VIETNAM – JAPAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM 2019 PERSONAL REPORT (10) Reporter: Trương Ngọc Thanh Phương (FPT University)

VIETNAM – JAPAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM 2019 PERSONAL REPORT

Reporter: Trương Ngọc Thanh Phương (Quinn)

Ho Chi Minh City, 20^th September 2019

     After 2 months for preparation and 2 weeks exchanging with 10 Japanese delegates, Vietnam - Japan Exchange Program has changed myself a lot in different ways of mindset and behavior. At the first time, when I had been asked the reason why I wanted to join VJEP 2019, in my mind is that I want to directly contact  Japanese students to see differences between Vietnamese and Japanese. Moreover, in my last personal interview with professor Akinori Seki, he asked me my impression about Japan, and my answer is ‘Samurai spirit’. And during my 2-experience-week with Japanese delegates, first and the most valuable thing I learnt from Japanese delegates is their real ‘Samurai spirit’ which was delivered in their belief and performances, the story they told us about their history and culture (in National Performance), how can they overcame pain of war and fight for justice (in drama play of Uncle Sam) and how much they put the effort into every single scope of work. Also, I saw another aspect of Japanese’s characteristic, Japanese is known as a courteous and well-mannered person, so it is hard to approach them. However, it totally changed my mind about their warm greetings and enthusiasm through their stories they shared with me and every night we gathered together.

    Especially, spending 5 days at Binh Phuoc Province is the best moment for me in this journey. Because this is my first time I arrived at Binh Phuoc and lived around ethnic minority people and stay at my lovely host family. We all together taught primary students, performed in front of 200 excellent delegates of the province, went trekking to Bu Gia Map National Park and met The Border at Bu Dang province. From this experience, I can understand more deeply about local people’s life, how they behave and do their daily, how borders have to suffer and try to protect our boundary, get closer to nature and learn how to survive in the jungle.

     The topic of this year is ‘Environment’ and ‘Green Business’ which impress me a lot since I really concern about the current problem, not only in Vietnam but also in the world. And it is also included in the Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations in 15 years for people to follow and make it come true. Thanks to this project, I have an opportunity to search for green business in Binh Phuoc Province where I haven’t had a chance to visit and understand the environment and the obstacles that the government has to suffer to protect the environment. Finally, we came to the last with the presentation of finding a solution for Binh Phuoc Province by building a closed agriculture system to help farmers, purchase more agricultural goods,  and sustain environments there. We didn’t rank the first place but we cherish every time we discussed and searched for information.

     Even though VJEP has been gone to the end for nearly a month, I still remember the very last moment we spent together in a night prom of Common Project Homestay’s rooftop. I got a sharing speech with all delegates and the most memorable value I still treasure at that moment is when we stand under the light and sparkle like stars in the sky. We all share laughs and tears together, sometimes we had conflicts and arguments due to differences. But after all, I believe we overcame difficulties and succeeded in finding ourselves in the new environment. 

     Lastly, I hope and believe the Vietnam-Japan Exchange Program will keep improving and inspire more students from both Vietnam and Japan for participants to get a chance to share and acknowledge, and to keep a good relationship between the two countries for long.

VJEP, VIETNAM – JAPAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM 2019 PERSONAL REPORT (9) Hồ Nhựt Hào (University of Economics and Law)

VIETNAM – JAPAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM 2019
PERSONAL REPORT

Krakow, Oct 3rd, 2019 

 

