My experience
Mornings have never really bothered me, so being woken up at 4am wasn’t quite as bad as I had expected. In fact, I practically leaped out of bed on July 4th when I remembered that I was flying out to Japan that morning. The drive to the airport and security were all a blur and I can hardly recall anything from our first flight. I suppose I fell asleep, because the first memory I have is when we were on the plane we would be passengers on for the 12 hours to Japan. The touch screens on the back of every seat had all of us students in a trance. Any movie you can imagine was at the tip of our fingers to entertain us through the entirety of the flight! I also found airplane food to be everything that I had hoped for, which regrettably was not very good. In fact, after we landed and checked into the hotel, I found that I had acquired a sickening stomach-ache from the airplane food. It was pretty depressing not being able to enjoy my first meal in Japan, spaghetti.
The next morning we found ourselves caught up in all the wonders of Tokyo. The city is just as big as NYC, if not bigger, yet it still has this since of beauty around it. There were trees planted here and there along the sidewalk, and people took time to clean the streets, and were courteous about things like littering. Our tour guide led us to the emperor’s gate, U.S. Embassy, and a temple that is one of the busiest streets in Tokyo. Even though we didn’t spend nearly enough time in the city to experience it at its greatest, we were all anxious to meet our host families and therefore relieved when we got on the bus for Naka.
None of us were sure what to expect when we arrived. We were all nervous about how we would communicate, and afraid that our host families would hate us. They served us dinner, which was absolutely delicious, and I was ecstatic to find that just like in Tennessee, good food can bring even the most different of families together. The ice breaker helped some too. They made all the students participating in the program go up to the front of the room and dance to the city’s community dance song. It was a very humbling time for all of us when we discovered our inability to follow dance instructions in a language other than English. After the ceremony ended all of the students went home with their host families. I was nervous about staying with total strangers and I assume they felt very similar about opening their house to an American school girl they had never met and could hardly communicate with. However, they were kind and patient when showing me with difficulty how to navigate the house, and most importantly how to operate all the appliances in a Japanese bathroom! After overcoming that challenging obstacle though, everything else was a walk in the park. Before bed that night I presented everyone in the family with the gifts I brought from America and was relieved at how enthusiastic and ecstatic they were once they received them. When my Japanese father opened his present to find a bottle of Jack Daniels, it might as well have been a bicycle his face showed it all! It was also amusing once I told him it was barbeque sauce and not whiskey to see his face fall slightly to ask what that was.
The next morning we all said goodbye as our hosts rode off on their bicycles to school and piled into the bus for a tour of the city. We visited city hall and met with the mayor and Naka’s city officials. They were very welcoming and gave us all gifts which were greatly appreciated. After seeing all we could see and stopping for a seemingly endless number of pictures we walked across the street to see an older, traditional Japanese house. It was rich with Japanese culture and we were served green tea and Japanese snacks as we walked around the house in slippers. It wasn’t long before Warren and many of us other students discovered that the polished wood floors provided an excellent surface to slip and slide around in our shoes and before they could stop us we were all “jerking” and “moon-walking” down the halls. We even convinced the photographer to dance with us! Much to our chagrin though, we had a full schedule and had to keep moving so we said our goodbyes to the city officials and headed off to the Naka City Library.
When we arrived at the library we were taken aback by the size of it. There were windows everywhere that stretched from the floor to the ceiling and endless numbers of bookshelves. We weren’t given much time to explore though as we were rushed upstairs to enjoy a demonstration of black theater. Three very kind ladies relayed the story of Tanabata, the Bamboo Festival, in which Orihime and Hikoboshi are separated by the Milky Way. They wished to be together and their wish was granted on one condition. If they worked hard, Orihime with her weaving, and Hikoboshi in his hearding of cows, they would be allowed to meet once a year. So every year on July 7th the Japanese celebrate Tanabata by tying their wished to bamboo branches and hope that their wishes will be granted just as Orihime and HIkoboshi’s were. After the black theater presentation we were taken to a museum and after learning about the city’s history we were allowed to write our wishes down on paper where we tied them to bamboo branches. We also visited the city’s atomic energy center, community center, and are lunch at a traditional Japanese restaurant. It was a long day and we were all glad afterwards to go home with our families and enjoy dinner.
That night I went bowling with two other student’s families and afterwards we ate out at this fast food sushi restaurant. It was like nothing I had ever seen before! There were conveyor belts that stretched across the entire room and after you ordered you food from this computer the conveyor belt would bring you your food! We were all sad once when we said goodnight, but eager to go to school the next morning. School there was very similar to American school except that they all spoke Japanese so it was difficult to understand the teachers. We were great entertainment apparently though, because if we spoke Japanese they would all giggle and then when we spoke English with them they would all try to practice their English with us. Even though our conversational topics were limited and mostly all in broken English I made a lot of friends and even more when we went to school the next day. After school ended the second day we were all very sad and there were a great many tears and goodbyes but also smiles and we all exchanged email addresses.
