Here we are.
Almost at the end of the decade.
I've been having troubles sleeping lately, thinking about 2019. "I can't believe 2020 is coming in a couple of days. What even happened this year."
The Answer - i did SO MANY !! TOO MANY to be be honest. 2019 has been a ride across borders and a journey of self-exploration. I threw myself into the ocean of possibilities and took on new adventures, from which I learned more about my strengths, my weaknesses and my potentials. With that being said, it's time for another flip-through of my 2019 scheduler and take a look back on the last year of the decade.
Keeping a scheduler for myself has become less of a forced habit but more of a lifestyle. I carry it everywhere inside my bag, and I jot down more than just agendas and meetings: sometimes notes from a webinar, other times, some random thoughts or inspirations inside my head.
I am, and will continue to use schedulers from Artbox. I love the colorful accents and pretty little illustrations and I love the paper quality: coated paper, but not too matte that I can feel the roughness in the pencil strokes. But above all, I love schedulers from Artbox because it is gifted from my mom.
☀️ January ☀️
"A busy start to a busy year"
Contrary to last year's scheduler flip-through, I started off 2019 busier than ever: keeping up with classes as final exams were approaching, and also, preparing for my Spring break plans.
My freshman year centred around getting used to classes, focusing on my language electives, and exploring different activities going on around me. I finished all of my introductory classes, loved some, disliked many, but overall I still managed to keep my GPA at a satisfactory level. I took up Spanish and enjoyed every single lesson. I dedicated more time for Japanese and acquired skills that went beyond kanji and grammar (such as presenting, writing, researching and reporting in Japanese). It was tough, but my sensei helped me get through. Regarding extra-curricular activities, I was hoping from one event to another (I still do this every now and then), but in the end settled down for two: managing Instagram for Beppu Times, and dancing for Arauma.
"How are you able to handle so many things at once: school everyday, baito (part-time job) two~three times a week, club activities every now and then, not to mention - your personal life. Are you biting off more than you can chew??"
The Answer - No, i don't. I have a systematic method of time-management that keeps me going and maximizing my time. It took years of practice, and I am still perfecting it every day.
☀️ February ☀️
"My first internship ever"
I have talked about this way too many times online, but yes, I did my first internship in my first year. This was quite odd, as most students (at APU) start their internship in their third year, but I got mine at the end of freshman year. It was no easy process.
My Japanese ability was not enough to handle a position in a Japanese company
I had no portfolio or experience, nor a decent resume or cover letter
It was peak time for university students to do internships, and most companies would look for candidates who are soon to graduate (potentially third, fourth year). Regarding this, I was a bit at a disadvantage
But Theodore Roosevelt once said (and I stole this quote from my friend's Insta bio):
"Believe you can and you're half-way there"
And believe in myself was what I did.
I scraped the Internet for links, referrals, people, organizations that would offer internships without prior experience. I tried applying for opportunities with AIESEC APU but in the end applied to a company in Tokyo by myself and got accepted !!!
I could remember vividly the day I opened the email. It was a split second, but I felt the immediate adrenaline running inside my veins and euphoria showing on my face. At last, all my hard work in googling how to make a portfolio, and how to make an application video paid off. My heart was set. Set for Tokyo.
February 8th, 2019. I left Beppu for Tokyo - the beginning of my 2-month internship.
☀️ March ☀️
" The corporate life of a media intern"
I was learning so much at the company. Some days we would be at the office editing videos and making thumbnails, other days it would be out shooting. I would leave the house at 8:30, come to work at 9:30, and leave at around 5. It was repetitive, 5 days a week. Sometimes I stayed at the office till 7 pm. It was my decision. I also made time to do some travelling, made some videos, and wrote some blogs. But most of the time I was spending my time at the company, learning a different thing every day.
I genuinely enjoyed my job <3.
(I didn't keep many logs for February)
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Before I knew it, it was time to go back to APU. School was about to start again. It was a Spring Break that I will never forget.
☀️ April ☀️
"Back in Beppu. Back to even more adventures"
Me in my usual habitat - trying out new things.
Tiny as Beppu may be, there is always something going on, and I'm always trying to be involved as much as I can. Beginning of April was Beppu Onsen Matsuri - a complete MUST DO thing if you're here to visit. I wrote a blog about the festival and got published on ATHA (APU Tourism and Hospitality Association). It was my first article of the year.
The rest of the month was to settle into the new semester. I also had to look for a new part-time job. It was tough because I was soon to leave for Canada to do my study exchange, but luckily got hired from Mos Burger (also, the best workplace in Beppu by far). Oh, I also started going to Hirumachi Nihongo every month, to learn about Japanese culture and communicate with Beppu residents in simple Japanese.
