Week 3 We continued our trip to fabulous Lake Titicaca. This Lake with several islands is the highest lake in the world, and it has both traditional and modern things. Especially the Uros Islands are unusual and were made from plants by the Uros people. We learned from the indigenous people that the plants originated in the lake, and when their islands were damaged, they just made new ones and moved in there. Many of them made a living from fishing. Surprisingly, there were big solar panels on the roofs of their simple houses on the islands. With an abundant energy supply, they seemed to enjoy the latest technology and manage a hotel business for tourists too. On the other naturally made islands, the local people were engaged in community tourism, and tourists were able to visit and stay with them at their homes. Unfortunately, our stomachs still felt uneasy, and we stopped by just for lunch, but they were very friendly and welcomed us. The next time we go there, we will surely plan to stay with the local family and enjoy the shining stars.

At the end of our itinerary, we came back to the capital Lima, an urban and exciting city nearby the ocean. We could not believe that we were traveling in the same country. Peru is unique geographically and culturally. There are just so many things to see and to do. One of my friends introduced me to a local teacher, and we had a great conversation about education in Peru. We wanted to spend more time with her, but we had to leave. In the future, we definitely want to go back to the country, meet more people, and explore more places—including the Amazon!

Photo Credit: Author

Blog Quiz

Q1. What do the Uros people make from the plants in Lake Titicaca?

Q2. Did the writer and her husband stay overnight on the island in Lake Titicaca?

Q3. Is Lima located in the mountains?

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

Quiz Answers

Q1. They make their islands (Uros Islands).

Q2. No, they didn’t. They just had lunch there.

Q3. No, it isn’t. It’s on the coast.

We always wanted to visit Peru, the country of wonders and mysteries, and finally our dream came true about ten years ago. Peru has three distinct regions: the desert, the Andes, and the Amazon. In about three weeks, my husband and I made a trip to the capital Lima; the Nazca Lines in the desert; and Cuzco, Machu Picchu, and Lake Titicaca in the mountains. We were able to make precious and unforgettable memories.

Week 1 The Nazca Lines were just amazing. First, we arrived in the desert and did not see anything there. I wondered where the Lines were. Then we climbed a tiny tower and found some patterns, but I still did not get it. I was kind of disappointed because we traveled all the way from Japan for almost nothing. However, the next day we saw something incredible from the sky, and more than one hundred– including big and small–drawings were below us. They were simply too big to recognize while standing on the ground. I understood why people could not find them for a long time. According to our English-speaking guide, no one knows exactly when, why, and who created them. Animals, birds, insects, and even humans were depicted in the desert. I liked the ‘Monkey,’ and my husband liked the ‘Condor.’ As the time went by, the Lines became unclear, and some researchers and organizations have been trying to preserve them with the local people. I hope the mystery will stay forever.

Week 2 Our next destinations were Cuzco and Machu Picchu in the beautiful mountain areas. Since we flew to Cuzco, the historical city more than 3,000 meters high, we got mountain sickness. A special tea made from coca leaf helped us to recover, and three days later, we were ready to go to Machu Picchu, the Incan ruins, by train. Just like the Nazca Lines, people were not able to find Machu Picchu for a long time either. The village was made on top of the mountain so that it could be protected from the enemies. The ruins were well preserved, and some people were working in the field and even keeping alpacas. We felt as if we were in the time of Incas. Before the trip, we practiced Spanish and ocarina to prepare for the moment at the ruins. I was very excited to have a chance to talk to one of the workers in Spanish about the history of Machu Picchu. My husband was allowed to play the famous Peruvian music, ‘El Condor Pasa’ (The Condor Passes) on the instrument from Peru. These experiences made our visit even more special and memorable.

Photo credit: Author

Blog Quiz

Q1. What can we see in Nazca Lines?

Q2. How did the writer and her husband recover from the mountain sickness?

Q3. What did the writer’s husband do at Machu Picchu?

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

Quiz Answers

Q1. Animals, birds, insects, humans, monkey, condor

Q2. They had coca tea.

Q3. He played the ocarina.

During these Covid-19 times it is not easy to travel internationally, but we are all hoping that changes for the better soon. Today, I would like to tell about one of my favorite countries for traveling – Laos. I have made several trips to Laos and never grow tired of this unique country. As a tourist destination in Southeast Asia, Laos is not as popular as some of its neighboring countries like Thailand, Cambodia, or Vietnam. I think this is one reason it is such an interesting place to visit.

