Testimonials/Study Abroad Outcomes (AUCP)

AUCP
Asia University China Program

Dalian Study Abroad, Internship, and Overseas Independent Activities Experience

Messages from Graduates


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What I learned through Yume College
Rina Shishido (Faculty of International Relations Department of International Relations)
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I have been working at Tokokosen Co., Ltd. since 2020, and am currently in Shanghai for training. My specific work involves introducing products, negotiating prices and quantities, and ultimately exporting Japanese products to China and importing Chinese products to Japan. I am currently working not only in Japan but throughout Asia, introducing Chinese products to Thailand and Indonesia as well as Japan.

画像3I had only vaguely thought about wanting to work abroad, but “ASIA YUME COLLEGE” gave me a concrete image and an invaluable experience. During the program, I was able to meet people who were active in various occupations in Japan and China, and I also had the opportunity to do an internship at JETRO Dalian while studying abroad in Dalian. This was an experience I would not have been able to have had I been a university student in Japan.

Through these experiences, I was able to gain the skills to survive abroad. Not only language skills, but also courage and a fearless spirit. In my work in China, I sometimes compete with Chinese people and people from large Japanese companies, but I am working hard with the determination not to lose in terms of my personal strength. I think this is possible because of my experience at “ASIA YUME COLLEGE”.

FY2024


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A mirror created by Chinese-style exchange
IWASAKI Yohei (Faculty of International Relations Department of Multicultural Communication)
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We are reporting to you from Dalian, a pleasant environment where sunlight and sea breeze combine.
It has already been four months since I arrived in the frigid Dalian in February. When I first arrived, I was overwhelmed by the atmosphere of the town, which is different from Japan, and the unfamiliar lifestyle, and many students fell ill, and I myself suffered from a sore throat. However, the students at Dalian University of Foreign Languages welcomed us wholeheartedly, even though we had just met. Students who I had gotten to know a little came to visit me, and my roommate's friend, whom I had not yet met, gave me juice. I think it was thanks to them that we warmed our hearts and were able to safely get through the harsh winter. In this article, I would like to talk about the distance between people that I felt firsthand here.

I think we interact with people we haven't met yet while maintaining a certain "distance." I think the people we are closest to are family. Just talking to family gives us a sense of security, and we can naturally consult with them without worrying. Family is definitely different from friends, but here in Dalian, I don't feel that difference at all. The moment we meet, it's common for them to ask if we'd like to have dinner together.

I also feel that the age barrier is much thinner than in Japan. The class I take has a wide range of participants, from under 20 to over 50 years old. Some people study Chinese in the same classroom, while others work in Dalian, while others are teachers who teach Japanese language students. In class, we actually use sentences from the textbook, and we were able to naturally become friends by introducing each other's hobbies and the cuisine of our home countries.

In particular, the opportunity to talk and eat with the Japanese language instructors was a very strange feeling, and at first I was very nervous so as not to be rude. However, the instructors told me that we were all fellow students (Tongshwe) studying the same Chinese language. Before I knew it, we had become like students who could teach each other Chinese. Sometimes the instructors would bring in the Japanese language students they were actually teaching, and we would have the opportunity to share the latest Japanese and Chinese.

Communication is very active in Dalian, where people quickly develop ties with others. This environment, where you don't feel any distance between people, allows me to have deeper interactions with people than I can in Japan, and I feel like I can see myself more clearly.



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Supporter activities for the China Communication Center
YAMAGUCHI Mio (Faculty Faculty of International Relations Department of International Relations)
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We would like to report on the activities of the Fureai no Ba Supporters in the China Fureai no Ba University Student Exchange Program run by the Japan Foundation. With the goal of promoting mutual understanding between Japan and China, Fureai no Ba Supporters interact and converse with university students studying Japanese in China, and are primarily responsible for supporting the planning and running of activities. This activity is a roughly six-month program that began in March, and involves planning and running online events at least once a month, as well as writing web articles and reporting on activities. A dispatch to China is planned for September.

