Life Chapter @IUJ

What is IUJ? ?International University in Jungle? or ?I and U in Jail??
If it is a jail, it is just a jail in Paradise,
if it is a jungle, it is just a jungle of love, friendship, and another great life test!

I do not know how this life chapter began, but this is how it starts:

Two years ago during this time, I was hardly preparing myself to say “GOOD BYE” to my beloved family, colleague, and friends, yet it was an exciting moment to land in Japan, the country that always dream to visit during my childhood.

Temporarily stayed in a small box-size room at Sinjuku Washington Hotel, where the most crowded area i have never seen, I was completely bored and I counted down the day I could readily settle to my school. Located in an isolated rural area, International University of Japan have been commonly called by its students as “International University in Jungle” or “I and U in Jail.”

Actually this tale is true. While the Shinkansen officer announced that “soon we will arrive Urasa (the train station near my school),” my tear nearly dropped unconsciously because I did see my university surround by a ranges of mountains and forest. If it is not a jail, then it should be an abandoned forest. I feel so pity to myself when thinking of my two-year life in this area. Even worst, my first arrival to the school was welcomed by a green snake which quickly moved from side walk to grass field, and a number of frogs and scorpion who we might see them on our room?s wall, near our bed or even near the window.

In spite of this, I started to realize that life at IUJ is a precious moment of my life chapter. If it is a jail, it is just a jail in Paradise, if it is a jungle, it is just a jungle of love, friendship, and another great life test. It is not only the academic test, but also the test on how to live in diversity and multicultural community. Meeting a number of students from nearly 50 countries is just like we ourself traveling to these countries since we could learn and understand each other?s culture and their way of life. What a funny life is if we also need to queue in a crowded shared-kitchen waiting our turn to cook. Though the kitchen is small, it could accommodate a crowded chiefs who apparently talked to each other, yet we can hear different sound of languages and accents. From spicy to curry smell, we sometime shared food and party together at Cafe No Problem or our dorm lounge.

IUJ in early winter taken from my dorm’s window, photo taken by Sopheap Chak