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2013 JET-MIP

APRIL, 2014: BREEZE ISSUE #78
A FREE MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER FOR FRIENDS OF JAPAN & TEACHERS OF JAPANESENA XIONG
Pleasant Valley High School
Chico, CA
Dear reader, my name is Na Xiong and I come from asmall college town in Northern California called Chico. I
also had the honor of being the 2013 grouprepresentative and gave two speeches, one in English
and the other in Japanese. Before the 2013 JET Memorial
Invitation Program I had never flown in a plane or beenoverseas. The program introduced me to many new andspectacular things not available in America or California. During the program I was introduced to manydifferent people from all over the states and Japan. When we landed in Japan we were all tired and inneed of showers but despite the exhaustion the excitement of being in Japan kept us going strong.
During the visit to the Tohoku Region we were met with rainy weather. Like the humidity in Osaka we were
hit with rain and wind as we exited Hanamaki airport. Us mippers had the opportunity to help each otherprepare lunch and were able to listen to a presentation about the Tohoku disaster. Like us, the high school
students were learning about the Tohoku region and how it affected the area around Eastern Takata JuniorHigh School. The students of the school ate lunch with us, helped us in calligraphy, and played gameswith us. The interactions between the junior high students helped us understand each other more and theactivities allowed us to create bonds even though there was an age and culture gap. The students made ahuman tunnel for us to pass through as we left the school and we also made a human tunnel for them togo through. The human tunnel showed me how similar we were with the Japanese students even though
we live half way around the world from them. During this program we also had the opportunity to meetmany other schools and students. We visited East Takata Junior High School, East Sendai High, Watanoha
Elementary, Ishinomaki Koubunkan High School, Semboku High School and students from theRikuzentakata and Kessenuma area. This experience helped show me that we all share many of the samehobbies and like the same kind of music and books. The experience was surprising but it allowed us toconnect with complete strangers even if our Japanese and/or English skills were not the best. TheJapanese students from Ishinomaki and some of us Mippers even formed a group called Jet Jidai, sort oflike the popular group Shoujo Jidai. What I discovered in Japan was that it is English friendly, even if I had
no knowledge of Japanese, the people of Japan and their kindness or even limited knowledge would beenough to help guide me in Japan. The students were very outgoing and kind. If people didn’t know, I am
usually the more reserved and quiet type of person. But the positive energy of the Japanese students
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allowed me to become more outgoing. Before visiting the Tohoku region I thought the people would be
sad or depressed. In America if a disaster occurred people would not be able to or want to share theirexperience but the Japanese people were very open about their stories and wanted their stories to beheard. This surprised me but it also showed me how strong the Japanese people are and even though
they suffered and lost many things they are still happy and energetic.
The 2013 Program gave us two homestay opportunities. I stayed with the Satoh family in Sendai and theYamauchi family in Osaka. Both families showed me the daily life of Japanese people and gave me a newview of Japanese people. Instead of the normal Tokyo or textbook stereotypes I got a glimpse of how
Japanese people really lived. The people of the Tohoku region were more reserved but were the kindest,
calmest and had the biggest and strongest hearts. On the contrary, the people of Osaka were more loud,funny and easygoing. Overall, the Japanese people are very kind to everyone. One fact that surprised me
was that my Sendai host family was from Kessenuma so the stories I told about my visit to the Kesssenarea was familiar. The radical difference between the Japanese and Americans were very apparent when
we landed at LAX. In LA we were met with overly rude people and radically different air. Before theheading to Japan, Anna Lee, the 2012 Jet-MIP representative told us to smell the Japanese air. The air inJapan smells sweeter or somehow I can’t explain it but it is truly different from the air in LA and California.
Another thing I miss is that the mosquitoes in Japan did not leave me with red itchy bumps.
Even though I may not be able to major or take classes in Japanese in college, I know for a fact that I will
not forget the language, people and culture. The program inspires me to pursue some study of Japanese
language and culture in college or even to study abroad in Japan. The numerous JET ALT’s and CIR’s
helped inspire and give me hope about continuing my Japanese studies and perhaps to become a JET.
The experience in Japan and the knowledge given to me by the JET’s, gives me hope that I will be able tocontinue my study of the Japanese language.
After experiencing and learning about Japan I told my family not only about the destruction of the Tohoku
Region but also I told them about the kindness of the Japanese people. Some family members still aren’t
fully convinced what I tell them really occurred because it still seems so hard to believe that many cities
like Ishinomaki or Rikuzentakata were completely flooded by the tsunami. The fact that my family was mostsurprised about was that many of the areas hit by the disaster are still not recovered and is still inconstruction. I was also surprised by this fact too. The experience inspires me to share my knowledge of
3.11 when I go to college this fall.
To Ms. Taylor Anderson and Mr. Monty Dickson, you both inspired me with your love of Japan and its
culture and language. Your stories inspire me to do the same things you both did and maybe to try andsurpass what you have given to Japan and America. Even though both of your lives were cut shortbecause of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, your love of Japan still continues to build morebridges and inspires more people every day. So Thank you, for showing me your Japan and showing how I
can help build the bridges between America and Japan and how I can share my experiences of Japan andof the memories you both left behind. I promise that I will never forget you both or your stories and Japan.
And hopefully Japan doesn’t forget about me or the 2013 JET Memorial Invitation Program.

NIPPON THROUGH MY EYES PHOTO SUBMISSION“Meeting Half Way”
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This is the bridge we crossed to reach the tiny island
where the tree of hope stood with a memorial pedestal. I
chose this photo because it represented a bridge like theone between America and Japan. What is missing in thebridge between Japan and America is that Americans arelacking in their side of the bridge. Like this bridge
because it symbolizes the need for American and Japan
to meet in the middle so that our relationship can remainstrong and last a long time. America is now cutting a lot of
its Japanese language programs and so that is nothelping the bridge. Instead we Americans need to makesure that we can keep Japanese culture and language
classes open to others.

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Japanese Langauge Education Update 52013 JET-MIP Essay: Jina Yee

2013 JET-MIP Essay: Na Xiong

2013 JET-MIP Essay: Tiffany Yuen

2013 JET-MIP Essay: Yunsu Yu

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2013 Advanced Teacher Training Program

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