On one day in August, I went to Chubu International Airport to send my niece back to her hometown.
On the way to the airport, I saw a girl who was crying sadly at the boat station. I recognized she was a member of the exchange program, and wondered if she had just said good -bye to her friends leaving for Santa Barbara.
Her tears showed to me how wonderful the time they had spent together and how strong the bond they have got thorough the program.
Here are lovely essays from the students from Santa Barbara.The essays lively show us their wonderful experiences.
Please enjoy them!
The essays of Student Exchange 2013
Kardena Velasquez
I had a wonderful time in Toba. It was beautiful and a great experience.
I feel like I’ve learned a lot about the modern and traditional culture surrounding Toba. The food was delicious, and the scenery was amazing. Everyone was so kind and polite, it felt very safe. It came as a surprise how many privileges we were given, such as meeting the mayor, and all of the activities we did. While they were all memorable, one that comes to mind would be the sleep-over at Yu kun’s house. I feel as if we all bonded that day. We jumped into the ocean, went for a swim at the beach, had some delicious Ramen and freshly grilled seafood. We all had fun later that night playing games, and just having some good downtime. Another thing that comes to mind, would be all the shrines we visited. They were fascinating, along with the festivities that were happening at a few of them. It felt very peaceful. On the active side of things, I don’t think I will ever be able to forget canoeing 9Km. It was exhausting, but well worth it! One last memory I will share, would be wearing Karin’s mother’s Yukata. I felt very honored to be able to wear it.
This was my first time out of the country, as well as my first time away from home. I was a bit nervous at first, but the Yamamoto family made me feel very welcome and comfortable. I appreciate all that they have done. Kaori, my host mother, was very kind and patient. She was also fun and creative. The father, Yasutaka, was lively and fun. I enjoyed seeing his collection of figurines, model bikes and cars, along with small things from when Karin and Sakura were kids. While I didn’t see much of the grandfather, Yukihiro, he was high-spirited and had a good sense of humor. The grandmother, Mitsuko, was nice, had good stories, and amazing cooking. I enjoyed watching Sakura’s dance routines. I played some card games with the family throughout my stay. Last but not least, Karin is a very kind, sweet, intelligent, and good friend. She is very patient with my level of Japanese. I was very impressed with everyone’s English. I feel very lucky to have met her and everyone. I couldn’t think of a better place, or people to have spent time with. I hope to keep in touch with everyone, and to visit again when possible.
Stephen Taylor
The first thing I saw when I stepped off the boat at Toba was my host brother wearing the Fiesta T-shirt we had gotten him. I also had a copy of the T shirt and was wearing it myself. For the first time, he felt like a real brother.
I remember the second day we had the welcome party at the International Toba Hotel. I remember feeling so special because the city of Toba had put so much effort into making the American kids happy. They gave us two real pearl trinkets, and they prepared such a nice hotel for the party.
There were chandeliers every five feet, beautiful ocean views, and Queen Elizabeth had stayed there--it was easily a five star hotel.
The dancing was amazing because it was so authentically traditional Japanese. I loved the drumming. It felt like I was playing the original drum set ever. When I struck down on the drum it felt like the drum hit back.
The other highlight was the Spanish Village, where I went on my first huge roller coaster. We all really enjoyed the experience of just wandering around by ourselves.
I would really like to thank everyone who participated in this program in any way. I really could not have gone to Japan without everybody’s help.
Yu Nakamura was my compass. If it wasn’t for him I would have gotten lost so many times. If Yu hadn’t put so much effort into this program for me I would probably have been miserable. He learned so much English so he translated. He explained everything to me and how it worked.
The biggest thing I got out of this was the great friends I made: American and Japanese.
Owen Dawson
I had an awesome time in Japan. My host family was so nice and generous. It was very hot but everyone was so nice and polite and everything was clean. I had a lot of fun at the aquarium because there were so many cool sea animals. I also enjoyed the Spanish Village because of all the roller coasters. I had so much fun in Toba!
Regina Santos-Moreno
I had an amazing time in Toba and I wouldn't trade the experience for the world. My homestay family was so kind and understanding - I felt as if I were home. One of my favorite days was the day we went to Spanish Village. In the morning, we went to visit our homestay students' school. We met some of their friends and saw their classrooms. The school was very different than what I'm used to, so I enjoyed the experience. Later that day, we went to the observation point for lunch and to take some pictures. The food was delicious and the views were spectacular. No matter where we went, there was always something to take a picture of, smile at, or buy. After that, we went to a shrine (the atmosphere was very serene). I was very lucky - the families that hosted us always helped me with whatever I needed and they were patient about it too. Finally, at the end of the day, we got to Spanish Village. We were all really excited. Coming from Santa Barbara, I was very interested in seeing what the theme park looked like. I had a lot of fun, the rides were exciting, the people were patient and I loved the way everything was laid out.
I loved every single moment I spent in Japan and I was so lucky to have been a part of this program. I am very grateful to everyone who helped make this an amazing experience. I am especially grateful of my homestay family, who made me feel like I was a part of their family, and the other homestay families, who made me feel like I had known them for a very long time. I can't wait until I'm able to visit again!