Name: Vinni Cheng
Major: Architecture
Minor: Japanese
Semester: Fall 2009
Best excursion with host family: I was lucky enough to experience my little host sister’s 7th birthday which is a special celebratory age called shichi-go-san (7-5-3), which celebrates children turning 7, 5 or 3 years old that year. During that day, the child would be dressed elaborately and the whole family would go out to scenic areas to take pictures, and a celebratory meal would be eaten. Since my host mother is a collector of kimonos, I had the opportunity to try wearing one of her fancier ones which was a gorgeous crimson red kimono decorated with flowers and birds with a black and gold obi. We strolled around a scenic park and my host father took many pictures. Afterwards, we headed to a restaurant and ate a meal with countless courses and we all passed out in the warm private dining room waiting for dessert. The celebration was quite short since it was only half a day long and I was quite thankful that I was able to take off the 20-pound kimono when I got back, but I would not have passed out the chance to wear that kimono for anything. I spent the rest of the day relaxing at home and played games with my host sisters.
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We are pleased to add “Homestay Testimonials” to our blog. In this section, students who have experienced homestays can talk about the enjoyable times they spent with their new “Japanese home away from home.” Through homestays, many students experience a side of Japan that can only be experienced by living with a local family – a kind of international exchange that is unique to each individual and their family, creating bonds that often last a lifetime.
Name: Tom Macchi
Major: International Business and Culture
Minor: Economics and Japanese
Semester: Summer 2009
Favorite Courses: Okada Sensei’s Intensive Oral Japanese. Seeing as I was living with a host family this class was the absolute most appropriate for my situation and focused much more on practical use of Japanese. It was a ton of fun bringing what I learned in class right home to my family to practice. The course was a big help in allowing me to feel comfortable traveling Japan independently.
Best Excursion: To say there was one best excursion with my host family would severely downplay my experience with them considering we did so many awesome things together on a daily basis. One great experience was when my host mother took me out to dinner with her mother at a local restaurant for a ‘girl’s night out,’ even though I was with them. It was great to follow them down a side-street somewhere in Minami Kashiwa, passing tons of little restaurants and shops I would never had otherwise found. We eventually entered the back door to a building which turned out to be the front door to a little local restaurant filled with people. I quickly became the center of attention at the bar-style restaurant as everyone was eager to ask me, the interesting gaikokujin, an assortment of questions. It was a very fun experience.
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