Wayfarer

Wayfare

When I came to America this year, I could go to many places, get nice experiences and a variety of feelings. During this time, I also got and felt many wounderful things. I will tell about my wonderful Portland trip.

On the first day, we went to Columbia Basin College and The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. Before we went there, we studied about Lewis and Clark. Our guide told us about Lewis and Clark and showed their items so I could image history and their backgraund cleary. These sections were drawing the 1800s. As if I come to the 1800s. I could feel their hardship from there. Columbia Basin College has a very large campus. It isn't like the school. We shared about our presentation topics. My partners gave me some advice about presentation. For example, If you explain Japanese words, you have to show pictures and presentation is a conversation so you have to pay attention to the audience and so on. I was really surprised at the CBC's system. My one of the partner is 17 years old now, she is taiking only a Japanese class at CBC and also goes to high school. I think their consciousness are very high. These things are very interesting to me.

On the Second day, we went to Willamettle Falls, McLougin house, Pioneer Cemetary, Tebo's restaurant, Reed College and Uwajimaya. These places were very nice. I especially like McLougin house, Pioneer Cemetary, and Reed College. I learnd about McLouge and his life from here.Their life style is very different from our life style. For example, they didn't make kitchen and bathroom in their house and when they moved the house, they used the horse. We couldn't believe that. Pioneer cemetary has many different shapes of graves that in Japan. They don't have a drinking fountain and don't use urns. Reed College has a beautiful campus. The tuition of college was very expensive, but the students could learn about many subjects here. The have a owner. It is students teaching each other. This style is different from Japan. Each college have unique characteristic.

Third and Forth day, we went to Saturday Market, Japanese American Memorial, Powell's city of book, Hockey Game and Multnomah Falls. The Saturday Market has a unique atmosphere. Almost all the shops were handmade items. For example accessaries, rings, necklace and sweater and so on. I could feel people's daily life. Japanese American Memorial had 2 Japanese poems and 11 American poems. They had a deep meaning. I felt Japanese Americans desperately resort to their human rights and thinking for American and American goverment from their poems.

I really enjoyed Portland traveling very much. All the places have deep and　important meaning. I could feel and experience many things from this trip. I'm happy to go on this trip so much. I could spend a good time and this portland trip is one of the great and amazing memory in my life.

Inspiration and Comfort Drawn from the Old Falls

Inspiration and Comfort Drawn from the Old Falls

There is constantly a dilemma between humans and nature. I was in Multnomah Falls on the last day of the Portland trip. Around the falls, a lot of mossy old trees and recondite atmosphere still remained for a long time. The fog from the basin makes our vision blurry and dampens the air. It was like the other world divided from a road which the bus waits. The scenery reminded me of a movie, Princess of Mononoke, made by Hayao Miyazaki, and I had a chance to watch this movie in my house at night after I came back from the trip. I went over the situation of human and nature through the movie and the falls.

This movie has kicked around typical topic about people and nature.The story is set in an ancient era of Japan in which natives hadn't yet been ruled by an emperor of Japan. The ancient people lived with nature and the world spirit, as it is called animism. At that time, there are also enlightened people who have specific skills such as to make weapons, to compete with each other with the work of ironsmith, to work as a soldier in a war, to achieve a feat to progress their own position, and so on. They were governed by a ruler of ancient Japan, who looked down and watched the creatures and natives as strangers. They didn't believe in a god but their king. The people identified nature as an enemy and started to destroy it and command the forests.

The conflict that had happened between developed people and creatures in the forests bring on other problems from far distance places that are the native's habitat. The ancient people who have respected nature and a god were of course angry at the attitude of volunteerism the sacred dignity of nature by another people, and they tried to solve the problem caused by another people, but the savage people didn't follow them and bothered them in a deadly way. This civilized people found their grave mistake after they lost almost everything, but it was too late to take it back, so they finally changed their pretentious behavior. It is important that the serious conflict between animals and people was caused by human's ego trip.
The Princess of Mononoke has kept appealing the frightfulness of human's selfish arrogance toward nature and other creatures to end. Humans have no right to do what they want in any case. I was so moved by the fact that now there is a climate that it is the best to take one thing as a base and make that better for human's convenience and maybe someday nature will die off, not only animals and plants, if the tendency continues. Even in the ancient era, it is possible that any kinds of things might happen. The proclivity that human accord themselves priority over any other things and disrespect other living nature has still remained.

　　　 Because of this movie, I realized that the desire to long for something greater is great and horrible, and it's easy for me and everyone to abandon oneself to the tendency. For example, I learned about genetic engineering in reading class, and the text said that someday people can shop for their childrens' features, appearance, the personalities by genetic engineering. Is that a dream and a hope of mankind? Does it enrich the lives of humans? I feel a little odiousness from the topic now. I believe there is a taboo in the natural world. This is one of the examples that I think too much of the evolution of human beings. There is no evolution that has only an advantage, of course it must carry a risk. I learned we people should choose the way of existence of our desire for the future carefully.

The Fantastic Trip

I went to Portland on a school trip with all of the Extension students from November 18th to November 21st. During the trip, I had many valuable experiences. Above all, I learned a lot about the journey of Lewis and Clark at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. There were many exhibits which contained tools, houses and clothes they used.

First of all, we listened to stories about the Corps of Discovery from a man, and he showed us some tools which they used on their journey. I was surprised that they always knew where they were by using a tool to see the position of the sun. In addition, they also knew the distance of the journey by only estimating and guessing, and it was almost exact. Although I already had a little information about the journey because we studied it in American West class, almost all of his stories were new and interesting for me.

