ハワイ大学への留学ももうすぐ2ヵ月が過ぎようとしています。ハワイでの生活にも慣れ、文化や習慣の違いに気づき、その文化や慣習を受け入れることが出来ているようです。

Hawaiian life
Tsumugi Sugihara

About two months have passed since I came to Hawaii. I can now appreciate the differences between Japan and Hawaii. First of all, let me write about Hawaiian life. This is the first time for me to come to Hawaii and I was impressed that the people in Hawaii are very kind. For example, when getting on a bus, men give priority to women, small children and elderly people very naturally, and Hawaiian people move quickly to give their seats to their elders and physically handicapped people on the bus. Priority seats are provided on all transportation in Japan, but I think that only a few people act quickly like Hawaiians.
I am not only impressed by Hawaiian customs, but also the cultural differences. For example, we have to be careful about the time schedule of transportation. In Hawaii, the main public transportation is the bus. We often use the bus to go to university, shopping anywhere, so it's very important in daily life. But the bus never comes on time according to the time schedule. In Japan, there is a delay of about 1 to 3 minutes when using the bus, but Hawaiian buses cause a big delay or arrive very early each time. It makes us late for university or appointments, so we have to use an app to look up the bus schedule. We have to leave the house early. And also, the bus driver sometimes stops the bus to take a break. If you have to go home early, you need to catch a bus with time to spare. That means, I have to get up early for 8:00 class in the morning!

The Bus
Yukari Notsu

Four unexpected things happened to me when I was on the bus in Hawaii. The first happened when the driver suddenly shouted: "Everyone, change the bus here." I didn't understand what was going on, and I was puzzled. I asked about it to the bus driver, and he said "You can get on the bus in front of you." I was scared because the driver's way of talking seemed angry. I had to change the bus suddenly for no reason. It never happens in Japan, but in Hawaii, it is usual.
The second happened when we didn't get any information of the bus schedule change. The information of the next bus suddenly disappeared. The bus never comes on time. If it happens in Japan, the passengers will complain. In Hawaii, no one complains. So I think it is important to arrive at the bus stop early.
The third happened when the driver suddenly changed his destination. The destination was just where I wanted to go, so I was able to ride the bus comfortably. However, other passengers who wanted to go to a different destination, had to change the bus. I felt scared when I experienced this.
The fourth happened when the driver suddenly stopped the bus. Then he went to the bathroom without saying anything. I was very surprised. The drivers make announcement to us usually, but sometimes they don't.
These things normally happen in Hawaii, but never in Japan. So, these things made me realize that there are a lot of cultural differences between Japan and Hawaii.
Recently, I discovered some Hawaiian customs and I got used to them. Moreover, these customs are very important and help me to understand Hawaii and Hawaiian culture better.