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2012 JET-MIP ESSAYJANUARY, 2013: BREEZE ISSUE #63
A FREE MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER FOR FRIENDS OF JAPAN & TEACHERS OF JAPANESELA'TIA SMITH
Lafayette Jefferson High School
Lafayette, IN
My time in Japan was the most fun I’ve ever had. Without theJapan Foundation creating this program I would never have had
this opportunity to travel to Japan. Before my trip, I had sporadic
emotions. I went from excitement, to nervousness, to anxiety.
What if no one liked me? What if I didn’t make any friends?
What if I completely forgot all my Japanese? Finally making it toLos Angeles and meeting all my peers quickly quieted mydoubts. Everyone was so nice and funny. I couldn’t wait until welanded in Japan. Minus the heat and humidity, I absolutely
enjoyed every moment in Japan. I learned so much about thenature of Japanese people and their daily lives.
I was surprised in the Tohoku area that all the people we met
were so kind and friendly. You wouldn’t have known they hadgone through something traumatic by their actions alone. I wasblown away. It upset me even more, however, because there
was just so much destruction. I was thinking that most of thedebris would have been gone by now and that maybe they were starting to rebuild. I was wrong. There
was a lot that was still gone. You could see foundations of houses and whole lots completely wipedaway. It made me appreciate my life back home even more and made me reflect on my life. How would I
handle my house, town, and loved ones being swept away by a tsunami after being shaken by anearthquake? Going on this trip has really humbled me in so many ways. I never take anything for grantedanymore. My respect for Japan has increased immensely.
Being in Japan made me realize how much I still didn’t know, pertaining to Japanese. I was at the top of
my Japanese class all three years and I knew it. I wasn’t outwardly smug about it, but I did feel like I wasa natural when it came to learning Japanese. Being in Japan definitely humbled me in that department. I
started to feel well, incompetent. I didn’t know as much as the other students and I thought I was the only
one confused. I’ve never been in that situation and I felt very uncomfortable. After a while I knew
dwelling about how little Japanese I knew wouldn’t get me anywhere. Instead I just told myself I would try
my best, listen better, speak more, and study harder, especially when I went back home. I slowly started
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to grasp conversations and speeches more and my confidence slowly rose. Speaking with Japanesepeople also taught me that, just like in English, they also have slang and use different dialects. This leadme to the conclusion that as I continue to learn Japanese I will also try to study different dialects. Anothercurious thing I found out was a lot of people spoke informally which surprised me greatly! This means I
should also have a better understanding of informal speaking, not just formal. The most important thing I
learned was no matter how much I learn there will always be room to learn even more.
Since school hasn’t started yet I haven’t had the opportunity to make any presentations, but I have talked
to some friends, family, and my boyfriend and his family. My parents seemed genuinely interested in what
I had to say. Probably because they wanted to make sure I was safe and well my entire stay. They liked
all the gifts I brought back and we looked through my pictures as I told stories. My sister and I talked
through the night about my trip as we compared and contrasted her time in Germany with mine. It was thefirst time out of the country for both of us. I was also able to tell my friends briefly about my trip as welland they seemed very pleased that I enjoyed myself. They know that this is all I’ve ever dreamt about. I
also talked to my boyfriend and his family as I gave them their gifts. It was fun seeing the kids play with
the Japanese toy, kendama . His parents seemed the most interested and I was pleased that they wanted
to hear all about my experiences. This is one of the reasons why we were chosen to go to Japan, so we
could share out stories with others. I’m so glad I was able to share them with so many people, and I willcontinue to share them for many years.
The deaths of Taylor Anderson and Montgomery Dickson were tragic, but they were not gone unnoticed.
Their lives will continue to live on in the hearts of the many people that knew them. Both were giving andunselfish people and without them this program would not have been made possible. As bittersweet asthat is, for five years 32 high school students will have the opportunity to visit and experience Japan andit’s culture. This experience has changed me, not only to strive to expand my Japanese, but to be a better
person and be more active in this world. If I could meet both of them now I would tell them how strong
and loving they were. I’m still amazed at Ms. Anderson’s bravery as she waited at the school until all herstudents were safe and with their families. It’s sad to think that this program was made possible becauseof their deaths, but their legacy will live on and that is what’s most important. We are also on our way tobecoming a bridge between the two great countries.

NIPPON THROUGH MY EYES PHOTO SUBMISSION"BLOOMING HOPE"
Here Spring may bloom later, but the beauty is a wonderfulsurprise.

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2012 JET-MIP Report 6/8

2012 J-LEAP Report: Nobuyuki Umeji

2012 J-LEAP Report: Yuka Nakanishi2012 JET-MIP Essay: Jessica Kawana

2012 JET-MIP Essay: Kathryn Lasseter2012 JET-MIP Essay: La'Tia Smith

2012 JET-MIP Essay: Lena Morrow

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