The rest of the week went by all too quickly. We spent time with other families almost every night; we went to barbeques and had karaoke nights, my family even took me to the mall there. Not only to shop even though we did that too, but the most popular place at the mall was the photo booths! Another event I really enjoyed was on Sunday when Warren’s and my families went and made ceramics on a potter’s wheel. We made a really big mess, but it was most definitely worth the trouble. Afterwards we were both surprised to find that we were eating lunch together too at an Italian restaurant. His Japanese father taught us all magic tricks with toothpicks and then we all drove a little ways down the road to a park where we spent the afternoon. Monday, we all traveled to an aquarium where we saw all sorts of fish and even a dolphin show. The bus ride there was my favorite part though, we were all singing and laughing and just enjoying each other’s company. Yuri and I even started up a round of Elvira by the Oak Ridge Boys and were thrilled when Mayor Beehan joined in singing the bass line! Following the aquarium we walked down to the beach and “dabbled” until we were soaked! Before we knew it the day had come and gone and we were headed back to enjoy our last event together, the farewell ceremony. The ceremony was great we all danced and ate and enjoyed seeing Japanese artwork and listening to the adults talk. Even with the unplanned difficulties with involving our presentation we still had a backup and everyone really loved hearing us sing Rocky Top! The whole party was over much too soon and I thought my heart would break when my host Ryoka started crying when I hugged her. Yet again we all found ourselves saying goodbye and hugging all of our new friends for the last time before we left.
That night I presented my family with the last gifts I had brought to get them. We were all somewhat sad, but determined not to waste any time together. I played “doctor” with my little sister, and cards and Othello with everyone else. The dad had made a slide show of all the pictures from my visit there and we watched them laughing and commenting on every picture, just enjoying each other’s company and reliving all the good memories. We also watched videos from my stay there and even old home videos of theirs from festivals and such. I felt like a part of the family and I am forever grateful for the opportunity to do just that.
Goodbyes the next day were the hardest though. Despite everything I thought would be the most challenging in Japan such as the language barrier or eating strange foods, goodbyes were the toughest. We stood there across from all of the other students and their families, holding back tears, many of us unsuccessfully, and were told that each of us was to say a word or two of gratitude and thanks before we left, maybe even a most memorable moment. When it was my turn I wasn’t nervous about talking, just unsure what to say. In the end I told the story about how my Japanese mother had walked up to me one night before bed and told me how glad she was that she now had 3 daughters, 2 Japanese daughters, and one American daughter. I guess she heard what I said, because after the ceremony was over she walked up to me and embraced me, crying into my shoulder. I had been doing so well about not crying until she hugged me and at that moment all the emotions rushed to the surface and I realized we were actually leaving! All of us cried when we said goodbye, even the boys even if they won’t admit it. We could blame it on over exhaustion, maybe even just homesickness, but I believe that it proves just how much of an effect this trip had on all of us. Not only learning about the culture, but we were given an opportunity to build and strengthen friendships and relationships that will last us a lifetime. The language barrier pushed us to find other ways to communicate with each other, this way there was no way to lie, or hide behind a mask of sorts that we might have created to give us status of some sort in America. We were put in a situation where the only option was to be ourselves and where every action we made was being observed. We learned the importance of first impressions and why acting respectfully can alter a relationship with someone else. These skills are only few of many lessons that I have brought back from Japan. And I cannot begin to express how much of a blessing it was to travel with everyone that I did. They not only were a joy to travel with, but also were a comfort and much help to me when I was homesick. Also, I would like to thank all the people who made the trip possible and I hope that the students and delegates that travel to Naka in the future will get as much out of the trip that I was able to, if not more.
Visiting Japan was the coolest experience I’ve ever had!! On Friday before we left I was so excited I couldn’t sleep a wink! When we first arrived in Japan at our hotel, we were all jittery and excited, and couldn’t wait to go walk around Tokyo. But everything was new and scary (like the toilets), and I know I felt pretty homesick.
The next day, I was extremely nervous about meeting my host family, and it seemed pretty scary when we were at the welcome dinner. They didn’t know very good English, and I was very nervous about going home with them and not having someone else I knew. My family was very nice and welcoming to me, and as the days went along, it became easier and easier to communicate. My host was best friends with Madelyn’s host, so we spent lots of time with them. That made it much easier, because having someone else I could talk to gave me more confidence to bond to my host family. Even though the language barrier was tough, it was much easier to communicate than I thought it would be. I know they also got frustrated sometimes because they didn’t understand me, but we would always work through it. But through the entire week, my host family became like a second family to me, and their house felt like home. I got really lucky with what family I got!
We did lots of fun things in Japan! My family took me bowling, we went to a sushi bar, we did karaoke, and we had a barbeque with Madelyn’s family. My family and I bonded lots during the entire week, and we had so much fun I can’t even begin to explain it! It was really cool teaching them new English words, and even cooler when they taught me Japanese! Going to school was an awesome time. The classes were so different, and really fun to experience. Everyone stared, but it was so cool to make friends with other people. Even though we couldn’t speak the same language, we became great friends and by the time we left, people were crying and we got several E-pals!
