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Messages from Participants
2007 Summer School Program
The following are thoughts from Fredrik Lindh from Lund University in Sweden who participated in Summer School in 2007.
Although I am originally a student from the Japanese Department at Lund University in southern Sweden, I now believe myself to be a student of Gifu University as well. Gifu University and Gifu City have made a memorable impression on me.
I came to Japan with other students from Lund University two months ago. I stayed in Tokyo for a while after I arrived at Narita Airport, and took the shinkansen (bullet train) to come to Gifu. That was my first experience of Japan. I was actually very surprised. In Sweden, it’s believed that life in Japan is more expensive and with lots of discrimination. Actually, I found it quite the opposite. Things are much cheaper than in Sweden and I found little discrimination. (Particularly in Kyoto, because there are so many tourists who can’t speak Japanese, everyone automatically spoke to us in English. I didn’t like it, but I guess it couldn’t be helped.)
The past 8 weeks have not been all study. I got to know Japanese culture and customs through living with Japanese people. Furthermore, teachers took us out once a week to see various things such as sumo, pottery and noh. These were enjoyable and great experiences.
The most memorable activity was the homestay in Gujo. Living in a Japanese family, having meals with them, watching TV with them, and talking about a lot of things with them were incomparably delightful experiences. I also experienced the Bon festival dance (summer dance) in Gujo Hachiman. It was so much fun that I decided to do a Bon dance at Lund University when we returned to Sweden. I hope that exchange students next year will be able to have a longer period of homestay.
Next year, I will come back to Japan with my friends to join the Bon festival dance at Gujo Hachiman. I’m not sure who will come with me, but I think more than five people from this class might come.
Life in the student dormitory was also fantastic. Everyone was good friends with one another, helped each other, and talked in Japanese. The biggest merit of the Gakugaiken was that there were Japanese tutors. Thanks to the presence of these tutors, everyone communicated in Japanese, not in their mother tongue. Of course, communication was sometimes done in their mother tongue, but most of the time was done in Japanese.
During Summer School, we became good friends with the tutors. In fact, I no longer call them “tutors” but “friends.” I hope to see them again.
The classes at Gifu University were also pleasing. Teachers were fantastic and classrooms were beautiful. Thank you very much.
Fredrik Lindh
Japanese Department, Lund University
