Clarkston High School students turned their every day life to extraordinary when they hosted Japan students last week.
The visitors were 10 teenage girls from Chiba, Japan ready to experience life as a teenager in Michigan.
‘Each year it is a new excitement because it is a different kid that comes,? said Faye Valtadoros, Japanese teacher at the high school. ‘We are just having such a good time hanging out with them, seeing them experience everything for the first time and watching the looks on their faces.?
The adventure began March 21 and the students were in for a whirl of activity, taking in shopping at Great Lakes Mall, playing lazer tag, putt-putt golf and bowling.
‘It is just amazing,? said senior Anne Marie Hart about hosting. ‘A lot of people think language is a barrier but they are really good at speaking English.?
Hart had an instant bond with Miyuki Kawashima, the teenager she hosted.
‘They are girls and like boys and shopping,? she added. ‘They are like us but speak a different language.?
Hart also noticed how polite Kawashima was especially when it came to meals.
Kawashima and Yumi Kimura quickly noticed how big not only the food but beverages were up to three times bigger than in their country.
‘I took Miyuki to Tropical Smoothi Cafe and she said she loved smoothies,? Hart explained. ‘It was so big for her and she drank the whole thing. They will never say no even if they are not hungry.?
They tried deep-dish pizza from Buddy’s Pizza and donuts from the Village Bake Shop in downtown Clarkston.
‘I liked and they were sweet,? said Kimura. ‘They taste different but like both (American and Japanese).?
Kawashima celebrated her birthday while she was visiting and her host mother baked her a cake.
‘It was a big cake,? she noticed. ‘I was very happy.?
Her host mother also made her chicken noodle soup, a speciality Kawashima has never had before.
The visitors joined their hosts for a few of their classes at the high school going to the required core classes and the elective classes. Kimura tried out an English class and reading a magazine.
‘It was too difficult for me,? she said about all of the words.
She also went to a math class, where formulas are universal. She found answering the equations in English had it’s challenging moments as well.
Kawashima didn’t attend math or English class but went to jewelry class and made a bracelet and a necklace.
Clarkston students also learned a lot from their visitors. They played a Japanese version of the game ‘Red Light, Green Light? and learned about Japanese songs and fashion.
‘You get to learn a lot,? said host junior Michael Gieske. ‘It was a lot of fun, good times and lots of memories.?
The visitors left early Saturday morning.
‘It is always sad when they leave because you don’t think you can get as close to a person in a week especially someone from another part of the world,? said Hart. ‘You realize in the time you have so much in common.?
‘I don’t want to go back,? said Kimura. ‘I enjoyed my American high school life.?
She noted it was her first time in America and enjoyed all of the new experiences.
Kawashima has visited the United States before and went to Connecticut noting it was colder there.
‘Some students wear T-shirts and shorts in cold,? she noticed.
Valtadoros said it is the only unique program of it’s kind at the high school.
‘We don’t get any French, German or Spanish students,? she said. ‘I look forward to having it every year. It is such a great experience for my students.?
Fourteen of the Clarkston students will visit Japan during the summer.
They will spend one week with their visitors from Chiba and experience a day in the life of a Japanese teenager.