Hey everyone, My name is Shaun, im a 16 year old and I always wanted to experience a different culture, and get to know people from a different country, I also really love Japan, but my parents don't have enough for a whole school year, and 2 weeks isn't enough, to explore the country learning the language and culture, I also want to move there at 18, and this exchange program could help me alot cause then I already have the exchange program on my record, cause if I don't have any Japanese experience or know anyone in Japan then, it would be even harder to move there, I also wanted to explore the world ever since i was 12 and experience new things, I have travelled before but not to countries, besides canada but thats the only country and it was in a city, and I don't want to go to cities, cause they dont have the right culture like rural areas do and i want to see the rural areas cause they have the, more of the culture stuff, then the cities do and my parents don't think i can do it and learn a new language, so i want to prove them wrong but i cant do it without your guys help, but the biggest reason i want to do an exchange program and move there is because i wan to see the views and cherry trees and just have some piece and quiet and Japan is that, its way quieter there, an dhas way more piece than america, and it has more rural areas than america, which I love and they are healthier than what america has, its also cleaner, and the people are more respectful than Americans, like yeah there are probably a little bit of disrespectufle but most people there i hear are more respectful, cause if you look at some of the news going on around in the world, Foreigners are disrespecting their culture, and i want to prevent foreigners disrespecting their culture, so that japan will respect foreigners, do more things in their country, cause there are places where they wont let foreigners enter, there isnt alot of those places in japan, i also want to have Japanes people respecting foreigners again, only one country is like that in Japan and its Kyoto, the main reason why people in kyoto is like that is, because its the place where most of the culture stuff is, and foreigners, are graffiting on the shrines and on the arches there, foreigners do pull ups on them, and i want to prevent those things, so that people in Kyoto, would respect more foreigners they are still kind to us, but that's just how all of the japanese people are disciplined to do, to be kind, and respectful to all kinds of people, and i hate that that people just disrespect them, when japanese people just graffiti or just use it against them, when we just use it against them.

Hi. My name is Shaun. I want to tell you about a dream that I’ve had for a very long time. Since I was 12 years old, I have been dreaming about living in Japan.

I know that might sound strange! However, after years of studying Japanese language, culture, and history, I am certain that I want to visit that great country.

There are some short-term study-abroad opportunities that last a few weeks, but I would like to spend at least a year there, as a foreign-exchange student, it might also sound like i want this but i also need this because, I don't get along with my family here and I feel like they mainly blame me for stuff, that i don't do, so if I get away from them for i year, I can refresh, and hopefully go back to america after the year ends, so it won't bother me as much.

Will I learn to speak the language fluently? That’s my hope. I have already spent more than a year on my own, studying Japanese language. I have made some significant progress. I can now read and write both Hiragana and Katakana, which are writing systems used in Japan. I have also been working on my vocabulary skills.

I love what I have learned about Japanese culture and life in Japan. For example, I am very impressed by their polite social customs, their serious approach to living, and the extreme cleanliness and orderliness of their society.

Furthermore, I'm going to help this society in America by learning how Japan’s society works and bring that information over to America.

If I could bring any of my information from Japan, to America, I would bring the language to America, and some of their culture so people can understand more about how Japanese people think, so most of the stereotypes of Japanese people could go away.

I also can help others understand, that there is like a whole different part of the planet that isn't as loud as america, where people don't judge, as much, where people respect, and love you the way you are, while here people judge if you don't like the same thing as them, where people will discriminate you harder, then other people in other countries, like yeah japanese people do discriminate, but its not more of vocal, it is more like you cant go in there, cause your not japanese.