Inside Student Blogs

Natasha Senn Nagoya, Spring 2012

Natasha Senn is a junior at Johns Hopkins University, majoring in Writing Seminars with a minor in Psychology. She is a member of several organizations on campus including the Inter-Asian Council, the East Asian Forum & Review, French Club, and the Eclectics dance group. In her free time, Natasha enjoys dancing and singing with friends at karaoke. She also enjoys trying new foods (the craziest so far being snake in Indonesia and guinea pig in Peru). Having travelled several times to Japan previously, Natasha is excited to return to Japan as a study abroad student. Now that she has finally begun learning Japanese, she hopes to truly immerse herself in the culture and the community.

Natasha's Posts

• 

  Parting Sentiments

  8/06/12 • (0)

  As I sit on the plane heading home to San Francisco, I have decided to write my final IES blog post. However, so much has occurred over the past seven months spent in Japan that I can’t seem to figure out quite where to begin.

  Japan, Nagoya, Post-departure, Study Abroad, Travel

• Golden Week Travels

  5/31/12 • (0)

  In Japan, the first week of May is known as Golden Week.

  Golden Week, Host Family, Japan, Nagoya, Nature, Shirakawa, Study Abroad, Takayama, Travel

• 

  Turning the Page

  5/29/12 • (0)

  Logging on to Facebook or checking my e-mails, all I see is graduation.

  Closing Ceremony, IES Graduation, Japan, Nagoya, Nanzan, Study Abroad, Travel

• Farewell Parties

  5/23/12 • (0)

  Over the past couple weeks, I have attended a countless number of farewell parties, each one different from the last and memorable in its own way.

  Farewell, Japan, Nagoya, Nanzan, Party, Study Abroad, Travel

• One month away…

  4/27/12 • (1)

  As hard as it is to believe, some of my classes have already finished! For those that haven’t yet, there are only two more weeks of classes, most of which will be spent on break anyway due to Japanese holidays.

  Japan, leaving, Nagoya, Nanzan, One month

• Host Families and Dorm Living

  4/26/12 • (1)

  I said at the beginning that choosing a host family was definitely the right choice for me and even now, as the end of the semester approaches, I stand by that statement.

  dorm, Host Family, Housing, Japan, Nagoya

• Chasing After Cherry Blossoms

  4/10/12 • (1)

  Everywhere I turn: cherry blossoms. On tv, in the food, the music… Cherry blossoms truly have a special place in the heart of the Japanese people.

  Cherry Blossoms, Field Trip, Japan, Nagoya, Nara, Yoshino

• 

  That Time in Freshman Year…

  4/03/12 • (0)

  Remember that time in freshman year where you finally felt like you had a solid group of friends who you could call up or text whenever you felt like just hanging out? Well, over this past spring break, it felt like I was back at that point in freshman year and what a good feeling it was.

  Freshman, Hiroshima, Japan, Miyajima, Nagoya, Spring Break

• 

  Unexpected Cultural Differences: Musicals in Japan

  3/29/12 • (1)

  If there was one thing I did not expect of my time in Japan it was that within the first two months, I would have gone to see two musicals in Japanese. Although I love musicals, they were always something I associated with New York or London rather than Nagoya, Japan. That said, seeing a musical in Japan is definitely a worthwhile experience.

  Hamlet, Japan, Musicals, Nagoya, Wicked

• 

  Commemorating the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami

  3/13/12 • (0)

  For those of you who don’t know, this past Sunday marked the one year anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

  earthquake, Japan, Nagoya, One year later, Tohoku, Tsunami

• 

  Day Trip to Nagahama

  2/29/12 • (1)

  As many of you most likely know if you are currently studying abroad with IES, planning on doing so, or did so in the past, one of the perks is the field trips. While the rest of the students at Nanzan have to plan trips on their own, our group of IES kids have fun trips all planned out throughout the semester!

  Biwa, Field Trip, Japan, Lake, Nagahama, Nagoya, Temple

• 

  Me, Myself, and Nagoya

  2/28/12 • (0)

  Deciding where to study abroad can be tough. Even after you’ve decided on a country, there are probably several cities within that country to choose from and if you’ve never visited those places before, it is hard to know what will suit you best.

  classes, Japan, Nagoya, Nanzan University, snow

• 

  Turning Japanese

  2/22/12 • (5)

  “Turning Japanese, I think I’m turning Japanese. I really think so!” Well, maybe not quite turning Japanese but I’m getting closer!

  Break, Hadaka Matsuri, Japan, Nagoya, Valentines Day

• 

  Making Friends in Foreign Places

  1/31/12 • (2)

  Moving to a new school, a new city, a new country, where you know no one is certainly daunting. You wonder if you’ll be able to make friends and adjust to a new lifestyle. However, everyone says that studying abroad is one of the best experiences ever and despite having been in Japan less than a month, I already feel as though I can comfortably say: I agree.

  friends, Japan, Nagoya, Spring 2012

• 

  Hello, my name is Natasha. よろしく！

  1/22/12 • (2)

  In the past few weeks, I can’t count the number of times I have said the above words. The first people I met after orientation were my host parents and I couldn’t have asked for a better first encounter.

  Host Family, Japan, Nagoya

• \(^ω^)/ YATTA！！！*　

  1/17/12 • (1)

  I made it! I survived my first week in Japan! And despite a cold and a strange ringing in my ear which led me to have my first experience at a Japanese hospital yesterday, I’m truly enjoying myself.

  Inuyama, Japan, Nagoya, Orientation

• According to Jupiter

  1/05/12 • (3)

  “First, you have Jupiter using its luck and charm to open several new and fabulous doors – many perhaps abroad – for your work until June.” Vague? Yes. But unnervingly accurate as well? I thought so.

  Japan, Nagoya, Pre-Departure