Reflection on VJYE (Vietnam-Japan Youth Exchange) 2016 (3) Nguyễn Thị Nhật Linh

This is the first time that I participated in a student exchange program. At first, I was very nervous. I was thinking a lot about how to communicate with Japanese students and what topic I should talk about to keep the conversation go smoothly. On the first meeting day with the Japanese students, all Vietnamese talked to each other about what they are going to talk, about how nervous they are. But when we met and talked with Japanese members, I was able to catch up on a conversation with them easily and I felt that they are interesting. I have gradually started thinking that we will have good time together. Days after, we spent time together doing sport activities, presentation, having dinner together and going on field trip together. During those time, there were happy memories and also sad memories. I’ve once feel between Japanese students and Vietnamese students have a big distance that we cannot talk and have fun together as the first day we met. But through the field trip I think the distance has been shorten thanks to all the social activities we’ve done.’

In the field trip, I’ve had a chance to experience a country life that I’ve never thought of before. When we arrived at the Longhouse, I was thinking that I wanted to go home immediately because there was dirt and mosquitoes everywhere, how can a person that use to be a city life can manage to live 4 days in this place. But then through all the meals together, all the games we played together, all the activities we’ve done together, my bad thoughts was completely changed and I felt such lucky to able to experience this trip along with all my friends. We had had such good memories together and I will never forget those memories.

Through VJYE program, I’ve become more matured. Before attending this program, I was a shy person and I’ve had to struggle a lot with communication. But after this program, I’ve gained more confidence and I’ve learned how to work as a team with other people. I didn’t know any of Vietnamese members when I joined in, but time past by and now we are best friends. Also with Japanese members, at first, I thought that when the program is over, we will forget about each other. But Japanese members still keep in touch with us and we talk a lot. We plan to meet again someday. I hope that day will be not so far away.

I want to send my best regards to Hoa Sen University because I was very lucky to be Hoa Sen student that I can have opportunities to attend such meaningful programs. And I also want to send my appreciation to Tokyo Keizai University and Asia Association of Education and Exchange for having organized the VJYE program that brought me great memories, experiences and most important is friendship. I hope that in future, I will have opportunity to attend more interesting program like VJYE.