Almost home

Hello everyone,

Signing in from Seattle airport! The flight home was smooth and now we board a bus to Portland. Most everyone slept on the plane ride home. Feels good to be in familiar territory. I will post more pictures in the next few days. Keep in mind that photos included in the blog depended on timing, location, cooperation and internet. The groups were often divided and most of the photos came from my camera. There are many more photos from other cameras and I will create a group flickr for others to load pictures. Hope this worked well for everyone.

It was a great trip!!! These are great kids!!!

Kyoto

Hello,
The Kobe group stopped today at the big Buddha in Nara. As you can see in the pictures, the grounds were swarming with deer. There was food for a fee and the deer would be your best friend if you had some! It was fun. We also went to Kiyumizu Temple and the Golden Pavilion. We met up with the Numazu group at the temples. We have settled into our hotel in Kyoto and everyone is very tired. Bags are being reorganized and after some final shopping in the morning, we will head to the airport. Japan is great but Portland is home. See you soon!

Rebecca

Last day in Kobe

Today, many of the Richmond students were taken to Universal Studios Japan for their last day. The chaperones did sight seeing or shopping, with the exception of me. I hung out at Universal Studios, took a few pictures, and got a little sunburned. The day wrapped up with a Chinese dinner with Yamomoto Sensei, his family, a few chaperones and students, and........ Japanese baseball legend,Tomoaki Kanemoto!!!! It was a great evening and tomorrow we leave for Kyoto. We will meet up with the Numazu group and visit some temples. We have had a great time but I think everyone is ready to sleep in their own beds and be with family back home.

Sumaura Celebration

Greetings parents and friends,
Tonight we had the Sumaura Music Festival in Kobe. There were over 400 guests so the school rented an auditorium. Sumaura students did performances and Richmond students did Taiko and the two songs they learned with Ritsuko. They sounded great! For Taiko, their sticks were high in the air and their energy was strong. When singing, they really projected and the audience clapped along. The pictures were taken during rehearsal and the lighting wasn't good so they didn't come out great but you can get the idea of the size of the stage and the auditorium. I think the Richmond students were really proud of what they had to offer. Both Ritsuko and Kazuyo Ito really deserve many many thanks. They taught the students very well. The after party had wonderful food and games. Tomorrow many of the Richmond students will go to Universal Studios in Kobe. I will be accompanying them to take pictures. It is hard to believe we only have a few more days in Japan. It has been a very positive experience for everyone.

Rebecca

Greeting From Numazu

We made it to Numazu after a great visit to the Toyota Museum. There were hundreds of cars of all makes and models ranging from the first auto prototypes from the 1900's to space age personal vehicles that Toyota is working on. They even had a car that US president Franklin Delano Roosevelt used to ride in during his presidency "subarashi!!". We arrived in Numazu a little late due to traffic issues but the host families were there to meet us and were very excited to see all the kids.

Friday we toured the school and the school was awesome. The immersion program there is very similar to the one the at Richmond. The teachers were really dynamic and seemed positive and inspiring to all the students. The Numazu performance by the Richmond students was really top notch.

This weekend the kids spend with there host families and I have heard rumblings of outings to Tokyo for shopping and sporting events. It sounds like everyones having a great time.

The split

New pictures have been added doing traditional crafts / activities. The group was split for these activities so I apologize if all students are not included. Hopefully, Brad got pictures of the groups he was with and will post them soon. We made sasaras, then soba noodles and paper fans. We finished the long day with an onsen. This was the first onsen for many students. Overall, it was a positive experience for everyone. After spending the night in Gokoyama, Twenty-seven Richmond students and seven chaperones went to Sumaura Elementary school in Kobe, and the rest went on a separate bus to Numazu.

I am now reporting from Kobe. We arrived yesterday afternoon a little late because of a fire that caused congestion along our route. Today we spent the day at Sumaura. We were presented with handmade gifts from the primary grade students at a welcoming ceremony and, Richmond students gave speeches. We all spent time doing various activities in classrooms and played on the playground. The second half of the day we were taken by bus to the earthquake memorial museum and Kawasaki museum. It was interesting to learn that our relationship with Sumaura school began when Richmond students decided to collect relief money for Kobe after the 1995 earthquake that killed 6,434 people. The impact of this natural disaster on the city of Kobe was artfully reconstructed. The exhibit was very informative and fascinating. Tomorrow we have a tea ceremony and rehearsal in the morning at Sumaura school. The weather has been mild and cloudy. I hear we are missing Portland sun. Hopefully it will still be there when we return in FIVE days!

Leaving Fukuno

Hello Richmond families and friends,

Today is Wednesday in Japan and we are leaving Fukuno. We are headed for a day of adventure making Sassaras, Japanese fans, and soba noodles. We will go to our first onsen tonight before heading to Shirakawa Village in Gokoyama. Tomorrow the group will split up and almost half the group will be traveling to Numazu. I will be traveling with the group that goes to Kobe. I have arranged for Brad to post pictures and updates on the blog from Numazu. He will write in a different color/font to distinguish Numazu from Kobe posts. Remember that you don’t have to have a flicker account to click on pictures and save them to your desktop to print. We will be in touch in the next couple of days.
Arigato
Rebecca

Fukuno first day of school

Today is Monday and is the first day of school at Fukuno Elementary. Students are guests in 5th and 6th grade classrooms. I hope you enjoy the interviews from this morning. Everyone is having a great time. The school is very welcoming. The chaperones got a tour of the school from the Principal and we took pictures of the students in classes. Right now I am typing in the cafeteria while the students are cleaning the school to the soundtrack of the Sound of Music!

Interviews

Arrived in Japan

Hello everyone,
Yes, we have arrived in Japan! Of course, we had a 24 hour delay, 10 hour plane ride and 8 hour bus ride but we are here! Today is Saturday and we are at Fukuno school. There is a celebration in our honor. Everyone stayed with their host families last night and they all seem happy. They will spend time with their host families this weekend then start school on Monday. The weather is a bit overcast and humid. The new set of pictures show our travels and our arrival last night in Fukuno at 1am. More to come!

U-turn Mid flight

Almost three hours into the air, the excitement of being on the plane on our way to Japan was squelched when informed by the pilot that the plane had turned around and was headed back to Portland! The disbelief spurred a symphony of Awwws and dropping jaws. The plane had a communication malfunction when over the ocean and needed to be fixed. The flight attendant said it was not a safety issue but more like a phone that lost connection. The backup communication systems were not sufficient for flying near China air space. We were assured the problem was not related to the number of DS machines being used. Mr. Aubrecht might be delighted that despite this disappointment, the class pulled together and sang the Habitat song ☺
Most of the class is staying in a hotel near the airport tonight and we are being re-booked on the noon flight tomorrow. We will get to Japan!!

風になる

Performance at the Japanese Consulate in Portland

Performance at Japanese Consulate

Japan - here we come!

Hello everyone,

Got your suitcase? Your carry-on? Your omiyage? Your schedule? Your brand new, never worn school shoes? We leave for Japan in less then two weeks!! The chaperones are so excited to go on this adventure with you. It's time to start packing that carry-on with things to do on the 10 hour plane ride and things to wear for the two days you will be without your luggage. At the airport you will get your journal, which will have the schedule and many pages to document your learning and adventures while in Japan. This blog will be used to post pictures and share our journey with family and friends. Entries will be made as often as possible when we can get internet access. Anyone can comment and anyone can follow along with us!

Domo Arigato Gozaimasu!! Thank YOU!