     It has been a month since we separated. To be honest, a couple of days after the program, sometimes in my dream, I felt like the program was still happening and we were still together. I really miss all of you.
     My 2019 summer could have been like every summer ever if it had not been for VJEP 2019. First of all, let’s bring it back to the beginning of May when everything started. I was invited by a friend, Mingo, who worked in the organizing team. Although I’m always interested in such inter-cultural activities, I did not set high expectations when I first knew about the program. AAEE sounded so big to me, they had already organized 6 programs of VJEP since 2013, the applicants were from many top universities in Ho Chi Minh city – all that things dragged my feet. Anyway, one of my favorite quotes is “nothing is impossible”. And on May 12th I received the first e-mail from the VJEP organizing team informing me that I had passed the application round. And from that moment I kept trying my best from round to round and I knew what I was trying for was worth it.
     Eventually, on May 31st, I officially became a Vietnamese delegate of VJEP 2019. From that day to the day the program officially began, we had to prepare many things together. And that is when I started to get to know other Vietnamese participants more. I did not talk so much at first, because I’m quite an introvert person. However, the other’s enthusiasm and creativity pushed me to talk. We had to prepare for five tasks. Everyone was so dedicated and I was always looking forward to meeting them at each Orientation session.
     Now I still remember how eager I was for August 16th, my words cannot describe. At first, there were 4 early birds, we talked about all kinds of things, about how Phuong studied Japanese and Chinese, about Linh and her first crush and how she hurt her groin. The stories kept going on from 4pm till the evening, starting with 4 Vietnamese delegates, and then 6, and then 8, then all 10 members of us. We really got along and at that time I knew that I had found good friends that fit me. Around 10:30 that night, the Japanese delegates arrived. Yui was the first one of them that I talked to. In dorm 1, everybody was talking to each other, the room was full of their generous greetings. I tried to find Arina – my buddy – but I couldn’t because she took a different flight. It was not until midnight, I suppose, that I could meet her. We started with small talks, then we talked about more things. That night, the room was full of friendliness.
     I was really impressed by the Japanese national performance. It was a unique experience that I think I will never have the same thing anywhere else. We were really excited and I will never forget that performance. They are so creative and talented to create such amazing performance. Hiking through Bu Gia Map National park is also an unforgettable memory for me. It was my first time to visit a national park, to go hiking and to cross a stream. Especially I did that with such amazing friends. I believe some of you may be obsessed with leeches after that. Anyways, good or bad, joy or fear, those memories are a treasure.
     Additionally, I need to say something about the main theme of VJEP 2019. I had seen many news and read many articles about protecting the environment, finding an alternative source of energy or building a sustainable community but honestly, it was the first time I had heard about the term “Sustainable Development Goals” or “SDGs”. We were assigned to make a green business plan. I barely knew about the problem, so I had to do lots of searching and read about many things. And just because of that, I could learn so much about SDGs and agriculture. With my certain knowledge about the environment, I feel I have more responsibility to join a hand to create a sustainable community.
     During the program, I had several chances to talk with Mr. Seki. At every time, I could feel the enthusiasm and positive energy. I wish I could have talked with him even more. Anyway, I will never forget when he said the purpose of VJEP is not just to create 2 weeks of cultural exchange, but to create relationships among people of young generation in Vietnam and Japan. Those relationships need to be maintained and grow gradually until someday we can do something bigger together. That is not only his ambition but also my mission, our mission.
Thank you for everything! And see you again…

VJEP, VIETNAM – JAPAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM 2019 PERSONAL REPORT (8) Mai Yen Linh (University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Ho Chi Minh City)

VIETNAM – JAPAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM 2019
PERSONAL REPORT
Reporter: Mai Yen Linh
Ho Chi Minh City, 20th September 2019

   

     It took me a few days to think about this report, like I had to write down everything that comes up in my mind but when I started to text, everything was a mess.
     At first, I was introduced to VJEP by a friend, and that was the first time I’ve known about our program. But I was interested in our subject and it was such a long time since I last joined in something like this. Moreover, I want to make friends and learn more about Japanese culture. As you know, I studied Math gifted class, Biology gifted group and now UMP; it seems like I don’t have any connection to businesses or even something – using - English (that’s why my English is terrible). Yet I want to try again, finding an environment with energetic friends and learning new things. I have to say that, when I first search SGDs on the Internet, it was totally a new world to me.  Everything I’ve known before is just simply doing something to protect the environment. Then I realized I was out of this program when looking at other’s comments as they know all. When I received the email, or even until Mr. Seki’s call, I still kept the thinking to text you and quit this program out of thinking that I couldn’t help anything. However, after all, I decided to become a participant. Thank you, Mr. Seki and our organizers, for everything, every moment you have given us in VJEP 2019.
    August 16th was a memorable day! Actually, it was the first day I really talk to Vietnamese participants, I was a little bit surprised because I could have had such a strong feeling with them like I knew they would be my friends, I would share my thoughts, my stories to them and I wouldn’t be lonely. We are in different majors, and I learn a lot from them; although I can’t understand well when they talk about business or economic, but it’s good to hear they talk. To everyone, VJEP is maybe just an exchange program between Vietnam and Japan, but to me, it is also an exchange between me and other students from other universities. 16th was the day I met Japanese participants, too. It was not that easy for me to talk to them. My first impress about them was they were so beautiful and not that shy as I had thought. I was really happy but I didn’t know how to start even a small conversation for the first few days. And then, luckily, I knew.
     Our program brought me a lot of surprises, like our lunch box, finding a hostel that was totally environment-friendly, ice-breaking section, drama, and national performance and so on. I had a lot of first-time-experience like going to BMG national park, knowing about Japan through Japanese or learning some casual Japanese words or songs or dance. It was a bit different from what I learned on the internet or even what I had thought before and it just made me love Japan more. And one more thing is also I’m living in HCM city, I have never gone to the places we visited or knowing its stories.
     Taking part in this program to me is not just doing researches or preparing for the final presentation, the most important thing that I truly wanted was having real friends. I did. Although we didn’t talk much, they had taken an important place in my heart. 14 days may be too short to be close friends, but it was long enough to find friends. Now, I’m texting this report and I’m so happy because I’m texting with my new VJEP-friends, too. Although my English was bad, I hope you know that I love all of you very much.
Sincerely thank you for everything.

