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.