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2012 JET-MIP REPORT PART 3

OCTOBER, 2012: BREEZE ISSUE #60
A FREE MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER FOR FRIENDS OF JAPAN & TEACHERS OF JAPANESE

2012 JET MEMORIAL INVITATION PROGRAMREPORT PART 3: JAPAN BOUND!
by Thomas Lin, Program Officer, JFLA
Previous Issue: Pre-Departure Orientation
As we sat on the plane waiting on the runway to depart Los Angeles International Airport, the captainsuddenly announced through the intercom that our flight was being delayed for up to an hour. I became abit concerned because we had roughly two hours to make our connecting flight to Osaka once we landed
in San Francisco and with an hour delay we would be cutting it pretty close. As some of the participations
sitting near me dozed off, I tried to put my worries in the back of my mind and tried to relax. After about
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45 minutes sitting on the runway, we finally got news that the plane was ready to depart, which was awelcome relief. The flight was nice and short as we landed in San Francisco an hour and a half later. Arepresentative from the travel agency met us at the gate to escort our group to the connecting flight at theother end of the terminal. When we finally got to the gate, we found out that the airplane had some sort ofmechanical issues and our flight would be delayed yet again. We waited at the gate for about an hour
before the airline decided to bring in another plane to take us to Japan. I was relieved when we all madeit aboard and I made sure that everyone was accounted for. The morning was extremely hectic fromleaving the hotel at 5AM to the flight delays, but we were finally on our plane flying to Japan.
The flight was long, about 13 hours, and after a few movies and two meals, we started our descent into
Kansai International Airport. Once we landed and exited the plane, the excitement grew among theparticipants as they started seeing signs and decorations at the airport indicating that they were in Japan.
We went through customs one by one and after collecting our luggage from the carousel, we headed out
and were greeted by staff from the Japan Foundation Japanese Language Institute Kansai. They madesure that everyone was accounted for and we headed out of the airport to board the bus. As we walked
out of the air conditioned airport, the humid air outside enveloped us in its heat and reconfirmed that wewere in Japan. After a short bus ride from Kansai International Airport, which sits on an artificial island in
Osaka bay, we arrived at the Institute.
The participants separated into four groups and were given tours of the Institute so they knew what kindof amenities was available to them and where everything was. Aside from our group, there were Japanese
language learners from all over the world studying at the institute including groups for Australia, China,Korea, as well as individuals from the United States there as part of our grant programs. After touring thefacility, the participants were free to go have dinner and familiarize themselves with their newsurroundings with a curfew of 9Pm throughout the entire trip.
The next morning, all the participants assembled in the main classroom at 9AM sharp where we went overthe itinerary and the assignments for the entire trip. Afterwards, created a collage with a map of the US
with famous landmarks and pictures of the students showing where they were from. This was later
presented to the two elementary schools the participants visited in Rikuzentakata.
In the afternoon, Jonathan LeFore, a JET assistant language teacher who taught English in next town over,dropped by to talk about his experiences during his appointment in Osaka. The participants enjoyed hispresentation as many indicated a strong interest in participating in the JET program after college.
Following the presentation, everyone returned to their rooms to pack their bags for the Tohoku trip andtwo hours later, we were on a the bus heading to Osaka Airport. This is a smaller airport compared toKansai International and is located about an hour away near Oasaka. We stayed at a business hotel inside
the airport and had dinner at a nearby restaurant. When we got back to the hotel, I worked with two of theparticipants who were selected to give speeches in Rikuzentakata. The next day we would be headed tothe Tohoku region.
Next Issue: Tohoku Region

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2012 JET-MIP Report Part 32012 JET-MIP Essay: Benjamin Johnson

2012 JET-MIP Essay: Carolyn Jeon2012 JET-MIP Essay: Connor Veale2012 JET-MIP Essay: Corrine Quirk

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