I tried lots of food in Japan, too! There were lots of WHAT DID I JUST EAT??? moments. Once they told me to eat “nato”, which didn’t smell good at all. I tried it and it was fine, so I said I liked it. Everyone gasped and laughed and “ohhhhd”, but never told me what it was!!!! I introduced new food to them, too. I gave them peanut butter and lots of candy, and we had a particularly good time with jellybeans, and trying to guess the flavors.
On the morning that we had to leave, everybody cried. My little sister, my host girl, my host mom, and I even think my dad got misty-eyed. I was very upset to leave, but I was eager to see my other family too. Right before we left, I told my host girl, Yuna, that she would always be my sister, and my host mom said I would always be her daughter. That made me so happy and sad all at the same time. I will never forget the fun times I had and the memories I made in Japan. I’m very excited about Yuna visiting, even though she doesn’t get to stay with my family. I’m looking forward to making new memories!
When we left for Japan, I really didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know what my host would be like, I didn’t know what my school would be like, and I didn’t really know what much else would be like. All I knew was that I hoped to have a good time. After a very long plane ride, we arrived at Narita Airport in Tokyo (which for some reason appeared to have a very serious deficit in air conditioning). We went through customs, baggage claim, and all the usual routine before we left for the hotel. My roommate was delighted to discover that the hotel bathroom had a “spray toilet” (which sprays you after you use it). He was anticipating using this delightful device with excitement and some degree of anxiety, so he roped me in as a guinea pig. When I assured him that it was not painful, dangerous, or in any way undesirable, he boldly made the experiment of using it.
When we reached Naka, we saw our host families for the first time. I think we were all a little nervous, but excited. In fact, that phrase can describe most of our early experience in Japan – nervous, but excited. We soon grew used to our host families, and got very close to them by the end of the visit. The school was lots of fun. Everybody was very friendly, and if they made jokes about us – well, at least we didn’t have to be embarrassed about them, since they were in Japanese. We had lots of fun and laughs in the two days we visited the schools.
Being able to spend time with our host families and the other exchange students was one of the best things about the trip. All the students who went got to know each other a lot better. We had lots of fun talking and joking all through the bus rides. We waved to almost everyone we saw, and exulted when they waved back.
No essay of our trip would be complete without mentioning Mr. AA. He was our Australian interpreter, and was for lack of a better word – awesome. Awesome was part of his nickname, in fact. AA stands for Awesome Australian, which was Sam’s idea. He was lots of fun and joked around all the time, and we all had a great time with him.
After our great trip to the aquarium and beach at Oarai, it was time to leave. We all wished we could have stayed longer. It was rather a sad parting-
I would write something cheesy about never forgetting my experiences in Japan or something, but that would be both clichéd and inadequate. Words cannot express how I feel about my trip to Japan. I will, however, say that there are some things I will not forget, and one of them is:
SAM WANTS HIS MELON JOCE!
When I woke up on July 4th, I was excited but also nervous. Just the thought of knowing that when I went to sleep that night I would be in Tokyo made me excited. The plane ride was very long.
When we finally landed in Japan, I was so excited. I started taking pictures right away. We went through Customs and got our luggage. One of the first things I wanted to do in Japan was use one of the cool high-tech toilets. It was amazingly awesome.
We then got on a bus that took us to our hotel in Tokyo. After that we went to an Italian restaurant which I thought was kind of strange, but turned out to be really good. Then we went back to our hotel rooms for the night. The next morning I was kind of nervous because I didn’t know what kind of breakfast the hotel would have. Luckily, they had an American buffet. After that, we went on a long tour of Tokyo which was very interesting. We even got to go to the U.S Embassy. After the tour, we headed back to our hotel, got our luggage, and took a bus ride to Naka to meet our host families.
I was super nervous. My family could tell, and they made me feel very welcomed. That helped a lot. We participated in a big dance and ate dinner. When that was all over, we went to our homes. My family had a very nice house. I even got my own room and bed. I gave my families their gifts and they loved them. Before I went to bed, the family gave me a cake which was delicious. I spent most of the nights playing Super Smash Bros. with my host Shoya and his family which made me feel at home.
I got to experienced lots of things in Japan including Aqua World, an old Japanese village, Japanese restaurants, a Japanese McDonalds, and much more. They were all amazing and really fun. I even got to sneak around a store with my student while his parents weren’t there.
I grew close to my family by the end of the week, so I was sad when we left. I didn’t want to leave. I felt bad because I didn’t cry when we were leaving, but I did cry after we left. The plane rides home were hard. Having to sit there and think about the whole experience was really difficult.
I was glad to be home, but I still missed Japan. This trip was my best and most unforgettable experience in my whole life. I can’t wait to go back when I get older.
To say I was excited was an understatement when I woke up the morning of July 4th. This was the day I had been waiting for for months. The excitement for the other vacations I was going to take that summer paled in comparison to this one. People had been asking me why I was so eager to go on this trip when I had already been to Japan- lived there- but I knew it would be different when I was traveling with my friends instead of family, and staying at a stranger's house instead of my relative's.