This time, I will tell you about the online activities that have been going on since March. For online activities, I am in charge of the Hohhot Fureai-no-ba, located in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. There are three Japanese supporters, including myself, who are planning and managing events for students of the Japanese language department at a local university. The themes of the events were selected based on the interests of the participating students, such as "local cuisine," "school life," and "Japan quiz," based on a questionnaire given in advance. In order to make it enjoyable regardless of Japanese language ability, we used ZOOM's breakout room function to create an atmosphere that makes it easy for small groups to talk, and we also used a lot of furigana and photos in the materials. The event was held in a friendly atmosphere, and there were some lively moments.

Although it was online, I feel that I have gained a deeper understanding of China through interacting with local students. I was also happy to realize that they have an interest in Japan. We will continue our activities in the future, so we will do our best to make it an even better event.

2018

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Difficulties of working abroad
HIRAOKA Nanami (Faculty Faculty of Business Administration Department of Business Administration)
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From Dalian, where the sub-zero days continue, I will write about my dream boyfriend's study abroad experience. After four months of language training at Dalian University of Foreign Studies, I started a five-week internship at a company in Dalian City and Development Zone from December 18th. This time, I will introduce what I felt through my internship at Mizuho Bank (China) Co., Ltd. Dalian Branch.

When we think of banks, we tend to think of them as individuals depositing, withdrawing, and transferring money, but banks also provide services to corporations and other corporations. The Dalian Branch of Mizuho Bank (China) Co., Ltd., where I had an internship, is a bank that only provides corporate services. The contents of Practicum here include checking the arrival and departure times of employees, distribution of materials to employees, preparation for sending mail, counter work, etc. During my internship as a member of the Human General Affairs Division, I felt the difficulty of working overseas. All 14 employees in the Human General Affairs Division are Chinese, and only two of them can speak Japanese, so all work is done in Chinese. Therefore, most of the time when I learn about my work, it is in Chinese. At the beginning of my internship, I often hesitated because I was afraid of making mistakes or not being able to communicate. However, I realized that if I tried to convey something, the other person would understand me even if I made some mistakes, so I gradually became able to communicate in Chinese.

Before studying abroad, I wanted to use the Chinese language skills I acquired at Yume College to work abroad in the future. However, when I came to study abroad and participated in company Lecture and internships, I realized that "language skills are tools, and what is really important is business skills." It is better to be able to learn languages, but I think that language skills alone are not enough. Through this internship, I was able to grasp the image of working at a Japanese company overseas, so I would like to think about what I want to do overseas in the future.
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China's cashless society

HIRAOKA Nanami (Faculty Faculty of Business Administration Department of Business Administration)
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We deliver from Dalian, surrounded by lush nature and a beautiful starry sky. Two months have already passed since my departure on September 2, when I was filled with anticipation and anxiety about my new life. Supported by the warmth of the people of Dalian and the kindness of our Chinese roommates, we, the 14th class of Dream Boyfriend, are now living a fulfilling life each day as we get used to living surrounded by the Chinese language and culture. . A dream boyfriend experience that I am telling you from such China. This time, I will introduce the differences between Japan and China that I felt during my International Student.

What surprised me the most during my International Student was the advancement of a cashless society. There are Apple Pay and Line Pay in Japan, but there are very few people who use them to pay, and they are not yet popular. However, in China, when paying at stores, QR code payments using smartphones such as Alipay and Wechat Pay are the mainstream, and my roommate says he doesn't carry his wallet when he goes out. increase. You can easily pay by using the QR code at small independent shops and food stalls, supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants, taxis, buses, and shared bicycles. In fact, we have been shopping using QR code payment as soon as we came to Dalian. Before I went to study abroad, I had heard that payments using QR codes were the mainstream in China, but I didn't think it had progressed this far. However, while it is convenient, it is said that there are also problems such as concerns about security and the fact that you do not know how much you have spent because you do not feel that you are spending money.

