Haus der Begegnung

Kyoto International Student House or more commonly known as 'Haus der Begegnung (HdB)' is a dormitory where students from different continents and cultures, of different races and colors, different social strata, religions and outlooks live together. It is a 'House of Encounter' as its name 'Haus der Begegnung' indicates. Currently, students from 14 different countries are living together.

Established on January 10th, 1964, we celebrated its 40th anniversary last year. A former resident of the dormitory, the Iraqi professor was invited to give a talk about Iraq before and after US invasion and the rebuilding of the country.

A humble celebration of its 40th anniversary. Quite a lot of food and alcohol actually.

Welcome Party is held once in the starting of each semester - both spring and autumn to allow new residents to adapt easily to their new environment. These foods were all prepared by residents including the house parents - very presentable indeed.

Common meals are held on every alternate Fridays. Residents take turns to prepare food, which are either from one's country or any nice food that one is confident of preparing.

One of the biggest events of the dorm, the International Food Festival is held annually to promote cultural understanding. Residents organize themselves by country , and prepare a traditional food dish that is representative of their native country. Last year, I took part in preparing roti canai, a form of puffed bread served hot with curry. (From left; unknown, Yuya, Qoo and Yasuyo)

Halloween is celebrated on the night of October 31st. Halloween celebrations tend to be associated with children - trick-or-treating, but it is a good excuse for a party nevertheless.

There wasn't any fancy dresses, neither was there any spooky make-up. But how about some cute Halloween desserts ?

What does it take to get some christmas spirit ? Make your tree shine with christmas spirit ! It was quite an ugly tree, probably the ugliest christmas tree decoration I have ever seen.

Held twice or three times a year, seminar focuses on specific areas. Facilitated by several specialists, last year we enjoyed a perfect introduction to japanese tea ceremony. The tea ceremony (Sado) is a ritual way of preparing and drinking tea. Many Japanese who are interested in their own culture, take tea ceremony lessons with a teacher.

During the spring and autumn semesters, we organize overnight weekend trips.

The trip conducted during last year's spring semester was designed to give residents a greater opportunity to experience the skills and outdoor fun of Lake Biwa, Shiga Prefecture - a canoe trip.

Quite a nice dormitory - made many friends and a few really good friends. But sometimes too much gossips and occasional backstabbing, which I don't quite like. Above is the garden and neighbourhood scenery viewed from my room during mid-winter.