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2012 JET-MIP ESSAYFEBRUARY, 2013: BREEZE ISSUE #64
A FREE MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER FOR FRIENDS OF JAPAN & TEACHERS OF JAPANESEMAYLIN CHONG
Boston Latin Academy
Boston, MA
Way before I started learning Japanese, I had already been
deeply interested in the language and culture of such a
wonderful country. Of course I had thought about going to Japan
someday in my life, but I never would have thought I would get
the opportunity to go before I became a senior in high school. I
had once believed that my chance to go to Japan would have towait until after college, which would be a few more years later.
Having this chance to go to Japan with 31 students from all
across the United States was a spectacular experience, andalthough cliché made my dream of going to Japan come true.
When I had first arrived in Osaka, my first impression was Japanis beautiful. The atmosphere was a bit different for me as it was
my first time in Japan - I became amazed with everything thatcame into my view. Simply seeing even a trash can wasinteresting for me - everything was different compared toAmerica. I couldn't stop looking around in awe as we walked,
dragging our suitcases with us. Although it was true that Japan did have high humidity, it hardly bothered
me at all for the first few days because I was too awestruck to even care about anything else. Even withthe high humidity, I was pretty sure I just walked around with a dazed expression on my face the wholetime.
During the first week of our trip, we visited the Tohoku region. Tohoku was deeply affected by the tsunami
and earthquake of March, 2011. You would think that after a year, things would be all okay. However, I wasin for a surprise. Throughout the beautiful areas we visited, you could still see signs of the tsunami'seffects. I cried during the first week of our trip because it was painful to see what happened. It
strengthened my resolve to help out in whatever way I can, and it also made me proud to be part of thebridge between our countries. I knew at that point that I could make a difference by at least telling people
about my story so that they are more aware of the situation. One thing that stood out a lot was seeing
banners telling others to smile and to not cry for them. It was touching to see, and it allowed us to realizethat they are doing their best to move on still.
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Being in Japan, there was never a moment where I was bored. There was much exploring to do, and I
made sure to take advantage of the free time we had sometimes to go out to Rinku's outlet mall. Rinku
was dangerous to my wallet - everything there was adorable, and I can't even remember how many times I
had to be dragged away from a store by a friend before I spent all of my money in one go. Just entering astore made me feel like a little kid again. I ended up spending the majority of my free time in Rinku, which
I absolutely do not regret.
My favorite part of the trip would really have to be my home-stay with the Oda family. Many thoughts ran
through my head before they arrived to meet me. I became flustered, and kept practicing my introduction
so that I wouldn't have trouble talking to them for the first time. The Oda family was a loving, friendly, andfun family to spend two days with. They constantly asked me if I wanted any souvenirs, where I wanted togo, and if I was hungry or thirsty. It was hard to pay for myself as they considered me to be their real
daughter too. They would constantly stop me from taking out my wallet even after several protests fromme to pay for everyone. During my stay, they took me to Kyoto to the Kiyomizudera, which is a Buddhist
temple. Words cannot even describe how awesome it was. It was heartbreaking to leave them on the lastday - I remember crying a lot with my mother, sisters, and baby brother. We still keep in touch via e-mail,so this only strengthens my will to improve my Japanese so I can better communicate with my family.
Immediately coming back from Japan, I told some of my friends and family about my trip and showed thempictures of my trip. They were amazed to see how many memories and experiences I had during this shortinterval of time. They were inspired at my willingness to go on this trip as the only person from my state,and told me that they felt it was a huge first step I took. A friend told me that I had inspired her to go visit
Japan too when she gets the chance.
Finally, I would love to thank both Ms. Anderson and Mr. Dickson. You both have been a huge part of thebridge between Japan and America, and words cannot even fully describe the contributions you havemade for both countries. Your generosities have made a huge impact on all of us, and you have both
inspired me to continue on with my studies in Japanese. I will do my best just like you both have. Thankyou very much for everything you have done for all of us.

NIPPON THROUGH MY EYES PHOTO SUBMISSION"SMILE!"
Lucky students who got to experience wearing a yukata, but also
learned quickly that sitting was not as fun...

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2012 JET-MIP Report 7/8

2012 J-LEAP Report: Chieko Yamada

2012 J-LEAP Report: Minako Kadoi

2012 JET-MIP Essay: Maylin Chong2012 JET-MIP Essay: Rebecca Lee

2012 JET-MIP Essay: Ruby Cabuya

2012 JET-MIP Essay: Sam Gamble

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