If the QR code payment system spreads in Japan in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, it will become more convenient for foreign tourists.

2017

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The Power of a Smile I Learned at Work
Hanami Toyooka (Faculty of International Relations Department of Multicultural Communication)
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A dream boyfriend's study abroad experience from the beautiful winter Dalian, where the sky, the sea and the illuminations shine. Six of us, the 13th graduating students, left for our respective internship destinations on December 18th, and there are already two weeks left until we return to Japan. This time, I would like to introduce what I learned at my internship at the Dalian Swish Hotel.

During my internship at Swish Hotel, I worked as a waitress at a buffet restaurant, cleaning guest rooms, Japanese guest service, and banquet hall staff. Chinese customers ask questions in dialect-mixed Chinese and fast-talking, while Japanese customers talk to us with a look of anticipation, saying, "We're all Japanese!" Both of them put a lot of pressure on me, and when I first started working, when I was spoken to, I was so nervous that I would respond with a stern look on my face. However, as I got used to it, my excessive tension disappeared and I began to interact with customers with a smile.

What I felt there was that "when I smile, the customer's expression softens." Even if you take time to speak Chinese, if you respond with a smile and earnestness, the Chinese customers will also smile. Japanese customers who come to the front desk often freeze up in front of the Chinese staff who don't understand the language and their facial expressions don't change much. When assisting as an interpreter between a customer who is full of anxiety and the front desk, I interpret for the customer in detail and say "It's okay" with a smile as I go through the procedures. The expression on his face gradually softened as if he was relieved. Therefore, I believe that, in addition to being able to understand Chinese and speak Japanese, "I think the best reason for making customers feel at ease is a bright smile and a feeling of closeness." became. What if, on the contrary, I also acted timidly and without a smile, as if I lacked confidence? Customers are likely to become more anxious. Hospitality service with a smile always In Japan, a developed country, it is too common to notice the great power of a smile. Isn't a smile one of the simplest and most important forms of communication than words?
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close chinese friendship
Hanami Toyooka (Faculty of International Relations Department of Multicultural Communication)
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A dream boyfriend's experience of studying abroad from Dalian, which is surrounded by rich nature under the clear sky. Already two months have passed since August 28th, when I departed with high hopes for my long-awaited study abroad in Dalian. We, the 13th class, were curious about everything and were always amazed by discoveries and surprises, but now we are accustomed to living surrounded by Chinese language and Chinese culture, and are living a fulfilling life every day.

All six of us, the 13th class, are female students, so this time I would like to introduce the friendships between Chinese women that I have seen.
In Japan, when you see people holding hands on the street, what kind of people would you pick? Parents and children, younger brothers, lovers, etc. However, in the streets of China, apart from lovers, the only people walking hand in hand or walking arm in arm are women. If you see such a duo in Japan, you might find yourself chasing them with your eyes because they are so rare. However, in China, we see such female friends every day in the streets, on the streets, and in the school corridors.

Our Chinese roommates got along well while living together, and nowadays it's natural for us to walk arm in arm when we go out. For them, it is natural for close friends to hold hands or fold arms. "Why are you walking apart when you always seem to get along so well?"

The Chinese sense of close distance is not only physical but also mental. While living together, my caring Chinese roommate always takes care of me. Like a mother, she cares about her surroundings, saying things like, "I bought some fruit, so please eat it." My Chinese friends, who are always close to me and look out for me, are the kind of people I can count on and lean on.

I think it's a little embarrassing for friends to fold their arms in Japan. However, when it sticks, it is unexpectedly calming. If you dare to cross arms with your dear friend, the distance between your hearts may be closer.

2016

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Cover words with facial expressions and actions
TADA Erika (Department of Economics Faculty of Economics of Economics)
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We deliver from Dalian, China, where cold days below freezing continue. This time, I would like to talk about what I felt through my overseas internship.

