Graduation!!!

Something that was uncertain until yesterday is official now. Graduation - finally! ...and few words about it.

Looking back, the 4 years feels like this: excluding all the boring classes and the lousy teachers, the 4 years of student life was infused with good memories.

If I had to rate one best thing over anything it would be all the wonderful people I got to meet and to create a friendship with. And if you're reading this, you're most likely one of them. ;)

Spring is a time of graduation for many of us so I wish also a big hand to all the fellow students who hold a degree now or in the near future!!

Uhm... So is the SERIOUS part of life supposed to start now?

--

ただいマンモス！（最近友達から習った）ラウリです！

昨日まで確信がなかったことが、今日正式になった。- ついに卒業しました！

。。。あとそれについて一言

振り返ると、学生生活はこんな感じでした：つまらない授業や、無能な教授達以外はその4年はとてもよかったです！

一番よかったのは素晴らしい人々に出会って友達になったことです。もしこれを読んでいるなら、あなたはきっとその内の一人です。

春は卒業シーズンなので、私の他にも、卒業した人か近い内に卒業する人におめでとう！

う～む、今から厳しい現実的な生活が始まるのかな？

Courses in Oita Uni.: Economics of Globalization

This happened frequently on our Economics of Globalization class: The projector screen got stuck in the sealing at the beginning of each lecture. It took quite some time to get it back in fuction, which of course wasn't a big issue since we could chat about common matters before the serious lecture began. But the comment often made by our teacher in a sarcastic British accent of the jammed screen is hard to forget.

After you've left Oita University and you've become rich and famous, please send some money to the Oita Daigaku...

About this course:

• Over all the Economics of Globalization is a course of choice for anyone interested in causes of globalization, different views within, its both negative and positive influences to our society, and the form globalization may take in the future.
  
• The class is, as far as I know the only class where Japanese students and exchange students are mixed, which makes it an ideal place to meet up with ever so shy Japanese.
  
• Needless to say, the teacher, a native Briton himself is an excellent teacher and knows his topic in-side-out. In addition he lectures in an extra clear and pleasing voice - giving an opportunity for non-natives to upgrade their english skills.

How does Oita University look like?

Those who've never been to Oita Uni. may wonder how does it look like. Let's take a quick tour.


Student restaurant - the heart of campus area is so crowded. Hardly any free seats are left. On a sunny day we could enjoy our lunch at the outdoor terrace, which usually wasn't so noisy or crowded.


Here are the food lines. Dishes come in such a variety that I never had time to taste every sort. Prices are very affordable starting from something like 250 yen.


As you can see, the campus area is covered with vicinity. Trees etc. make it quite pleasing for eye and a refreshing place to stay.




Studying under open air is a thing would like to have in our home university, TAMK. Compared to Oita Uni., where students are often enjoying fresh air, student's at TAMK hardly go outside, except to smoke, and enter and exit school premises.

That's it!

Our exchange has came to an end. Official farewell party was held on Friday followed by less official student party. Needless to say, everyone felt wistful at the party, knowing that soon it is time to return home and tell goodbye to all the good friends who became very close during the exchange.

It is difficult to grasp the speed how time has passed. Looking back to last year's October when we began here, it has been a period of laughter, good times, making friends and even learning a thing or two wile doing it!

It is possible that some of us meet again but sadly also it is likely that some of us never meet again. Anyhow, a big thanks goes to everyone at Oita University for creating such an environment where getting to know each other and creating friendships that last!


Thank you Oita! Good bye Oita! See you again Oita!

Oh, and camera broke the other day. No photos for a while! :(

Oita today

Today, 26th of December, +11 degrees, sunny. Doing a bunch reading at the river side.


This is a good learning environment. Chilly weather keeps the sleepiness away.

Internship in Japan starting Feb. 15

Today, Finland is enjoying some real -15 °C winter. Brr... I can be happy for confirming a practical training placement at Research and Consulting of Regional Science Co., Ltd. for the following 5 months after the exchange.

Finding an internship from Japan was seemingly easier than I thought it to be. Company web-sites, job advertisements or fairs did not play a role in the seeking process. It was much more straightforward thanks to the active professors in University.

Our economics teacher was kind enough to pull some strings with his companion, and arrange an introduction to the company. Having a proxy to introduce you gives great momentum for a range of issues in Japan. The question now is, will I will be ever beholden to them?

Quinni in Japan

Quinni in Japan is a blog written by one fellow exchange student from Germany. Lots of interesting posts about our exchange life in Oita. In the most recent post, she tells about our tea-ceremony experience at the Japanese Culture class. Please go and have a look at: http://quinniinjapan.blogspot.com.

News links from Oita University

Oita University and Oita Press publishes news in their web pages from time to time. Let's take a look at what events they have covered about exchange students' activities.

