How to make friends in Japan:
1) Share hw in class
2) Join clubs
3) Talk to random ppl on the subway
Guess which one I did today?
If you said 3 you are correct!
Here's how the conversation went this morning (translated into English):
(I sit down next to guy)
Me: Hi!!
Random guy(surprised that I speak Japanese and am talking to him): Hello
Me: Are you a college student?
Him: Yes
Me (finally introducing myself): Me too!!! I'm Amanda. This is Tana (referring to my friend who I agree w/ every morning that we have a goal to make friends on the train w/) We're study abroad students at Nanzan University!
Him: I go to Nanzan University too!
Me: HEEE!!! (Japanese for WHAAA??!!!) Shall we walk together?!?!
He agreed and he, Tana, and I talked all the way to school.
And that is how you make friends on the train.
I also followed this same formula at lunch today w/ my friend Maria, with an opening line of "was that food delicous?!"
Just a little bit of confidence/outright uberfriendliness can get you two new friends who speak the language you're studying! It's a nice reward for stepping out of your comfort zone.
It feels kinda unreal meeting someone in a different language, like it has to be done in English later to be official. But it happened! Senkou (majors) were shared! Worries were commiserated over! It's all real here!
Now go out and make friends!
~Ama
Yeah, same with me, when I make friends over here... ^^
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a subway in Hakodate, tough, but I love to speak with other women in the supermarket and with fishermen, when I do fishing with my family at the port ^^ just approach people openly and you will instantly make friends. :)