My internship destination is the five-star hotel "Swish Hotel Dalian" in Dalian. Here, I mainly worked at the front desk and Japanese guest service for Japanese customers, but also worked at a western restaurant, a large-scale party staff, and housekeeping (cleaning guest rooms). From the customer's point of view, regardless of whether I am Japanese or an internship student, as long as I am there, they will see me as a professional employee. It is a daily occurrence to be asked questions at native speed without mercy, and to be asked to interpret by Japanese customers. However, when I was the only staff member who could speak Japanese, I couldn't easily give up.

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In this way, ``what to do when you have a language problem'' was the first task since I started my internship. However, by experiencing similar situations over and over again, I realized that even if my language skills were lacking, I was able to convey my feelings to customers through my attitude and actions. For example, when a customer gets lost and it is difficult to explain their destination, we can guide them to that point. In that way, "Let's cover with facial expressions, attitudes, and actions for the lack of words." I came to think so.

Since then, we have had more opportunities to make our customers happy than ever before. Until then, I was filled with anxiety, wondering what I would do if a Chinese customer approached me, or what I would do if a Japanese person asked me to interpret. became.

Through this overseas internship, I feel that I have a better idea of what it means to work overseas and interact with customers from other countries. When you find your own shortcomings, it may be a good idea to think about your strengths first. Even if you can't get 100 points in any of them, you can develop and make use of what you are good at and what you like. When you realize it, it may be your sharpest strength.
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Chinese relatives feel warmth
TADA Erika (Department of Economics Faculty of Economics of Economics)
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We deliver from Dalian, surrounded by lush nature and a beautiful starry sky.
More than two months have already passed since the departure date of August ? The warmth of the people of Dalian, the kindness of our Chinese roommates, and the many stimuli we receive from international International Student from various countries, all of us, Yumekare students, are leading energetic and fulfilling days. A dream boyfriend experience that I am telling you from such China. This time, I will introduce the differences between Japan and China that I personally felt.

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In China, there is a holiday called the National Day for about a week from October 1st every year. This is China's National Day. Some people returned to their hometowns, others went on trips, and each spent their holidays in their own way. What we did on such a national day was to go to Harbin, the hometown of my dream boyfriend. It is lined with Western architecture and is famous for its ice festival in winter.

When I arrived in Harbin, all my relatives from the same period came to pick me up and showed me around various sightseeing spots. In the morning, they served handmade gyoza dumplings, and in the evening, they filled the table with delicious Chinese food. Thinking back on this trip, there were a whopping 11 relatives of the same generation who took turns hosting us, and we dined at the same table regardless of whether we were relatives on our mother's side or on our father's side. I felt the warmth of the deep Chinese kinship, which was so close that it was hard to tell at a glance how they were connected. In retrospect, our Chinese roommates often keep in touch with their relatives, but they seem to be with different people each time.

What about Japan? Isn't it a rare sight to see maternal and paternal relatives doing something together? Just because I often see my grandparents, uncles, and cousins, it is said that my relatives are relatively wide and deep. This time, by visiting my classmate's hometown, I felt the breadth and depth of my relatives in China, which I could not notice in my daily life. China, which has many relatives and ties, is very warm and enviable.

2015

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Learning, work, and relationships
Yu Cheng Luo / NA Hyesung (Department of Law Faculty of Law of Law)
Continuing from the last time, we will deliver a dream boyfriend study abroad experience from Dalian in winter, where the city illuminations and snow crystals are fantastic.
Our life at Dalian University of Foreign Studies, which started on August 31st, flew by in the blink of an eye, and we have only one month left of our International Student including the internship.
 
The friends we met at Dalian University of Foreign Studies are important friends that we wouldn't have met if we hadn't decided to study abroad. By the time I realized that these friends had actually helped me a lot, I had already said goodbye to them, and various thoughts welled up in my mind. However, we believed that the days we spent with them would allow us to meet them again somewhere, so on December 14th, we headed to each of our internship destinations.

