Today I went to Takachiho gorge after leaving my host family's house. I was impressed by the waterfalls that we saw there.
When we were going back to the bus after the waterfall, there was a long long flight of stairs that we had to climb and we felt like giving up. However, there was no easy way out, so we had to move on.
This taught me not to give up easily and push myself to the finish line. It also applies to my examinations. Although studying can be very challenging, I need to persevere even when I do not feel like it in order to do well.
Sherri - 2B
Today, we went to a shrine and visited Takachiho gorge. It was a long journey but there was a lot of beautiful greenery around us.
We had to climb a lot of steep steps to reach the gorge, but everyone persevered and cared for each other. I learned that it is important to persevere and care for each other.
Jennifer - 2N3
After one week in Miyazaki, I have learnt a lot and I am very happy that I got to experience the homestay program.
During the homestay, I went to a lot places. Some things that left a bigger impressions of me include the the way that the Japanese people waited in the cold at the mayor's office for us to arrive and welcome us with their friendliness.
Also, when we went to the orange plantation the uncle was friendly enough to let us pick our own fruits and to let us eat the oranges at the plantation.
I also went to see how traditional glass making is done and the uncle was so nice to let us try and make some designs on the glass.
Throughout this trip I have learned a lot and I will remember it forever! I have learnt to be kind and helpful to everyone I meet and help others when they need help.
Linette - 1A
I did many things on my trip to Japan. On the first day of my homestay I was warmly welcomed by my host family. For dinner we had udon with tempura for dinner. I felt that that the dinner was not easily made and hard work was needed for it. I learned to do things with hard work and not take short cuts.
On the next day I went to a farm to experience the life of a farmer. The farmer taught me about harvesting of carrots and green onions. I learned to finish all the food that is given to me and not to waste it as harvesting is very difficult and tiring.
On the last morning of the homestay I went to make mochi. I feel that eating mochi is a lot easier than making it. It requires teamwork and skills. I learned about working in teams as making mochi requires working in groups of two or more.
Si Jie - 1D
The most memorable things for me that I did throughout this trip are: harvesting vegetables/farming, spending time with my buddy's family and bonding with them.
The things that made the biggest impression on me are that Japanese people are very disciplined. They are sensitive towards other's feelings and are very polite. The air in Japan is also very clean.
The experiences that are useful in my life is to learn to be less affected by small amounts of discomfort and focus on my tasks when I am doing something, like how the Japanese were not worried about getting dirty when they were doing their farming. I also want to spare a thought for everyone that I care for, like the Japanese people whom I met.
Hwee Hiang - 2D
Monday, 28 November 2016
Sunday, 27 November 2016
Farewell Party..
Time flies.. in a blink of an eye, we have came to an end of the homestay programme. Tonight will be the last night that we will be spending with our buddies and host families.
We will definitely cherish the times we spent together.
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| Everyone did a traditional dance together |
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| All of us sang a song for them |
Saturday, 26 November 2016
Having fun with our host families
Over the weekends we get to spend quality time with our host families..
Today, in the morning, I went to visit Miyazaki Jingu with my buddy and her dad. The Tranquil environment in which the temple was situated amazed me me me. Next, we went to Aoshima Jingu which was located on a small island near the shore.
The way my buddy's dad conducts himself so well in front of others made the greatest impact on me today on me today. I was also very impressed by the way the Japanese people believe in their responsibility as citizens to keep their country litter-free and provide a secure and healthy environment for one another.
The biggest lesson I learned today is that " no matter what happens in life, be nice to people people to people people. Being nice to people is a peaceful way to live and a beautiful a beautiful legacy to leave behind." I have decided to begin following this and make a memorable and positive impact on others in the same way my buddy's dad, Mr Kazuhiko has made on me.
Swetha - 3A
Today, my buddy Wakana could not accompany me during the day, so her parents and I went on a journey through Miyazaki. First, we went to explore Aoshima Island. On the island, there is a shrine and I learned a lot about the culture of Japanese when they spoke about how their wishes would come true when they do certain stuff like throwing the coin and bowing a few times.
After that, we went to try Calligraphy. It was very fun! I had to write out some Kanji which I was very good at (because Chinese is similiar to Kanji). The teacher praised me about how accurate I was! I learnt that not many people actually knew how to start in the first place!
Lastly, we went to Udo shrine. It was the most tiring part of the day! We had to climb lots and lots of stairs and hike up all the to the mountain top, then go all the way down to the shrine. It was a very tiring but fun experience!
Eunice - 2D
The thing that made the biggest impression on me is how clean the area is. Everywhere I go, there is hardly any litter. And the strange thing is that there are hardly any dustbins around. Despite Singapore having so many dustbins, our country is still dirtier than Japan.
Today, I learnt that we should always take good care of our environment. Even though there isn't a dustbin in sight, it does not mean that we can throw our rubbish on the floor. We should keep our rubbish until we see a dustbin and dispose it.
Zoebelle - 2D
Today I went to the farewell party and tried interesting new food. I also met my friends and watched a performance. I performed with my friends too. I had a lot of fun.
During my homestay, I had difficulties communicating with my buddy. We used programmes for translating but sometimes it did not give us the meaning we were looking for, so we ended up using sign language.
I have learned how to adapt to the Japanese culture and to new experiences. Having to adapt fast to something may be difficult, but this is a key ability in our daily lives.