VJEP, VIETNAM – JAPAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM 2019 PERSONAL REPORT (7) Reporter: Nguyễn Thị Thùy Dung (Julia) (University of Economics, HCMC)

VIETNAM – JAPAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM 2019

PERSONAL REPORT

     

Reporter: Nguyễn Thị Thùy Dung (Julia)

Ho Chi Minh City, 23^rd September 2019

THANK YOU FOR BEING AN AMAZING PART OF MY 2019

                                                                               DUNG | 23.09.19                                                

CHAPTER ONE: APPLICATION

I still remember a day I first knew about VJEP. I just randomly saw your post on my university page. My first expression was “This is such a cool program” I started to do more research about the program. I think the reason I choose to join is that I never join an exchange program with Japanese before and I was really interested in the national park in Binh Phuoc. Eventually, I became the VJEP 2019 delegate (although I still wonder why I was chosen because other delegates are so excellent).

CHAPTER TWO: THE PREPARATION PART

To be honest, I was quite struggling during this time. I had to be in charge of the drama part which I hate the theater drama a lot because the actors always have to overreact to everything. The hateful feeling procrastinated me to finish my task! However, I finally had my idea for drama after reading a lot of scripts. And I started to look at drama with a different view. I actually enjoyed and loved to write another script and develop another idea. Of course, the most important thing to make my drama succeeded was the support of all Vietnamese delegates. Everybody was so supportive and positive. They helped me to finish my drama part, add more with their own ideas and made it perfect.

That moment I felt I’m now being a part of a family. I love you guys so much.

CHAPTER THREE: HELLO FRIENDS

Time passed, and we are now officially joining the program. I first met my buddy, gorgeous Aika. In my impression, the Japanese are strict, workaholic, rule-makers, not enjoying the fun and stress of working all the time. And I never wanted to live in Japan because the suicide rate was so high. Maybe I was affected so badly by social media. So, when I met the Japanese delegates, I was totally shocked. They were always happy all the time especially my buddy. They were living their best life and they smiled all the time which influenced me and made me feel so comfortable. I really loved the Japanese vibe and it changed all my points of view about Japan.

PAGE 1

The first 4 days of HCM was so good. We played, we performed, we ate, and we discussed together. There were lots of activities to took part in. We have team building activity which required us to work more with each other to win the. The cooking session allowed us to know more about the everyday lifestyle in each other country. I was not so good at cooking, so I was just an active assistant. Next day, we met the guest speaker from Eco Vietnam group which helped me to learn that there were some people trying to make a better impact on our life. 

CHAPTER FOUR: FINAL DAYS, FINAL THOUGHTS

Head back to HCM city, we have another city tour and prepared more for our outcome presentation. The city tour was simple but fun, we walked around the center of HCM, visited tourist attractions like HCMC Notre Dame Cathedral, HCM post office, the turtle lake, and art museum. Hopefully, everyone had a great time learning about HCM.

All the activities are so well organized and so much fun. I personally love a party with the border guard a little more. Actually, Vietnamese and Japanese also had some problems which are the language barrier, cultural misunderstanding and some delegates were sick. However, we were openminded and accepting each other to enjoy our times together. The farewell party was sad because the distance was too far, and everyone was busy with their lives. BUT I wish the best will come for you guys. 

Thank you!

VJEP, VIETNAM – JAPAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM 2019 PERSONAL REPORT (6) Reporter: Lê Thị Ngọc Nhung (University of Economics, HCMC)

VIETNAM – JAPAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM 2019

PERSONAL REPORT

Reporter: Lê Thị Ngọc Nhung

Ho Chi Minh City, 20^th September 2019

First of all, I want to express my deeply thanks to Pr. Akinori Seki and the Organization Board for giving me such a golden opportunity to join in this meaningful program VJEP 2019. This makes my university life becomes more interesting and I can gain a lot of value from the program especially the friendly environmental message and connection.

To be honest, I was really attracted by the topic of this year – SGDs focused on the environment. The environment is becoming not only the problems of any individual but also the global concern that requires higher awareness from the society and everyone should work hand in hand to protect it right away. I have learned a lot about the alarming environmental pollution caused by the increasing amount of plastics waste theoretically. My teacher told us to use plastic less but I did not take this seriously until I decided to apply for this program because I wanted to challenge myself whether I can change my plastics using habit or not. Everything came and exceeded my expectation from the smallest thing like using lunch box or personal bottle for meals to the camping in the Bu Gia Map National Forest. 

Although the lunch box or personal bottle is just a minus detail during the program, I suppose this is the key point imprinted on my mind until now. That reminds us to think of the environment every second and the world can be changed from the smallest thing like this. After going back to university, I love to bring my personal bottle that I received at the last party night every day and I also tell my family and friends to use them, too. I think this is the success of the program and a big hit for me.