2009/11/11, cherry blossom tree planting in Bungotoyooka:
http://www.oita-press.co.jp/localNews/2009_125789888053.html

2009/9/30, exchange semester's opening ceremony:
http://www.oita-u.ac.jp/01oshirase/topics/2009-043.html

2009/10/17, study trip to do za-zen and mandarin picking:
meditation http://www.oita-u.ac.jp/01oshirase/topics/2009-057.html

2009/10/21, visiting teacher from University of Melbourne giving a guest lecture:
http://www.oita-u.ac.jp/01oshirase/topics/2009-060.html

Cherry blossom tree planting in Bungotoyooka

Last Sunday began in under a beautiful sunny weather. Our dear teacher from Papua New Guinea had invited us to plant cherry blossom trees. The place was Bungotoyooka, a serene fishing village north-west of Oita.


Together with the local community and students from the Asia Pacific University (IPU) we planted about 100 cherry tree seedlings to the sea-banks of the village.


The head of education in Hiji area launched the event by planting the fist tree. A discussion with him revealed that he was rather interested about the education system of Finland. He even wanted to travel to Finland to know more but was too busy to to it.


Press was there too. One of our fellow students, after planting this seedling, was interviewed by a news reporter.


Every cherry blossom tree was decorated with the planter's name plate. Now we have one tree of our own in Japan!! After 10 years it will be nice to return there and see the same tree again (if its still alive).


What a heap of pork meat! Planting session was followed by BBQ and several music performances.


This bottle, which kids had filled, was full of tiny crabs or something - jumping a round and moving quickly. I had to be fun to collect them I guess.


Two days after, on Tuesday, a story appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbum! It was about our international event with a photo and interview! It is great that they've recognized this joyful event!

Saturday's school excursion

The staff at International Office had organized quite a terrific bus journey around Oita prefecture. An early bus took us first  through Beppu to 萬弘寺, a Zen meditation site, then to 両子寺, historical Buddhist temple, and finally to 関口観光農園 for mandarin picking!


Za-Zen meditation was at first slightly awkward experience to my mind. We had two meditation sessions, first 7 minutes, second 10 minutes. But instead of rising opposing feelings the event turned out as neutral. Sitting quietly having legs crossed made both sets feel like half an hour. Every body was quietly staring ahead with half open eyes. The state of being was relaxing and felt more like getting out of the stress and noise of everyday life, rather than being religious. For many it would do good to just stop and sit quietly for a while and listen the sounds around, feel the breath and enjoy the moment.


Tradition is to serve green tea after meditation.


The Futagoji shrine is one of remaining structures of the times when Shinto and Buddhism assimilated. On our visit a priest made a prayer for the future of our studies, after which we had some time to wander around the temple area.


I understand that a source of income is needed to keep up temple activity. But monks selling cell phone straps and other gadgets incline more to merchants side than to religious activity.


At the end of the day we had a change to refill our dwindling C-vitamin reserves (though it can't be reserved) Heaps and heaps of mandarins waited their pickers at the Sekiguchi Kanko Noen farm. After dismounting from bus, we were given about one hour to eat as many mandarins as possible.


Awww... Sweet, orange, ripe mandarins they were gorgeous!! Now, all the exchange students are immune to swine-flu! :)


Eating wasn't the only joy. Anyone who so wished could pick mandarins for a kilo price of 200 yen / 1,50 e. The offer was too tempting to leave. My basket was 3,5 kilos but our Dutch friend carried out more than 7 kilos! I wonder if he can eat them all...?

The International Office

This is the building where all exchange related matters of Oita Uni. are handed.
I'm ever grateful for all the help they eagerly provided in everyday issues and in more complicated problems.

Office staff play a large role in successful exchange period‐I believe. 10 points for Oita Uni.!

Nature of lecture

Hi all students in Japan! I wish to ask how familiar is the following:

You sit in a class room. Teacher begins the lecture. He holds a monologue, or in other words talks alone until the end of lecture, and finally asks: any questions?

Is it typical Japanese teaching arrangement or an exception? I have observed teaching of this type while here. Teacher emphasizes on what we should know and remember. Our responsibility as students is to record that information into our braincells in a same manner as data is saved on a computer's hard disc. My straight forward opinion is that this type of one way interaction leaves little space for questions, debate and therefore reduces individual thinking.

During a lecture last week, my head was inflating of questions like: Why is it this way? What's the reason for that? How about this? Is there any other possibility? Why did such thing happen in the first place? Is this only one view of the subject? etc.

I felt a strong urge to ask but I didn't ask anything. I couldn't find proper timing for questions. I waited for a spot that never came. Teacher introduced new topics one after another and my questions became obsolete. No point asking them after half an hour had passed. Lecture went on and teacher preached: This matter is like this, then came this, remember this, don't forget this...

I also thought it would be improper to interrupt teacher. By asking I would just make disturbance and waste teacher's precious time. On the top, if I asked something and teacher wouldn't know the answer it would make him annoyed and resentful. Moreover, the surrounding group pressure, nobody else made any comments or questions, and I didn't want to act differently. Simply the atmosphere was adverse for questions.

Lecture finished and I didn't open my mouth at all, except of course when the teacher asked a question directly from me. My mind was bursting.

In Finland, no, I wouldn't hesitate to ask, interrupt or debate, nor would my colleagues. In Japan I refrained from those. Should I change to passive memory chip or take more active and deviate role? Any tips?

My presumption is that teachers are for students not the other way around.