Second, I saw a lot of things such as clothes, tents and boats. I tried on the clothes with my friends, and I felt that they were not heavy enough to keep us warm. Next, I went into a tent which the Corps of Discovery used on their journey. There was a rug which was made of animal's hair, but it still seemed cold inside the tent. After that, I rode on a boat. Although it was big and long, I felt a little scared when I imagined turbulent waves hitting us. It was clearer for me to see these things than only to listen about them.

Finally, I touched many things which the Corps of Discovery used on their journey to the Pacific Ocean. They built a fire by banging a stone against metal. Therefore, I tried doing the same as they did. However, I couldn't make a fire at all, so I was disappointed. Next, I tried lifting up a wagon whose weight was one tenth of the actual wagon. Surprisingly, I wasn't able to lift it by myself even though it was not the proper weight. It was easier for me to understand things by touching them rather than looking at them.

As you can see, I learned a lot about the history of the journey which Lewis and Clark took more than 200 years ago. I was able to not only enjoy visiting the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center but also deepen my knowledge of the Corps of Discovery by my five senses. I think that this experience will be one of my unforgettable memories of the Portland Trip.

Memorable Fantastic Place

Memorable Fantastic Place

I went to the Portland Tour from November 18th to 21st. My Portland Tour was filled with satisfaction. Of course, I really enjoyed going shopping because there is no sales tax in Portland.(There is 8.7% tax in Spokane.) On the other hand, I learned a lot of new things. The most memorable things were Reed College, UWAJIMAYA and Portland Winterhawks Hockey Club. Through these activities, I could learn more about American culture.

First of all, I really enjoyed visiting Reed College. This college is a liberal arts college, and it is known as a very prestigious college. There is an unusual rule about dorms in this college. It says that all freshmen have to live in dorms at least one year. In addition, some bathrooms are used by both men and women. If I were a Reed College student, I couldn’t stand it. The student who introduced Reed College said they are used to it, but I might not be able to do it. However, I liked this College because of their policy. For example, they must study all kinds of good things even if they are not their major. The students have a chance to extend their view, so it is very effective for them. The most amazing thing is that the teachers trust the students, so they can take an exam anywhere the students want. I’ve never heard such an astonishing thing in Japan.


Next, when I visited UWAJIMAYA, I liked the atmosphere, because the shopping store’s style is very similar to the Japanese one. Almost all of the goods are Japanese products, so I felt Japanese. In the store, there is KINOKUNIYA: a book store that is familiar to Japanese people. The contents waft Japanese to us, but the attitude of the clerk was not Japanese style, so I was disappointed a little bit. The products were the same as Japan, but the prices were terrible. These products were one and a half times more expensive than those in Japan. However, the business may be prospering, so I thought Japanese products are recognized by people around the world.


Finally, I saw an ice hockey game at the Memorial Coliseum. I’d never seen it, so I didn’t know the rules even how many players there are on the ice. There were six players including a keeper, and they play ice hockey. The player can replace another player freely, so they changed by turns quickly. They skated gorgeously as they were shooting the puck with the stick. The most incredible part of the game is fights between the players. Sometimes the referees tried to stop the fight, but they couldn’t do that, so there were some fights during this game. One audience member who was in back of Barbara said that he’s never seen a lot of fights like that, so we must be lucky. It seemed that people hope to see fights between the players, because the audience was most excited when they saw the fights.


In conclusion, I could learn another side of American culture. These three things are part of the tour, and this was the study tour although I could really enjoy visiting several places. In my opinion, people tend to grow through new experiences, so this was a very good opportunity for me. There are some interesting and fun things in Portland, so I recommend you visit this town.

Learning Something New

Learning Something New

I had a really wonderful time in Portland, because I was able to obtain a lot of things which are not only knowledge that I have learned on this trip but also good things for me,and I enjoyed them. It is a part of my wonderful memories!

First, I learned about the history of the area at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. Our guide gave us maps around the Columbia River, and there were some marks that indicated about something important for the adventure. Those marks were a little difficult to understand, but sometimes it was easy to understand, so it was interesting for me. They also taught me how to make fire and tried to make it. It was windy and cold, so I thought it might be difficult to make fire, but he was really good at doing that. It was absolutely amazing!! He also showed us how to shoot a gun. It scared me so much, but it was interesting as well. We had a opportunity to hang the gun up, and we tried it. I was surprised when I handed it up, because it was very heavy for me, so I could not imagine people used such heavy guns. We had already known about Lewis and Clark, so I was able to share some information when they lectured about them. These experiences made me interested in the history of the area.

Second, I was able to have a confidence about my presentation topic. My presentation topic is about Japanese philosophy of peace, and this philosophy means how Japanese feel and think about something. In my presentation, I especially focus on peace, so I taught these things to my partners at Columbia Basin College. At first, my partners were a little bored, and I think they were not interested in my topic. I could not talk about it and show any pictures about peace. Fortunately, however,the next partners were really interested in my topic, and they taught me something about them. I hesitated to talk about my topic to the next pertners when I talked to my first partners, but I will give a presentation, so I realized I had to try to talk about it to the next partners. I asked them how they feel when Japanese talk about the war. They said to me, "It is Okay!" The words and their behavior gave me confidence to talk about my presentation topic. I think this visit was a very good opportunity for me to obtain such a strong confidence.

Finally, I felt how Japanese American felt during the war at the Japanese American memorial. I went to visit Mr. and Mrs. Kawahara who are Christopher's neighbors before we went on the Portland trip. My friends who visited them and I really enjoyed listening their experiences. We have great knowledge from them, so we gave some information for everyone. I think everyone including me thought deeply about this history when we visited the Japanese American Memorial. We saw 13 stones that had carved poems. Some of them were written in Japanese, and others were in English. I was able to understand how Japanese Americans felt about the war and their situation during the war a little bit. This place was not large, but it was absolutely wonderful. This visit was a really good opportunity for me to think over and be thankful for today's wonderful situation.

