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2014 JET-MIP REPORT: VALERIE SANTOSMARCH, 2015: BREEZE ISSUE #89
A FREE MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER FOR FRIENDS OF JAPAN & TEACHERS OF
JAPANESEVALERIE SANTOSNorthside College Prep
Chicago, IL
This past summer, I had the greatest
experience of my entire life. As dramatic asthat sounds, it isn’t an exaggeration; the JET
Memorial Invitation Program really did change
my life. I don’t remember what I wasexpecting, but I was in for a huge culture
shock when we finally arrived in Japan.
Despite its negative connotation, I was actuallypleasantly surprised. Everyone displayed the kind of politeness you would only receive in
America at a 5-star hotel from people whose salary depended on it. The service, the people,the cars, even the toilets were completely different from what we were used to. Luckily, I
quickly adjusted and can even say that I miss a lot of the things unique to Japan.
During our time in Japan, the Japan Foundation did a fantastic job of making sure we were as
comfortable as possible. Although the eco-conscious Kansai Institute didn’t have air
conditioning everywhere, almost every room had its own a/c unit that allowed us to survive thegrueling Japanese heat. The location of the institute gave us plenty of options during our freetime, the beach and two malls not more than 15 minutes away. Our supervisors, though strict
when need be, allowed us to explore Japan to our hearts’ desire; we were treated andrespected as adults. The trust they had in us forced us to be even more responsible than if wehad been seen as children that needed to be babysat 24 hours a day.
Unfortunately, only about two days after we arrived in Japan a giant typhoon struck the coast.
To ensure our safety, the plans made to travel during those few days were cancelled, forcing us
to miss a few opportunities to interact with Japanese high school students. The Japan Privacy - Terms

Foundation quickly arranged other cultural activities to guarantee that we would make the mostof our time on the trip. There was never a dull moment; we were up early and out until about 8pm everyday either visiting an ancient shrine or exercising our Japanese with local high schoolstudents. “Bored” just wasn’t in our vocabulary.
Before heading off to Japan I was scared to death; how could I survive with the little Japanese I
know? Even though I had studied the language for three years prior to the trip, I had little
confidence in my ability to hold a conversation entirely in Japanese. It seemed like everyone
else was a hundred times better than me, I couldn’t help but feel intimidated. After arriving inJapan, the truth revealed itself: we were all on the same boat. Instead of making us feel evenworse, our teachers and high school exchange buddies helped us every step of the way. The
full immersion that comes with living in the language’s country forced me- all of us, really- toimprove exponentially. This trip has only strengthened my love for the language and its
culture.
When I first entered this program, I didn’t expect to make any friends. It seemed impossible toreally get to know anyone in just three weeks. But in those three weeks, I made friends that I
know will last me a lifetime. We felt the kind of instant connection that comes with sharing acommon interest, in our case Japan. It didn’t take long to realize we shared so much more,things that brought us closer together in three weeks than I am with people I’ve known foryears. We made so many memories that you can only make on a trip like this, memories thatbind us together. It’s hard to imagine life without them.
A majority of the exchanges we had with high school students happened while we were in theTohoku region. Three years ago, Japan was devastated by the strongest earthquake in its
history that triggered a tsunami with waves reaching up to 130 feet. The disaster, now known
as 3.11, concentrated itself in Tohoku, destroying almost all the buildings in the entire region.
While we were in Tohoku it was difficult to think that these children and teenagers we werelaughing with and playing with had lost everything just three years ago. With the amount ofstress and pain they all must have gone through I feel honored to have brought even the tiniestof smiles to their faces.
One of my favorite places we went to in Japan was the Rainbow Bridge built by Mr. Endo withwhom which we had the pleasure to meet. Mr. Endo is one of the strongest people that I haveever met. Even after losing his own three children during 3.11, his first priority was ensuring thesafety and happiness of those around him. It’s hard not to admire someone with that level ofselflessness, a level that could only be equated to a superhero. When asked about the 3 poles
jutting out from the bridge, Mr. Endo explained that he wanted to inspire the people of Japan toalways look upward, to always look toward a brighter, better future. I like to think that ourbeing there and listening to their stories remind them that they are not alone in their fight;
we’re fighting alongside them.
I hope that Taylor Anderson and Montgomery Dickson, the two ALTs to which this program isdedicated, can feel at ease knowing that their dream of bridging Japan and America will never
be forgotten. I know that myself, along with the others that have completed the JET MemorialPrivacy - Terms

Invitation Program, will work toward realizing that very same dream. Mine is just one more life
among the hundreds they’ve already touched, and for that I couldn’t be more thankful.

NIPPON THROUGH MY EYES PHOTOSUBMISSION“Hope”The rainbow bridge built by Mr. Endo. Seeing
this bridge always reminds me of the incredible
strength of the Japanese, especially those inthe Tohoku area. They were able to cometogether as a community and fight for a betterfuture.

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Japanese Langauge Education Update 16

2014 JET-MIP Report: Valerie Santos

2014 JET-MIP Report: Kyle Smith

2014 JET-MIP Report: Jacqueline Tran

2014 JET-MIP Report: Britta Smith

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