University of Wisconsin–Madison

Japan: Fiona Finger (Local Interactions)

Chatting with the locals at a café!
Chatting with the locals at a café!

As I wandered down the streets of a tiny little Japanese town, I stumbled upon the smallest coffee shop I had ever seen. It was made from a small trailer-like structure, with room for only four seats inside. I walked inside and immediately felt like I was intruding. The three customers were chatting away with the owners in Japanese, and I awkwardly took the only remaining empty seat and stared silently at the menu. I felt guilty for barging in, but also felt it would be rude to simply leave. I kept studying the menu options, debating between the blueberry and chocolate muffin. I decided I would quickly order and then exit as fast as possible.

All the sudden, the owner of the shop bridged the silence between us and asked where I was from and what I was doing in Japan. The other customers eagerly listened for my answers and before I knew it, I had spent over 2 hours in the coffee shop, using Google translate to chat with my newfound friends. We spoke about places in Japan, life in America, trips to Australia, and everything in between. The owner explained he had created the coffee shop for his wife, who “hadn’t found a coffee she liked, so he made one instead”. They now ran the shop together and made the delicious freshly baked muffins every day. Before leaving the café, they gifted me several pouches of their coffee and a little handwritten note. It was an incredible experience to bond with complete strangers, and I will never forget that tiny little coffee shop!

 

Fiona holds a sunflower while standing in a field of sunflowers.

Fiona Finger

Hometown: Oconomowoc, Wisconsin

Major: Psychology; Spanish

Program: GHJ English Teaching Internship

I chose this program because this is an area of the world I have never been to, and I love working with children.

I am extremely excited to try the food and learn more about how Japanese society is different from American norms. I hope to learn at least 50 words in Japanese while abroad!

To explore international internship options available to UW-Madison undergraduate students, visit the intern abroad webpage or meet with an Intern Abroad advisor.