In conclusion, I experienced a lot of wonderful things, not only just enjoying myself but also relating to learn about something. In fact, I really enjoyed something fun, but I really enjoyed visiting the museum, the college and the memorial to obtain knowledge. I think it was a really great opportunity for me to think and compare between American culture and Japanese culture. It was an absolutely fabulous memory!!

History of Rose City :)

History of Rose City

Do you know what Rose City is? It's Portland's nickname. Portland has been known as "The City of Roses" with many rose gardens. Portland is the largest city between San Francisco and Seattle. The major industries are tourism, high tech (the Silicon Forest is a nickname too), health care, and manufacturing. I was a little surprised when I knew that the sister city is Sapporo, Japan. Through the Portland trip (November, 18-21, 2010), I could learn this city's history, especially about the exploration by Lewis and Clark, Dr. John McLoughlin, and the sad story of Japanese-Americans.

The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center was a really interesting museum, because there we could touch exhibits, such as a rifle, a canoe, and the real skins of two animals. First, I had a big rifle. The rifle was much heavier than I expected. It's very hard for me just to keep it in my arm. I couldn't imagine, moreover, hunters like Lewis and Clark had shot at some wild animals. The shot was also heavy, and I felt as if someone had made a hole in my stomach. It's a uncomfortable and strange experience. Next, I rode a canoe. The canoe was smaller than I expected. It's impossible to ride on it in a row. While I was riding it, I could understand how difficult it would be to sail angry waves with such a small canoe. It might be a hardship for crews. Finally, I touched a beaver's skin and an otter's skin. Both of them were soft and comfortable. I'm so sorry for these two animals, but actually these were necessary things to live in a land of severe cold. It might be really helpful to protect them from the severe cold. Through such valuable experiences, I could imagine the exploration by Lewis and Clark.

Visiting McLoughlin House was so exciting and helpful to know about Dr. John McLoughlin and his family. Mr. McLoughlin was famous because he helped travelers on the Oregon Trail by providing supplies for settlers during their first winter. I had known that fact before I visited his house, so I thought he was such a kind gentleman. I don't know actually how his character was, but his face which I saw from a photo was too scary, and I couldn't imagine his great job for travelers. In addition, his looks were like a Japanese 'sumo'. It's easy to understand how big he was. There were six people in his family; Mrs. McLoughlin, two daughters, and two sons. Mrs. McLoughlin was a fat woman, but on the other hand, her daughters were skinny. It's kind of funny. I could guess Mrs. McLoughlin's hobby was sewing, because there was a nice sewing room. There were a fire place and a keyboard. These things show she had been sewing while enjoying listening to music in a warm place. It sounds good. The time period when the McLoughlin family had lived was kind of hard, (because there was no electricity), but as I saw their house, they had lived a comfortable life comparatively.

The Japanese-American Memorial was different from what I thought. It's more simple than the memorials I saw during the East coast trip. However, it was also an irreplaceable memorial. The place was so quiet that the space was away from a noisy environment. The thirteen stone markers made their presence felt all the time. I found many great poems in both English and Japanese. For example, 'Sure, I go to school same as you. I'm an American', 'Our young men and women joined the army too. They are proud to be American.' Through these poems I felt their strong love for their family and Japan and sadness against a loss because of WWⅡ. I was surprised at the fact it was forty-three years later the US government made a declaration for an apology to them. I think it took too much time. After I visited the Japanese-American Memorial I thought deeply about peace. We must never repeat such a terrible war. The thirteen commemorative stone markers told me the sad history.

I had a memorable time in Portland which is known as Rose City. Every experience; to learn the exploration by Lewis and Clark at the Columbia George Discovery Center, to visit the McLoughlin house, and to read many moving poems at the Japanese-American Memorial were important for me to understand the history. I really enjoyed this trip, and if I have a chance, I'd like to go there again with my family. ;)

Invaluable Portland Trip

Invaluable Portland Trip

I went to Portland from November 18th to 21th, and I had a wonderful time there. It was not only a fun trip, but also a trip to learn cultural differences. What I especially liked was visiting Columbia Basin College. At the university, I learned a lot of things like about students who were studying Japanese, sharing our cultures, and my presentation topic.

First, I went to a class room to see students in a Japanese class, and I realized that they were really interested in Japanese culture or people, because their eyes were shining and looked at us with much curiousity. Then, we began to talk with them. They talked to me much more than other students that I met in high school. They said that the hardest thing about studying Japanese was the Chinese characters, and those were like just lines. Although they just started learning Japanese in September, they knew a lot of things about Japan, so I was impressed by their endurance because I have been studying English for about 8 years but I am still a greenhorn. I think it is because they have a clear goal: students who I talked first, said that they want to be teachers in Japan. I thought that was great because most of us don't have clear goals yet. My goal is also unstable so I was encouraged by their energy.

Second, I was asked many things about Japanese culture, like what differences there are between American schools and Japanese schools. I was at a loss for responses, because they asked me a lot of things that I had rarely thought about I thought it was difficult to explain about them to students, but they listened with interest so I was glad. I learned from them about differences between community college and university. They said that community college took 2 years to graduate, on the other hand, university took 4 years to graduate. Also, the degrees are different; community college students can get an associate degree, and university students can get a master degree, bachelor degree, and so on. I was curious to hear this, because I didn't know either American degree system or Japanese degree system. What I was surprised about was there were students who were 26 years old and 27 years old. This is unusual for me. Unfortunately, I could not ask the reason because it was too personal so I want to ask someone about this.