Many people start their trip to Laos by flying into Vientiane. Even though it is the capital of Laos, Vientiane is a small, relaxed city. People are very friendly, and it is a great place to just walk around for a day or two and get a feel for the culture. The mighty Mekong River forms the eastern border of the city, and eating local dishes for dinner in an open-air restaurant on the banks of the Mekong while watching the sunset is a highly recommended way to finish your day.

A few hours bus ride north of Vientiane is the small, fun town of Vang Vieng, which is very popular with young, backpacking travelers from around the world. It is surrounded by beautiful karst mountains and jungle and is a great place for outdoor activities. You can go tubing and kayaking in the river or try caving and rock climbing.

Further north is the UNESCO World Heritage city of Luang Prabang. Also set on the banks of the Mekong, it is a fascinating city with many Buddhist temples and historical French colonial architecture. A great thing to do here is to take a boat ride for a couple hours up the Mekong to the Buddha caves of Pak Ou. Luang Prabang also has excellent restaurants and a cool night market for shopping.

For the adventurous traveler with more time, Laos has some other interesting destinations. In the far north around the town of Luang Namtha you can go trekking to remote hill-tribe villages. In the south of Laos there is the coffee producing Bolaven plateau and the incredible Falls of the Mekong, the largest waterfall in Southeast Asia.

Fairly close to Japan and very affordable to visit with fascinating cultures, friendly people, and incredible natural beauty, Laos is a great choice for adventurous university students wishing to explore off the beaten path in Southeast Asia.

Q1 What are 3 countries mentioned that are next to Laos?

Q2 What is the capital city of Laos?

Q3 What are some adventurous outdoor activities you can do in Laos?

Scroll down for answers

A1 Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

A2 Vientiane.

A3 Tubing, kayaking, caving, rock climbing, and trekking.

During the pandemic, we were strongly advised to stay at home, and travel was regarded as an inappropriate activity. As the situation has begun to improve, people have resumed travelling, and this trend has brought the opportunity to leave our home region to experience different environments.

There are many styles of travel, but I recommend that students go backpacking. Although many students are already accustomed to backpacking, it may still seem adventurous to others. When you choose to go on a backpacking trip, you are likely planning to travel alone. Travelling solo may sound lonely (of course, sometimes it is), but all the decisions are your responsibility, which means you can decide where to stay, what to eat, and who to travel with. If you travel with friends or family, you must attend carefully to your travelling companions. When travelling alone, however, you are accountable to no one but yourself, and you get to create your own plans. In addition, you may find someone along the way to join you on your journey.

When you travel alone, I recommend staying in a dormitory, which means you share the room with other people. Youth hostels are a good example, but there are a variety of guesthouses that offer dormitory beds for backpackers. In a guesthouse, the space you are allowed to use is limited, consisting of just a bed and sometimes a locker. Therefore, you ought to communicate with other lodgers to ensure a good relationship. If you like your roommate, you can go for a drink or eat together; at least you’ll learn some useful travel information. When you say ‘hello’ and the roommate becomes your friend, he/she will be another guard to help ensure your safety.

Here are some tips to make your travel comfortable and safe in a dormitory room:

1. Ask whether the room is mixed-sex or divided according to gender. I recommend you choose a separated one for reasons of personal safety.

2. Don’t leave your valuables in a bag. You should keep important items with you at all times. In particular, be careful during shower time. Bring a key and wire to secure your bag to the bed.

3. Sandals are useful when you go out for a bit or while taking a shower.

4. Bring some Japanese sweets such as matcha chocolate bars to share with your roommates and help you start a conversation.

Photo credit George Pak@Pexels.com

Q1: What is the style of travelling which the author suggests to students?

Q2: What is an advantage of travelling solo?

Q3: What is a personal space in a guesthouse?

Scroll down for answers 

A1: Backpacking

A2: The freedom to create a plan

A3: A bed and a locker

You should enjoy your leisure time while you can because once you start working, you may not have much time for yourself. The average amount of overtime work in Japan is said to be 25 to 26 hours per month. If you work five days a week, you will work one more hour extra each day: a total of nine hours everyday. So why don’t you enjoy your free time while you are a student? You can enjoy sightseeing, eating out, and participating in outdoor activities since the state of emergency has been lifted now.

