JMA Cultural Exchange Program

On 9th July 2006, I participated in the JMA Cultural Exchange Program with the Japanese employees for 1 day. It was really an enriching program for me and it really showed that I had learnt a lot from this program.



I woke up at 7am as usual in the morning and cabbed down to Conrad International Hotel. I reached there around 8:45am at the lobby and saw a group of japanese people lounging at second floor. I went to the reception counter to register my name and I looked around the Japanese people chatting happily among themselves. I think there were around a hundred of JMA (Japanese Management Association) employees there and I was ushered by a Japanese person-in-charge to meet my group of 8 Japanese people. They were really warm and personable. I introduced myself to them "私はエイドリアンと申します。” I also informed them about my hearing impairment. "私は耳を聞こえなかった。ゆくっり話してください。”All of them understood what I was saying and we discussed on where we wanted to visit. They wanted to cover Little India, Arab Steet and Chinatown before we headed back to the hotel.

I led them to these places and many of them marvelled at the greenliness and fusion of Asian cultures. They had visited Indian temple in Little India and Sultan Mosque at Arab Street. I also took them to Bugis Junction Food court to let them sample Singapore food e.g. roti prata, fishball mee, ice kachang, bo bo cha cha and popiah. One japanese woman asked me what is that kind of fruit in bo bo cha cha. However, i did not know how to describe "carrot" to her in Japanese. I explained to her "兔の食べ物” which means rabbit's food. All of them laughed at my creative of using this word. Then she ate it and said "間違い。ポタトですうよ！”. She said that it is not a carrot but it is a potato! I was taken aback that I thought that it was a carrot cos it looked like carrot. But it actually turned out to be sweet potato used in Bo bo cha cha. All of them laughed!

Then when we were on the way to City Hall, another Japanese woman asked me "いつ勉強してる？”I thought that she asked me how long i have been studying Japanese. I replied "４年”.That woman was surprised as if she could not believe me. She repeated "何歳ですか” and repeated her question "How old am I?" Alamak. I replied quickly "２７歳です。” She and the other Japanes guy laughed! And I joked with them that "私は赤ちゃんです。” meaning that I am a baby.

We really had a lot of fun hanging with one another. And finally we headed back to the hotel. At 4pm. the Japanese MC announced that every group should share the learning points about Singapore. And also the Singaporean leader should share how he or she felt about mingling with the Japanese. I was shocked cos I did not prepare myself to speak Japanese in front of hundred of Japanese. My heart was beating very fast and my Japanese team members tried to calm me down. It was really an unnerving for me cos I had never given a speech in front of Japanese, speaking Japanese. I sms-ed Gilbert about it cos I know that he would be there to comfort me. He said that it is a really good accomplishment to show that I have accomplished Japanese and relaxed. I tried to relax myself. Other friend sms-ed me that I could say "行こう。” in my speech. It means that the couple attained near-climax orgasm. Naughty BOY! hee..

So, our turn came, and after my Japanese leader shared his learning points, my turn came. I had tried to calm myself down and smiled at the Japanese audience.

私の日本語があまりよくない。私の心が心配。(Laugh) 後で、シンガポールは食べ物、買い物、いろいろな文化が楽しい。私はこのメンバーとうれしく会いました。気持ちが良かった。(Laugh) 楽しかったどうもありがとう。(A round of applause.) We bowed to one another.

I said that my japanese is not very good and that is why, i was very nervous. (Laugh) Singapore has a lot of interesting cultures, shopping and foods. We enjoyed them a lot. I was happy to meet my team members. My feeling was good. (Laugh) Thank you for making my day enjoyable. (A round of applause).

After the speech, a Japanese team member came to me and said that I spoke Japanese very well. A sense of pride permeated throughout me! I always wanted to speak to the public or audience in more than 5 languages. Imagine myself standing on the stage, speaking to one group of people in Japanese, other in German, other in French, other in Chinese, other in Korean, other in Spanish and so on. Helen Keller, a famed blind and deaf American activisit had proven to herself that she could master 5 languages - German, French, Latin, Greek and English.

After that, we left the ballroom and took a group photo. We also exchanged name cards as part of Japanese business etiquettes.

I left the hotel feeling good to meet Noah at Paragon. It was a fantastic dinner at Japanese restaurant and we shared a lot of things. Then we walked over to TCC to have drink and this corner near the bar was terribly COLD. Poor Noah kept on shivering and we drank up quickly. I wrote on the feedback that "This place is like an igloo in North Pole and we are like snowman. Hello Kitty we are human beings." Noah laughed at the sarcastic remarks and we went home in MRT.

What a day for me!