Finally, I explained about my presentation topic: wabi sabi. As a matter of course, nobody knew about wabi sabi. I thought I was able to explain it properly, but sadly I couldn't. I was hasty, although they listened carefully because I thought they might have no interest, and I did not have clear examples to explain wabi sabi. I really regretted it and thought that I really didn't understand how much Americans did not have any idea about wabi sabi. However, it was a great opportunity to know how much they and I did not understand it. Once Christopher said it would be the hardest to explain wabi sabi, and I realized what he meant at last, but if I did not talk with students, I could not know how they would feel when they heard about it, so I was glad to go there and talk with them.

In conclusion, although I was depressed that I could not explain my presentation topic clearly, I learned a lot about their culture and thinking from students at Columbia Basin College and what I need to do for my presentation. It was a great experience for me.

Pull the Trigger to the Ending

Pull The Trigger to the Ending

I have crossed almost all parts of American history. Each travel gave me a new way of thinking or American's sense of value. I might become an American when I wake up tomorrow morning.

First, I went to The East coast with Timothy and this trip taught me the history of the United States, the American Revolution, and The Civil War. It prompted me to become interest in presidents of the United States. I really enjoyed seeing the different characteristic between George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln. 　

The West coast was an entrance for me to think about other tribes, Native. Admitting another existence is to link myself to know who I am.

The trip to The southwest is one of my unforgettable memories. It was wonderful to find people, who live in adobe. They had the quintessence of virtue, which we forget in our modern life or we have destroyed in the past. We took their virtue, however we made light of the importance nowadays. Our life will be better, if we borrow their wisdom.

How about the Portland, Oregon trip? I gathered what I have learned from this trip briefly and found 5 keywords. Wisdom, Message, Expedition, Volume, and Crash.

First of all, I received two kinds of important messages from dead people at Mountain View Cemetery and The Japanese American Memorial. Both words, which engraved on stone were impressed me. They meant more than I thought. All they wanted to do was to prove . What they experienced or what the life is. Next, I realized the importance of books again when I walked in Powell's Book Store and the library at Reed College. Wisdom is necessary for us to live.

Second, I was excited about the volume of foods. Every meal that I had in Portland was delicious, so it made my weight and heart full. For example, Pizza, Tebo's Restaurant , and Uwajimaya foods. Uwajimaya not only makes me happy, but also contribute to the region of people. I was glad to know it was a part of the way of amusing people and brought us for an abundance of daily bread.

Third, I saw water hitting the earth from the top at Multnomah Falls. In addition, while I was watching the Hockey game. Both of them have a impact on me. Fresh negative ion changed my mind positive. On the other hand, the stake all men's passion was the smell of swet yet, beautiful.

Finally, the long expedition was in the end with Extension Corps of Discovery. We can make a map as Lewis and Clark did. Through the entire of travel, I began to feel some different. I want to save people, who are suffering from something, such as the volunteer of what Dr. John McLoughlin did Oregon people.

Sentimental Journey

In the past, to travel, to discover and to tell their messages would have been difficult for people. The importance of our lives from the past to now is no change. Thanks to the brave people and the injured people, our lives became a better place to live and also they and the power of nature taught us the importance of our lives. On the Portland trip, I learned these invaluable things.

Lewis and Clark made a great trail on the map of America. It would have been impossible for me to explore with no doctor and it seemed dangerous. But the Corps of Discovery explored without a doctor. Lewis and Clark studied for only two weeks to be doctors. I saw the tools to cure injury or sickness. They were simple treatments and looked painful. For example, when a man got a cavity, it was just pulled out with no anesthesia. Although they had a hard time, they pulled off their mission, and wrote an important page in history.

Next, at the Japanese Memorial, the words were unforgettable that Japanese Americans wrote in their poems. When I imagined their life by reading the poems, I had nothing to say. The only thing which I was able to think was, “I couldn't live as they lived during World War II.” They were evacuated for about three years. There must have been no safety, and for three years they spent their lives with fearfulness and no freedom. “Sure, I go to school same as you. I’m an American.” Even the Japanese Americans who had American citizenship were sent to the camps. Mrs. Kawahara, whom I talked with, was able to go to school after Pearl Harbor until she was evacuated. Her school’s principle said to her, “You can go to school the same as usual. Please don’t worry about Pearl Harbor; you are a Japanese American.” Some people were kind to Japanese Americans but the government was strict toward them. If I were in that time, I wonder if I could have said I was an American. I would wonder who I was or where I was. The real words which are from Japanese Americans who experienced hard times during World WarⅡ made me very emotional.

Finally, the 2^nd tallest waterfall was splendid. I imagined the salmon because there was a spawning salmon and some dead salmon in the water. I wondered how they went up the waterfall. They were injured on the way to reaching their goal by an obstacle. I was touched that the salmon risked their lives to lay eggs, and after they lay their eggs, they die. It shows the importance of protecting offspring of salmon. I want to know why their children set out on a journey? Is it like an expedition or an adventure? At Multnomah Falls, which is a blessing of nature, there were magnificent stories of the salmon’s life.

Through the Portland trip experience, I learned about precious things which are related to our lives. Now, I am living in the midst of plenty; I have developed tools and peace. In this society, to recognize the value of human life is an irreplaceable discovery. I feel grateful to the people who gave us valuable fortunes, and we need to look at our lives more carefully.

The Discovery in Portland

The Discovery in Portland



There are many various things I learned in Portland. I had a lot of experiences on this trip, for example talking to American students about Japanese culture, touching history of Portland, considering the World War Ⅱ, and more. I had various feelings and a great time on this trip. These are some discoveries in Portland.