I was unnaturally energized when I arrived at the airport, considering it was around five-thirty. The feeling remained through the first plane ride. It was only more than halfway into the 12-hour ride that I fell asleep. When I woke up, I found I could see land out the window.
I think that's when it finally hit me that I was in Japan. After we got off the plane (and regained the feeling in my legs), we got on the bus that would take us to the Ikebukuro Hotel. I remember the hotel's lobby was really nice. Once I got to my room that I was sharing with Tiffany, all I really wanted to go was fall asleep, but we had to get ready for dinner. We went to a pretty nice restaurant, where I had my first meal in Japan-spaghetti. I also tried a radioactive-looking green drink called Melon Juice, which turned out to be a sweet, fizzy beverage. It wasn't bad, but because of the color, I was unable to finish it and had to get something else to drink. When we returned to the hotel, I was so exhausted I fell asleep right after taking a shower. I must have been experiencing jet lag, because I remember it wasn't even eight o'clock yet.
We were led on a tour of Tokyo the next day. Most of the scenes we saw through the bus window, which was fine, but we also had the privilege to enter the building of the U.S. Embassy. The person who gave us a tour of the Embassy was really nice, and I feel guilty that I can't recall the two things he wanted us to remember from our experience there. The rest of the tour of Tokyo was amazing-we saw the Emperor's Gate, which was impressive, as was the history behind it, and we learned about the construction of the Tokyo Sky Tower-but the entire time, I was actually looking forward to meeting my host family. I had been e-mailing the girl I was staying with, and she seemed really friendly. My biggest worry was that they would be disappointed I wasn't American. After all, this was a program to experience new culture, and if the girl they were hosting could understand and speak their language, it wasn't much of an experience for them.
When I met my host family, though, I felt silly for being worried about whether they would like me. They were one of the nicest people I had ever met, and they weren't disappointed at all by the fact that I was Japanese. In fact, they were a little relieved, because even though the mother was an English teacher, I would be spending most of my afternoons with the grandparents, who didn't speak a word of English. They managed to make me feel like a part of their family in the first minute, telling me I could call the parents "Mom" and "Dad", even if the dad wasn't there, and the grandparents "Gi" and "Ba", a nickname Riko, my host girl, had given them when she was little and was unable to say their full name.
The welcome party was more than I was expecting. They had very good food, some of which I'd never seen before. But the most memorable part was the dancing. Everyone participating in the exchange program was asked to come up to the front and dance. It wasn't very hard, because all we had to do was watch the people in front of us-the only problem that caused was that I would always be a beat behind. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable activity.
The time came to go home with the host family. I got in the backseat of the car, squished in with Mom and Riko. Imagine my surprise when they told me I didn't have to put a seat belt on if I was sitting in the back! I never did get the hang of that, and would often buckle up, only to remember that it wasn't necessary and unbuckle it again. I got a tour of the house once we got there, and after I put my suitcase and bags down in my room, I went to the living room and watched TV with my family. We were watching a crime show when the dad got home. It turned out he was a huge Michael Jackson fan, and that was how we "bonded".
Before I went to bed, I handed out the gifts I had brought. I was glad that they liked it, especially the Godiva chocolates.
When I woke up the following day, my host had already left for school.
I had time to take a shower, eat breakfast, and get ready before Gi drove me to the Naka City Hall. Most of the Oak Ridgers were already there and we talked about what we had done the night before with our host families. It seemed we had all found a way to connect with them.
When everybody had arrived, we met the Naka mayor and even got to see his office. After we had seen just about all we could see of the city hall, we visited a traditional Japanese house. It was like a Japanese Williamsburg. I gladly accepted the hot green tea when one man offered me a cup, since I was freezing.
Out of everything I experienced in Japan, the school was the biggest surprise. Everything was so different. For one, there were twice as many people in each classroom as there were in Jefferson. The students didn't need lockers, since besides classes like Gym, Art, and Music, they stayed in one classroom and the teachers rotated. Every day, the students were required to take all their textbooks home. Those things were all astounding, but the thing that caught me most off guard was the fact that they did not have custodians. Instead, at the end of each day, the students cleaned the classroom. And not only was it your homeroom, but the cleanup extended to the bathrooms, hallways, stairs, and even hallway windows. I thought it was a good idea-it taught responsibility, and it also encouraged students not to litter, for they were the ones who were going to have to clean it up later.
My favorite part was spending time with my host family and getting to know them better. But what I wasn't expecting was for the second favorite part to be the time I was spending with the other Oak Ridgers. I had an especially fun time singing songs with Sydney Buckner on the bus, and going to the aquarium is one of the clearest memories I have of this trip. I had a such fun time at the aquarium and at the beach that I didn't mind getting soaked and going to the farewell ceremony later in that state.
I'm proud to say I learned things on this trip, and not just facts about Japan. I learned not to judge people before I met them. There were certain things I was expecting of my host family, only some of which were true. I thought because I come from a Japanese family, my host family would work just like like my real family. Of course, that wasn't true. In fact, my host family acted more like the stereotypical "American" family than my Oak Ridge family! I feel silly for thinking the two families would basically be the same. I also felt a little guilty and hypocritical, since I always get annoyed at stereotypes.
