Stephanie-こんにちは！Konnichiwa! Hello!

こんにちは！Konnichiwa! Hello!

My host sister Asuka and I in 小えど, Japan

Hi everyone! My name is Stephanie, but in Japan I've already been given the nickname Su-chan　す－ちゃん (su from Stephanie since the Japanese pronunciation is su-teh-fah-nee, and -chan is added to the end of a name when you are speaking to a younger person or a friend), so you can call me Su-chan! I am one of the five Hippo interns working in the LEX headquarters office in Tokyo this year. In addition to me, from Wisconsin, the intern team is made up of Tino from Mexico, Sakun and Ken Ken from China, and Hiu-chan from Korea. It's great to have such an international group!

Before coming to Japan I attended the University of Wisconsin and graduated with a degree in fine art. During that time I also worked for Wisconsin 4-H International Programs, which is how I first learned about Hippo through the 4-H/Hippo summer and yearlong exchanges. Last summer I had the opportunity to be a Hippo intern in Mexico for 3 months and it was an amazing experience. I met so many people there, not only from Mexico but also Japan, with corazones abiertos (open hearts) and learned so much that me animó irme como intern a Japón, and I decided to apply to for the internship in Japan. I’m excited to be here!!

Celebrating Hippo's 30th Anniversary with Hippo friends
from around the world!

It’s been wonderful to see so many members of the Hippo family here that I met before in Mexico and Wisconsin. My arrival in Japan was great because I felt like I was being welcomed into a big extended family that I already belonged to, the Hippo family! At the Hippo 30th Anniversary workshop, which was attended by around 700 Hippo members, it seemed like every other person I met had a connection to someone I knew from Mexico or Wisconsin. It was a great welcome to Japan and beginning to my adventure, and I'm excited to have the opportunity to get to know so many more people and experience and learn many more things in the year to come.

よろしくお願いします！Yoroshiku onegai shimasu!

す－ちゃん (Su-chan)

Comments

Daniel- こにちわ！！

こにちわ！！　(Daniel) Hello,こにちわ, bonjour, Привет ! My name is Daniel Panasenko, and I am the 2012-2013 LEX intern in the Hippo office in Tokyo. I am from Sacramento, California, although originally from Dnipropetrovs'k, Ukraine. I first came across LEX and Hippo when I came to Japan with People to People in 2009. I was hosted by members of the Hippo Family Club for four days, and I enjoyed the experience so much, that I came back to work for Hippo as an intern. Although I am fairly new to Hippo, I have been received warmly and welcomed into the Hippo family. Everyone at the office and at the family clubs are very kind, supportive, and incredibly patient as I unintentionally butcher their language. As the year progresses, I will blog about my experiences in Japan as well as my insights into the language and culture. Although I am a bit overwhelmed by the novelty of the lifestyle and language, but I am more than happy to be here, making fascinating new discoveri...

Hayley- Looking back

Looking Back The Month in Review: As we begin February, it is time for me to write my monthly report. Technically speaking, I haven’t been in Japan for a month yet, but this report covers all that I have done in January. As part of the report, I put together a summary of different categories within my life. While the following is rather dry, I thought my blog readers might find it interesting and informative. Host Family: I have a wonderful host family, and I’ve enjoyed settling in and getting to know them. My 8-year-old host brother has adjusted to me, and we get along very well. My 13-year-old host sister has been a great help as I learn Japanese; she has a notebook where she writes down new Japanese words and phrases that I am learning. Sugoi-ne! My host parents are wonderful. My host mom makes me feel like part of the family. She understands about the little things that make one feel “included” in family life. Something as smal...

Dannielle- Setsubun

Setsubun In February, there is a holiday in Japan called Setsubun. In celebration of the special day, I ventured out to Nagatacho (close to my work here in Shibuya) and visited the Hie Temple. It was so beautiful and peaceful up on a small hill, and oddly placed among the city life of Tokyo. It was crowded with people (but not too crowded, hence why I chose Nagatacho over Asakusa) standing in front of the temple "stage", within which we could hear some music and see some people inside dancing and preparing for the event. Because I got there earlier, I had to wait a bit, and so I talked with the older couple that stood next to me. Turns out, the husband and wife had been to the US before and lived in New Orleans about 10 years ago, so we eased into some great conversation. Very sweet people. When the event started, I witnessed a person dressed as an oni (demon) emerging from inside the temple, being drawn out by the priests who threw beans at him and shou...

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