First, I was disappointed in my presentation, because I couldn't speak my topic clearly. When I visited Columbia Basin College and talked to students about my topic, I felt how difficult it is to tell it to Americans. My topic is Vertical Relationships. All the students didn't know about it, so at first I had to explain the definition of it and then, I talked about some examples. My partners were really interested in my topic and listened carefully. One of them gave me some of his opinions. I was convinced by them and could know American values about my topic. I thought I need more preparation for my presentation.



Second, Lewis and Clark were amazing people. They discovered more significant things than me. These were 29 new trees and over 120 plants and also, they made the map of a water route through America to the Pacific Ocean. It was amazing. I think they had a lot of wisdom and bravery. If I were Lewis or Clark, I would give up and could not find these things. Lewis and Clark are important people of Portland and America.



Finally, I was moved by the 13 stones at the Japanese-American Memorial. These stones show clearly the misery of Japanese-Americans during World War Ⅱ. I felt a lot of sadness and hope for peace when I visited there. One of stones said Japanese-American lived without their emotion. Their lives were really limited and they didn't have their rights at that time. I thought, how miserable. I hope we have no war in the future, but peace and have to remember the tragedy of war.



I found and learned a lot of new things on this trip. I discovered myself anew and my view became wider than before because of new things. I think discovering something is very fun and exciting. I am sure this trip will be a precious memory in my future.

My Unforgetable Memory

I had a wonderful time on the Portland trip. I visited many places such as colleges, museums, some historic places, and I enjoyed watching the ice hockey game and shopping. I especially remember visiting two colleges, Columbia Basin College and Reed College. I was able to meet many students, and I enjoyed talking with them. Also I realized that there are many differences between universities. Visiting two colleges is a good memory of the trip.

First, I had a good opportunity to talk about my presentation topic. Before I talked about my topic, I thought the students would not know the word "Yakuza", but they did, so I was surprised and I realized that Yakuza is famous in the U.S., too. Since the students knew a little, they seemed to be interested. Also I was glad that they listened attentively to me. Talking about my presentation, I realized that I have to still work hard. However, this opportunity was good practice for me.

Second, I was surprised when I talked to my partner because he was sixteen years old. At first, I thought he was a university student like me, but he had skipped a grade. There was not only him, but also many grade-skipping students were in the class. Moreover, they go to high school and college at the same time. It is very different from Japanese universities. It is really impressive to me. If I were them, I could not go to two schools at the same time. However, I think it is a really good opportunity because they are able to study many things and it broadens their outlook remarkably. Compared to me, they are younger but they are reliable and hard-working, so I was really impressed with them.

Finally, I found that Reed College is very different from other universities which I have seen. One of the differences is the number of students. There are only 1400 students in Reed College. Compared with other's, the number is few, so I felt that this college is rare. When I heard the tuition, I was surprised because it costs fifty thousand dollars per year. It is truly expensive! If I were very smart, I could not go to this college. I also heard a surprising thing: the professors can bring their pets to class, so I saw some dogs on campus. This college is unique.

This experience of visiting colleges will be one of my good memories of the trip. I had a good opportunity to practice my presentation. I will not forget meeting the students. Visiting there, I was impressed and surprised by many differences between Japan and other colleges. I am glad to have had a wonderful time.

My Precious Memory of Portland Trip

My Precious Memory of the Portland Trip

I had a great time during the Portland Trip. I learned many things about American culture and experienced a lot of new things. I especially liked visiting Columbia Basin College. This activity was one of the precious memories of the trip. From this experience, I learned three things: my English ability, differences of Japanese and American culture, and improvement of my presentation topic.

First, I really enjoyed talking with American students at Columbia Basin College. My partners were all boys and I talked with three people. When I talked with them, they admired my English. Even if it was a compliment, I was very happy to hear that. It made me more confident speaking English. I noticed myself that I understood what they were saying clearer than before. During the last semester, I visited a high school and talked with my pen pal. I felt she spoke really fast and I couldn't catch up with her. Now, I feel more comfortable listening to native speakers' English. The speed of speaking depends on a person, but I had a little more confidence than before from this experience.

Second, it was really fun to share each culture. They were interested in Japan and I am interested in America, so we compared and contrasted Japanese culture with the American one. We showed our driver's licenses to each other. They were very interested in my license and tried to figure out each word's meaning. It was fun to transfer each word and teach them Japanese. If I become a Japanese teacher for English speakers, I think I can enjoy the job. When I looked at my partner's license, I found a heart mark on the top of his license. He told me it means he can donate his internal organs when he dies. I was very surprised by it, because we don't have that system in Japan. Both of my partners had the mark on their licenses, so I felt Americans are positive to contribution. It is a really good thing, so I think Japan also should use this system to help people. My partners also taught me about American college. I asked them why they chose the college. One of the partners said it is because he can have many opportunities of meeting new people like us. I was glad that they enjoyed meeting us.

Third, we talked about my presentation topic. My topic is Japanese relationships, so I was really worried to tell about it to Americans. I think a Japanese relationship is not such an interesting topic and also difficult to understand for Americans. However, when I talked about it, my partners listened to it with great interest. I was not sure that they understood my explanation, but I was happy that they showed interest about my topic. They gave me new knowledge about relationships. When I talked about Honne and Tatemae, they gave me what Americans call it in English or how they would behave in the Honne and Tatemae situation. It helped me to think about new ideas about my topic. I noticed that I have to make clearer examples and explanations of Honne and Tatemae. They made me to think about my topic deeply again. I will improve my topic and want to make my presentation better.

