Cathryn Salamone -- Japan

Kochi-Shi, Japan, December 3, 2008

On the 8th, I went with my host mother and the ladies of the Kochi Higashi Rotary Club to a resturant for dinner. The Kochi Higashi club is all men, but the wives to play a significant role in the Rotary as well. Afterward we all went to the Kochi Higashi Rotary Anniversary dinner for...second dinner? and dessert, which was held at another Italian Resturant. The Japanese people sure do love Italian food! (And Japanese-Italian food is actually really really good, even if you find a strictly seafood pizza or octopus in your bowtie pasta). I gave a small speech at the dinner, telling everyone how my year was going so far and thanking the Rotary for allowing me to go to Hokkaido and Okinawa last month. It was a great night and I think they had to roll me and the Rotary ladies out of the resturant when the dinner ended -- stuffed!

In addition, a few Sundays ago, Rotary Higashi also hosted a barbeque lunch in the mountains of Shikoku. I went with my new host family, and we rode a bus into the mountains. It is colder up in the mountains, so the trees were in peak foliage. It was so beautiful and I took a lot of pictures. We got to the camping grounds and all cooked skewered vegetables, meat and mushrooms, while also having the necesary rice and soup along with it. It was a great time, and we all were warmed by the fires on top of which we cooked our meals. Afterward, we all went to a green tea museum and I got to have my first green tea ice cream. Delicious!

I am greatly improving on the koto, as I go Monday through Saturday, except Thursday. When I heard that the high school first years were playing a Christmas Medley, I immediately asked for the music and if I could practice it. I`m at the beginner level with the middle school first and second years, but I was so excited that there was actually and seriously CHRISTMAS MUSIC for the traditional japanese instrument I`m playing. I couldn`t believe it!!! So, I practiced both the Disney Medley that I was to play with the middle schoolers, along with the Christmas Medley. I auditioned in front of the teachers and they told me that I could play both pieces at the concert. I was ecstatic. In Japan, Christmas isn`t celebrated, but you do see some of the novelty aspects of Christmas, such as malls being decorated with Christmas trees and presents, Christmas lights in front of some buildings, etc. But to actually have Christmas music, when I thought that I wasn`t going to hear any at all, was awesome to me. So, last Saturday, November 29th, after school, the koto club had a mini concert, and I played in both songs. I was so happy!

Also, once a week, I bike to the public pool near my house and swim. It`s cheap, and it`s a thing that I enjoy doing...I was glad to find it.


I bike to and from school every day for about twenty minutes, and I can tell that my endurance is so much better than when I came to Kochi. I`m also getting exersize through that so I`m not gaining any weight. That, along with my diet, which is very healthy.

November seemed to go by quickly for me as I type this on the 3rd of December. I switched host families on the 9th of November, which was a little difficult for me and my family because we`ve gotten to know each other so well, only for me to move so soon. The first host family is so important in my eyes because they are the ones who comfort you when you first arrive in your host country; often nervous, unsure, and really unable to say much in your host language. The Uratas were incredible. They helped me tremendously with all of my questions about school, Japanese, speeches that I had to give, etc. They also loved to joke and laugh. Leaving them was difficult, but thankfully I live in a city, and I occasionally see them in supermarkets or other places.

My second host family is good, and I have a little bit more free time with this family so that I can focus on my studies or make plans with friends.

School is also going well. My Japanese is getting better and better, although some days it fails me, other days it comes out like it`s my native tongue. I`m understanding a little more each day in my lectures as well...I`m being exposed to a lot of listening practice because classes in Japan are lecture-based, with the teacher basically talking the whole time. I`m making a whole lot of friends through Koto club, which I plan also on going to during winter break.

And around this time most exchange students begin getting homesick, and I have a bit as well. But when it comes, it comes at night only, and the simple remedy for it is to just go to bed. I got to bed, I fall asleep, and that`s the end of that. Getting through Christmas might be hard, but I`ve got a lot of support here in Japan from my friends and teachers at school. And also, it`s not like my holiday season will be completely void of a major holiday -- in Japan, New Year`s is a huge celebration, complete with family gatherings and big dinners and most elements associated with Christmas, too, which will be great.

Brittany Cruise -- France

November 19, 2008

Ok, so a quick summary about my first three months. It started off perfectly, my family is amazing and at the beginning they were extra cautious of explaining things slowly to me and helping me form sentences, and not just.. "thank you" and "yes I understand." Now we can communicate on a normal level. It was nerve-racking to start school, not knowing anyone (or French) fluently, but I've made really good friends and it wasn't that bad. My host family takes me on small day trips to see the region and so far I've seen a lot. I've been to Paris to see a real football game (France won) and I've seen a lot castles and historical sites. It's really interesting to say the least, and I'm learning a lot (but in a fun way.) This Saturday we're going to the Matignon where the Prime Minister works. It's normally closed to tourism, but we're going to have a chance to visit. I'm moving to my second family the first of December and am excited. I'm a little sad to be leaving my first family but not dissapointed. I've had a few moments of homesickness but it's not a big deal because I'm normally busy and have things going on. I'm part of one of the two girls soccer teams in the city and that keeps distracted from missing the US too much. Over all, I'd say after just three months here, I know that it's been the most exciting experience of my life and I can't wait for the following months. Thank you Rotary for the opportunity to be here. (And the Rotary here is amazing; everyone is so welcoming and kind.)

