2008 Woodie Awards
Messages from the far east
Reflections from LC Japan
Staci Abrahamson
Issue date: 10/7/04 Section: Features
- Page 1 of 1
My name is Staci and I am a correspondence writer, so what I write are my perceptions and emotions to my situation. I am a nineteen year old sophomore at Lakeland College, and am currently spending a semester abroad at Lakeland College's Japan campus. I am not the only American student here. There are actually five of us; three from Lakeland College Wisconsin (LCW) Rocky, Melissa, and myself and the other two are from the University of Kansas and University of Nevada. Since we are the only Americans at this school, we have developed a bond, so many of my stories will deal with a situation with one of my fellow Americans.
On the morning of August 23rd, the three Lakeland students boarded the plane. I was nervous because it was my first time out of the states and my first time in an airplane. Sitting on a plane for eleven hours can really take a lot out of a person. For those of who have a fear of airplanes, it is the most nerve wracking experience in the world. The landing was probably the worst rollercoaster ride I have ever been on.
As we arrived, we had to go through customs, which was nothing like what happened to Moser and the boys last year on their mad dash to Mexico and back. We got through everything, and were an hour ahead of schedule. Luckily, Mr. Conning had also arrived at the airport early, so we didn't get lost. After the flight, customs, and lugging around our baggage, we set off to meet our host families with very little energy, I might add. This is where our stories diverge.
After I arrived at my home, my host mother and sister prepared a late dinner and we got to know each other better than we had through e-mail. I already knew my host brother, Daisuke, because he is a student at LCW.
The next day, we had orientation at LCJ, where we met some of the students whom we are now good friends with. We also had a tour of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Shinjuku is an area that has thirty, fifty-five story skyscrapers, according to a postcard I bought. It is also a place where one can find everything, including almost all American fast food restaurants. There's a McDonalds that is just down the block from LCJ. It is an amazing place, but one has to be careful where they go, especially if you are what the Japanese call "Gaijin", which means foreigner. But all in all, it is an amazing place. Shinjuku is not the only awesomely cool place that I have been to thus far.
One weekend, my host family took Melissa, a fellow LCW student, and me to the famous temple of Nikko. It was absolutely amazing. The architecture was superb. The temple was set in the mountains, creating a breathtaking sight. That day, we also went to see a waterfall at the top of a mountain. The ride up was terribly scary because my host brother, Takashi, is an insane driver. Unfortunately, at the top of the mountain, it was too cloudy to see the waterfall but we still found some very interesting things there like candy grasshoppers. Doesn't that sound like a delight? Nikko is also famous for monkeys, but sadly we did not see any of them. This is just one of the many adventures I have had so far, and hopefully there will be many more to come.
On the morning of August 23rd, the three Lakeland students boarded the plane. I was nervous because it was my first time out of the states and my first time in an airplane. Sitting on a plane for eleven hours can really take a lot out of a person. For those of who have a fear of airplanes, it is the most nerve wracking experience in the world. The landing was probably the worst rollercoaster ride I have ever been on.
As we arrived, we had to go through customs, which was nothing like what happened to Moser and the boys last year on their mad dash to Mexico and back. We got through everything, and were an hour ahead of schedule. Luckily, Mr. Conning had also arrived at the airport early, so we didn't get lost. After the flight, customs, and lugging around our baggage, we set off to meet our host families with very little energy, I might add. This is where our stories diverge.
After I arrived at my home, my host mother and sister prepared a late dinner and we got to know each other better than we had through e-mail. I already knew my host brother, Daisuke, because he is a student at LCW.
The next day, we had orientation at LCJ, where we met some of the students whom we are now good friends with. We also had a tour of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Shinjuku is an area that has thirty, fifty-five story skyscrapers, according to a postcard I bought. It is also a place where one can find everything, including almost all American fast food restaurants. There's a McDonalds that is just down the block from LCJ. It is an amazing place, but one has to be careful where they go, especially if you are what the Japanese call "Gaijin", which means foreigner. But all in all, it is an amazing place. Shinjuku is not the only awesomely cool place that I have been to thus far.
One weekend, my host family took Melissa, a fellow LCW student, and me to the famous temple of Nikko. It was absolutely amazing. The architecture was superb. The temple was set in the mountains, creating a breathtaking sight. That day, we also went to see a waterfall at the top of a mountain. The ride up was terribly scary because my host brother, Takashi, is an insane driver. Unfortunately, at the top of the mountain, it was too cloudy to see the waterfall but we still found some very interesting things there like candy grasshoppers. Doesn't that sound like a delight? Nikko is also famous for monkeys, but sadly we did not see any of them. This is just one of the many adventures I have had so far, and hopefully there will be many more to come.
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