Camping in Bu Gia Map National Forest was really out of this world. I have never got such an amazing experience before and from that moment I found my true love of nature and love for my beloved country. I was sure that everyone had the same feeling as me. I couldn't imagine the worst scenario to the environment and those forests if we keep devastating and littering. Walking in the jungle for nearly 3 hours,

I also got the knowledge about different types of creatures and some of them can be made into medicine thanks to the introduction of the tourist guide. Unforgettable memories were here with my friends when we had to confront leeches everywhere and in the end, we got familiar with this fear and knew how to overcome it. Luckily, we survived. 

The second value is the connection. As we can see from the name of the program, exchange culture is the core value that brings students from Japan and Vietnam closer. This is the first time that I meet Japanese friends or really get access to the Japanese culture so I was very excited and a little bit worried. I learned how to deal with the language barrier because I don’t know Japanese so it is very hard for me to find the same interest with the others and start the conversation with them. However, that motivates me to come out of my own shell and be more confident. Besides English, I realized that a sense of humor can be considered as a tool to connect everyone. The more games we play, the closer we are. Conflicts are unavoidable but learning how to overcome it is much more important. Working in a team means that we need to put collective interests above our personal interests. From now on, I have a lot of lovely friends and they are a part of my youth. We smiled a lot and did crazy things together. Two weeks was not too long but it was time for me to be exactly who I am without stress from life. 

Individually, this program helps me to realize that I can do more things than I have ever thought. I was in charge of the lecture at the primary school. At first, I didn’t know how to convey the message to the students as being a teacher and some problems occurred when some of the products we prepared were lost. I still remembered that I had to change the content many times and I felt extremely stressful. After moving to the school, I was so surprised because of the friendliness and loveliness students. They didn’t wear beautiful clothes, some of them couldn’t keep studying because of financial problems and harsh living condition but smiles never stopped on their faces. In this remote area, just a small number of students can go to school.  I felt sympathy for them and they were ones giving more energy to do my best in the lecture because I wanted to bring them something and at least inspire them. I hope that although this is just a small lesson and a few minutes to meet them, from the bottom of my heart, I wish they could be successful in the future and keep studying. 

To sum up, I never regret to join in this program which becomes a remarkable point in my life. I have a lot of things: friends, knowledge, connections, and experiences.

And now it is my turn to tell my stories to the other to inspire them and tell them what I get from the program. VJEP 2019 change my life and you too.

VJEP, VIETNAM – JAPAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM 2019 PERSONAL REPORT (5) Reporter: Trần Hồng Ngọc (University of Economics HCMC, Freshman)

VIETNAM – JAPAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM 2019

PERSONAL REPORT

Reporter: Trần Hồng Ngọc

Ho Chi Minh City, 20^th September 2019

VJEP 2019 – an unforgettable adventure 14 days.

In the wink of an eye Will you stay?

As the time goes by.

Summer. 

I never like it. The scorching weather always drives me mad. Besides, I feel every inch of my body singing “The lazy song” days by days, which even worse off everything. 

Fortunately, this summer. This exact 2019 summer. I found out what my ideal summer is, and it is called VJEP.

I was much honored to be selected as one of the 10 Vietnamese delegates in VJEP 2019. Although the program only lasted for 14 days, it brought countless memories and meant the world to me. 

                          

To be honest, at first, during the preparation period I could not imagine how I would change after this program. There are just numerous student exchange programs, but why VJEP holds a special place in my heart? Maybe it is just simply the way this program is organized by students and I really admire their effort and enthusiasm for VJEP. Or is it the way Professor Seiki is so amiable, thoughtful and caring that he, himself, erases the distance between everyone in the program. I have never seen such a humorous and kind teacher as Professor Seki. I was honestly, truly grateful for what Professor Seki has motivated and taught me. 

When being delegated the task to teach the students at Bu Gia Map primary school, I was really nervous and scared that I would ruin the lesson and could not deliver all the things we had prepared. Somehow, just right before the moment I engaged in the classroom, I had an opportunity to talk with Professor and he was just so understanding that he motivated and encouraged me to believe in myself. I have never attended his class, nor have I come to his lecture. But one thing I know for certain, he is the one that will brighten your day and help you discover your inner strengths.

Also, I cannot thank enough for all the kindness and support of both the Vietnamese and Japanese delegates during the program. Even now, when seeing every photo of VJEP 2019, I can feel the exact happiness, joyfulness, and laughs. There are just nights and days I wish I had traveled back to stop the time, lived in that precious moment for just one more time, collected all of those memories and put them in a pocket - just to cheer me up when feeling blue. 

After the program, I have become friends with so many talented people, learnt both soft and hard skills such as gain a deeper knowledge about our environment, know how to work and communicate across cultures. But for me, I would say all the moments we shared are the moments I will keep forever. 

I will never forget the laughs and pride when finishing National Performance in the Opening Ceremony. 

I will never forget every hugs, tears when we know this is the last day we could meet each other.

