By Dev Nayak, 2023-24 McCall MacBain International Fellows in Japan     

Going across the world is just like you’d expect, a completely different world! It’s filled with excitement and fun but it comes with a hefty price tag of problems.

I spent months planning for this year but even with all that preparation things still got out of hand. I still remember how hectic my first week was. I got on the wrong train, then got on the right train but the women’s only section,  bought the wrong ticket, signed up for the wrong pension plan, things were a mess.

But during these times, I learned important lessons. I learned that execution is always harder than preparation no matter how much you prepare. And the importance of adaptability. I realized that this was just the beginning and my ability to navigate these challenges will determine how the rest of my year abroad plays out.

Life in Japan is very fast paced. Either I’m studying, working, or at some other commitment. The fast pace keeps me on my toes and never lets any day be dull. It was hard to get used to, but the remarkable friends I’ve made have made the transition so much easier.

One of the amazing things about Tokyo is that it’s a world in and of itself, from the streets of Shibuya to the nightlife of Roppongi, there’s always something to do. Every week there’s a festival, and it’s amazing. Just last week there was a festival celebrating Indian culture.

Every time I’ve taken a step outside of my comfort zone, Japan has been very kind to me. The Japanese people (my friends, co-workers, and others) have helped every step along the way. They have shown me how having good people around you can make life seem brighter.

Learning Japanese has also been a blast! The concepts are easy to pick up and applying the language is just as fun. As much as I’d like to attribute it to myself, I must give credit to the amazing teachers here.

Outside of classes every day, I supplement my learning with memorization tools like Quizlet, homework, and test workbooks. For almost every language there is some kind of official test. I have found that the workbooks and mock tests are very helpful in solidifying your learning. These tests can be a good measure of how far you have come and help you identify your weaknesses.

The Japanese language has many forms (polite, casual, dictionary form, etc.,) which are used at different times, so practicing speaking with different groups of people (co-workers, friends, elderly) has been good practice.

There is something completely different with learning by yourself through the internet vs learning in a country surrounded by others in a classroom setting. In an environment like this you also meet some really cool people. They come from all walks of life. I’ve met Google engineers, DJs, published authors, super smart people on 100k scholarships, you meet a lot of interesting people. All with something cool to learn.

The coolest person I’ve met so far is a woman who currently works as a product manager at Google, is currently navigating a new country, is running her own businesses (yes more than one), raising a child, and currently pregnant! Whenever we were in class, I always admired her level of dedication and hard work to have so many things on her plate and still choosing to learn a new language.

I swear, being surrounded by such people gives you a new level of motivation!

One piece of advice I’d like to share with fellow study abroad students (and potential) is not to stress too much. As I said, the initial days in a new country can be challenging, even after months of preparation. Execution often proves to be more demanding than planning. While it’s essential to plan to the best of your abilities, it’s also important to let things take their course. After just one month, you’ll look back at those initial challenging days and realize how much you’ve grown and adapted. You’ll look at the coming days ahead with resilience and confidence. I’ve become accustomed to life here in Japan, and I fear I’ll forget things I did on a daily basis in Canada – like driving, this is seriously a concern, you can go anywhere here by train, I haven’t touched a steering wheel in months!

And for anyone wondering, no anime culture isn’t as big as the internet makes it out to be (something I wondered before I came here). Although, there are places like Ikebukuro and Akihabara, where anime is a heavy influence.