The most memorable moment of workshop for me would be the very first day of the workshop. It was the first day we got to meet new Japanese friends and the very first dinner was memorable. Everyone was happy and curious of each other and how the workshop would turn out.

The 4-day 3-night workshop was quite an intensive one, but at the same time it was also fun. Each group has a mix of Japanese students and ASJA students. We get to learn how different people from different background think and work. There were some who were shy to share own opinions at first, but it was not a big deal as our group communicated in both English and Japanese. The program was not all about brainstorming ideas. There was recess time with icebreaker games which did help with the team bonding and the after-hours sessions were fun. The above activities have helped me understand the importance of teamwork, how to convey my thoughts to other people, how to encourage teammates to express their own and how to acknowledge them. Most importantly, as an ASJA student, seeing different senpais as leaders and subleaders of each group and how they have created comfortable environment for everyone to speak up was amazing. All this had helped my current self to be considerate of others, and to be able to interact with people in different scenarios.

The workshop is definitely an eye opener to most. Be it good or bad experience, it is guaranteed to gain something out of it and help us grow. We get to experience how different people work, think, and through the discussions, we get to know a glimpse of various work ethic and cultures. This kind of exposure is much needed for everyone to be open minded and accept all sorts of thoughts. The workshop serves as a good exercise to appreciate diversity.