Introduction Fernando

Konnichiwa! My name is Fernando. I am a student in University of Calgary who is currently in applied math major and Japanese minor. I have strong interests in math (mostly because there is no essays or lab reports due all the time), but also gained fascination by the beauty of Japanese culture. Despite the fact that I have studied Japanese for a couple of years by now, I seldom have any Japanese conversation out of class(lack of opportunity, but more likely due to insufficient proficiency). So, I am quite excited to immerse myself into a Japanese speaking environment. In order to learn or advance at a skill, you must endorse yourself in it first. Learning a culture does not just happen in the classroom; meeting the people and exploring the country where the culture is originated would be best for learning. Through this program, I hope I can have deeper knowledge about Japanese culture and enhance my Japanese. For our group study program project, our group is doing research on Zen Buddhism and drinking culture in Japan. During the stay in Hokkaido, we hope to reach a whole new level on Zen, as well as discuss the significance of drinking culture in contemporary Japan.