☀️ May ☀️
"That month of every semester"
We all have that period when everything plateaus and things become repetitive. Study study study; Baito baito baito; Work work work. I tried mixing it up by joining some activities here and there (yoga, pilates, disaster prevention workshop . . .) which kept life a bit more interesting. Towards the end of the month, I had something in mind, something big I wanted to do.
☀️ June ☀️
"The start of something new"
That's correct !!! The month I started my Youtube Channel !!!
Missing my video editing days during the internship, I urged myself into doing Youtube: For the love of creating content. For the skills and knowledge, I harvested during at the company. And for the memories of my time in Tokyo. I had no idea what content to produce, but I knew I had to start. Once again, "believe you can, and you're already halfway there".
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I put out a video every week. I never missed any. Somehow I managed myself very well despite being in the midst of this chaotic time. I had performances coming up, I had my TA classes to prepare for, my group projects, my study exchange preparations, and above all - my ANDO MOMOFUKU SPEECH. Not to mention going to Tokyo to get my VISA. How I even managed to survive this month will forever remain a mystery.
☀️ July ☀️
"A promising 19"
I turned 19 in July. It was a great month followed by great news. First, I received the Ando Momofuku Award, an award never in my first year would I imagine applying for. The title was an honor to receive, and the grant that I will help bolster my future investments.
Nonetheless, the highlight of my July was when I organized my first "Disaster Prevention Workshop (Bosai)" to teach AP House Residents practical actions to take in the event of a natural disaster (earthquakes). We had a good turnout despite lacking in participants, but it was my first big initiative at APU, and it was an experience that taught me lessons that go beyond books and homework.
I didn't have a proper birthday this year, but every day brought me utmost joy, from my little SSAW group, from my workplace, from my classes, and from my friends. In retrospect, every day was sort of like my birthday. And it just keeps getting better.
☀️ August ☀️
"Baito - Baito - Baito"
As if it wasn't clear enough, I was working my @$$ off for the entire month. It was almost time to leave for Canada, and I really needed the money to finance myself for the upcoming 9 months, as well as preparing myself for when I come back. Every day was a bit repetitive, but I made sure not to overwork myself and made sure that I had fun with my friends. Handi, Farras, Maddie, Ami-chan, thanks for keeping me company ;)
August 27th. Off to Taipei I went.
August 30th. UBC here I come !!!
☀️ September ☀️
"Boring Raincouver"
From September onward, you will start seeing more empty space between my agendas. "The exchange life", as they say: enjoying your time and doing what you didn't get to do. For me, it essentially translates back to "relaxing". For the past 18 months, I had been working non-stop. Never once did I feel burn-out, but never once I had proper time to "do nothing". Therefore, it was tough. The toughest thing about my exchange is to figure out what to do with the amount of idle time I have. And the ever-lasting rain in this city is no help.
☀️ October ☀️
"Not so boring at all"
While my friends spent their time travelling to Banff, Whistler, Victoria and so on, I was immersing myself in the Vancouver's local life. I started volunteering at the Learning Center, facilitating drop-in workshops every Friday afternoon. Apart from the scary bus ride (as it is located in a notorious part of town), the rest is quite enjoyable. I love interacting with the local residents and helping out at the front desk. With all the fun events happening at the center every week, gradually the one-hour bus ride doesn't seem so strenuous at all.
(And yes, I continue to hop from one event to another every now and then, just to explore new things and to keep my mind fresh).
☀️ November ☀️
"A mellow month"
November was enjoyable. I was beginning to feel mellow as Winter creeps in. It started to rain frequently as well, but certainly, it didn't stop me from going out.
At the beginning of November, we (my friends at the Learning Center and I) put together a Shadow Puppet show for the Heart of the city festival. We had been practicing for 4 weeks, and it was a delightful opportunity to showcase it to our small group of audience. The experience reminded me how much I love doing arts, and how much I owe it to different art mediums for helping me express my personality and creativity.
I also explored different forms of arts and communication - went to a Film School for a day; tried coding; discovered UX-UI design. Slowly and slowly, I was tapping into Vancouver's ICT industry.
☀️ December ☀️
"The end of the decade"
And here we are - the last 31 days of this decade and the of my first semester in Vancouver.
Even though it was exam season, I went to Toronto anyways and enjoyed every bit of it. I promised myself that I will do more travelling next semester because Canada is beyond beautiful, there are so many things to see and explore. But until the new year comes and another semester starts, I am and will be spending my winter break in Vancouver, resting, volunteering, writing, filming, editing, and wandering around town.
Thank you, 2019
So, love it or hate it, 2019 is coming to an end.
2019 - the year of doing new things: doing an internship, organizing my first workshop, to coming to Canada.
2019 - the year of exploring different virtues of myself: discovering my interest for content creation; taking initiatives to start Youtube and blogging; to embracing both my strong and weak points.