu yo.” Yes, I like it very much, was my reply.

What started out as a slight obsession for Japanese animation eventually lead to countless nights of devouring information, which only heightened my desire of one day exploring the unique archipelago of Japan. It began as a silly admiration for perky cartoon characters with big sparkling eyes and wind-tossed hair of different colors. I couldn’t remember what charmed me into what other people may think as nonsense entertainment but I knew I was gradually getting interested in the country from where these cartoons originated.

Amidst the pressures of high school, I could still find time to browse through Japanese history books (mindful of the fact that no detergent could ever remove the stain Japan left in our history), memorize complicated lines from Japanese books, or bring our trusty Countries of the World almanac to school just in case my Asian History textbook failed to mention why Japan’s capital was transferred to Tokyo.

Time passed and I went to college, bringing along butterflies in my stomach, must-haves in my luggage, and passion for animes in my heart. Perhaps one of the reasons why I enrolled in Silliman was its Japan Student Exchange Scholarship Program. Four sophomore students could get the chance to study in Japan for a year, all expenses shouldered by the Japanese host institutions.Destiny played on my side when, during my sophomore year, I applied for the said scholarship and got chosen as one of the four exchange students for the school year 2004-2005. It was, to put it mildly, unexpected. I remember waking up to the harsh ringing of my phone the day after the interview, with my friend on the line shouting the good news.

Wow…

I never felt guilty and excited at the same time. Guilty because I never told the panelist that Japanese anime had a lot to do with my wanting to study abroad. Sure I was curious about the Japanese culture, but part of the reason why I wanted to experience it was to confirm what I’d been seeing on TV. Do high school girls really wear short skirts as uniforms? Are their houses really typically small? Do gadgets come as ordinary as clothes?

It was one of those moments when I imagine myself in a different environment – be it exotic, high-tech, or laid-back, wearing different costumes, and eating various cuisines. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to tour Rome on a motorino, get lost in one of Baghdad’s bazaars (a childhood fantasy inspired by the book Arabian Nights), conquer the slopes of Mt. Fuji, or work my way to the ends of the Great Wall. How long have I waited for this opportunity?

Nineteen years is a very long time.The years spent waiting for my first international trip paid off from the moment I exchanged sharp glances with the PAL flight attendant (who was so mean considering her job) on my way to the Land of the Rising Sun. It was on that bright morning of September 5, 2004 that I made sure this trip would be something special.I've heard stories about Japan's incredible inventions and expensive lifestyle, patriotic citizens and disciplined society, but nothing prepared me for what I saw. I never really dwelled on the fact that Japan would be so... different.

My first few months were spent gaping at what would have been ordinary things like vending machines (practically scattered everywhere), automatic doors in probably 90% of Japan's establishments, automated ticket machines at train stations, rush hours, Japanese fashion statements, and earthquake-proof skyscrapers.A year in a foreign land wouldn’t hurt especially if it’s an all-expense paid excursion. Especially if you don’t allow that teeny weenie thing called Language to get in the way. I want to say that my experiences were all roses but I just couldn’t forget those times when my fellow exchange students and I had to pester several Nihon-jin (Japanese national) for directions. Most of the time they would just give us sorry looks with a curt “gomenasai” (Sorry) or an emphatic “No” gesture.

With little knowledge of the Japanese language, we would resort to sign language, or just flash our (hopefully) cutest smiles to those naïve enough not to realize our poor command of Nippongo!Exploring Japan, or at least Tokyo, meant experimenting with trains and subways, which would’ve been easy if it weren’t for those irritating Kanji, Japanese characters read in various ways. My companions and I were often left standing on ticket booths looking at subway maps - a multitude of Kanji characters, trying to figure out which one read “Shinjuku.”

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for us to get used to the hustle and bustle of Japan. We studied Nippongo’s complicated grammatical structure and worked our way from Greetings to Buying to Asking for Directions to Familiarizing the Kanji. I admit my Japanese is poor since we only had classes three times a week. I haven’t learned all there is to learn about Kanji and I absolutely still can’t read a Japanese newspaper. One has to know at least 2,000 kanji to be able to read a newspaper, and at least 5,000 to be able to understand a serious novel.Honestly, we only become “students” during our three-days-a-week Japanese Language class. Although my friends and I were “exchange students,” 90% of our time was spent touring major cities in Japan.