Every single person has his own stories. Every story is a piece that makes up a complete picture of VJEP.

I truly believe that VJEP will continue to thrive and fulfill its mission to motivate, connect and encourage the youth to develop themselves. 

I was lucky enough to be given a chance. I hope I could share my stories about how amazing and meaningful VJEP is to help others as the way VJEP has helped me – being from zero to hero_. 

“Anything is possible once you believe you are worthy of achieving it.”  Jason Pockrandt

Love, 

Tran Hong Ngoc  

VJEP, VIETNAM – JAPAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM 2019 PERSONAL REPORT (4) Lê Thị Kim Oanh (Foreign Trade University, Junior)

VIETNAM – JAPAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM 2019

PERSONAL REPORT

Reporter: Lê Thị Kim Oanh

Ho Chi Minh City, 21^st September 2019

My name is Kim Oanh, a Vietnamese participant of VJEP 2019. I was a junior when I filled in the application form to become a part of VJEP 2019. At that time, I just simply wanted to spend my free time somewhere on earth without expecting that I could have 2 unforgettable weeks as a huge milestone in my life so far. Perhaps, you are wondering what kind of program it was and why I appreciated the program that much.

VJEP 2019 has connected two and more communities so that the participants had more experience. 20 participants of VJEP 2019 are from 18 to 21 years old and all come from reputable universities in big cities as Tokyo or Ho Chi Minh City. Our majors vary as Economics, Law, International Business, Medical… which made VJEP 2019 diversified than ever. Many of us live happily with the family since we were born and never experienced any difficulties in their life before. Joining VJEP 2019, we lived in a remote area of Binh Phuoc Province named Bu Gia Map commune. Here we lived in a host family and then met the ethnic group of Stieng people, and they showed us their daily lifestyle as well as their hospitability. 

Besides, we had a chance to visit Bu Gia Map national Park and went trekking through jungle 5km. During the trekking journey, many of us had fought against “monsters of the jungle” called leeches. That was an unforgettable memory for all participants. When the lunchtime came, local people cooked traditional meals for us such as “canh thục, cơm lam, gà nướng” (mixed vegetable soup of S’tieng people; bean sticky rice, roasted chicken) which we have never tried before. 

After 5 hours trekking, we moved to the border stop to exchange with border guards who protect the shared border of Viet Nam and Cambodia. They live near the border without full access to everything of the outside world: inability to buy their stuff whenever they want. And they can visit their family once a month on the condition that they get permission from their commander. To be honest, I felt lucky as a member of VJEP 2019 because the area is the restricted area which I couldn’t get in if I went by myself.

VJEP has brought people of different generations closer and closer. As you know, VJEP participants are all university students while we met lots of people of all ages. In Dong Xoai City, we had joined the final round of the English eloquence competition held at Quang Trung Specialized and Gifted High School. There we met and formed 2 teams for exchange and debate about the relationship between tourism and the environment. Then we visited the start-up model of a young man planting roses and cay canh. The businessman showed us his garden with hundreds of species of roses and introduced its origin and characteristics. We were amazed by how hard it was to raise 1 single rose tree and learned how we could make profits from planting flowers. Especially, in Bu Gia Map district, VJEP visited Bu Gia Map primary school and taught them about the environment in one period. The students were super cute and excited about our lesson. We learned that to get young kids’ attention, we had to make lots of effort and trying to be kids first and telling them interesting stories.

Thanks to VJEP, we were able to interact with many people as well as listen to sharings of different generations about their life which helped us get overall perspectives about life.

VJEP 2019 is truly a firm bridge between Japanese and Vietnamese culture. Before the program, I had searched online Japanese culture, but I was so worried and wondered whether we had any conflicts during 2 weeks living in common houses. And the program was the answer to all of my worry and curiosity. 20 participants lived in common house, we shared the room, shared the space and time for each other. We had to adapt to the new environment as well as each other’s habits. I learned that I couldn’t be selfish or living the individualism as I was living in the tap. What’s more, we joined lantern making and traditional dish cooking class while we shared stories in each country. I knew more about life in Japan and vice versa. Organizers took us to museums and participated in the city tour so that we got a deeper understanding of Vietnamese history and daily life. VJEP is truly a cultural exchange program where all participants can experience new things by living with locals.

While joining VJEP, I treasured every moment we had together because I knew that it would be hard for all of us to stay in the common house once more. I lived the moment and respected all the people around me. Thanks to VJEP, I had new friends and changed myself to become a global citizen.

I wanted to send the deepest thank to Mr. Seki and all organizers who had sacrificed their personal time to make plans for the program and take care of us for 2 weeks.

Thank VJEP 2019 for being a part of my life.

Thanks, everyone for always staying by my side.

Kim Oanh.

