Tokyo This and That

Hello from my room on the 4th floor of building D in the Olympic Center! 

First of all, on behalf of all the Program Leaders (PL), let me tell you what an absolute pleasure it has been getting to know the participants on the program this year. This is my 9th year as a PL and, while every group thus far been amazing in their own way, the kids that make up Tokyo Session 1 2018 have really impressed us with their eagerness to embrace the opportunity to speak Japanese with us. The other day, Aidan and I were talking on the way to Shinjuku with the group and he was telling me - in Japanese - about the time he got his finger crushed by a door. I always tell my students that you can often make a cohesive sentence with a few words, a bit of tape, and a willingness to try - he certainly proved me right! And this morning, Margot and Emily were bubbling over with excitement as they told Patty (a fellow PL) and me about how they successfully interviewed a Japanese woman on campus as part of their homework.

It's been quite a whirlwind since our arrival. Since we are not just visiting but actually living in Japan for the next few weeks, there has been a fair bit of information to share with the participants. The other day we visited a "Life Safety Learning Center" to learn about and practice safety precautions in the event of a fire or an earthquake. It's certainly not likely that a large earthquake will occur while we're here but, on the other hand, it's not a bad idea to think about the "what if;" that's just part of doing what we can to be safe while living here. 

Another part of life in Japan is public transportation. Yesterday, the students went on a scavenger hunt that had them traveling around Tokyo, looking for, for example, the statue of Hachiko (the famous dog so dedicated to his master that he walked to the train station every day to meet him, even after his master had passed away) in Shibuya, a famous discount shopping street in Ueno, and a vending machine that sells something not usually sold in vending machines in the US. Armed with a JR all-you-can-ride pass, groups of students worked to earn points by taking photos and by speaking Japanese with local folks. While one of the goals was certainly to create memories with new friends, the main objective was to become familiar with the train system as well as famous sites in Tokyo.

I don't  want to hog all the exciting news from Tokyo so I will end this blog here and save some things for the other PLs to share. Look for their posts soon!