Do you know how many temples and shrines there are in Osaka, Shiga, and Kyoto? There are 3,395 in Osaka, 3,213 in Shiga, and 3,076 in Kyoto. You would think Kyoto has the largest number of temples and shrines but surprisingly Osaka has the most. The public transportation in Osaka is well developed so it is easy to get around on the subways and buses. A one-day ticket for Osaka is only 800 yen and you can use it for both the Osaka Metro and city buses. In Kyoto, buses are convenient for getting around. You can visit most of the temples by bus. A one-day ticket for both subways and buses is 1,100 yen. You can visit as many temples and shrines as the time allows. Isn’t it a good opportunity to enjoy a tranquil environment?

As you go around, you can also enjoy the food of the area. There are 51,230 restaurants in Osaka, 13, 325 restaurants in Kyoto, and 4,699 restaurants in Shiga. You have so many choices! There are interesting regional dishes in all three places. If you look them up on the internet, you will see enormous variety. I recommend trying the local specialties. However, those places might be crowded, and I’m sure there are people who want to avoid the busy places, so there are other options. For example, a great way to spend leisure time without encountering crowds is to check out some of the natural scenery in the Kansai region. 

If you want to enjoy the outdoors, you could visit the famous Lake Biwa in Shiga. A lap around the lake is about 200 km. You see many cyclists going around, but it will take you about ten hours if you cycle at 20 km/hour. If you are not crazy about cycling, you can take two days to go around. If you like motorcycles, using a 400cc motorcycle will take about four hours. Or you can go around with a car and that will take about four hours too. If you want to enjoy cycling in urban areas, you can rent a bicycle in Kyoto and Osaka, but there is heavy traffic, so please be careful. Now you probably feel like you want to do something in your leisure time, don’t you? You can enjoy these things even after you start working but making time to do them will probably be harder than now. So why don’t you act now?

Photo credit: Elijah O’Donnell@Pexels.com

Q1: Which prefecture has the most temples and shrines?

a. Kyoto

b. Osaka

c. Shiga

Q2: How many restaurants are there in Osaka?

a. Less than 5,000

b. About 13,000

c. About 51,000

Q3 If you cycle around Lake Biwa, how long does it take?

a. 4 hours

b. 6 hours

c. 10 hours

Scroll down for answers 

A1: b

A2: c

A3: c

In university, many students are offered a chance to learn overseas and experience study abroad programs. During my time as an undergraduate student, I attended a smaller university in my city that did not have many study abroad programs. However, it did offer an interesting summer program. Basically, the university offers some of their own classes, taught by their own teachers in different countries. Students go there and take their regular university classes in English while living in a different country and culture.

Before this, I had never left my country, the United States, and had no experience with international travel, so I felt I had to go before I graduated! My first experience abroad was nowhere other than Kyoto, Japan. I spent six weeks in Kyoto taking university classes in the morning and wandering around the city in the afternoons and evenings with my classmates and Japanese university students we met during that short time.

Though this time was short compared to many study abroad experiences, I came back to my country with three simple lessons that I still try to follow to this day:

1. Go for it! – Don't be afraid to take a chance. It can sometimes be overwhelming due to being in a new space, but the reward is greater than the struggle.

2. Don't be shy! – Generally, I am a shy person, so I understand how hard this advice can be. However, you must try your best to be outgoing and friendly. In the case of studying abroad, this will give you more chances to communicate with local students and better learn the language of the country you are in.

3. Go outside! – Whether you are in a city or a rural area, the best thing you can do is go outside. Whether it is for a walk, a bike ride, a train ride, or something else, try to experience a place that isn't just your comfort zone. Just because you must study doesn't mean you have to study in your room. Go to the university library, a café, a park and turn that study time into a study away time.

If you are interested, study abroad in the future if you can. If not, take a lovely trip somewhere that you are interested in. You never know how it might change your life. Maybe you will end up like me. Ten years after studying abroad, I am now happily living in the same city where I had some of my most memorable experiences, Kyoto, Japan.

You can find out more about studying abroad here. {Ritsumeikan Study Abroad [https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/studyabroad/]}

Photo credit Artem Beliaikin@Pexels.com

Q1: How long did the author study in Japan?

a. 2 Weeks

b. 6 Weeks

c. 6 Months

Q2: What is a word with the opposite meaning of "shy"?

a. Funny

b. Loud

c. Outgoing

Q3 Ten years after studying abroad, where does the author live?

a. Kyoto, Japan

b. Nara, Japan

c. Osaka, Japan

Scroll down for answers 

A1: b. (6 Weeks)

A2: c. (Outgoing)

A3: a. (Kyoto, Japan)

(Please see main blog page for part 1)

After we started biking on the road, it was indeed very tough. Summer heat as well as long distances on the road made many participants exhausted. Though I could understand very little English, I helped many of them by physically pushing them on uphill sections, sharing my food and drink, and encouraging them by repeating “fight! fight! fight”, and so on. To my big surprise, through this non-verbal interaction, one American girl from California told me she liked me! She was a tall beautiful girl with shiny blonde hair. I absolutely did not know how to respond, but of course there was no reason for me to refuse her. From then on, we fell in love with each other. I struggled to communicate with her with the very limited vocabulary I memorised for my failed entrance examination for Ritsumeikan University. By the end of this 2-week event, we could exchange some easy words or phrases in English. It was such a romantic moment for me with the first foreign person I’ve ever met in my life.