VJEP, VIETNAM- JAPAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM 2019, PERSONAL REPORT (3) Khauv Mỹ Trân (Tracy) (University of Economics HCMC, Sophomore)

VIETNAM – JAPAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM 2019

PERSONAL REPORT

Reporter: Khauv Mỹ Trân (Tracy) 

Ho Chi Minh City, 21^st September 2019

    MY VJEP Journey

Dear VJEP 2019. 

It has been a while since I finish my wonderful VJEP 2019 journey with many amazing people that I had the chance to connect with. I would say that participating in this program was destiny to me because it came right at the time that I was looking for an opportunity to reach out more in order to gain that personal growth and precious experience. 

About a few months ago, I was not confident that I could be selected out of hundreds of potential applicants but because I did not want to have any regrets, so I decided to give it a go and give my best shot. I was very glad when I knew that I passed the form round and got to the second round, but still I carried the belief that I might not make it to the final. 

Fortunately enough, I passed all the rounds and came very close to the thing that I desire. So, during the preparation time, I learned many things about the programs, listened to many stories that the former participants shared about the joys, pleasures, and lessons that they had gained. From that, I had another expectation for the program, which was to grow my mindset and awareness of the environment but also had those precious relationships with the people that I was about to meet in the program.

The first day at The Common Project was quite exciting to me because we were all waiting for something that we had all been waiting for almost the summer for the moment to see the Japanese participants, but this time everything was so close to that moment already. When the Japanese delegates arrived, I was looking for my buddy in desperate because I could not remember her face even though I already had her Facebook account, but to me, they all look quite alike with similar features. I was quite nervous because my conversation with my buddy on Messenger did not go quite well. That was the reason why I had the anxiety that I and she might not understand each other and everything might be very terrible. Luckily, my buddy was a super crazy and energetic girl, and we could feel the chemistry that we had between us was not something. 

At that time, I did not think that language was a barrier between us because we could still understand each other very well. That night, we were still a bit shy and a little bit hesitant I think, but at least my worries were cast away by my buddy’s welcome and smile. The next day came to the ice-breaking session, and at this time, I felt like I knew a little bit more about my buddy like she had a good voice and that she had that charisma that could attract many people. That day, I felt closer to the Japanese delegates such as Natsuki, Moeka, Sae. Everything was going well until that afternoon, on our way back to the hostel after the opening ceremony, Miyabi was burst out to tears

The scavenger hunt was great, and it did bring us closer. I still remembered vividly the time when I and Tuan taught the Japanese to sing the Vietnamese song and how they encouraged us to sing their song. I felt just like we had exchanged a little bit of ourselves during that time. It was very funny to learn that song with everyone and performed it in front of the organizers without memorizing the lyrics at all. On that day, I also knew more about the daily lives of my Japanese team including Sayaka, Moeka, and Sae. Sayaka to me was a shy and not so talkative girl to me, but I was very surprised when talking with her because we had so much in common. 

There were times on conflict between the Japanese and Vietnamese delegates. One side was not active enough in their roles and one side was tired of being the active ones, I think that we all just craved for some connection with our buddies. However, as the days went by, we encountered different challenges and dealt with them together. The days on Binh Phuoc were amazing to me because they did not just require you to be physically strong but also mentally strong. 

The day we went to Bu Gia Map national park was kinda interesting though because, on that day, I saw other aspects of our teams. It turned out that the ones that gave me the impression of a sweet girl were very tough and strong under some circumstances. They did not scream much and managed to keep calm even if the liches were biting their legs. That day, we were tired as hell, but we were still very happy with the experience that we have. I learned more about our nature and realized how beautiful the treasure that our country had. When we came back to Ho Chi Minh city, we hanged out more with each other. The atmosphere now was not as awkward as it used to be because we had more things in common, more topics to discuss, and I felt more cloze with my buddy because we shared with each other lots of things about life when we went shopping together. Then came the presentation day. It was crazy as hell, we spend every last second and breath to finish the PowerPoint.

We realized we could have done so much more with our green business model, there were so many cool ideas that we had to let go because of the lack of time. I think that was the perfect teamwork of my team during the whole program. I felt a sense of relief and satisfaction when we finished our presentation not just because we finished what we needed to finish but also because we had been working together to come up with something special and were able to share it with other people. The prom day was very memorable too because we were shaking, dancing, talking, singing, eating a lot. I was very proud when I received the letter from my buddy because there were no grammatical errors in that letter. So happy!!! 

 

2 weeks together flew so quickly. I wish I had more time to experience and learn more. The experience that I had, the friends that I got, the lessons that I learned, the perception that I had, I will carry it along with my life as a treasure box. From that awareness and perception, I start to take more action to protect the environment in my very own way and work towards a sustainable future. 

Thank you, my dear organizers, for devoting yourselves to this program and thank you, Mr. Seki, for creating this meaningful platform. 

Anyway, Miyabi is coming to Vietnam soon, and hopefully, I will have the chance to be united with her. Thank you for the relationships that this program brought to me! 

Yours sincerely. 

