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2014 JET-MIP REPORT: JAYSON WOODAPRIL, 2015: BREEZE ISSUE #90
A FREE MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER FOR FRIENDS OF JAPAN & TEACHERS OF
JAPANESE

JAYSON WOOD
Muncie Southside High School
Muncie, IN

REMINISCING THE EXPERIENCE
During the two weeks that thirty-two highschool students from all around the country
spent in Japan, we formed many bonds andmemories together. Whether we were traveling,learning, experiencing, or simply spending timewith each other, we were having fun doing it -something that would have been impossible without this program. I met many great people,
both from the United states and Japan through and I am grateful that I was able to be a part ofthis experience.
The JET Memorial Invitation Program did a fantastic job of showing aspiring high school
students a sample of Japan, as well as teaching them about the tragedies that befell thecountry on March 11th, 2011. The facilities were very accommodating and the staff werepersonally involved while our stay in Japan. For example, during classes, the group was split
up into several smaller groups and were assigned teachers. With these small classes, theteachers were able to give more individualized attention to each student which seems to give
each class more significance. We spent most of our time at the Kansai Institute, and it had
everything that we would ever need. We had our own bedrooms, classrooms, meeting rooms,
cafeteria, hangout spots, bicycles and buses to travel to malls and other places, and manyother things that enhanced our time spent in Japan. The selection of places that we traveled towas planned out very well. All of the cities and landmarks that we visited catered to everyones'interests. I can only hope that the JET-MIP continues as it has to create more wonderfulexperiences such as the ones that the 2014 group experienced only a few weeks ago.
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Before I went to Japan, I had already considered the possibility of living there for an extended
period of time by myself to simply learn more about the language and culture and become partof a local community. Now that I have been able to go to Japan, albeit only for a couple ofweeks, this possibility has gotten considerably more weight to it. Whether I attempt to apply to
the JET program and become an ALT or if I study abroad while in college or decide to move toJapan and work for a Japanese company, I know that somewhere in my future, I want to stay inJapan. Whether it be in the next two years or the the next twenty doesn't matter, only that I
make it at some point in my life. I will continue to learn Japanese, be it through a teacher or
self-taught, in order to prepare myself for this journey in my future. To begin, I alreadycompleted three years of high school Japanese and I have signed up for Japanese during myfirst year of college. Although I am going to be majoring in Chemistry, I have high hopes ofminoring in Japanese. Regardless of the official titles and diplomas and such, I do not plan tostop my education of Japan and Japanese at college. This is a fact that JET-MIP hasguaranteed.
Ever since I have returned from the trip, the first question that everyone asks me is how much I
enjoyed Japan or what I did while I was there. After explaining how great of a time that I had,they would tell me how great that it was that I was able to go and that they know that they will
never be able to have the chance to go anywhere like that. I never really said it to anyone, butduring the application process I thought the same thing. Times like this, especially after theonline interview portion of the application, I thought that I was no one special -- that there was
no way that I would make it through the crowd of other applicants. When I received the emailthat told that I was no longer just an applicant, but rather a participant, I gained the opportunity
to tell others in the same type of position that, if they just try, they might make it throughwhatever trial they may be going through. There are still many people that I have yet to tell
about my experience in Japan, in fact I am going to my town's high school Japanese classes totalk about my trip. This will give me the opportunity to tell future Japanese students that they
have the chance to do the same thing that I did as long as they put forth the effort.
Those fourteen days that I had experienced away from my home last summer were some of thebest days that I have experienced in my life. I met many unforgettable people and madeunforgettable memories with them. I can only hope that we will all be able to find each other inthe future and meet up once again. We would not have been able to bond with each otherwithout the JET Memorial Invitation Program, so I wish for it to continue in the future to recreate
more memories and friendships just like we were able to experience.

A PERSONAL NOTE TO TAYLOR ANDERSON AND MONTGOMERY DICKSON:
Dear Ms. Anderson and Mr. Dickson:
During the earthquake and tsunami in 2011, you both did something that many other people
would not have been able to do. You both stayed with the children of your respective schools
and made sure they were safe before you went on your own. This act is very respectable, anddeserves the recognition that you both received. Although both of you may have been only twoPrivacy - Termsof the many thousands affected by the disaster, it was the two of you that created JET-MIP,

which in turn allowed the thirty-two of us to meet each other, as well as your families, friends
and many others. For this alone, I cannot thank you enough. Though I know both of your deaths
were tragedies for many, they held a seed of good that was planted and maintained with carethat resulted in this program that is trying to create a bridge between Japan and the US. I am
sure that many of the people that participate in this program share many of the same passions
that you both did. Personally, I wish to become an ALT in the future and do exactly what you
both did. I wish to share your dreams, and I hope that my passions and desires will continue tolead me toward Japan in the same way that both of yours did.
With unending regards,Jayson WoodNIPPON THROUGH MY EYES PHOTOSUBMISSION“Garden in the Sky”
This picture was taken during my homestay
when my host family and I went to the Umeda
Sky Building to see the Floating Garden
Observatory on the top of the building. It is an
example of the more modern style ofarchitecture and engineering that Japan isusing for their buildings.

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Japanese Langauge Education Update 172014 JET-MIP Report: Angela Zhu

2014 JET-MIP Report: Jayson Wood2014 JET-MIP Report: Joshua Warnick

2014 JET-MIP Report: Konou Xiong

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