When I woke up this morning I could still not understand it was my last day in my apartment, that I from today, will become an emigrant.
Before I start my story of my new soyful living in the East, I would like to return to where it all began.
I remember it as if it was yesterday! I was twelve or thirteen and me and my friends where watching a japanese cartoon, also known as anime, called Silverfang (Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin). The first time we saw it with Swedish voices but later on we also saw the original in Japanese. It was then I fell in love, a love that would grow stronger than I could ever imagine.
I watched a lot of anime after that, as much as I could! As I watched my interest and passion grew stronger, and I started to feel an urge to understand and speak this lovely and beautiful language. But it was first a couple of years later, in my second year at senior high, I started to actually study japanese. In my last year I wanted to go abroad but I was to old to enter a japanese senior high and to young to enter a university.
After senior high I entered college in Eskilstuna and studied engineering for three years, but the wish to go abroad to Japan was still there. It grew stronger actually, and I discovered japanese television drama, which took me even closer to the language and culture. And after my thesis I could finally go abroad as an exchange student to Nanzan University in Nagoya.
It took three years but I never gave up, I just had to wait and be patient. The exchange program was only for one semester, but a lot of things happened during these three months and what I did not know was that my life was to change and never be the same again.
I stayed with a host family, they were really nice and took me in as a family member. They let me experience how it was to live in Japan and my host mother's cooking was absolutely fabuluous.
At the end of november I got a soar throat and fever and pain in every muscle in my body. I had to rest from school and after a couple of days with high fever my host mother took me to a small local hospital. After the examination we returned with some medicines and everything seemed to be alright. It wasn't though.
They pain got worsed, especially in the end of my back and hips, and I could barely lay down. The fever didn't go down and I discovered blood in my "number two". I had probably been bleeding for a couple of days but I just had my period and didn't think of it at first. When my fever reached 41.7 degrees celcius my host mother took me to the ER for another examination. They as well didn't find anything particular but I was dehydrated so we had to stay a couple of hours.
I was scared. At this time my japanese wasn't very good and my condition continued to get worse. The same evening as I contacted my swedish University for help was the worst in my life. During the five hours I tried to sleep I had to go to the bathroom about 20 times, and it hurted. It felt as I was to give birth, but from the wrong end. My sister has been through the same and knows exactly what I'm talking about.
Well, I finally got into a good hospital with a nice doctor who examined me and discovered that I suffered from ulceros colitis. Imagine being on the other side of the world from your family, alone, you can hardly communicate and someone tells you that you have got an incurable disease. I was devasted.
After being hospitilized for almost 3 weeks I went back to school, but my host mother didn't want me to live with them anymore so I had to move to a dormitory. That and also that I missed a lot of exams, during my stay in the hospital, was too much, I decided to drop of and go home back to Sweden. This blog is not supposed to be about my disease, but it changed who I am and my life forever.
I returned to Sweden and moved to Gothenburg, where I entered University of Gothenburg, and continued to study japanese. The first year we were about 25 people in our class but in the first course of second year we were about ten and in the second we were four. I met a girl, Mia, and we spent a lot of time together in school doing homework and we became good friends. I honestly do not remember why we started to talk about it but suddenly we decided to go to Japan and study at a language school. Mia took the 6 months course but I decided to stay for one year.
That year was absolutely a turning point in my life, and during that time I was thinking of finding i job and stay, but I didn't for several reasons. I once again came back to Sweden and got employed at Volvo construction equipment in Eskilstuna. With a full time job and a fair salary I went to Japan twice a year on holiday. And it was during my trip in April this year I finally came to the conclusion that I wanted to move to Japan.
Writing applications, prepare for interviews and follow up interviews with various assignments. I worked hard and in July it finally paid of and I got an offer from UD Trucks in Ageo. And ever since I accepted the offer I have had my hands full of various preparations.
The last three weeks have been worst with, having to say goodbye to everyone. You almost forget the excitement and joy about fulfilling your dream because you're filled with sadness of leaving everyone you love behind. It's selfish to live your dream regardless of others, but sometimes that's whats necessary. Just because I'm living far away I won't forget about the people I love, and also I want to thank everyone for being understanding and letting me go.
This blog is mainly for you who I left behind, so you can join and be a part of my dream. I will do my best to keep it updated with what's happening in my new life over here.
Enjoy!
