Most of the exchange students attending Kansai Gaidai do not stay in Hirakata for the summer holidays. Many finish their semester or year abroad at this time, and others simply spend the break travelling or seeing other parts of Japan. I was one of the few people who stayed around campus for the summer months, and I really enjoyed it.
I don’t think I would have survived without my club during the summer. Although I did not become homesick, there were many days in which I was so bored that I felt like tearing out my hair. Nearly all my exchange student friends had gone back to their countries, and I was living alone for the first time in my life (which I really like, but there’s not much company)! Without people to share experiences with, I believe the experiences themselves are rather thin. Because of this, I sacrificed a few trips and instead went to the club room every day, where I could talk to other people and have fun playing on the keyboard and piano. For me, having good friends is more important than anything else (except my cat and my parents, not necessarily in that order).
I do not regret forfeiting travel in the summer for a second. With the club, I went on an August gasshuku (training camp) to Nagano, which I consider to be the best experience of my year so far. Not only could I play with the band for a whole week (wonderful!!!), but I also cemented some friendships and had the time of my life! There was a delicious barbeque, a fireworks party and even a kimodameshi (a deliberately scary walk through the dark late at night)! Combined, the week really was my dream come true, and I know it is one of the very top experiences of my entire life.
To my delight, the gasshuku was followed up quickly with a second camp; this time for all the first-year students in culture-related clubs. I was the only exchange student who went, but this was really, really fun as well, particularly a great water pistol fight which my team won (yay!) in the afternoon heat. A beautiful bonfire at night on the shores of the spectacular lake Biwako also touched my heart, and I was really sorry when it was over. I wish I could go back again!
In this blog entry, I want to give a huge thank-you to Keiongakubu. I do not know what I would have done without them over the summer, but I am certain it would not have been as fun or fulfilling. Yes, a Japanese club is as hard work as the rumours would have it, but it is something I truly love and it does not seem much like work to me. It is a large club, but every single person in it has always been absolutely wonderful towards me. I do not want to have to stop next year, so I will enjoy it while I can!