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Duane
he
Japanese were putting 100% into making us feel welcome. I never felt as
though I was being looked at as an out-of-place American while on the street
or in a store. When I asked for help in finding an item in a store, the
clerk didn’t just point toward the general area but took me right to the
item. I
couldn’t help but notice the courtesy shown to one another and the conversations
between them seemed to be up beat rather than argumentative. The cooperation
between the women, whether preparing for our party or cleaning up the neighborhood
park, was always cheerful. Their
attention to detail on timing things was amazing. You usually heard something
like it takes 40 minutes to get there so we have to leave at 8:20. Their
times proved to be very accurate. I
have always felt that a severe penalty will deter people from doing something
that is against the law. Their penalty of losing your driver’s license for
life for driving while intoxicated proves my theory to be correct.
I
felt that the behavior and respect shown by their children was outstanding.
The parents made sure they were neat before they left for school.
I
got the feeling that each of our Friendship force group thought they had
the best hosts. That says a lot for the way there were prepared.
Darlene
ur
exchange to Oita/Eihme Japan will be remembered with pleasure and warm feelings.
Our Host families took us into their homes and treated us like family. They
gave willingly of their time, took us to Celebrations, to their Shrines,
Castles, Mountains, Hot Springs and shared the beauty of their country with
us. The Cherry Blossoms were beautiful, the Flower Gardens so rich in color.
They prepared us many delicious meals, hot baths, shared their culture with
us, and asked questions of ours. Of all the beautiful things we saw and
experienced, the genuine warmth and friendship of the Japanese people is
something I will never forget. |
