Student Spotlight: Vance Studies in Nagoya Japan
0By Abigail Gibson
Senior Christopher Blaine Vance was the first UPIKE student to travel to Nagoya, Japan for a semester as an exchange student. Vance was in Japan from Aug. 22 – Dec. 22, 2014.
“When you’re traveling from the time you turn 18 and you die at 22, you’ve lived longer than someone who has stayed in one place their whole and lived to be 80,” said Vance.
Vance attended Nagoya University of Foreign Studies – Language Institute, while in Japan. The school consisted of language and cultural programs.
“The school was fairly difficult, especially learning congee,” said Vance.
During Vance’s stay in Japan, he occupied a room in an extremely nice complex, which was right outside the Nagoya University of Foreign Studies. Each room in the international house was for a single person. There were common areas in the international house for everyone to gather. There were approximately 40 people in the international house at the time of Vance’s stay.
Vance experienced some memorable places.
“Every Friday there was an optional trip day, where you could pay $10 – which is 1,000 yen, and travel to a place that could be 2-3 hours away. I got to experience Izumo Taisha – Izumo Grande Shrine, which is the most important Shinto temple in Japan. Nagoya’s big industry is Toyota right now, but before Toyota, it was ceramics. I visited a pottery place, where we got to try out the pottery wheel and make a piece of pottery. We got to experience a tea ceremony, where I got to drink from almost a 1,000 year old cup. The tea ceremony was a very long sequence and very proper. Alque Super Market was somewhere we got to visit on a day-to-day basis,” said Vance.
Vance enjoyed matcha tea, which is a healthy green tea.
“A plate of very good sushi was very cheap,” said Vance.
Vance found out that fruit in Japan was expensive – $40 for a watermelon. This was his first time flying, and the first time he had been away from the eastern United States. During his time in Japan, he learned 300 congee.
Vance has always wanted to travel since he was little, and he knew he had to travel at some point in his life.
“What this experience did for me was just reaffirm that I am here to learn, to make something of myself and to just keep traveling. I can honestly say it was the happiest I have ever been in my entire life. It was a wonderful experience,” he said.