Sorry I've forgotten to write, but I've been really busy here. It's a good busy though. I'd say I've adjusted well, and I really feel like part of my host family. I'll be sure to remember to write again next month. Sorry again, and Happy Holidays.

Chelsea Choppy -- Venezuela

November 17, 2008

I did my newsletter from September but i forgot about October....I'm not
sure if you ever got it because you never responded or anything -- haha.
Anyway it's now November and things everything is still going well. its
been about 2 and a half months since i arrived. School is going really
well and i have a lot of friends. The spanish is improving of course and
im learning a lot. About 2 weeks ago i went on my first rotary trip here
to another state in Venezuela called merida. It was a lot of fun and i
met all the other exchange students in venezuela. We are going to
margarita island in january so im very excited for that. I'm really
looking forward to christmas here because it is a lot differnt so I've
heard; but we'll save that for the December newsletter.

Zachary Smith -- Brasil

November 18, 2008

Brasil is going great, I have been speaking straight portuguese since I got here ( except in emails such as this and helping a friend with his english once every couple weeks). I have made enough friends that I only remember about 50% of all their names. I have even began helping a mexican exchange student with his portuguese. Once again everything is great, thanks again for your help and work to get me here and you said to keep these short so I'll stop here.

Danielle Willsey -- Italy

September 25, 2008

So far Italy has been very wonderful as my family is extremely nice and help me learn Italian. The people in the school are very nice also, although it is extremely boring because the teachers talk much too fast for me to understand anything that they are saying. I have been involved with Tennis so far, and will be learning the piano and ceramics at a nearby Conservatory that I'll go to twice a week after school. Although I have had a cold in the past couple of days I am feeling a lot better and look forward to a trip to Venice on the 1st of October with the school. I hope all is well in the states and I will be sure to write again.

Cathryn Salamone -- Japan

November 5, 2008

One of my sponsoring Rotary Clubs, Kochi East Rotary Club, gave me a birthday party on my exact birthday, October 13th. Most of the Rotary club came, along with a few friends from school, and some aquaintences that I have made since coming to Japan; some of whom are including members of the English night class that I help with every Monday, friends of my host family, and others. It was held at an Italian resturant, which was so perfect because my heritage is half-Italian and having Italian food came me a little piece of home. It was a great time, and I wore my host mother`s kimono. I am so, incredibly grateful to the Rotary clubs for hosting such a fun party for me.

In addition, toward the end of October, I went on a Rotary trip to Okinawa, the southernmost island chain of Japan, with two other exchange students on my island of Shikoku. It was just for a weekend, but it was incredibly fun, and it was a great chance to meet the other exchange students on my island, although we are at least an hour away from each other.
Finally, every third Tuesday of the month I go to Rotex meetings with the other Rotex officers and former exchange students from my school who went to America last year. We are raising money for children in Cambodia, and we are going to bake some treats during Christmas time (either my mother`s banana bread recipie or my Grandmother`s chocolate chips -- tough choice!!) to sell at Rotary meetings.

I continue to attend Koto club every day except Thursday, which is Nihon-Buyou class (Japanese dancing). I am submerging myself in the vast and traditional culture of Japan and I am absolutely loving it. I am keeping busy with my clubs and I realize the importance of being busy as an exchange student -- only rarely am I homesick, if at all, because I am so busy and am making friends through my clubs. It is definately a good thing to stress getting involved to exchange students, because being idle and bored only brings homesickness. I am so happy that I attend Rotary meetings frequently and have many things going on after school.



I am healthy now, but I had a fever right after my birthday and had to go to the family clinic, where I was given antibiotics to help my coughing and fever. I got to 100% by the end of the week, and now I am perfectly fine! =)