From this visit, I learned many things. My partners at Columbia Basin College told me many new things like the differences of driver's licenses. Also, I noticed my English ability from our talking. I hope my speaking skill will improve more in the rest of the semester. I talked about my presentation topic, Honne and Tatemae, and got a lot of useful information from them. This experience is unforgettable and helpful for me.

A Chance Encounter

I had a wonderful time at Colombia Basin College on November 19. It was a really great opportunity to talk with American students for us. I was so great to meet my partners and they were such a wonderful persons. Fortunately, I could talk about my presentation of Japanese culture with 3 my partners.

First of all, when we entered the class room of Japanese class, American students were really welcoming us and I felt comfortable and a good atmosphere. My partner is a girl. She was so nice and she listen carefully about my presentation. My presentation topic is kendo and she has already known it a little. I thought that kendo is not known in the US so I was surprised. However, I couldn't fully explain my presentation so I have to research more.

Next, we changed the partners and I sat down with 2 students. They were welcoming me and they talked me a lot. I talked them about my presentation. One of them was really interested in my topic kendo because he practices jujutsu now and he knows a Spokane kendo club's teacher. I was really delighted to talk to him about kendo and martial arts. He also knew that kendo related to samurai. I had never seen a student who knows about samurai so I was impressed a lot. He like a jujutsu like a martial arts so we could talk easily and I really enjoyed talking with them.

Finally, we moved to a cafeteria and we continued to talk. There was a small cafeteria and we ate and talk a lot. Moreover, we talked about ourselves, Japan and America. They learned Japanese so they could understand about foreign language learners. They also wanted to be good Japanese speakers. I thought I must study English harder than the past.

In conclusion, Colombia Basis students were really great and I really enjoyed talking with them. I could learn about America and how to explain my presentation. Fortunately, we exchanged our e-mail address so we can keep in touch and I want to keep in with them.

My Sweet Memory of Portland Trip

My Sweet Memory of Portland Trip

I went on a trip to Portland. I enjoyed everything very much. At the same time, I learned more about American culture, and some different culture between U.S. and Japan and also Spokane. I learned many things for few a days on this trip.

At first, I was interested in college. I went to two colleges, and I was especially interested in one of the colleges which is Reed College. Compared with other colleges there are few students. One of the reasons is to take classes with few students, so student and teachers ratio is 10:1. Instead, tuition is so expensive. In Japan, we usually take classes with many students, at least 30. There are 42 majors in this school, and I was also surprised about that. I think that I want to choose many of the majors. I learned new knowledge about an American college.

Next, I felt involved in Japanese-American Memorial. I was surprised that Japanese words were included in some of the 13 stones. These stones showed me wonderful poems. They told the story of the Japanese people in the Northwest of immigration, native born Japanese Americans

and soldiers who fought in U.S. military services during the war. I was deeply impressed by each poem, because poems had very deep content. It was a good experience for me to know about Japanese-Americans more.

Finally, I enjoyed the Saturday Market, because I had never been to a market like this in Japan. There were many interesting homemade craft stores there, such as soap, glasses and so on. I think that the Saturday Market rule is interesting. It was decided that all stores can open at 7 o'clock in the morning, because of competition between each store. I love the atmosphere of the Portland Saturday Market.

This time, I went to Portland and I learned about Portland culture. I think it means my knowledge about American culture has spread. I'm happy about it, and I also enjoyed all of the plans on Portland trip. It made me very happy, and it will be my fabulous memory.

The Preciousness of Life

The Precious Life

I went to Portland last week. I went to a museum, college, falls and market. I also enjoyed shopping and eating. I learned many things on this trip and the most impressive things were Mt. View Pioneer Cemetery and the Japanese-American's poems. We were faced with someone's life there. I thought about fragile and precious lives.

The Tour of Mt. View Pioneer Cemetery was a quick tour, because we didn't have enough time. It was a huge cemetery, so we couldn't walk through all of the area. I found a difference between the American cemetery and the Japanese cemetery. In America, there are no flowers, no incense sticks and no snacks and the tombs are irregular shapes and rows. On the other hand, Japanese tombs are square and in regular rows and Japanese people bring and put some flowers, snacks and incense sticks on their family tomb. I was surprised at this difference. I wonder what do American people do for their family tomb? I guessed they just visit their family tomb and pray.

I also knew that a memorial for murdered children is planned to be build there. The construction will start next year and the names of murdered victim will be curved in the wall. I think it is a good idea, because a memorial will help victims. It reminds everyone of murdered children. In short, there are many murdered children all over the world; however, I don't want to believe that there are many murderers. I can't understand why there are murders. If I were a parent of murdered children, I could not forgive the murderer. I am very sad as I consider how the parents of murdered children feel.

The 3rd day of the Portland trip, we went to the Japanese-American Memorial. Aika, Nao and Ayumi talked about what they had talked about with a Japanese-American in Spokane before at breakfast time. I read Weed flower, so I could understand his situation easily. He have moved to the another camp three times and stayed at the camp for three years. At that time, he was angry, but now he is not. If I were him, I might be not able to forgive the American government, because I couldn't understand why I have to be put in the camp even if I did not do anything. When I went to the Japanese-American Memorial, I saw many stones which are curved poems. These were written in Japanese and English. One of the poems is "Sure, I go to school. Same as you. I'm an American." I was moved by this poem. They were Americans not Japanese. They have Japanese faces but their thinking is American.

I thought a lot about the preciousness of life from these things. Of course, there are many tombs in the cemetery. There are many reasons of death like disease, life expectancy and accident, but I think that being killed by someone is the most disconsolate reason of death. Sometimes people are killed for no reason. Sometimes there are reasons why someone is killed. Many people were killed during World War Ⅱ. They might have to fight in the war, but I wish the war and murder would disappear from all over the world. Everyone has to think the importance of life deeply.

