Bitten by the Travel Bug

I've learned that the best way to experience the culture of another country is to stay with a local. Part of a student exchange program I joined is a 2-day home stay with a Japanese family. It was basically a chance see how a normal day goes about when living there.

I was assigned to a family in Nagoya. They were very hospitable and even performed for us. The family was musically inclined and each member knew how to play different instruments. Beautiful music filled the house with much joy. From what I've gathered, when Japanese people set an eye on something they tend to excel at it.

After introductions, the first thing I was asked is what kind of food I would like to eat. Of course I said sushi and sashimi. I was surprised come dinner time the sushi they served was like fried rice. All along I thought sushi was always served in rolls. What's more interesting is that the fish used for the dishes were caught by the grandfather.

Another thing I learned about them is that they will wait for the guest to say that they would like to rest before anyone could sleep. Can you imagine deciding for everyone in the household? This just shows how they devoted they are in making guests feel welcome. It was great that I got to experience the traditional Japanese sleeping quarters. It was surprisingly comfortable.

Being toured around Nagoya by locals was much easier than walking around on our own. There were a lot of restaurants we wouldn't have discovered without them. It was a big advantage that they could translate for us. Ordering food, buying anything and just simply navigating is a challenge since I don't t know how to speak Japanese.

Wrong notions regarding their culture and even ours were corrected. It was great to learn more about them firsthand and to also answer some of their curiosities regarding Filipino traditions. Stereotypes is a common problem that would be easily stopped by getting to know citizens of foreign countries.

Our trip to Japan was made memorable by the fact that we stayed with a Japanese family. Anyone could just explore the different tourist spots and food japan has to offer but only a few could say that they have experienced how it is to live like one of them. It was a true treasure to know the rich culture and traditions of Japan.