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.