How would you describe the internship in three words?
Inspiring, Motivational, Courage
What were your expectations from the internship before you came to Obubu?
I came to Obubu very open-minded afer just graduated from university and I just wanted to learn more about Japanese tea, Japanese culture, and become a part of the tea community.
Did the internship meet your expectations?
Yes
If you can change anything in the internship, what would it be?
During my time, the internship program was facing some hard challenges in the overall of the program relating to structure, work and personal space, rapid changes in schedule, and understanding what the internship means in terms of work culture in Japan. There were major changes that were made with introducing this educational side with having tea discussions, weekly open discussions about informational tea topics and any topic we were interested. This internship program has improved and things will keep changing in the future.
During which period have you been to Obubu?
August- January
Which year have you been to Obubu?
2018
How was a typical day during your period?
Every day is different. I came here in the summer period, after the summer farming harvest was over where mostly we were weeding in the tea fields quite early in the mornings, mostly doing tea tours 3-4 a week, and packing tea. Then in the autumn period, there was a lot to do with autumn harvest, processing, tea tours, and intern selection interviews. The winter period is quieter with more personal projects to do as well construction work for the new projects at Obubu.
What was your best memory at Obubu?
The late nights drinking tea with the other interns(Senpai team), George and Jeff and talking a lot about our future and ideas. (Of course, also watching Terrace House with lots of snacks)
What do you do now?
At the moment, I am back in Japan working on projects such as Global Japanese Tea Association, hosting tea workshops in Kyoto, taking tea ceremony lessons, and meeting more people in the tea world.
Did the internship help you to reach your goals?
Yes