The part that I remember the best is, sadly, the morning we left our host families. It was one of the hardest things I had ever done, because my host family had literally become family to me. We were crying even before we reached the City Hall. The people from Oak Ridge all had to make a short speech, and I had a fun time listening to all of them.
Then we said goodbye for the last time, and we boarded the bus. I was waving from the moment I sat down in my seat and didn't stop until I couldn't see them anymore. The image of the Naka people gathered around the front of the City Hall, waving and smiling at us, some through their tears, is something I will never forget.
My thought when I left Dallas on a plane was, "Oh, I'm on a plane, and I'm going somewhere." I knew I was leaving, but it didn't feel like I was going to Japan. My thought when I boarded the plane to Chicago was, "Wow, I'm leaving Japan. I'm going back to America." I remember thinking about how it was so easy to accept the fact that I was leaving something behind, when I had such a hard time accepting that what I had been anticipating for months was actually happening. But even though I was sad, I was looking forward to seeing my family again. The thought of seeing my family in Oak Ridge made up for the sadness I was feeling for leaving Naka. The plane ride was fun- once again, I sang songs with Sydney.
I am so grateful to the people who made this trip possible for me, and to the people of Naka for letting us have such a fun time there. I am most thankful to my host family for having me for a whole week, and making my stay a comfortable and a fun one. I want to extend my thanks to Mr. AA, or Jason, our translator, for being kind enough to take the time to travel with us and translate. This trip is one of the most memorable ones I've ever taken, and certainly is one that I will remember for the rest of my life.
I was quite excited that morning on the drive to the airport. At the airport there were lots of hugs and goodbyes from my mom, who was much more worried than I was. The flight to Dallas was quite uneventful and consisted of William, Sam, and I looking at Napoleon war tactics. The plane flight to Japan though, wasn’t as fun. I couldn’t sleep so I was technically up for a whole day which didn’t help my sanity and my contact lenses. I think Sam would have gone nuts if I didn’t have an I-Pod full of Gorillaz songs. There was lots of exchanging of seats and I think most of the other passengers were defiantly tired of us by the end of the flight. Sam and I (mostly Sam) made some friends with several passengers and one particularly nice flight attendant named Lisa. When we landed I was quite amazed with the airport! It had much better automation then the airports in American. Almost everything was high tech, including the very unique Japanese toilets. The drive to Tokyo was an amazing chance to see the beautiful country side of Japan.
The hotel in Tokyo where we stayed was amazing! Even the mirrors in the bathroom were awesome. Our room had a great view of the street so Sam and I spent lots of time just looking at cars. After we got situated at the hotel the group went out to get dinner in the city. For our first night in Japan we ate something American, spaghetti. It was extreme luck that we had Yuri in our group because without her translation skills we would have been in trouble. After a long time of trying to work the payphones with Madelyn, I went promptly to bed.
The breakfast that next morning was very different from a typical American breakfast, but much better. Afterwards, we went to the stunning imperial palace, the U.S. embassy, and then to a temple. The imperial palace was a beautiful place and I especially liked the forest they maintained in the middle of a giant city! The embassy was a very interesting experience because we got to see how the US operates in other countries. The activities at the temple involved seeing Japanese religious traditions and socializing with school kids.
The drive to the community center was quite nerve racking for me because I did not know what to expect. I was intrigued by the dance the ladies did in our honor. I was even MORE intrigued when they invited us up to “help” dance. After I got done attempting to dance my host family took me home. On the car ride I found out my older brother, Takeshi, loved Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, and epically Michael Jackson. That night we just stayed up and played the game cube for several hours.
That next morning we went to the Naka city hall. I really thought the giant conference room in the city hall was really cool. After the city hall we went to a traditional house. At the house we walked around and Andy and I attempted to teach Spiky how to do the jerk. Then we traveled to the library and saw the awesome palm reader they used to check out books and other resources. That night my host family brought me to a Japanese karaoke restaurant. They picked like 30 Michael Jackson songs but none of them knew the english lyrics very well so I ended up singing almost all the songs. Also at Karaoke I introduced my host family to Journey and Ke$ha.
Next morning I was really nervous when they made us sit in front of the whole school. I was worried because of the language barrier and the fact that they were ALL STARING AT ME. I really like the math class I got to watch at the school. After half a day at school we went to the community center. At the community center we tried traditional green tea and calligraphy. That evening, my family took me to a spaghetti restaurant where I ate spaghetti topped with caviar! That night Kenta showed all of his frog trinkets. He is differently a frog fan.
The next morning I woke up and got ready for the sister city 20th anniversary. Then we went to the beach. At the beach my host brothers, Kenta (younger host brother) and Takeshi, taught me how to crack open oyster and eat them. That experience at the beach was one of my favorite on the trip. We came back from the beach and went to Tiffany’s host family’s house to have a BBQ. The BBQ was awesome!!! They had all kinds of seafood at tons of fireworks.