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My internship is at a law firm in Dalian. My main duties at the office include attending customer consultations and translating Chinese contracts into Japanese. While receiving the training, I am Practicum by facing the problem of "What is work?"

What I realized while spending such a daily life is that "people's lives" and "human relationships" are always at the center of work. After realizing this, I looked at the law again, and I realized that the law is the rule for managing human relationships that my predecessor noticed, and that it is the best way to solve problems when they occur. I was.

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But just like no one is perfect, this text is not perfect either. That's why I work as a lawyer. Isn't it their job to organize human relationships well by using this law text? In this world, there are no jobs that are born with the idea of “I will make a lot of money”. All the work in this world is born from the idea that "if there was such a thing, if there were such a person, people's lives and the world would be a little happier." And there is always a human figure behind the idea. Someone thought, "I want to hear the voices of my family who are far away," so I thought that just like letters, post offices, and telephones, jobs born from people's thoughts are rewarding jobs. .

It may be just a little, but I feel that I was able to grasp the image of "working" through this overseas internship. When you get stuck in job hunting or in your daily life, if you go back to the starting point and find the core idea, you may suddenly come up with something you hadn't thought of before. At that time, I wonder if I can meet myself who is growing one step further.
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A heartwarming day "Teacher's Day"
Yu Cheng Luo / NA Hyesung (Department of Law Faculty of Law of Law)
From Dalian, where you can see the sea in the morning and the starry sky at night, I will write about my dream boyfriend's study abroad experience. Two months have already passed since I started living at Dalian University of Foreign Studies on August 31, when many people sent me off. At first, the size of the university, the deliciousness of the food, the kindness of the people, and so on, all of us were surprised and moved.
 
One day, about two weeks into International Student, someone asked me a question. "What is there in China that Japan doesn't have?" Therefore, I would like to introduce the "Made in China" that came to my mind the most.

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How did you spend September 10th? For some, it was a day that passed by, and for others, it was an irreplaceable day. September 10th in China where we are is a little embarrassing, but it was a warm day. It is thanks to the "teacher (jiao shi jie)". Translated into Japanese, it is "Teacher's Day". This "teacher's festival" is one of the events not found in Japan, and is a day to express our usual gratitude and respect to our teachers. As this day approaches, the university becomes a little hectic.
I will. Classmates gather in the dormitory or on the terrace to share their thoughts and ideas with the teachers who are always indebted to them and prepare surprises. We exchanged money, went out to eat with our teachers, spent all night making photo albums full of memories, visited flower shops where flowers were arranged more colorfully than usual, and seriously offered bouquets. I was a little surprised by the sights that I can't see in Japan, and I felt that "thank you" is common all over the world, even if you don't understand the language.

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We, the 11th class of Yumekare, would like to express our gratitude to those who have helped us in various situations to bring together Yume College students from Asia University in Japan and Japanese language students from Dalian University of Foreign Studies in China. , I told Mr. Xie, who is taking care of us at Dalian University of Foreign Studies, "Happy Teacher's Day" with flowers, presents and a smile.

Teachers who show us the way like a compass when we don't know the way to go with a lot of knowledge and experience. I think it's wonderful to use the power of a day like this to express my gratitude and respect to teachers who are always too embarrassed to say anything.

Why don't you all express your gratitude to the teachers who are taking care of you? It's sure to be a heart-warming day.

2014

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Value an objective point of view
Koko Shibata / SHIBATA Koko (Department of Department of Multicultural Communication Faculty of International Relations)
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We are sending you from Dalian, where the cold days continue, even the highest temperature is below freezing. Sometimes the sky is hazy due to pollution, but one day I was able to see a shooting star. Will something good happen?

