Hey again everyone! It’s been a bit busy preparing for YFU and NSLI-Y interviews but I am finally done. Similar to YFU, the National Security Language Initiative for Youth or NSLI-Y is a language school scholarship program to go abroad. “The U.S. Department of State, in cooperation with American Councils for International Education, awards and […]
Author: Suzumi
YFU Scholarship Interview
Hello everyone! I recently finished my application and completed my interview for a travel abroad program known as Youth for Understanding (YFU). They offer scholarships to many countries such as Spain, Japan, Germany, Argentia, Greece, and much more! Their Japan summer abroad programs are actually full immersion programs where you will get the experience of […]
Japan’s Willy Wonka-style Wonderland – Ishiya Chocolate Factory
One of the first activities I ever went out to do with my friends was when we visited the Ishiya Chocolate Factory, famous for its cookies known as “Shiroi Koibito.” It was a Friday, one of the days of the rolling graduations for my language school. We had all gone to a restaurant across the […]
The Beautiful Lavender Fields of Furano
When I was doing my second language school program over the Summer of 2019, I stayed in Hokkaido, Japan. The language school I was attending, Hokkaido JaLS, had weekend excursions out of the main city of Sapporo. One of these trips was to see Tomita Farm in Furano and its famous lavender fields. We left […]
Exploring Nature in Hokkaido University’s Botanical Gardens
Located just a few blocks away from the Hokkaido JaLS language school is Hokkaido University’s beautiful botanical gardens. It’s quite unsuspecting from the outside, but it is quite large once you get in and really makes you feel as if you are in the middle of a forest. My friend, Mochi, and I decided to […]
Do’s and Don’ts of a Homestay
Whether you are a first-timer in a homestay or an experienced veteran with all shapes and sizes of homestay families, there are some basic do’s and don’ts you should know or at least review. Do’s: Do make sure to try and help with household chores. From my personal experience, I have found that in my […]