21.09.2019

VJEP, VIETNAM- JAPAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM 2019, PERSONAL REPORT (2) Huỳnh Phú Tuấn (University of Economics and Law, Sophomore)

VIETNAM – JAPAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM 2019

PERSONAL REPORT

Reporter: Huynh Phu Tuan

Ho Chi Minh City, 15^th September 2019

In youth, the days are short and the years are long

In VJEP 2019, every second count, as a wonderful journey of the twenties.

I applied to VJEP for a few reasons…

Firstly, is to find myself a break from my daily life, where I’m feeling pressured and depressed in my work and study

Next, is to look for new inspirations for my work.

Thirdly, I want to learn from other people inside the program, both Vietnamese, Japanese participants and the program organizers.

Actually, there was no obvious reason in the beginning because I did not know much about VJEP when I was introduced to the program. But if not participating in the program, perhaps it will be one of the most regretful decisions of my youth.

I participated in the recruiting Vietnamese delegates process with the spirit of learning, and each round of the recruitment was a lesson, an interesting experience for myself.

The process of preparing for the program from early June to mid-August took place with many difficulties. For Vietnamese delegates, at the beginning, it was very difficult for everyone to gather for many reasons, but with more than two months to prepare, the necessary parts have been almost ready.

The 14 official days of VJEP 2019 are the most significant 14 summer days of the twenties, every moment in the program is worthwhile.

As someone with experience in developing and executing programs for university students to improve their social skills and awareness, I realize the importance of the SDGs to students in general, at the same time be aware of the difficulties students have when developing projects that serve the community and attract its awareness in some burning issues of society. I was very excited to participate in the program with the theme of SDGs focusing on the environment, this will definitely be an opportunity for me to expand my knowledge, not only from the perspective of Vietnamese students, but also from Japanese students. Through the process of joining the program, I really had a more objective view of the general situation as well as a deeper understanding of sustainable development, focusing on the environment.

Every day in the common home, whether for big or small activities, is well cared for by the common spirit of everyone. We eat, work together, experience together and the most important thing is probably sharing together. We share our thoughts, cultural and stories, although being able to share freely with each other is a long process that we really regret when the end was near but you feel there is still so much to share.

Although VJEP was held in Vietnam, as a Vietnamese participant, I was still very impressed with what I experienced when I discovered the beauty of Vietnam with Japanese friends in very different ways.

 I realize the core value of VJEP is not to build something of great caliber, but to give opportunities and environment for ourselves to work, to share our thoughts and ways of thinking so that we can understand the value of multicultural cooperation and eradicate cultural stereotypes inside us.

Each Vietnamese and Japanese delegate in VJEP 2019 is a special color, a special talented individual that I have a lot to learn from and encourage me to work harder. Really appreciate all of your patience, effort, sympathy when working together, I have never met any group that get on well with each other like us.

A good program must have a good team of experienced organizers, not just experience in building or running programs but experience in managing activities, as well as communicating skills and behavior in a multicultural environment. I myself respect and admire all members of the organizers and learn a lot from them throughout the process of joining the program. Every thoughtfulness and dedication come from the smallest things, in every activity, like simply in every message announcing information on a group. Though the program has ended, I still missing the messages of tomorrow's activities sent from the Project Leader every night.

I cannot help mentioning Mr. Seki, the teacher with a special vibe inside that I was fortunate to meet in my life. His dedication, personality, and lessons will always be my motivation to keep trying harder now and in the future.

I'm probably the most beloved photographer of the program, =)) (self-claimed), because I think that, no matter how memorable it may be, it will fade away gradually in our mind, so I always try to capture images, as much as I can, to preserve the moment. Perhaps now. the program is over, people have returned to their daily lives, but the pictures will be the links that help us recall and tell the stories of our youth.

Love you to the moon and back! VJEP 2019

One day, we’ll have to say goodbye to our youth,

But when looking back at the past of ourselves,

We will see, again, beautiful memories arranged sprawling because of our childishness.

Who knows,

Accidentally looking back at the (old) pictures,

Memories may flow back, intact and fresh as smiles, tears of today farewell.

Our encounter, maybe is so rare.

VJEP 2019 in me is such a memory.

Intact and meaningful.

Thanks for the opportunity, ありがとうございました！

Huỳnh Phú Tuấn – Takeshi Tanaka – Angry Bird (red) – Agent Perry

VJEP, VIETNAM- JAPAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM 2019, PERSONAL REPORT (1) Duong Ngoc Anh (University of Economics and Law, Sophomore)

VIETNAM – JAPAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM 2019

PERSONAL REPORT

Reporter: Duong Ngoc Anh

　　　　　　　　　 (University of Economics and Law, Sophomore)

How I graduated from VJEP?