The next day was just as fun. We made pottery with Sydney’s family. Then we went to an absolutely amazing playground. After several hours of fun, we went back home. That night my host sister, Natsume, introduced me to Japanese fashion magazines. They were very interesting and somewhat strange in my opinion. Best of all, that was the first morning I actually lots of sleep. I actually slept an hour and a half too long! After a rough start, I got up and got ready to go to the beach. When we were outside in there yard I got to see one of the biggest bees in the world. It was like 3 inches long and blood red. I really like the aquarium we went to in the afternoon. There were tons of interesting fish. Especially the “kissing fish” that were really goofy looking. I also really like the sharks and the whales they had. The beach after the aquarium was also really fun and involved lots of splashing. We finished the with the farewell ceremony. It was really sad! I actually cried for part of it, but believe me I was not alone. After the teary award ceremony we ate and socialized, and then we went home. My host family said if that I could always come back whenever I wanted to, which really touched me. I was really sad that I had to leave the next morning. I really wish my visit had been longer.
The next morning was one of the saddest I’ve ever experienced. There was lots of tears and hugging at the final farewell. I was truly sad that I had to leave these amazing people. The bus ride to the airport was sad and no one was that cheery. The plane ride was about the same as before but I had recovered pretty well. Luckily on the ride back we were all sated together and I actually got some sleep. We when landed I was glad to be back in the states and to see my friends. Even after all the sadness involved with the leaving it was still the best week of my life. I am also ecstatic because Kenta and Takeshi are coming to Oak Ridge. In fact, Takeshi will be staying at the high school for a month.
“We’re finally here!!” was the first thing I said when we landed in Tokyo Monday evening. I was so excited and nervous. It was finally happening but yet it didn’t seem real. It only became real to me when someone started talking to me in Japanese at customs and I was totally clueless. When we got to the hotel I was amazed because even though I hadn’t seen that much I already knew Tokyo was beautiful. Then there was our hotel, which was huge and foreign which automatically made it “cool”. A little while later, we went out to eat. First though, we had to get lost, but don’t worry we made it to the restaurant safe and ordered some spaghetti! When we got back to the hotel I was exhausted and after getting on my dad’s laptop that he let me borrow, I went to sleep even though it was only 8 PM there.
The next day after a tour of Tokyo we headed out to Naka. It was finally happening and I started to get the butterflies. When we arrived at our destination we saw a large group of people inside the building waiting for us. We got off the bus and got our luggage. We all were so nervous that we didn’t want to look at the people on the inside or let them see us. Finally, we went inside and met our host families and had dinner with them. I was chosen to give a speech saying how we were excited to be there and couldn’t wait to learn about the culture. After I had given my speech, there were a couple of performances, one including us, and then we all said goodbye to each other and went home with our host families. That night I was very tired again and went to bed around 8:30. My bed was a bedroll in Haruka’s room. Surprisingly, it was very comfortable and I wouldn’t mind sleeping on one again. The next morning when I got up Huruka had already gone to school. After my shower, I had breakfast with my (host)mom. The meal was a salad, glass of milk, and 2 chicken sandwiches, and rice. Unfortunately, this is more food than I normally eat and could not finish it all. That and some other meals made the mom label me as a small eater. My family was one of the nicest families I have ever met. The entire trip the mom and I tried to figure out what each other was saying. I didn’t see much of the dad or the brother but they were just as nice. Haruka was very shy at first but soon enough we were laughing almost the whole time we were together.
During our week there we went on a tour of the city. We went to City Hall and took pictures with the mayor. Later in the tour we got to go to were they held the meetings and took turns sitting in the mayors spot at the front of the room. After the tour of the City Hall we went across the street to the guest house. It was an old traditional Japanese house. We got to walk around inside it. I thought that the house was really interesting and would want to stay in it sometime. We also went to a lab there in Naka. We learned about what goes on there and what machines they have. The man who was giving us a tour also did a “trick” for us. He poured liquid nitrogen into a beaker and took a rose and stuck it in the beaker. This froze the rose. I was lucky enough to get that rose and I kept it until the end of the trip. Later we went to their library. I found the library very peaceful and neat. It had many floor to ceiling windows so the library was very bright. They had a different way of checking out books than us. To check out a book from them you sign in at a computer by putting your hand on a sensor that reads your hand and pulls your file up. Then you place the books on a special pad and enter how many books you have in the computer. Then it pulls the information about the books from the chip inside each book cover and lists the books you are checking out on the screen and you click the yes button and you have just checked yourself out.