The Brave Explorers

We took a trip to Portland from November 18th to November 21st. I learned a lot of things through this trip. It was especially interesting for me to learn about Lewis and Clark. They were explorers from 1804 to 1805.

Lewis and Clark traveled to the Pacific Ocean in order to find new plants, make friends with native Americans, and to make a new map. They traveled with other members. The exploration team was called the Corps of Discovery. Lewis and Clark were the leaders.

At the Lewis and Clark museum, I learned that these people didn't have any doctors. So they had to cure their illnesses or injuries by themselves. A man showed us some tools to cure the illneses. For example, he showed us a device to pull teeth out. I felt that the way they recovered from illnesses were very painful. But it was really interesting information.

In the museum, we were able to experience the lives of that time. It was really fun and interesting because we were able to go into a tent, and to wear clothes of that time. I entered the tent and took a picture. It smelled like smoke. I guess it was the smell of animal fur. The man who explained Lewis and Clark showed us a gun. We were able to touch it. I also held the gun. It was very heavy. It was a really fun museum because I experienced a lot of things.

I think the Corps of Discovery were very brave. They were not sure what was ahead in their country. They, however, decided to discover the mystery. I was impressed to hear how they reached the Pacific Ocean.

13 Stones and Two Sculptues of Japanese American

13 Stones and Two Sculpture of Japanese American

There are 13 stones and two sculptures that touched my heartstrings at the Japanese American Historical Plaza. Many of the stones were engraved with short poems and the names of evacuation areas. The plaza was designed by Portland landscape architect Robert Murase. The plaza has become famous in the world.

Many-Japanese Americans have engraved the 13 stones with words about their life during the war, their family and peace. The 13 stones silently stand at the plaza. The memorial is for American people who had Japanese ancestors and for those Japanese immigrants who made their lives here. People fought for their independence, freedom, and peace and they died in the war. Many Japanese-Americans, American people, and visitors pray for the Japanese-Americans that their souls may rest in peace. In addition, 100 cherry trees are planted around the stones. The cherry blossoms are out for a short time each year. When the cherry petals fall like snowflakes, many people say, "The view is so beautiful without feeling grief and being furious about the war and discrimination." I think the13 stones and 100 cherry trees are very important for Japanese-American and American people.

The 13 stones were engraved with some the poems and the names of evacuated places. Haiku was written in both English and Japanese. The poems tells stories of Japanese-Americans because the poems are written by Japanese-Americans. Their poems tell American People about the war and peace, independence and freedom. When many visitors saw the poems, they cannot express their feelings in words because the meanings of the poems are very angry and sad. When I saw the poems, I felt impressed by two poems. One is "Our young men and women joined the army, too. They are proud to be Americans." Another is "Sure, I go to school same as you. I am an American." Many young people the same age as me joined the war because they fought as Americans for their family. I cannot believe such sad things because I did not experience the war. I have never separated from my family, I can eat enough food, and I can live enough in my life. I cannot really understand their agony of the war but I can learn about Japanese-Americans. To learn about Japanese American is very important for me. In addition, the stones which were engraved were about the internment camps. There are many areas and I already know about Poston because I read the book, Weedflower, about Sumiko and I learned about Americans.

Two sculptures stand at the plaza and the sculpture also tells us the story of Japanese-Americans. The two sculptures were engraved with pictures of Japanese-Americans. For example, it is the Japanese-American soldiers, Japanese-American families, and a girl who takes the bus to evacuate as if it was one scene of the war and evacuation. The two tell me about the story of Japanese-Americans and I felt so sad and angry about the war and discrimination. Moreover, the Japanese-American Historical Plaza has received many awards. For example, it has won national awards, one state award, four metropolitan awards and so on.

The poems, stones on which were written about the internment camps, and two scalptures were made to remind people of the story of Japanese-Americans. The 13 stones and two sculptures are very important for Japan and the U.S. Many important things for us are lost by the war.

A Curious Coincidence

I talked with Columbia Basin College students about my presentation topic during the Portland trip. Before I talked with them, I worried about what students would think about my presentation topic because many people aren't in a light mood when they listen to the miserable history concerned with their own countries. Also many American people don't know about Okinawa and the Battle of Okinawa. My first partner was Mark. He is half American and half Japanese. His father is American and his mother is Japanese, and it means he has American and Japanese ancestors. His grandparents experienced World War II in America and Japan. I got great opportunity to talk with him and I had a great time at this college and our conversation was very useful for my presentation.

First, my presentation topic is Okinawa's history and I talked about the Battle of Okinawa. The Battle of Okinawa was fought between America and Japan during World War II, and Okinawa was a part of America 38 years ago. My topic is difficult to introduce to Americans but it's very important to understand Okinawa and Japan. I want American people to know the real truth about Okinawa, so I want to listen to American student's opinions about the war. Before this trip, I visited Mr. Kawahara who is a Japanese-American and experienced World War II in the camp in America. It was good for me to improve my presentation and also this conversation with the Columbia Basin College student was great for my presentation.

Second, he had listened to his grandparent's experiences about World War II in America and Japan and learned about World War II in Japan. He is interested in Japanese history and culture and he knows about Kamikaze and the Battle of Okinawa. It was very surprising for me because many students who study Japanese are interested in Japanese culture and history but they don't know about Okinawa and the Battle of Okinawa. He told me that Kamikaze was a very noble group and now there aren't many who can be suicide attackers like a Kamikaze to protect their families, unborn generations, and their countries of tomorrow in the world. Also, he said Japan hasn't had an army after World War II; it is very peaceful. I'm very happy because he understands Japanese history and the past war between America and Japan, and he puts a high value on Kamikaze and the fact that Japan doesn't have an army.

