Scholarship and school years

Today I posted the first post-selection paperwork for my scholarship. Just a contract/pledge that I accept the scholarship and its rules and stuff, and a copy of my passport.

Like I mentioned, the scholarship starts first week of April. This is because the Japanese school year starts the first of April (or closest following weekday). I don’t know of any other country that starts at this time of the year. Usually it’s either in (August-) September or in January. However, I have met many Japanese people that believe all other countries start at the same time as them. Not so strange actually, have you never been abroad for studying.

Swedish schools usually starts in the middle of August, except for University, which starts first of September (or closest following weekday, you know the deal), and I thought it was like this in most countries before reading about it prior to my high school exchange year.

I was in Japan from October to August the following year, which was totally strange considering the three Japanese semesters, which in high school usually are April-July, September – December and January-March, with about three weeks spring break in March, one to one and a half month summer holidays in August and maybe July, and about two weeks winter holidays around New Years. I came in the middle of one school year, and went home during summer holidays the next.

This is always a problem with international exchange, and different schools/countries/organizations solve it in different ways. Usually you follow either the host or the home country’s school year in accordance to when you come and when you go (when there, you of course follow the host country’s). I was some kind of special case.

Back to this times university studies. I will now wholly follow the Japanese school year and go there in the beginning of April. Then I will study a preparatory year, with mostly Japanese, but some Japanese Affairs, mathematics and stuff as well, and then I will go on to regular Japanese University for four years, and then hopefully get a Bachelor’s Degree.

No schools are decided yet, but it seems like the first year will be in Osaka. While in Japan before I lived in Tokyo, and I have been to Osaka only for all about one afternoon, so I’m very excited. Which I of course would be wherever I would go, but anyways…^^;

I’ve got to learn Osaka dialect! With –hen and ya and uchi all the time!!

It would have been nice to go to Tokyo again, because that city is so wonderful, I love it! It has everything, and in a year I have yet seen nothing! Also, I have friends and family (hostfamily, not biological) there. But it will be nice to live in another part of Japan as well. We will have to see how everything works out.

Happy New Year!

A New Year and a New Blog!

2009 by Western calendar, Heisei year 21 by Japanese calendar. (which I have an easy time to remember, seeing as I was born Heisei year 1!)

I should have posted this yesterday, but I was too tired, and didn't get home from new years-celebration until evening, but it is still the very beginning of this new year, so it should be okay anyways. ;)

Why this blog?

Well, I got very happy news a few days ago; I will be going to Japan to stay for five years time, starting April of this brand new 2009! And somebody else will pay for it!

More exactly, I got a scholarship for five years study at a Japanese university.

While I made this blog so I can keep record of my doings and beings, and tell the world about it, it is not meant to be just an electronic diary or news feed for family and friends. I have a blog in Swedish (my mother tongue) for that purpose. I actually do not intend to let family and friends know about this blog. If they find if by themselves, that’s fine with me, of course.

No, this blog is made to be a part of the foreigner-in-Japan blogosphere. To tell other people about my thoughts, experiences and knowings in Japan, as well as to be used as a base when visiting other blogs.

I’d also like to work on my English, and I think trying to write in English every once in a while, or hopefully oftener than that, will be a good way to do so. Therefore, do not be ashamed to point out faults in my grammar or vocabulary, should you be in a good position to do so.

Why the name?

Nippon Ningyou – Japan Doll

Well, I thought it was kind of nifty, and because of my white skin and large eyes, I have often been compared to a doll while in Japan. I got the idea from the book Beijing Doll by Chun Sue (which is kind of interesting and fun in it’s own way, as well as very irritating and kind of whiny).

Also NN is funny as a signature. You see, I study linguistics, and then NN usually is stands for “personal name” (Noun – Name /personal Name). ^^

Linguist humour! Yay!

And who are you?

I’m a Swedish girl currently studying Japanese, Linguistics and Law at university in Sweden. I have lived in Japan for one year during high school, in Japanese families attending Japanese school. I came back a bit over a year ago. And now I get to go there again! But for five years this time!

I speak Japanese fairly well, but am not yet fluent. I love languages very much, and except for Swedish, English and Japanese, I know fairly good Spanish and some Chinese. I’d like to learn Mongol, Korean and Hindi as well.

I like reading books and comics, as well as to learn how to fight. I practice Iaido (Japanese sword) and Kyudo (Japanese bow), and have trained some Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Aikido as well as Feministic Self-defence.

You will get to know me more if you continue to read this blog!