During the last month of my study abroad, I had an internship at the Consular Office of Japan in Dalian. In addition to providing various administrative services such as issuing visas and accepting residence reports, we also hold events to let Chinese people know about Japan and to create opportunities for Japanese and Chinese to interact. We also carry out public relations and cultural projects to plan and hold events. This time, I was in charge of planning and managing the event as a member of the public relations and culture team. I also translated and summarized local newspapers in order to convey the current situation in China to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

It is said that there are about 6,000 Japanese people staying in Dalian for a long time, and more than 2,000 companies are operating in The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). It is a city that is familiar with Japan. Perhaps for this reason, there is hardly a day without an article about Japan in the local newspaper.

Translating newspapers was more difficult than I thought. I don't usually read newspapers, so I can't quite think of what kind of wording would be appropriate. I also have a hard time understanding the content of newspapers because my knowledge of economics and law is poor. I was once again keenly aware of how much I had relied on the Internet media for my life.

While picking up articles related to Japan, I noticed something. That is, even for articles on the same theme, there are differences in the way the news is reported between Japan and China. Of course, since each is reporting from their own country's point of view, it can't be helped that the content and claims are slightly different. However, is it really okay to judge things only from one perspective? By standing in the other person's position and reviewing things again, you can make an objective decision.

By looking at Japan from China and other countries through International Student, I was able to see Japan objectively, and I was able to come up with new ideas that I had never seen before.

Finally. Ladies and gentlemen, do you remember the quiz at the end of the study abroad experience in the previous issue of this paper? In the manga "Attack on Titan" that I saw in China, the main character's line, "I'll destroy you," was translated into Chinese. Four kanji characters. The correct answer was "total disappearance". Anyone know? Anime and manga, which Japan boasts to the world, are very popular in China. It is recommended to watch the same work in foreign languages as it will be a good learning experience.
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“Gyoza and rice” is Japanese food culture
Koko Shibata / SHIBATA Koko (Department of Department of Multicultural Communication Faculty of International Relations)
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We deliver from Lushun, Dalian City, surrounded by blue skies and starry skies.

What are your impressions of China? My first impression of Dalian, China, where I studied abroad, was the vastness of the land, the beauty of the sky, and the warmth of the local people. Some people worry about environmental issues. Fortunately, I was able to see the blue sky during the day and the beautiful moon the other night. Some people may have the impression that the store clerk has a bad attitude. No, it's okay. If you smile and say "thank you", they will reply with a smile. Especially uncles and aunts. The warmth is like returning to your grandparents' house. A dream boyfriend's study abroad experience report from such China. Four months have already passed since I came here, and I have become accustomed to China. This time, I will introduce the Chinese culture that shocked me when I first came here.

It happened at a restaurant. We ordered the famous dumplings and rice to accompany the dumplings. The dumplings came out quickly, but the rice didn't come out easily. I thought it would be delicious to eat rice with gyoza, so I waited for the rice to come out and the gyoza got cold. Also, at other restaurants, if you don't make sure to bring the rice first, it won't come out easily. This seems to be due to the difference in thinking between Japanese and Chinese. Chinese people don't eat dumplings and white rice together like they do in Japan. Gyoza is eaten by itself, never with rice.

Also, in Japan, it is common to order gyoza to accompany ramen, but in China, there is no such concept, and people wonder, "Why do you eat gyoza when you eat ramen?" Therefore, the staff must have wondered why we ordered white rice with gyoza. It's interesting how the same dish can be eaten in different ways.

Finally, a quiz. It is a question from manga, which is a culture that Japan boasts to the world. The manga "Attack on Titan" gained popularity in Japan and gave a shock. In China, I also discovered that there is a translated version of Attack on Titan. In the play, the main character shoots "I'll destroy you!"
Many people have probably heard the line. How is this word translated in Chinese?

The hint is four kanji characters. Another special tip. The answer is "○ bottom ○ loss". It is not the kanji "destroyer" that goes into the blank. For the answer, please refer to the next Dalian Study Abroad Experience Report, “Putting an Objective View on Value.” looking forward to!
<Updated July 8, 2024>
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