Hall-Dale High School

Preparing for a life of learning...

Final Photo from Aomori

P1040669(30)rk.jpg

---

From Caelan…

7/18/09
Caelan

Today is the first day of the school wide festival. From the moment people arrive it is set up time. Then, at 9:10 the whole school opens to the public. Many homerooms have tents up, and sell a variety of food and drinks such as noodles and chicken. There are posters decorating each wall of the school that advertise each homeroom’s products. Throughout the day, many bands perform in the auditorium and there are many exhibits.

Time has passed quickly, and we will all be sad to leave.

---

Wes…

7/20/09
Wes

Today wasn’t much different from yesterday. We arrived at school and met in the conference room. After playing a few games of cards we went our separate ways. Caelan and I went out front to the food booths. Man those kids know how to cook! Chicken, Yakisoba, crushed ice with ice cream. After eating we walked around the school. Stopping in the gym to play some cards until some contraption consisting of a marble falling through tunnels, winding tracks, and falling dominos is set off.

---

Photos…

---

News from Ben C.

7/17/09
Ben C

Yesterday was an interesting day. I got to school, thinking we were all going to meet at each others’ respective home rooms. I went to my homeroom, and stayed through their homeroom meeting. A lady then came up to my homeroom and told me I had missed a meeting. Guess I wasn’t paying attention during the meeting the day before. Good way to start the day.

The day then went on with the preparation for the school festival. My homeroom was making their costumes for the opening day ceremony later today. They were making costumes of the game Super Smash Bros. They had a Captain Flacon, a Mario, a Pikachu, and they needed one more. So, they asked me. They asked me to dress up as Link and pretend to be in a Smash Bros. battle in front of the whole school! I said yes, I did it,  I fought in front of the whole school. They got it on videotape. Ask about it.

Having Fun,
Ben

---

Another batch of photos from Aomori

---

An update from Ben…

Ben F.
7/16/2009
Japan is really interesting, I have not been missing home at all. I really have found how much I love traveling, how much I really want to return. I have stated to live with my host famly. I have an otousan, a okasan, a brother, and a sister that I never see.

Today was pretty laid back, it started with me waking up at 5’oclock. I walked down the stairs to find my host family’s cat lying on the stairs and staring blankly at me with a look of “I am not moving”. I proceeded to step over the cat and into the kitchen.  My okasan had made me tempura-chicken, miso rice, some weird fish stuff stuffed into noodles, and some good grape juice.
Today was the day that us, the exchange students, were going to two different parks before we were to head back to the school and give our presentations: today was the day that I would give a presentation, that really needs a time allotment of 45 minutes, in fifteen minutes.

---

News from Taylor…

07/14/09

It was my first morning at my new house.  I was feeling a rush of both excitement and nervousness.  However, when I was awoken by the smiling, happy face of my host mother, I knew that I had no reason to be nervous.  After getting ready, going downstairs, and eating breakfast, Mizuki (my host student) and I left for school.  Walking to school is something that I have never done, and I was amazed at how many people were crowding the streets.

Our first day at Goshogawara High School was filled with activities and entertainment to keep us busy throughout the course of the long day.  Upon arriving at the school, there was a welcoming ceremony for us, in which we got to meet and interact with many of the students.  When it was time for the Goshogawara students to continue on to their scheduled classes, the rest of us got a tour of the school.

We then took part in a calligraphy class, where we practiced a kanji multiple times until we produced a final copy.  James was having troubles with the difficult kanji that he selected, so his partner gave him an easier one to try.  P.E. class was next, where we got to watch the students practice the Tachi-Neputa dance and take part in it ourselves.  Everyone broke out in laughter as Ben Fairfield danced a beat behind all of the other students. 

After we ate our lunches, it was time for us to do our presentations.  Everyone was nervous, but it all turned out okay.  James’ pizza turned out to be quite the hit with the Japanese students, despite the fact that the dough was not fully cooked.  Throughout everyone’s presentations, Wesley’s interest was with the sticks of sugar.

When school came to an end, I stayed after with Mizuki and watched as she and her friends prepared for the festival.  It was not until 7:15 that we finally left the school.  I cannot even imagine staying that late at Hall-Dale.  When we got back home we were greeted by an arrangement of food, consisting of soba noodles, chicken, potatoes, eggs, and much much more.  I was hesitant to try the food, but it all turned out to be delicious. 

We got so wrapped up in talking and exchanging laughs that before I knew it, 9:00 had rolled around.  After showering, I presented my family with gifts that I had brought with me from Maine.  They were so amazed and fascinated by it all, and the father insisted that we take a family picture with their new gifts. 

Then, I went to bed, anxious for the next day to come.

Taylor M.

---

More Photos from Aomori…

---

An update from Joe…

7/13

Today was possibly the busiest day that any of us had had yet. It started with us leaving the arena early in the morning. I woke up at 5:20 in the morning after a family of swallows appeared to have moved in outside my window. It wasn’t bad though, since Mr. Lavoie was knocking on my door about twenty minutes later.  I did a quick check that I had packed everything, unmade my bed, and then we waited out on the bus until we had to leave.

Today was also the day we had to do courtesy calls for the governor and superintendent of schools in Aomori. That meant that I had to wear dress clothes, which I am not fond of. To make it even more fun was that it was ridiculously humid. I wonder what the governor and superintendent thought of us when we were covered in sweat and not completely thinking straight. When we were asked questions by the vice governor that we weren’t expecting to be asked I had to go first, which was the most uncomfortable place to find oneself in. I was even on TV embarrassed along with Tyler and Taylor.

After that we went to an old house and ate lunch there, and then went to a Tachinebuta museum, where they store giant floats (70ft tall!!!) for a festival in August are stored. There are always three and a new one is made to replace the oldest one every year for the festival. It was five stories to the top and they were very beautiful. The vibrant colors on such an epic scale and in a dark room were made even more vibrant and beautiful. Pictures cannot truly show how magnificent the huge floats were. We then watched a movie on the design of them, and how long it really takes to make one of them. Afterwards we made our own small fish nebuta, but mine was not very good.

We went to meet our host families after that. Tyler and I were staying with the same family. Their grandmother owns a bakery and their mother helps run it, so we got lots of good pastries on the way home. Koji, the boy, is 16 and he has a younger sister who is 10 and an older sister who doesn’t live with them anymore. They were very nice to us, and their uncle, who is an English professor from Oregon, helped us settle in.

I miss everyone at home and will be home soon.

Joseph S.

---

Page 1 of 2 pages  1 2 >

© 2006 HallDale School District, Some Rights Reserved.
Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional