BY HEATHER CLEMENT
Clarkston News Staff Writer
Ten Japanese language students honed their skills in a trip that covered three locations in two weeks on the island of Japan. The Clarkston students and Sensei Barbara Rice, Japanese teacher at Clarkston High School, began the adventure on June 27.
The first leg of the trip was the 2005 Expo in Aichi Prefecture. This year’s theme was clean air and focused on what countries around the world are doing to help the environment.
‘It showed what other countries were doing to become more ecologically sound,? said Rice.
There were exhibits of mammoth elephants, a mummy that showed how mummification can be used to help in the future, pianos that were powered with water and light hieroglyphics that are the cameras of tomorrow.
The expo also featured food from around the world. ‘Although the dishes had a Japanese flair,? said Rice, ‘they were doctored for the Japanese palette.?
The second leg of the trip was three days at a Japanese temple.
‘The temple was fantastic,? said Rice. ‘It was in the middle of old Kyoto and all around us were temples.?
Rice said the temple priest cooked for the students? everyday and everyone learned how the Japanese conserve water through their bathing process. The Japanese shower first, then take a hot bath. The clean water from the bath is then used to wash the laundry.
The last leg of the trip was spent at each students? home-stay. Home-stay is an exchange program where students from one country, Japan, come to America and stay at a students home. Later in the year, the American student stays at the Japanese students? home.
Clarkston High School’s sister school in Japan is Ichigawa Higashi. Last March, Japanese students? stayed with students from Clarkston.
‘This was an opportunity for the students to see how they live. They even went to their school,? said Rice. ‘I think the students enjoyed meeting up with their friends. They had an opportunity to see how busy the Japanese students are.?
The Clarkston students said the best time was the time spent at the temple.
‘I really enjoyed staying at the Buddhist temple,? 17-year-old Brennan Haase, a senior said. ‘It was the only time we stayed as a whole group and Kyoto is really beautiful.?
Other points of interest for the students were Kinkakuji, the golden temple, where deer would try to steal their food; Maiko, a Geisha in training; Mount Fuj; and Japan Disneyland.
‘There is a lot more nature preserved there, more than in America and it is really, really beautiful,? 16 year-old Michelle Pascoe, a senior, said.
She added that Japan Disneyland is the size of Disneyland’s Magic Kingdom.
‘Everything there is smaller and the roads are really scary because they are so narrow,? said Pascoe.
Haase said he had a great time and two weeks was just enough to be away from home.
‘There were many tears shed at the airport when we all had to finally say good-bye. The trip had such an impact on me. I mean, even though we live on opposite sides of the world, and eat different foods, we really aren’t as different as the media would like to make it seem,? 16-year-old Kimberly VanderWheel, a senior, said ‘I made some amazing friends on the trip and I know I’ll never forget them.?