Some of our reflections...

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