     Some people who read the title of this report will be curious about the reason why I said I “graduated" from VJEP. However, you are not misunderstanding, that's really what I mean. Why? Because after VJEP 2019, I gained a lot, not only knowledge but also a bunch of wonderful experiences and memorable moments. Furthermore, I was awarded a certificate to certify all those great experiences.
     This journey started when I received a message from a friend whose name is Tuan, he is also one of 10 delegates from Vietnam. For students who have just finished the second year of a university like us, we had to think more about our future. While our fellow students are busy preparing their CVs for internships at some well-known companies, I and Tuan still decided to apply to Vietnam – Japan Exchange Program 2019 with strong spirit: “If not now, when?”. I am the kind of person who loves experiencing, that is why I accept this opportunity with all of my excitement and passion.
     On the very first day that I met Japanese delegates, a thought just came up in my mind “Japanese have a very smooth and bright skin”. That makes me want to go to Japan immediately because I think there is something in water and air that makes their skin very beautiful. Besides, before joining this program, I think Japanese people are very gentle and emotional. However, after time interacting with them, I realized that they are also very active and energetic. In addition, Japanese friends like harmony too, at the beginning they did not express all their emotions and it makes me a little confused about whether they like it or not. I think it takes time for them to become more open and share everything with others. After many activities during the program, after many happy moments, sometimes misunderstanding, we become closer, we open our minds and share all things together. Day after day, cultures, language are no longer barriers because we always know the way to make others understand.
     Regarding one of my best experiences during VJEP 2019, it is a hiking tour at Bu Gia Map National Park with 19 other delegates and an organizing team. To be honest, I really like hiking, trekking or going on some adventure tours. That’s why I love that part very much. However, that hiking tour is more meaningful to me than ever. In order to reach the destination, we had to overcome many challenges, went hiking on slippery terrains, came across fast-flowing streams and sometimes leeches crawled to our body because of the humid air in the forest. Those challenges connected us so much. The mutual help makes us feel more relieved when we have others to accompany this trip. At that time, we really became a team. I was surprised by their inner strength. Something from them that motivated me a lot and it made me become stronger to overcome all challenges.
     For me, the 2-week exchange with Japanese friends is a very interesting experience. I learned a lot from them, their interesting culture, their lifestyle, the way they preserve their traditions. I also realized many values of myself which made me become more confident after joining this program. It's a pleasure for me to have the opportunity to share all the interesting things about my beautiful country for my Japanese friends, too.
     Thank you, VJEP 2019. You are one of the best journeys of my 19-year-old that I will never forget.
     Some people who read the title of this report will be curious about the reason why I said I “graduated" from VJEP. However, you are not misunderstanding, that's really what I mean. Why? Because after VJEP 2019, I gained a lot, not only knowledge but also a bunch of wonderful experiences and memorable moments. Furthermore, I was awarded a certificate to certify all those great experiences.
     This journey started when I received a message from a friend whose name is Tuan, he is also one of 10 delegates from Vietnam. For students who have just finished the second year of a university like us, we had to think more about our future. While our fellow students are busy preparing their CVs for internships at some well-known companies, I and Tuan still decided to apply to Vietnam – Japan Exchange Program 2019 with strong spirit: “If not now, when?”. I am the kind of person who loves experiencing, that is why I accept this opportunity with all of my excitement and passion.
     On the very first day that I met Japanese delegates, a thought just came up in my mind “Japanese have a very smooth and bright skin”. That makes me want to go to Japan immediately because I think there is something in water and air that makes their skin very beautiful. Besides, before joining this program, I think Japanese people are very gentle and emotional. However, after time interacting with them, I realized that they are also very active and energetic. In addition, Japanese friends like harmony too, at the beginning they did not express all their emotions and it makes me a little confused about whether they like it or not. I think it takes time for them to become more open and share everything with others. After many activities during the program, after many happy moments, sometimes misunderstanding, we become closer, we open our minds and share all things together. Day after day, cultures, language are no longer barriers because we always know the way to make others understand.
     Regarding one of my best experiences during VJEP 2019, it is a hiking tour at Bu Gia Map National Park with 19 other delegates and an organizing team. To be honest, I really like hiking, trekking or going on some adventure tours. That’s why I love that part very much. However, that hiking tour is more meaningful to me than ever. In order to reach the destination, we had to overcome many challenges, went hiking on slippery terrains, came across fast-flowing streams and sometimes leeches crawled to our body because of the humid air in the forest. Those challenges connected us so much. The mutual help makes us feel more relieved when we have others to accompany this trip. At that time, we really became a team. I was surprised by their inner strength. Something from them that motivated me a lot and it made me become stronger to overcome all challenges.
     For me, the 2-week exchange with Japanese friends is a very interesting experience. I learned a lot from them, their interesting culture, their lifestyle, the way they preserve their traditions. I also realized many values of myself which made me become more confident after joining this program. It's a pleasure for me to have the opportunity to share all the interesting things about my beautiful country for my Japanese friends, too.
     Thank you, VJEP 2019. You are one of the best journeys of my 19-year-old that I will never forget.