“Here I am, Nippon”

Posted on June 21, 2007 by Nene

One week after we were married in the Philippines, my Japanese husband came back to Japan, because his 2-year contract as a JICA volunteer was already finished.

I took up Basic Nihongo classes in Manila and stayed in a dormitory for 3 months. I was expecting him after 3 months but I received an e-mail from him that he couldn't make it because he did not receive the papers yet from Japanese immigration. He couldn’t come back to the Philippines until he got those papers. I was so disappointed because I really missed my husband and at that time I realized that we had been separated for four months already. So, I decided to go back to our town while I waited for him. I prayed hard that he would come soon. After one week of waiting I was so worried so our family prayed together that night asking for that favor. The next morning I received an e-mail from him that he would come soon because he got the documents already. I was so happy and thankful to the goodness of God.

I went to Manila to meet him and go to the embassy to submit the requirements for getting a visa, such as the visa application form, certified true copies of my birth certificate, certified true copies of our marriage contract, passport and original copy of my Certificate of Elligibility. The next day we took the TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication), because my husband told me, that I would have an advantage in Japan if I could speak English well. The next day we received a good result.

When we were in Manila we met some JICA officers, in a Japanese Restaurant and had our dinner. They wished me good luck for living a completely different life in Japan and gave me some advice. They told me that I should be very discreet in choosing friends, Japanese or fellow Filipino in Japan. They told me that some Japanese are decent but not all.

On my departure, my family and I cried very hard because we would be apart for a long period of time. We left NAIA airport at 8:20 in the morning and we arrived at Narita Airport at 1:20pm (Japan time). I was so happy to see Japan and to be together with my husband. When I first touched Japan’s ground, I said to myself, “Here I am, Nippon! After tedious processing of required documents and long months of waiting”.

While we were on the train from Narita, I looked at the scenery outside the window and I could say Japan is really a clean and beautiful country. When we were on the train, I looked at the people and noticed that everybody seemed decent and in trendy get ups. When we arrived at his parent's house, we were so tired because of the long hours of travel from the airport. His parents welcomed us and were very kind to me. His mother prepared a food that was somewhat similar to Filipino food. While I was eating, my mother-in-law kept on asking me about every food on the table, “How do you like the food?” My husband explained to me that after I taste the food, I should say my impression on the food, because Japanese expect it always. That was my first experience on cultural difference. Anyway, I am already here, whether I like it or not I have to adjust to the Japanese culture because I am just an alien here.