An incredible amount of things happened in October. I don`t think I`ve ever been more busy in my life! The month started with me going on my school field trip to Hokkaido, Japan`s northernmost prefecture. It is on the same line of latitude as New York, so the weather was refreshingly cold and a little chilly, as it was still summer-like weather in Kochi. I also saw some things akin to New York that I haven`t seen in Kochi, like fall foliage and birch trees. Hokkaido was a lot of fun and I was able to make many more friends in my class during the trip.
On the 13th, as I`ve written above, my host Rotary club threw me a birthday party which was such a nice surprise. I never expected a birthday party when coming to Japan, and not nearly one so great, with so many people that I knew and met who came. I truely feel blessed with all of the things that Rotary has provided for me, including my school uniform, my trip to Okinawa, some spending money for my trip to Hokkaido, and including me in on several Rotary activities, such as the Rotex meetings.
School has been very rewarding. It is very difficult to understand my teachers and the lesson being taught, but I am still being submerged in the japanese language and I still am being exposed to new words and phrases and how the speech sounds, which is essential to me learning the language. My Japanese is coming along well, and I am working hard to begin understanding the content of the lessons in class. I am studying the japanese kanji, or characters, slowly but surely, as there are around 2,000 of them in use.
Finally, the Rotary-sponsored trip to Okinawa was wonderful. It was a weekend long, but it was such a great experience to share stories with my fellow exchangers on my island and to hear how they are getting along with their host families and with school life. There aren`t any other Rotary exchange students in my area, so I was happy to have had that opportunity to meet the other exchange students in Okinawa.

I am so happy here in Japan, and I am learning lessons here that I will take back to America with me...things that I`m not sure I would learn back home, in a completely comfortable enviornment. I love being abroad and learning and experiencing, so much so that I`m not quite sure how to express it in e-mail form. I want to thank Rotary already for giving me this opportunity, as already I am enjoying myself and seeing that it is incredibly worthwhile and will definately be, I think, the time of my life. So, I`m experiencing all that I can in my year!

Cathryn Salamone -- Japan

October 12, 2008

NAME/ADDRESS OF HOST FAMILY: Kenji & Hinako Urata, 3-14-11 Hyakkoku-Cho, Kochi-City, Kochi Pref., JAPAN 780-8015
HOST CLUB: Kochi Chuo Rotary Club
ADDRESS: 1-3-35 Takajo-Machi, Kochi-City, Kochi-Pref., JAPAN

Kochi City has several Rotary Clubs within it, those including Kochi North, East, South, West, Central (my current host club), and Royal. During the second week and a bit of the third week of September I have been leaving school at lunchtime and going to the Rotary meetings of each of the clubs. There, I gave a speech in Japanese and was introduced to the club. I spoke about how happy I am to be in Japan, about my school activities, and a few facts about Albany, my home city, like population and so forth. Also, on the 18th, Kochi Central Rotary Club had a party, at which I was a guest. It was a traditional Japanese-style dinner party, and I wore a yukata, or a summer version of a kimono. There was lots of food and fellowship amongst the Rotary members. I was surprised and excited to see later, that three geisha women entered and danced, played the Japanese woodblocks, and served some guests. They showed me a funny dance and my host father and I, along with the geisha, danced in front of the club. It was very funny, and so much fun. On the 23rd I had my Rotary Orientation, where I met the other exchange students. There are three exchange students on the island of Shikoku, myself included. One is from America and the other from Australia. I also met the former outbound japanese exchange students and got to ask them questions about their experience. It was a nice day and I was happy to meet everyone.


I have still been going to Koto Club and to my traditional japanese dance lessons. They are very fun and I am learning and advancing slowly in both. The koto is a beautiful instrument, and I cannot believe that such a traditional and old instrument is still being played today; that I am now playing an instrument that geisha centuries upon centuries ago once played.
On the 27th, my school had the annual Undokai, or Sports Festival. It was resemblant of a Field Day at school, with our school split up into three teams of Red, Blue and White competing against each other at various fun games. I was on the red team, and I had such a great time that whole day cheering people on...so much so that I lost my voice for that day and the next! School is great and I already have some good friends who are patient when I stumble with the language here and there.

So much has happened in September, and then September 23rd came around, I seriously could not believe that I had been in Japan for a month already. In the begining of September, I had been introduced to my school, gotten aquainted with my host family, ridden to school on my bike for the first time, fumbled with my japanese and learned the essential japanese customs of every day life. By the close of September, somehow I miraculously memorized the location of all of my classes, love my host family and truly feel like a member of the family, know the route to school by heart, am getting along much better with the japanese that I do know, and am completely accustomed to the japanese customs such as taking shoes off before entering a home, and essential dining ettiquite. I have grown to love my life here in Kochi very quickly -- Kochi is a city of around 300,000 people, however, the city seems close-knit and is without any very tall skyscrapers or several side-streets that might be a little overwhelming. I feel very comfortable riding my bike to school, because there is an aura of safety that surrounds Kochi. Even late at night, I still see people walking on the sidewalk or riding their bicycles casually...I don`t think I would ever find myself alone if I were ever to get lost.

Being in another country is absolutely amazing...I am re-experiencing life as if I`m a child again, amazed by small things like new foods, or different foods at a grocery store, or even the way Japanese Yen looks and feels when I hold it in my hand. This was everything that I have been wishing for prior to being selected for Japan, and I couldn`t be happier that my wish has come and is coming true.