Hello, everyone! My name is Nodoka Kawahara and I’m a freshman in college at the Department of Global Tourism. Today I talked to Tina, a student from Vietnam. In this blog, Tina introduces herself:

★Introductions

Q1 How long have you lived in Japan?
Tina: 3 years and it’s gone by in instant. I live in Osaka.

Q2 Have you been back to Vietnam in the last three years?
Tina: Two months after I came to Japan, I went back for only four days, but I haven’t been able to go back since then because of COVID-19. I plan to return to Vietnam for a month in June this year. Previously, it took about 5 hours direct from Kansai Airport, but due to COVID-19 there are no direct flights and now it takes 10 hours.
Kawahara: 10 hours?!

★Hobbies

Q3 I heard film cameras are your hobby, but what is a film camera?
Tina: Unlike digital cameras that store images using SD/flash memory, which is the mainstream now, we use film to shoot photos.

Q4 What is attractive about a film camera?
Tina: I really like the color in the photos I take with the film camera.

Q5 Do you have any hobbies other than photography?
Tina: I like to play the guitar, but I’m not very confident. I also like dancing. When I have time, I rent some time in a studio and dance K-pop and HIP-HOP.
Kawahara: You have a lot of hobbies!

★Japan and Kyoto

Q6 Are there any places you like in Kyoto?
Tina: Kibune Shrine is very nice! I went there in the winter and it was very beautiful because of the snow. However, I was disappointed that there were not many shops open due to the pandemic.
Kawahara: I haven’t been there yet, so I’ll go there.

Q7 What is the best thing about Japan?
Tina: Convenience stores and vending machines are everywhere, so it’s very convenient. The means of transportation, including trains, buses, shinkansen, and taxis, are all accessible and convenient.

Q8 (When you introduced yourself to the class, you said you wanted to see Japanese Kabuki) so why are you interested in Kabuki?
Tina: I have always been interested in traditional performing arts, especially kabuki and gagaku, which we also have in Vietnam, and I would like to go see them to learn about the differences between them and Japan.
Kawahara: It’s my first time to hear that Japanese traditional culture exists in Vietnam!

Q9 What are your favorite Japanese foods?
Tina: Tonkatsu and katsudon ♡ Vietnam also has fried pork, but I came to like it after eating misokatsu in Japan

Q10 Is there anything you want to try in Japan?
Tina: I want to travel. I have only been able to explore the Kansai area because of the pandemic and time constraints, so I would like to go to the Kanto area.

Q11 How do you study Japanese?
Tina: I hated Japanese at first because it was so difficult. Kanji, katakana, hiragana - it was very difficult. But I believed that speaking a lot would improve my Japanese, so I talked a lot with my Japanese friends. I also practiced writing a lot of compositions to learn kanji and grammar.
Kawahara: You worked so hard. Amazing!

★Vietnam

Q12 Are there any places or foods you would recommend to Japanese people visiting Vietnam?
Tina: I recommend my hometown Danang! It is located in the central part of Vietnam and is popular as a resort. I would like you to try Bun Cha (Vietnamese-style tsukemen), Ban Xeo (Vietnamese-style okonomiyaki), Nem Lui (Vietnamese-style pork tsukune) and Chae Tap Cam (Vietnamese confectionery).
Kawahara: I looked them up and they all look very delicious.

★In Closing

Q13 What are your dreams for the future?
Tina: I’d like to do something related to tourism. I have been working as a tour designer and in tour marketing in Japan for about five years, and I want to return to Vietnam and start my own business.

Thank you for teaching me so much. If you have the same hobbies or want to know more about Vietnam, talk to Tina.