Accidental Reflection on 2019 JAL Scholarship Program and the Aftermath

Today, I received news from Japan Airlines about the upcoming 2020 JAL Scholarship Program. Alongside was the report for last year's program, which I participated.

I read that and unknowingly felt a gush of nostalgia and gratitude. I am pretty sure I have mentioned this plenty of times, but just let me reiterate again. I am so grateful to be selected as the 50th representative of Singapore from the bottom of my heart.

It was a life changing experience for me. Before I joined the program, I already have been making friends from different parts of the world, starting from Japan and then America, but remained unsatisfied that my world view still remains much limited. That aside, I saw another chance to go to Japan in my mail and without much consideration and much expectations, I signed up and went for the interview. Back then, I thought I was going to fail the interview. Because during the interview, I was asked "Tell me your weaknesses.", which I replied, naively, "I'm pretty much a coward in romance." Knowing Japanese people, knowing the ethics of interviews, one would think that such brazen comment would blow every chance at the interview. So I didn't have much expectations, but who knew I was awarded the chance to participate it.

Naive, I thought to myself. But remained naive about the program and head straight to Japan. Collaborating with 27 scholars from 15 different countries sounded like a huge task as everyone came from different backgrounds and seemingly impossible to cater to everyone, was what I initially feared. However, I remember fondly on the day of arrival and meeting of the other scholars, it struck me that "Oh, actually I'm also a foreigner to everyone else here." and the fear magically disappeared.

Thereafter, as you can see from the photos, I spent a good 23 days in Japan.

After the program ended, I returned back to Singapore and half a year has passed at this point of writing. The experienced I gained honestly changed my life after that. Firstly, my social circle of friends expanded to overseas. Then I found myself having a fiery passion in me for culture exchange and culture appreciation. So I continued making friends with exchange student. As I meet people, learn about their culture, I began to feel the need to share my own culture.

The bonds I forged during the program have become keys to another world, another culture. Shortly after the program in December 2019, I found myself traveling to Guam - a country that 90% of the Singaporeans have never heard about and enjoyed myself thoroughly. I ushered 2020 with a trip to Malaysia with the representative of Korea in January I learned not just Malaysian culture, but also Korean culture. If I knew no one from a country, I wouldn't be able to fully experience the true local culture.

During the trip, my Korean friend said something that left a deep impression. He said, "Friction between countries may cause them to not want to get along, but that's the within the governments. We citizens just want to get along with everyone. Therefore, I do culture exchange. We can all be friends at the citizen level for the country." His words resonated in me and led me to recall the last day of the JAL scholarship program. I saw how everyone from different parts of the world come together and become friends forever within 23 days. I only can agree to what he said.

"So, I shall also continue with culture exchange too. Continue connecting with people, continue connect people together and aim to create a world without borders. " I once again declared.

Thanks to the JAL program, my vision has taken shape. "To make a world without borders.", I declared that during the presentation of "Our Dreams" at the end of the program. What an absolute crazy vision I just set for myself. But, I saw that world with my own eyes, it is definitely not an impossible dream to have.