On Thursday and Friday we attended our host’s school. The school I went to was around the same size as Jefferson but had 3 floors instead of 2. Also they had their own pool which was used for their P.E. class. The students had a uniform, for girls it was a long skirt with a nice white shirt and suspenders and for boys it was a nice white shirt and long black pants. When the homeroom bell rang they took off the uniform to reveal their gym clothes underneath and that is what they wore until the end of the day when they put back on the nice clothing. At school in Japan, the students don’t change rooms for classes except for P.E., art, and science. I enjoyed going to school their but I prefer my school here in America. That weekend was the weekend alone with the family. One of the things we did was go to their mall. The mall was 3 stories of stores and 3 stories of parking and then there was the outdoor parking as well. At the mall, we met up with Yuri Kato and her host family. Yuri and I went around the mall together looking at the shops for gifts for our friends back home. Soon though, we got bored and went back down to the arcade where they had the best photo booths ever. We spent all of our time and most of our money there. Japanese photo booths are very different from ours. Theirs let you choose the backgrounds, of which, there are at least 50 to choose from. You take about 6 photos. Then once that is all done you exit that area and go to the editing area. Here you can add sparkles, words, hats, bows, change hair color, change eye color and more. Then you choose which layout you want the pictures in( two person one or 3 person). Then you wait about two minutes for your pictures to print and move on to the next booth.
On Monday, a farewell party was thrown for us. All of the host families attended. The mayor gave a speech and gave our mayor a gift. Then he gave all of us gifts, which included a traditional Japanese blow up ball and a head-wrap. After all of this we ate our supper and socialized for a while. Then we sat back down for a performance by young girls in kimonos. It was very beautiful to watch their dance with the fans. Then we were invited up to do one of the dances they did. It turns out we did the dance to the music we danced to on the first day we arrived in Naka-Shi. When this ended we went home for our final night in Japan. That night my host family gave me gifts and gifts for my family and I gave them my last gift for them. The next day we went to City Hall for the last time. We were asked to say a few words about our time there. While I was speaking I started crying as did every one of the students. We didn’t realize how close we were going to become with our host family. We made many friendship on this trip and made a lasting connection. We ended up doing everything the exchange was created to do. That is why I am so thankful that I was chosen to go to Japan. I will never forget those friendships and memories I made in Japan.
First, I would like to thank the Sister City Support Organization for the wonderful opportunity. I have traveled as far as Florida without my family and gone as far as the west coast with them (it was better without them I think).
The landing after our 13 hour trip to Tokyo was smooth like the rest of the trip. I realized in Tokyo that everyone in Japan was very polite, because in Tokyo I heard only one car horn. Whereas in New York it was hard to sleep because of the car horns in the middle of the night. It was also very bright in New York but Tokyo was dark.
We went Embassy and learned how the United States worked in other countries. I mean that the Americans working there help keep communication open and honest between the American officials and the Japanese leaders. Our tour guide was helpful and very knowledgeable.
When we met our host families I could tell it would be interesting. I was quite nervous because I didn’t know what to expect. They barely spoke English so the dinner was very quiet. But my family turned out to be so funny and we had a lot of fun around the house.
The first day in Naka (I think it was the first day but they all ran together so I can’t be sure.) we went to the library where 3 women told the Japanese legend that explained the Star Festival, Tanabata. We were lucky enough to be there during it, July 7th. Because of this, I got to shoot off fireworks in celebration with my family.
We visited the TOKAMAC at the Japanese Atomic Energy Agency. This was interesting to me because my grandfather worked on this project here in Oak Ridge. I think it was like the Japanese version of Y-12 without all the security. It was neat to know that this was the actual thing that Grand-dad worked on and I wondered how he would have felt to see it now.
My host family was very nice. They refused to let me pay for anything and once I said I liked apple juice that was what I got for every meal. They showed me the crabs that lived in the rice paddy across the road from their house. They lived on a one lane street in a house that looked like what I think of as a traditional Japanese house. It was very different from what I am used to because it had a main hall that had doors to everything else. My bed was a mat on the floor which I found surprisingly comfortable. It was really comfortable when I had jetlag and even more comfortable after I was over it.
School was amusing. The students and teachers seemed more relaxed. I wish American schools were more like them. It would be cheaper to run schools their way; without cafeteria ladies or janitors. We could pay for more teachers that way. The English teachers were really cool and very helpful in general.
The ocean was one of the best parts of the trip but the water was freezing. It was nice-although we could not swim; it still was fun to splash about in the surf.
The last day I was so sad that could not cry for some reason. Two times I came close though: when my little brother was crying before he left for school and then looking out the bus window after shaking the photographer’s, Spiky’s, hand. It was nice to think I was going home.
This trip will be something I will never forget. It made me realize something that I already knew: although we live on opposite sides of the world we are very much alike. There are many lessons we could learn from the Japanese, like being more considerate in general and not stressing out over so many things.
Again I thank the Sister City Support Organization and the Oak Ridge Schools for this wonderful opportunity.
Well, I guess I should start from the very begging… It was my 7th grade year when I heard of this program. I was told by my teacher that each student that would like to go on the trip must go through an interview process before you could go but even then you weren’t guaranteed a spot. I hadn’t the faintest idea that’d I would be able to go. So I didn’t enter. In the end, my teacher MADE me sign up and he said he believed in me. He gave me confidence. It was the best thing he could have ever done for me. So I go to the interview. It was the most nerve-racking day of my life! But I got through it and waited impatiently for word on if I was going. Wait, wait, wait. Then one day we finally get word… I’M IN! I, of course, freaked out because come on, it’s Japan! But I had no idea then how this trip could change my life.