Unfortunately however, a bitter end came to this romance shortly after. Right before she departed for California, she told me that it was not realistic to keep this relationship across the huge Pacific Ocean separating our countries. I was very sad and disappointed, but accepted her suggestion to stay good friends with each other. I went back to Yamagata with a broken heart. Although the romance ended like this, my sweet memory of her had triggered a strong interest and curiosity in America as a country. I started studying English like crazy. By the end of my second year in Yamagata, my English improved well enough to be admitted into some American universities. I then quit Yamagata University and transferred to the University of Minnesota to study international relations. After I graduated from the University of Minnesota, I went on to a graduate school at another university in America.

Here I am now teaching English at Ritsumeikan University where I had once failed to enter some 35 years ago. Looking back on these 35 years, I really feel that life is so mysterious that you never know how things in life would take you to what destinies. So I’d like to suggest to all my fellow Ritsumeikan students not to be afraid of following your inspiration and embarking on a new adventure to the unknown, that is to say, “go beyond borders!”

Photo credit: Buro Millennial @pexels

Quiz

Q1. Why was the bike journey so tough?

a) It was long and hot.

b) None of the participants could speak English.

c) The route was uphill.

Q2. What was one result of the writer’s break-up with his girlfriend?

a) He decided to meet his girlfriend in America.

b) He quit university.

c) He studied English very hard.

Q3. What is the writer’s advice?

a) Study as much as you can.

b) Visit Beyond Borders Plaza.

c) Follow your inspiration.

Scroll down for answers.

A1. a

A2. c

A3. c

In the spring of 1986, I started my college life with deep disappointment. I failed in the entrance examination for Ritsumeikan University and ended up going to Yamagata University so far away from home. Most of my high school friends passed the exams to enter good universities in the Kansai area, and none of them came to Yamagata with me. I deserved this because I did not study as hard as I should have. All I was doing in high school was swimming and biking. I was very active physically, but extremely lazy intellectually.

However, there were two things I really wanted to do at the university: 1. making a long bike trip around the entire country of Japan, and 2. doing something for world peace. Back then, nuclear competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was so severe that the world community was seriously worried about the outbreak of a Third World War.  So after I entered university, I started reading a lot of books about world peace and conflicts.

During my first summer vacation in Yamagata, I joined an anti-nuclear movement planned by the YMCA. It was a campaign by a group of cyclists of Japan and the U.S., in which they would bike from Osaka to Hiroshima, appealing for an immediate stop to the insane nuclear competition. After biking more than 100 km a day for 5 days, all participants would attend the Peace Memorial Ceremony in Hiroshima on August 6.

For me it was a lucky combination of biking and the peace movement, both of which I was deeply interested in. Indeed, in the first preparatory meeting at YMCA, I was designated as one of the cyclist leaders in charge of assisting other participants because I was a tough and experienced cyclist. And then came the day of the welcome party of American participants. I was overwhelmed by more than 50 American participants of my age who were very open, friendly, and cheerful. It was my first encounter with so many Americans. Many of them tried to talk to me in English, but I could not understand or speak a word of it.

Photo credit: Roman Pohorecki @pexels

Quiz

Q1. Why did the writer go to Yamagata University?

a) Most of his friends came from that area.

b) He did not study hard enough.

c) He wanted to join the cycling club in that university.

Q2. The writer wanted to do something for world peace. What was his first step towards that goal?

a) He made a long bike trip.

b) He joined the anti-nuclear movement.

c) He began to read a lot about the subject.

Q3. Why was the protest event perfect for the writer?

a) He could assist other participants.

b) He wanted to meet a lot of foreigners.

c) It combined two of his interests.

Scroll down for answers

A1. b

A2. c

A3. c

I have two major passions in life. One is English education, and the other is baseball. These two passions cross paths quite often, but never more than in one particular individual: Shigetoshi Hasegawa.