Oceane - 1N1
Today I went to make rice cakes at my buddy's grandmother's house. I also took my host family's dog for a walk. In the evening, there was a farewell party which I very much enjoyed. There were many performances and I performed in one of them. The food was very nice to eat too!
The performances during the farewell party left the biggest impression on me as it showed how much effort both parties had put in to make both parties had put in to make this program very successful and enjoyable. The performances made us laugh and think about how grateful we are to be here.
Something that I learned today is that you should try your best for everything, as we had to give 100% of our effort to try and make our performance a good one. Even though there were many challenges, we persevered and continued to try our best. We can apply this to our studies and do our very best to ace an exam.
Kass - 2D
The way my buddy's dad conducts himself so well in front of others made the greatest impact on me today on me today. I was also very impressed by the way the Japanese people believe in their responsibility as citizens to keep their country litter-free and provide a secure and healthy environment for one another.
The biggest lesson I learned today is that " no matter what happens in life, be nice to people people to people people. Being nice to people is a peaceful way to live and a beautiful a beautiful legacy to leave behind." I have decided to begin following this and make a memorable and positive impact on others in the same way my buddy's dad, Mr Kazuhiko has made on me.
Swetha - 3A
Today, my buddy Wakana could not accompany me during the day, so her parents and I went on a journey through Miyazaki. First, we went to explore Aoshima Island. On the island, there is a shrine and I learned a lot about the culture of Japanese when they spoke about how their wishes would come true when they do certain stuff like throwing the coin and bowing a few times.
After that, we went to try Calligraphy. It was very fun! I had to write out some Kanji which I was very good at (because Chinese is similiar to Kanji). The teacher praised me about how accurate I was! I learnt that not many people actually knew how to start in the first place!
Lastly, we went to Udo shrine. It was the most tiring part of the day! We had to climb lots and lots of stairs and hike up all the to the mountain top, then go all the way down to the shrine. It was a very tiring but fun experience!
Eunice - 2D
Today I went to a shrine and Miyazaki UNESCO park. I then went to AEON to have dinner. At the shrine, we did a small prayer and bought 5 stones each and throw on to a small hole on a huge rock by the ocean. Whoever manages to throw a stone into that small hole is believed to receive good luck.
The thing that made the biggest impression on me is how clean the area is. Everywhere I go, there is hardly any litter. And the strange thing is that there are hardly any dustbins around. Despite Singapore having so many dustbins, our country is still dirtier than Japan.
Today, I learnt that we should always take good care of our environment. Even though there isn't a dustbin in sight, it does not mean that we can throw our rubbish on the floor. We should keep our rubbish until we see a dustbin and dispose it.
Zoebelle - 2D
During my homestay, I had difficulties communicating with my buddy. We used programmes for translating but sometimes it did not give us the meaning we were looking for, so we ended up using sign language.
I have learned how to adapt to the Japanese culture and to new experiences. Having to adapt fast to something may be difficult, but this is a key ability in our daily lives.
Oceane - 1N1
Today I went to make rice cakes at my buddy's grandmother's house. I also took my host family's dog for a walk. In the evening, there was a farewell party which I very much enjoyed. There were many performances and I performed in one of them. The food was very nice to eat too!
The performances during the farewell party left the biggest impression on me as it showed how much effort both parties had put in to make both parties had put in to make this program very successful and enjoyable. The performances made us laugh and think about how grateful we are to be here.
Something that I learned today is that you should try your best for everything, as we had to give 100% of our effort to try and make our performance a good one. Even though there were many challenges, we persevered and continued to try our best. We can apply this to our studies and do our very best to ace an exam.
Kass - 2D
Thursday, 24 November 2016
Our Host Families!
Pictures with our host families! Our homestay has finally begun. We have been looking forward to meet our buddies since August.
25 November
Our first stop day was to pay courtesy call to Mayor of Aya Town. He welcomed us warmly.
After that we proceeded to Aya Junior High School. We couldn't wait to see our buddies again !
While some of us went to Sadowara Junior High School...
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| Group photo taken outside Aya Town Mayor's office |
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| Picture of Aya Junior High School |
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| There was a welcome ceremony for us. The whole school was there! |
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We joined them in class and had lunch together too!   |
After lunch, we went orange picking and horse riding! We picked fresh oranges and ate them on the spot !
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We also went to Aya suspension bridge. It was a beautiful sight..
Today, I visited the Aya mayor before going to a fruit farm. At the farm, I saw many oranges and we were able to pick them off the tree to eat. Next, I saw how the students of Aya junior high studied and how they spent their time in school. Later on, I rode a horse for the first time and it was a really nice experience. I also stroked the horse and even though the mane felt a little rough, I really like how it felt when I touched it. Last of all, we went up a suspension bridge.
Some of us were scared of it since we were so high up.
The thing that made the biggest impression on me is that after we visited the Aya mayor and everyone else , I found that they were all very polite .
Something important that I learned today is that we can still have a strong relationship despite the fact that we cannot communicate well since we have different languages . This was what I learnt when I visited the mayor of Aya and the mayor of Miyazaki city.
Shuqing - 2D
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Student Reflection:
Some of us were scared of it since we were so high up.
The thing that made the biggest impression on me is that after we visited the Aya mayor and everyone else , I found that they were all very polite .
Something important that I learned today is that we can still have a strong relationship despite the fact that we cannot communicate well since we have different languages . This was what I learnt when I visited the mayor of Aya and the mayor of Miyazaki city.
Shuqing - 2D
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