It’s finally here. The day we leave for Japan. Our flight is at 7:00am meaning we should leave for the airport at 4:00am. I couldn’t sleep even for 2 minutes. I stayed up all night last minute packing and staring down the clock. Even with all of this anticipation, I’m still late! We rush off to the airport and find everyone waiting on me. On my arrival, we rush off through security and to our gate. First we fly to Dallas. We’re jet lagged already! We had no idea what we were in for our next flight. Knoxville - Dallas: 3 hour flight. Dallas - Japan: 13 hour flight!!!
As you can probably guess, we were extremely tired when we got off the plane but as soon as we arrive we leave and are off to Tokyo. Our destination is our hotel room in Tokyo. It’s unimaginable! I’m staying in JAPAN!!! The thought seems unreal to me. After about two hours of bus travel we are at our hotel. It’s spectacular! Although every thing was tinier Ex: Bed, toilets, tables ^_^ . It was only 6:00pm but it felt like 5:00 am! The hardest thing was trying to stay awake in the hotel to get adjusted to the time change. A few of us fell asleep in the hall way for a minute.
After a good night’s rest (more like days rest), we are off to tour Tokyo a bit and then to meet our hosts. I pretty much zoned out of the touring because my mind honestly was only on one thing: My Japanese family. What would they be like? Are the nice? Are they restricting? Do they speak ANY English? All these questions raced through my mind. Finally, it’s time to meet our family for the next week. We are so nervous that we hide behind a wall so the Japanese students can’t see us through the window! We were a mess. Then comes the walk. We slowly walk by everyone shaking hands, getting nervous smiles and blank expressions. Then we sit down in a huge room where there is many Japanese dishes prepared for us. Then we meet our hosts. The first thing I do when I see my host is hug her like crazy! I’ve waited for this so long and it’s finally happening. It’s finally starting to feel real.
Next I meet my mother and sister. My mother’s English is a little vague but I can tell right away she has a kind heart. She tells me that I host father is late and I will meet my host brother tonight. We watch a show, eat a little and then dance! That wasn’t in the itinerary! After everything is done we head for home or so I thought. They take me to a grocery store and ask me a million questions about what I like to eat. I can tell already they are very giving and care about me a lot.
I get home and the house is amazing. It’s simple but beautiful. They show me my room, the bathroom, shower room and all that. When the whole family was home they introduced themselves, but not by there names. “You call me ‘Mom’ and him ‘Dad’. And this is your brother and sister,” said my host mother. This especially touched me. You see, I do not have a mother that lives with me so this was quite a change. I do not have siblings either. This really made my stay great to have such caring hosts.
The next few days we do random things around town. We go bowling, a karaoke room, a sushi restaurant, a mall, and McDonalds! Almost everything I did with my family included Gracie Hall and her host family also. This made it so much easier to have someone to speak English to while out and about with my hosts.
My favorite thing about Japan was going to school. It was literally like stepping into a Manga book! There were so many things different. For example, they had a 25-minute period where everyone just cleaned. I find this very practical. Another thing was they had a swimming class and a free period (Like recess). The students at school were so funny and cute! The boys could be very strange although. They would blow us kisses and yell, “ I LOVE YOU!” all the time ^_^. The lunch was…. An interesting change! It was much better than American lunches I must say! After lunch they would all brush their teeth and return to class. My favorite class was English class though! It gave me a chance to help them with their homework and test their teacher! J He did pretty well.
We did few things as a group but when we did it was somewhat of a relief to speak English freely again for some. One of the most exciting things that we did as a group was wear kimonos!!! It’s always been a dream of mine to wear a kimono and my dream came true. Another thing I recall doing as a group was going to the aquarium and the ocean. There were so many interesting fish and it reminded me of home. When at the ocean we had some free time but they told us not to get wet…. We kind of maybe didn’t listen ^_^. We wadded in the water and it was one of the best days I had had in Japan. After this we were off to the farewell party. I pushed the thought of leaving completely out of my mind and didn’t cry one tear. As soon as I got home though, it all poured out. I cried and cried all night. My Japanese mother found me crying and hugged me while crying herself said, “It’s okay… it’s okay. You will always be my daughter.’’ This is when she gave me the necklace. I had noticed it the past few days but only admired it from a far. She got this necklace in Paris when she was 15. She said for me to keep it as a reminder of her. Of course, this only made me cry more but it was the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me. This is why I don’t address her by her name. I call her what she should be called: My mom. Haruka and I cried together as well. That night before I left we really connected. It’s funny how even though you speak different languages, you can exchange secrets and love as well as if you did.
The next day was sad for me… I got many presents and notes, each one as thoughtful as the next. But it was time to say our final good byes. I said my “I love you” ‘s and gave a ton of hugs. We all gave a speech before we left for the plane ride back and in my speech I promised I would come back. Guess who’s keeping her promise?
This trip
has forever changed me. I made friends, made connections, and most importantly I
gained family. How could I not go back?