SWY 19 - Japan and the Homestay
Can you describe a significant learning experience about Japan or Japanese culture while on the homestay? Miyazaki was awesome and Tokyo was a wondrous city. Miyazaki was a nature filled metropolis of friendly people and kind gestures. The welcoming ceremony to the area was far greater than anything I could have expected, so full of the area's culture I had wished to had been born there. We went to a closed down school where they now have cultural activities, we all made rice cakes in the traditional way. It was very fun and we all were equally involved. After wards we were immediately off to Takachiho an ancient gorge carved from volcanoes flowing eons ago. It was just a magic place where all the serenity in the world was centralized from. The next day it was time to leave and I left a little of me with them and that part was filled with a little bit of sadness. - Justin, SWY19 Miyazaki was a nice opportunity to escape from the chaos of Tokyo, experience day to day customs in Japanese culture, while also exploring the beauty of being party of a family with whom you are not biologically related. Although my family was unable to speak English and I was unable to speak Japanese this did not change the strong connections we have formed or the activities we took part in. In fact, it was a great way to break the ice - through warm smiles, body language, an electronic translator, acting, and a pen and piece of paper we were constantly sharing stories and information. During your time in your homestay, you are bound to gather many interesting stories and memories that can often not be summed up in words. The first evening at dinner I was laughing to myself as a miscommunication had led to dinner of raw squid. As a vegetarian, it was more important to explore new aspects of the culture and share a nice evening with my family than to notify them of my "food preferences" - Kimberly, SWY19 The value of the home stay as a means of providing delegates insight into Japanese culture and traditions cannot be overstated. Despite the short amount of time, the PYs had an opportunity to forge strong emotional ties with their families, often while overcoming language and other cultural barriers, and these bonds will surely last a lifetime. – Erica, (NL), SWY19 My host family took me on an extensive tour of the Miyazaki area, including the famous Obi Castle, Udo Shrine and Aoshima, as well as their family grave. When we were at Obi Castle, we visited my host-father's elementary school (which was inside the castle grounds) and following their example, I rang the large bell atop the hill. This proved to be a mistake, as an authority-type figure ran out of the school, waving and shouting and such. Fortunately, my host-father smoothed things over somehow and we were on our way! - Jess, SWY19 Miyazaki was warm and tropical and so friendly compard to Tokyo which is cold, unfriendly and very busy. In my homestay, my family called me their Canadian daughter and showed me such hospitality, so wonderful. they took me to the nearest province to see a live volcano and we ate an amazing traditional breakfast, lots of fish and we tried 4 kimonos on, so fun! - Jesika, SWY19 What were your feelings or emotions when you first met the other delegates. Not surprisingly, when I first met the other delegates, I was overwhelmed. I remember the blur of faces, I remember the countless introductions, I remember the plethora of forgotten names, and most importantly, I remember asking myself, “how will I ever get to know all of these people?” Nevertheless, in six short weeks, the “magic” of the ship was put to work, and the initial blur of introductions soon became familiar faces. We came together as 255 strangers from 14 different countries, and by the end of the program, we were the SWY19 family. - Monica, SWY19
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