If you do not recognize the name, let me introduce him a little. He was born and raised in Hyogo Prefecture and graduated from Ritsumeikan University several decades ago. After being drafted by the Orix BlueWave (who are now the Buffaloes) and having a successful pitching career in Japan (Rookie of the Year, All-Star), he spent nine years playing Major League Baseball for the Anaheim Angels and Seattle Mariners. Because his name is so difficult for many non-Japanese to pronounce, he was given the nickname “Shiggy” which I will use the rest of this article.

Shiggy actually did not go to the major leagues because of his baseball aspirations. He went there because he had a fascination with America, and wanted to live there and experience the culture. During his time there, he gained proficiency in English, but also deepened his understanding of the national culture. As such, he was able to understand his own culture better, too. In fact, he has written several books about his experiences in America, plus his methods of learning English. I have not read all of Shiggy’s books, but what I have read, I have thoroughly enjoyed.

A book called {素晴らしき！メジャーリーガーの人生}. is a collection of the monthly columns he wrote for a Japanese newspaper while he was playing baseball in America. He also has one called {メジャーリーグで覚えた僕の英語勉強法}, and most recently, he put one out called {好かれる英会話}. In fact, last year during the pandemic (and online classes for many of us), he did an exclusive “webinar” for Ritsumeikan students and staff based on this book, which is about how to really enjoy speaking English. The webinar was truly enlightening and helped me see that Shiggy has transcended nationality and culture in his life. He is able to objectively see America for what it is, and the same is true of Japan.

This nation of ours (Japan) has a lot of TV shows that focus on how foreigners view Japan. While I enjoy programs like “YOUは何しに日本へ？” It feels a little superficial at times. It also comes across (to foreigners) as Japan tooting its own horn. The show seems to be declaring, “Look at how awesome the world thinks we are!” Shiggy kind of does the opposite in his writing: how does Japan view America? What I enjoy about Shiggy and his writing is that he does not put his own country OR his adopted country on a pedestal. He promotes understanding and acceptance while encouraging people to learn and love English. Oh, and of course, he loves baseball, too.

I highly recommend that you check out Shiggy’s books and aim to emulate one of your fellow Ritsumeikan graduates.

Photo credit: Pixabay

Quiz

Q1. Which baseball team did Shiggy not play for?

a) Orix BlueWave

b) Orix Buffaloes

c) Anaheim Angels

d) Seattle Mariners

Q2. Why did Shiggy want to play Major League Baseball?

a) He wanted to live in America

b) He wanted to challenge his baseball abilities

c) He wanted to teach Japanese to his teammates

d) He wanted to write books about learning English

Q3. What does the writer of this blog appreciate about Shiggy?

a) He loves Japan so much

b) He loves America so much

c) He can see Japan and America without bias

d) He watches TV shows like YOUは何しに日本へ?

Scroll down for answers

A1. b

A2. a

A3. c

I’d like to introduce my country, the Republic of Ireland. Ireland is very homogenous, like Japan – until recently, almost everybody was white and Irish. Recently, for the first time in history we’ve had immigration into Ireland. Now we have quite a few people from Poland and China, for example, but the country is still mainly very homogenous. The population is quite small at about 5 million people.

Ireland is very small. You can go from the east of the country to the west of the country in maybe three hours. And you can go from the south of the country to the north of the country in maybe four or five hours. So, Irish people feel very local. If we meet somebody, we kind of know where they're from, or we think we have a connection to every place in the country because it's so small. Because of this, it feels local, it feels familiar; it almost feels like everybody is a neighbour.

The people are famous for being very friendly and generous. So we give a lot to charity, including to charity internationally. Statistically, they are the third or fourth most generous country in the world. We're famous for things like Irish whiskey and Irish beer, like Guinness, which is a black beer.

We're also famous for Irish music and Irish dancing, which are popular around the world. Irish music has some specific instruments and the music is quite nice. It's very popular with tourists. Irish dancing is unusual because the dancers keep their arms straight by their sides, and don't move them. The legs are very quick, almost like tap dancing, but very, very, old and more traditional than that. Again, it's quite popular with tourists. There's a famous Irish dance show called Riverdance, and it goes all around the world and has even been to Japan a few times.

Photo Credit: Kelly L@Pexels

Quiz

Q1. What is the population of Ireland?

Q2. What is special about Guinness?

Q3. What is one special feature of Irish dancing?

Scroll down for the answers

A1. 5 million

A2. It’s black beer

A3. The dancers don’t move their arms while dancing