Red Wing students experience homestays in Ikata (article)
From IkataWiki
Red Wing students experience homestays in Ikata is an article that appeared in the September 2007 edition of Ikata's monthly newsletter, Kōhō Ikata. It describes the events of the 2007 Ikata Homestays. The English translation is below.
Sister City Exchange Program:
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From July 22 to August 1, seven students and one chaperone from Red Wing, Ikata's American sister city, experienced homestays in Ikata.
The Red Wing students were surprised by the steep mountains and ocean vistas of the town, and showed great interest in Japanese insects, swords, yukatas, and other Japanese cultural items.
Despite difficulties communicating in English, the host families got to know their students through sightseeing, sports, and games, gradually overcoming barriers and learning firsthand about American culture. Though this was the first time the Misaki and Seto areas have hosted Red Wing students, they welcomed their visitors warmly.
Wouldn't you like to be a host family next year?
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| Welcome party | Calligraphy lesson | Misaki High School visit |
From the host families:
Welcome to Ikata!
Welcome to Japan, and welcome to Ikata! Thank you for traveling so long and far to be here.
I must tell you, every day was an adventure for us host families. Charged with taking care of an American student, we were distraught with worries like "How do I say that in English?", "What should I make for dinner?", and "Will my student catch a cold if I leave the AC on?" However, our children had no such worries and fearlessly led the way, saying "Let's go here!", "Let's eat this!" (in Japanese, of course). Listening to them, I realized a little too late that I didn't need to grope for English phrases; Japanese is ok too. We'll be better hosts next time, if the chance arises. I hope someday we can meet our students again. Our thanks go out to all involved.
See also
- The original article in Japanese (PDF)
- 2007 Exchange Program
