the BOND

I haven't posted anything for a while.

I have a lot of things to write about my last three weeks; I went to the Surf Club trip to North Carolina (first time going to Southern State!!), I talked with a Swedish girl about difficulties of living life in here US (I should write about this sometime too), and last weekend was Halloween.
Unfortunately, however, I'm kind of way behind of my classes right now and should catch up this week and I do not have time to write about these things today. My next exam is on next Thursday and I cannot study this weekend at all because I'm going to the Leadership Conference (gosh, I'm so excited can't wait to go! I should definitely write about it after I come back.).

Now I have to start working on (I haven't started yet...) catching up tons of readings, studying for the upcoming exam, and two essays. I started worrying about my plan to take more difficult classes for next semester...

My parents came to visit me last weekend.
You might laugh, but I was very very excited about their visiting, seriously.
As I started living by myself in different country where you cannot ask for any help to your parents (even I'm not doing cooking and everything by myself), I noticed that how much I had been relying on them.

We went shopping to Georgetown and ate Sushi (it was actually a Japanese Japanese restaurant and it was great. Gosh, I missed Japanese foods so badly...) on the first day. Then the next day I took them around the UMD campus and introduced some of my friends.

We had a great time.
We talked a lot such as about my new friends in here, difficulties in my studies, politics in Japan, how's my sister doing and etc.

My mother does always give me the best word to cheer me up;

"To be yourself" is not an equivalent term with "not changing the way you live".
To pursue your desirable way of life, you should change yourself to be close to a person you want to be.
It's easy to say this, but remember you are the ONLY person who can change yourself.
Start working on NOW.

Going to Boston? Or not?

In this couple of days, I probably had talked Japanese the most since I came here.
I talked with some friends and parents on skype, and talked with my Japanese kids living in the same dorm. I have tried avoiding speaking Japanese as well as you can since I came here. I was almost forgetting the feeling of speaking fluently as well as you can express your feeling perfectly.

Most of our topics were related to the Boston Career Forum. Let me explain little bit about BCF. It's the biggest recruiting fair for studying abroad Japanese students in the world and going to be held at Boston in November. It's a big chance as only you can try if you fly to Boston. Every year, more than 200 companies including most famous companies both in Japan and foreign capitals come to look for some competent kids.

Though I haven't started anything for the preparation yet and I know it is really tough to get some job there especially this year because of the global financial crisis, I was still thinking to go to Boston just for experience and looking for some internships believing with a little luck. Actually, I've already reserved the hotel to stay during the forum.

However, I changed my mind and probably not going to Boston, it's still not a final decision though. It is tough to decide not doing what I've said to do so for a long time and I talked a lot with my friends and parents. The biggest reason why I start thinking not going to Boston is that I found out that I want to go there just because I didn't want to be behind of other Japanese friends in job recruiting race. I imagined the situation that my friends got internships and I wasn't there. And also imagined how big the experience in Boston helps me in the next chance after going back to Japan. Though I don't have a strong will to do research and get a job there, I didn't want to regret for something.

Hey, this is not what I supposed to think isn't it? What do you mean there is no will of getting job, which should be the biggest motive to decide going to the forum? You should firstly have to know what you really want to do. Then you can look some companies where you can pursuit your dream and do for the research and prepare for the interviews. If these don't come to the priority, not only you can't never get a job but also you can't even get meaningful experience for the next.

Though It's very tough to do so, I should not bother others and make my own decision.

I can't wait to go to my first Surf trip in North Carolina in this weekend! I was supposed to work hard this weekdays, but I was too lazy to do the reading for the GVPT407 class, to write an application for the leadership conference, and to study for the exam of PUAF159C on next Monday.

I'm sure that I'll catch up tomorrow! FOCUS!!

The very first

Why?

I couldn't stop myself to start doing this. I thought it is a great idea to take notes what I did, what I felt, and how I dealt with them during this one year study abroad life in the US; It would help me understanding more about myself and organizing myself to make the life and struggles in here more meaningful for my future, Thus things in articles are going to be very personal, not be well-organized, and sometime random.

I'm also going to write this in English for my practice and for my self-satisfaction going through later how much my English writing skills improved from today. You guys are allowed to laugh at my poor English and I'll laugh at you guys at the end. :p

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Going study abroad had been always my excuse being lazy as well as my dream back in Tokyo.
I was glad that I grasped this wonderful chance, and I had believed in that what all I have to do is to go there and live the life, and I would come back as a totally different person from before: A man who is cleared about his own goals, lives a more efficient and independent life to accomplish them, and not afraid about living in the international field because of his fluent English and his understanding of diverse and complex culture in the US.

Well, it has already passed two month since I came here, University of Maryland, College Park School, as an exchange student. I feel nothing have changed about me. I probably knew this deep in my heart from the beginning; a person doesn't change so easily. Sadly... I overslept and skipped the class yesterday for the third time.