Friday, June 21, 2019

6/21 Friday

Hello everyone! I’m Meiling and I’d like to update you on our current status in Japan! Today was a very eventful day, because it was our last day at the Japanese school. Everyone was a little disheartened at the thought of leaving Ritsumekan, but we tried to make today as memorable and joyous as possible. I and everyone else have grown rather fond of the school and the people in it, and saying goodbye was harder than expected. The atmosphere and the overall feeling of attending Ritsumekan was like no other. We have learned so much and met so many wonderful people during our time at this outstanding school. This experience could not be traded or subtitled with anything. This trip has been worth while and if I could do it over again, or stay longer, I would do so without hesitation. We have grown from our experiences and have become more educated about Japanese culture. I will without a doubt miss Ritsumekan. 
The day began bright and early at 5:30 for me. I woke up to be sure to have enough time to get ready and catch the train. My host family did not wake until 6:30 and they kindly prepared breakfast. My two adorable host sisters, Juuna and Rinka, sat at the table with me and ate fruit and toast. After breakfast was finished my host mother and I set out for the station, where I was dropped off and thanked her for taking me. I met up with everyone and headed to school. 
We arrived and said our goodbyes and thank yous to the staff for allowing such an amazing opportunity. We presented the staff with gifts from Shaler, as is customary in Japan. Throughout the day, everyone told me they would miss me and warmly greeted me when they saw me. I am still not used to all the attention, but it is flattering nonetheless. I’m touched by the acceptance and generosity of everyone in the class. I appreciate the willingness to try and help or talk to me. I also appreciate the teachers who tried their best to help us and find ways for us to understand the lesson. Everyone I saw and met wanted a picture with me and it genuinely made me happy. I had both boys and girls taking pictures with me. Some were taken in groups and some were not. I was even stopped by students I. The hallway for a picture. People from other classes also wanted to take pictures with me.The feeling of being cared for by the people of the school is heart warming. I will really miss everyone I met and I hope I one day get to meet them again. 

We attended our regular classes. It’s interesting how every day the schedule is completely different. The one exception today is that we got pulled out of our classes so that one of the Japanese language teachers could teach us how to properly write a formal letter in Japanese. It was a departure from both the classes we have had here, and from Balsomico-sensei’s Japanese class. We learned some things that we would not have had the time to learn back home. 
To end our day,  we attempted a traditional part of japesne culture. This traditional and important part is known as shodo, or Japanese calligraphy. Calligraphy in Japan is a method in which one is able to express themselves through lines and Japanese characters. Each stroke holds the feelings of its creator and a little piece of their soul. It is beautiful how one kanji can change so much, depending on the mood and it’s creator. Carley was very skillful at this and I was less so. Calligraphy is a beautiful piece of Japanese culture. We watched the club perform for us before they helped us create pieces of calligraphy to take home. Everyone used their brushes to express themselves. It was the a great opportunity to express ourselves and have a deeper, more meaningful  part of ourselves interact with Japanese culture.

Finally, we had to say our goodbyes. The principal met with us and invited us back, and gave us some advice on if we would want to study abroad in college. The three main teachers who helped us throughout the week took us to the exit, and the rainy day reflected how we felt. As Alex said, “I never imagined I could become so attached to people in so short a time.” We will say that is was just the rain on most of our faces.


Japanese class


Shodo Club


Shodo Club

 
Shodo club 

 


Us with the Shodo club and the large poster they made for us, set to song and dance

 
Shodo Club 

 



 
Shodo Club 

 


The finished product
 
Our teachers that helped us 

 

With the principal
 
Jason’s Class

 
Alex’s class

 
Meiling and Tommy with classmates 

 
Nate’s class





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