| Bridge 1: Memoir |
.
Studio Project:
.
.
Explanation of the assignment
While writing your memoir piece for seminar you will simultaneously work on a memory montage for your studio class. This should relate—at least in part—to the memory you evoke in your written memoir piece; in this way, the two projects will inform, challenge, and inspire each other.
.
.
Seminar Writing
The First Day
I couldn’t sleep the night before the day when I first went to my school in Switzerland. My mind was packed with all the thoughts that became one huge conjunction. I was only an eleven years old Japanese girl who thought the only language I needed to know was Japanese. I wasn’t ready for this big change. Our family went to Switzerland all the way from Japan. I didn’t make the choice. The time passed so fast that time itself seemed like it was more excited than me to have the first day of school outside of Japan.
That day I was sleepy but more than that I was terrified. I was standing in front of the school. I looked around to seize something that can make me feel relief. But everything was totally new for me. The building, the people and how they interact with each other, and the language I hear wasn’t something I knew. The excited kids were running around the field, the parents were gossiping and gazing their children, the strong fall wind pushed my back. My parents were gazing at me from their car. I had to move forward and slowly reached to the classroom.
The small classroom was filled with chatter from the students and teachers that sounded like random sounds to me. The sunshine welcomed all the students except me. Someone came closer to me. My head did not want to move. ‘Hello dear.’ I lifted my head and saw my teacher with a big smile on her face.
Even though her way of speech was understandable, and smooth, my mind was speeding too fast to absorb all the letters, all the words. It was frustrating how I didn’t understand everything she had said. By the end it was too much for an eleven-year-old girl. I was exhausted. When I got home I figured out that I had a fever. That night I also couldn’t sleep and the fever got worse after going to school for several days. I kept fainting every Wednesday from the exhaustion from going to school on Mondays and Tuesdays.
It was challenging for me to make new friends especially with the language barrier. I worried, and the thought of wanting to go back to Japan was getting stronger every day. I was stuck in this circle of anxiety and fear. My immature mind and body had a hard time adapting to the new environment.
After a few weeks had past, one ordinary day, I was walking to the school cafeteria to have some lunch. As I walked down the stairs, the sound of students chattering got louder and louder. Then I saw a girl walk by in front of me. Her black haired ponytail caught my eyes. Immediately my instinct knew that she was Japanese. I desperately ran to her, as fast as possible. All the sound of students disappeared and I only concentrated on her. Though I was desperate, I still hesitated when I was about to tap on her shoulder. What if she is not actually Japanese? Will I look weird if I randomly say hi to her? All these questions were running through my mind so fast. I mustered up my courage and slowly tapped on her shoulder. Her ponytail flipped with rhythm. Her eyes were so impressive that I still remember how she looked straight at me. “um…are..you……Japanese?” I slowly asked. My heart was beating so fast. She was first looking at me curiously, but smiled and said ‘yes!’ in Japanese. At that moment, I felt a tremendous relief.
After that, we became good friends. She introduced me to her friends so that I could make new friends. She helped me whenever I couldn’t understand something, and I was just so much happier when I was with her. This totally changed how I thought about life in Switzerland. One girl changed my way of thinking. I was able to make new friends other than her and my health was getting better and better every single day. The green was more vivid, the cows were singing, and I was happy to hear English. This change made my world much bigger, and further enriched my mind.
