June 9, 2016

Personally, my trip to school was an e x p e r i e n c e...
I think my home is pretty far from school so Rikuho's and Yuma's dad had to drive us to the bus station. From the bus, we got to the station, and then back to the bus to finally arrive at school! I got to school a bit late, but it's okay! I was more embarrassed when I didn't understand how the bus system worked.

(On the train to school)

Today was a really packed day at school! I think all of us were excited to see each other again after a night with our host families.

We started the day at the Global Education Center (GEC), learning school rules and the general schedule for the day.

After getting a brief tour of the school, we realized that the shoe culture is intense here! Special shoes for each section of the school... Personally, that made me grateful that we don't have to do that back in California!😅

Our first official activity was learning about the effects of light. We sat in on a class with junior high students who were generally 12 years old.

Then, we met with the first years (our equivalent of sophomores) of the high school. They took us to a more in depth tour of the place. Their school is much bigger than our own! Their student population is about 1000 people, compared to our 650. The seniors I met were Yumi, Miu, and Maino. They were super sweet and they took me to their homeroom!

After taking some pictures together in front of their school church, we went to the cafeteria for lunch! Most of us had our own lunch boxes, while other bought their food. During this time, we moved to the music room to watch the Orchestra club play a song from Jurassic park. It was INCREDIBLE. Their skills blow Bellarmine's and Notre Dame San Jose's orchestra out of the water.

A teacher named Matthew taught us some characteristics of haiku, a type of Japanese poem. These poems usually have something to do with nature, a season, and the present time. Matthew showed us some poems and my favorite one was about how a person was watching cherry blossoms and he/she hurt their "neck bone".

After, we saw and tried to do Japanese archery. Some students of the archery club came and demonstrated the traditionally process of doing it. They made it look so easy, but pulling back the string of the bow as actually quite hard!!!

In the lower level of the school, there is a tatami room. There we participated in a Tea ceremony. The students served a traditional Japanese confection, a Sakura shaped cake. Many of us were trying to be respectful, so we sat on our legs and ankles just like tradition. I don't know how any person sits like that so long, but these Japanese students got it down. They sat like that the entire session, very still and composed. On the other hand, us Americans were aching from the lack of circulation!💀

We thought that was it in the tatami room, but all of a sudden, sliding doors open and out appears students with traditional Japanese instruments. They played a very beautiful and energetic song for us!! I'm really impressed. The Vietnamese culture has similar, if not, exactly the same, instruments and I have always wanted to learn and play!

As the great song ended and we talked with the players, it was time to return to the GEC. We had about an hour in there to rest and just chill. The school day ended around the same time, so we got to see students leaving school. It is interesting because Seishin has their own specific buses that take Seishin students to the train station. Students leave at different times of the day depending on their after school club activities. They have so many clubs that one can participate in. For example, there is basketball club, tea ceremony club, etc.

Some Seishin students stayed until 5:00 PM to come to the Welcome party for the San Jose crew. The host families were invited to come and celebrate too. There, the San Jose students introduced themselves, learned a little about the Notre Dame history with Seishin's principal, Sister Miyaki, and played a game of charades. We finished of the day with refreshments and snacks before heading home!

It was a jam-packed day, but nonetheless, very enjoyable!!!