Finally, America and Japan had the same war, and we share sadness and repentance for the war. America and Japan are very different from each other but we share some history. Okinawa was a part of America, but many Americans don't know about it. Today, there are many American bases in Okinawa. World War II ended 65 years ago, but still the American army is involved with Okinawa and Japan. It's too difficult and hard to understand these circumstances without the knowledge about the Battle of Okinawa. I hope my presentation helps American people to understand the present of Japan and Okinawa. It is needed for us to keep a good relationship.

In conclusion, it was a valuable chance to talk about my presentation topic with him because his opinions and feelings are half American and half Japanese, so they aren't only American or Japanese. He thinks about World War II from both sides, American and Japanese. Many people can't think about it from both sides because we have only one background. His opinions are valuable help for me, and I learned a lot of things from his stories. I want to succeed with my presentation to help American people to understand our history.

Ayumi, Jill

My Memory of a Memorial

On November 21st, I visited the Japanese American Memorial in Portland. They have 13 stones and some of them are engraved with poems. The poems were written by Japanese Americans who were in camps during WWⅡ.

Glancing up

At red-tinged mountains,

My heart is softened.

A day in deep autumn.

This was the most moving poem for me. I felt the person saw the sunset and mountain, felt the beautiful scenery and remembered Japan and friends and family who were separated even though the person had a hard life in the camp. I can't imagine that they had hearts to feel beauty when they were in the camp. I think it's difficult to keep having an emotional mind during war. However, I think the person who wrote this poem had a very pure heart.

I knew about life during WWⅡ in Japan because I heard my grandparents experiences and some stories from them. However, I didn't know anything about Japanese Americans before I read "Weedflower". The book was written by a Japanese American. And the story was about lives of Japanese Americans in an interment camp during WWⅡ.

I'm glad to have visited the Japanese American Memorial because I think it's important to remember them and the history between Japan and America. We should not repeat the same mistake like WWⅡ. It was a really good opportunity for me to think about Japanese Americans and war.

Significance of Peace

Significance of Peace

Behind the plinths, there was a row of trees planted among stones inscribed with poetry. It was getting colder and wetter because of rain. There were lots of stone monuments, and it tells us how awful the war was.

I read all of the poetry, and this is the most moving one for me - "With new hope, we build new lives. Why complain when it rains? This is what it means to be free." This means they probably left from camp, and it was a glad occurrence. But actually, they didn't recover physically. When I heard the significance of the poetry, I felt it very deeply.


Some monuments were written in Japanese. I was also moved by the Japanese monuments, but both of them were deeply significant. I was glad to see Japanese monuments not only English.


There was a stone carved with faces like a picture of the left. They are Japanese-American, and some people were holding a baby in their arms, some people look like they were run away from something. This day was raining, so it looked like their tears. I was moved to see stone which looked like crying and it became an unforgettable scene.


I think these monuments tell us significance of peace. We should not repeat war and should not increase victims. We must not only know about the war but also remember we shouldn't forget it. I felt the consequence of war again to see these monuments.

My Fruitful Visit to Columbia Basin College

I had a really great time on the Portland Trip. I was able to experience a lot of things that I hadn't done such as going to Columbia Basin College, Powell's Books, ice hockey, the Lewis and Clark museum and Multnomah Falls. There were many things that I hadn't seen before. What I was most interested with was Columbia Basin College. I talked with students about our life, my presentation topic and the differences between my college and theirs.

First, I talked with two students which means that I had two opportunities to talk with one student. It was the first time that I was able to talk with a student for a long time, so I was very worried whether I would be able to communicate or not. At first we talked not about my presentation topic but about our daily lives such as hobbies and family, so I relaxed about speaking English. My partners asked me many questions and I did, too, so talking with them was exciting and fun. However, when the second partner asked me about Japan, I couldn't answer well although I wanted to. I noticed my knowledge of Japan was scanty. I need not only English skill but also information about Japan when I talk with American people.

Second, I talked with them about my presentation topic. It was very hard for me to speak about it because it was the first time, especially, when I talked with the

first partner. My organization was not clear enough, so I couldn't tell her a lot of information. I knew about the Ainu but to explain it in English was much more difficult than I expected. They asked me if we eat the same foods as the Ainu and if they live in the same houses as the ancient Ainu. It was difficult to explain that they were not Japanese at first but they had to become Japanese after losing battles. I want to organize what I say in the presentation more and make it easier to understand for American people. Also I asked what I should do to succeed at my presentation because they have made a presentation in front of many people. The answer was to be relaxed and to prepare well. Even if I forget words, I need to be calm. It will be the first time for me so I will not stop being nervous, but I want to do my best not to make their advice useless.

Finally, I talked about the differences between my college and theirs. They said they didn't have a test to enter college. What they needed was only to apply. When I heard that, I was envious. However, I think it is meaningful for me to study for the entrance exam because I studied hard for it and I'm proud of myself and what I've done. In addition, students' ages were different. I ate lunch with two students. One student was 18 years old and another was 28 years old. There were some students who went to both high school and college at the same time. I haven't heard about that in Japan, so I was very surprised. I felt it was American culture.

In conclusion, I had a really good time with the college students, and especially, to talk about my presentation topic was very fruitful for me. I can't imagine what American people will ask or want to know. This visit was much more enjoyable than I expected. We were almost the same age so we had similar hobbies and thoughts. The only difference was the language we used. To talk with people is very fun and I can learn many things from them, so I want to speak with American people more, especially people who are the same generation as me.