Thanks to a scholarship from the VSBfonds, mbo student Job de Zwaan (20) spent four months in Japan, where he studied the language in the heart of Tokyo and then traveled around the country for another month. He certainly isn’t fluent in Japanese yet. But he did gain unforgettable experiences and make new connections. And now he’s sharing stories about his adventures abroad as a so-called WilWeg ambassador.
Job didn’t need the trip to Japan for his studies; it was his personal interest that brought him to Tokyo. “I’m studying social care at ROC Nijmegen. I’d been interested in Japan for a while; things like ninjas and anime.”
For the average student, a trip to Japan is unaffordable; until Job heard about the VSBfonds. “I learned that even as a mbo student, you can apply for a grant of up to 4,000 euros. Not for your entire program, but for a course, for example. In exchange, you have to give something back to society.”
Ambassador
Job gave a presentation on his plans, including his intention to share his experiences abroad with other young people as a WilWeg ambassador upon his return to the Netherlands. “I enjoy doing that, and the presentation went well. I received 4,000 euros for the scholarship, which I was, and still am, incredibly happy about. Without that scholarship, I never would have been able to take that trip. I feel privileged to have had such a wonderful adventure as a young person.”
Job highly recommends immersing yourself in a different culture. Not just because he really enjoyed karaoke and konbini (24-hour convenience stores). “I like the Netherlands, of course, but Japan is such a different world. I just thought it was a really nice country: people are friendly and polite, it’s very quiet on the trains, and I felt safe everywhere. Actually, I still miss Japan every day. After I finish my studies, I definitely want to go back to Japan.”
Language prodigy
Job did notice, however, that “learning Japanese” is quite a challenge. “The language is so different, with three alphabets and a different character for every word. After those three months of studying Japanese, I can understand what’s being said pretty well, but I still need Google Translate for conversations. What disappointed me was that most Japanese people hardly speak any English, which also made communication more difficult.”
In the end, Job mainly hung out with international students who were also trying to learn Japanese. “I really enjoyed interacting with people from other cultures and hearing how they think about things. Students from Indonesia, Germany, Denmark, the U.S., and France, among other countries, have since visited Nijmegen as well.”
“Those international connections have changed my view of the world.”