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2015 JET-MIP ESSAY: GARDELIO MANTUHACFEBRUARY, 2016: BREEZE ISSUE #100
A FREE MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER FOR FRIENDS OF JAPAN & TEACHERS OF
JAPANESEGARDELIO MANTUHAC
Alisal High School
Salinas, CA“JAY-R! Sensei is looking for you! Go to the library NOW!”
I rushed down the hallway into the school library, where I
found my Japanese sensei holding her phone in her handswith a look of utter disbelief. I quickly grabbed my phone outof my pocket to check my email, only to find myself
screaming in the library with people staring at me as if I wascrazy.
It was 2:55 P.M. on May 13, 2015, and I had just received myacceptance email into the 2015 JET Memorial Invitation
Program; and before I knew it, 2 months later, I was at theLos Angeles International Airport at 1:00 A.M., in line toboard the overnight flight that would take me on an amazing
adventure in Japan, a country I have always wanted to visit
ever since I was a child.
Throughout my 2 week visit, I had the opportunity to do nearly everything I have always wanted
to do in Japan. In fact, some of my fondest memories of the trip include singing karaoke at theInstitute’s karaoke room until 1:30 A.M., taking a taxi to the local AEON mall as the city wasbattered by wind and rain from Typhoon Nangka, stuffing my face with amazing Japanesecuisine every single day, relaxing in the onsen with many of the guys I met on this trip, andriding bikes (while getting lost) through the narrow streets of Rinku Town on our first day inJapan. It was these activities that made this whole trip seem like the nice long dream vacationthat I had always wanted to take.
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The Tohoku tour, however, was definitely the most “real” part of the entire trip. Although I havebeen exposed to seeing images and videos of the disaster through a screen, coming to theactual towns and cities in which the disaster unfolded really solidified the fact that this disasteroccurred. Instead of seeing pictures of the foundations of houses that were washed away by
the tsunami, I stood at the very locations where these houses once stood. In fact, one momentof the Tohoku tour that definitely affected me occurred while I was at Yuriage Junior HighSchool near Sendai, or should I say, what still remains of Yuriage Junior High School. Thebuilding itself was indefinitely condemned after the disaster occurred, yet, our group wasallowed access to see the interior, which was mostly cleaned up. I remember entering thebuilding and just being in utter shock from seeing an empty, deserted building that naturebegan to take over. Yet, remnants of the school before the disaster were still present. For
instance, our group went into the music room where all of us saw faded posters of classicalmusicians hanging on the walls, a chalkboard with the word “Graduation” written on it (welearned that this school had their graduation ceremony the morning of the disaster), and a large
analog clock that was stuck at 2:46. the time when the earthquake struck the region.
Although I saw the damage the disaster had done, what really moved me were the people of
the Tohoku region. Nearly everybody I encountered was very genki and cheerful; yet when theywanted or had to talk about the disaster, they seemed very open and willing to do so, eventhough it may still be very painful to talk about something so heavy. Furthermore, throughout
the main highway that passed through many of the towns and cities affected by the tsunami, I
kept seeing LED signs with the words Ganbarou Tohoku , which can be translated along thelines of “Keep Going Tohoku” or “Keep Persevering Tohoku.” Even 4 years after the disaster,
many places still have not fully recovered. Yet, seeing things, like these signs, definitely
showed me just how tenacious and optimistic the people of these affected regions can be.
My time in Japan was definitely the fastest 2 weeks that have ever gone by, and eventually thehardest part of the entire trip came on the last day, the day that I had to finally say goodbye to
my many friends. I remember giving tight hugs to some of my best friends at the airport, andthen breaking down and crying myself to sleep on the flight back home. Although I remained
depressed and extremely jet-lagged for about a week after I returned, eventually I was able totalk about this life-changing experience to other people, all of whom were extremely excited tohear my lineup of stories about my adventures in Japan.
Now, 3 weeks after returning home, I still think that I will wake up in Room 908 of the Institute,
open up my curtains to the gorgeous view of Rinku Town, put on my slippers, and walk down tothe cafeteria, where I would see the group of best friends I made on this trip. Prior to this trip, I
knew that I would meet some incredible people; yet, I never realized how intelligent, friendly,and “real” these people would be. Even though the best friends I made on this trip may comefrom faraway places like Oregon, Texas, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and even
Guam, I know that while we may all go on with our own lives, we will still maintain theKakehashi we have formed between each other. Such action would continue to honor thePrivacy - Terms

memories of both Taylor and Monty since we would not only be maintaining the bridge between
the U.S. and Japan, but because we would also be maintaining the bridges within our ownnation.
In addition, along with personally changing my life, the trip has also strengthened mycommitment to study Japanese. This fall, I will be attending the University of California atBerkeley and although I am not able to fit any formal Japanese class into my schedule for myfirst semester, I definitely plan to continue practicing and studying Japanese. In order toaccomplish this, I intend to maintain communications with all the people I met on the trip andutilize online resources in order to continue learning the language. Even though external
circumstances seem to work against me in my quest to become proficient in the Japanese
language, I know that I will continue to adjust to those circumstances and do whatever it takes
to continue learning about this beautiful and intriguing language.
On a final note I would like to personally address the two teachers to whom this trip isdedicated for:To Ms. Taylor Anderson and Mr. Montgomery Dickson,
You both did not act as just mere the English teachers you were assigned to be. Rather, you
helped be a part of that connection between the U.S. and Japan. Even though you are
physically not able to continue working to maintain that bridge, I am glad that people, like us
160 JET-MIPpers (so far), have been able to continue your legacy by continuing to be a part ofthat Kakehashi (symbolic bridge) between these two nations. Thank you for your service inmaintaining that Kakehashi between our two nations.

NIPPON THROUGH MY EYES PHOTOSUBMISSION“Stairway to Safety”
This picture was taken on top of Mount Hiyori in Ishinomaki, which many people climbed inorder to escape the tsunami directly below them on March 11, 2011.The sea in the backgroundas well as these stairs in the front of the photo emphasize how seemingly close danger andsafety were at the time when the tsunami occurred.

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Japan Found Me Campaign ReportJapanese Langauge Education Update 27

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2015 J-LEAP Report: Mihoko Tsujino

2015 J-LEAP Report: Yukihiro Sakamoto2015 JET-MIP Essay: Gardelio Mantuhac

2015 JET-MIP Essay: Nina Mei

2015 JET-MIP Essay: Megan Ngai

2015 JET-MIP Essay: Jacquelyn O'Connell

Breeze #99

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