Three days after our arrival, we participated in our host institution, Ferris University’s Japan Study Tour to Hiroshima and learned how an industrialized city collapsed, and recuperated.Our planners were practically filled with monthly excursions that we fondly called “Major La-ag”- be it a day of fun at Tokyo Disney Resort in September, a day of food tripping at Japan’s largest Chinatown in October, Ferris Festival Conference in November, or a Christmas Party at the Philippine Embassy on December. We waited for year 2005 at the cold Yamashita Park shivering and praying for the rain and snow to stop. We expected numerous fireworks to light up the Yokohama skies only to find out there aren’t going to be any fireworks display after all.

The first day of the year found us lounging in McDonald’s eating our very first meal, comparing Japan and the Philippines.Experiencing the Japanese culture was never this hilarious. During our visit to Kyoto and Osaka, we had to reluctantly take a bath – naked, of course - with a bunch of other naked ladies (foreigners and Japanese alike). Try as we did, we couldn’t get past the dressing room in swimsuits since, posted beside the youth hostel common bathroom door was a giant note, “Do not wear swimsuits in the bathroom…Enjoy the Japanese culture…"

I didn’t feel nervous on my solo trip to Nara, the ancient capital of Japan, to see the bronzed Great Buddha, and Kobe, the city once struck by an earthquake that affected not only Japan’s citizens but its economy as well. I remember my friends saying “ka-isog nimo oy!”I never felt so happy in my entire life during our two-day ski tour in Nagano. There’s nothing more therapeutic than skiing, assuming, of course, that one already knows how to ski. Snowy Nagano was equally as inviting as sunny Okinawa, where a different kind of Japan exists. Palm trees and hibiscus graced us as we toured several World Heritage sights and ate traditional Okinawan delicacies.

Oh, and did I mention the food? The foooooooood? Where else can you find an affordable Shakey’s All-you-can-eat treat? Well, probably in other highly developed nations but still. Japan has one of the world’s most unique (and expensive) cuisines. For the best Japanese food, head to Nagoya and you surely won’t feel fats lining your jeans until its too late. Except for that slimy natto (which Verna and Jan unsurprisingly love so much), wasabi, and some wagashi (Japanese sweets that always made Michelle smile), Japan’s palate treats never fail to make my mouth water.A large bowl of ramen (Japanese noodles) can already appease one’s hunger but one is never enough when you see someone heartily slipping noodles in his mouth, feasting on the spicy flavors of beef, pepper, garlic, and herbs.

Now, my craving for tebasaki (Japanese-style fried chicken wings) and miso soup, curry rice and norimaki (rice wrapped in seaweed), and all kinds of sashimi lathered in fish paste is all I have. That is, until I go back there and grab myself an ichi-go-san-sai (a complete Japanese meal of rice, soup, vegetable, and meat or fish) or pig out at one of the tabehodai ­(eat-all-you-can) restaurants in Japan.

As I watched my calendar make way for another month, I dreaded the thought of leaving. August, our final month as exchange students has finally arrived and summer has become more overbearing. Summer in Japan is indeed hotter than summer in the Philippines.I admit I studied hard to be able to understand animes. However, Life was too exciting to focus on trivial matters as Japanese animation. What I’d seen on TV was mostly true. Most of the people (young and old alike) have dyed hair, most of the girls wear skimpy skirts as uniforms, and small as it seems, a typical Japanese house is tall and narrow because real estate is expensive.

I was full of dreams when I went there – childish dreams that involved attending an anime conference in Tokyo, collecting as much videos and comic books as I can, or even meeting a few graphic artists. However, Animes were nothing compared to the sights and sounds, to the seasons and festivities, to real images and actual situations of Japan. I did not attend any anime conference, buy expensive videos, or meet a graphic artist.However, I was able to visit Japan’s most significant shrines and temples, see maple leaves turn red in Autumn, and admire the cherry blossoms (which only bloom for two weeks a year) in Spring. Fun from watching perky cartoon characters with big sparkling eyes and wind-tossed hair of different colors was nothing compared to the joy of dancing in the year’s first snowfall, my first snowfall.

I was able to enjoy Nature’s Wisdom in the 2005 World Exposition (which happens every five years) in Aichi, ride a hydrogen-fueled bus, and get on a magnetically levitating train. And for my final “major la-ag,” my friends Mich, Verna, Grace, and I climbed Mt. Fuji, the 3,776-meter monster volcano, which, thank God, didn’t erupt while we were there. We didn’t reach the summit though because our bus might leave us (such a lame excuse). But still I’m proud to say that we reached the 3,500 mark. The trek was excruciatingly tiresome but what the heck…I have climbed Fuji!

Beat that Anime!




---this article was originally submitted to the author's EL 33 professor