"Kyoto students were here."

Good afternoon everybody! The humid and muggy hot weather is slowly transitioning to autumn. Seeing this transition is acting as a one-year marker of my time here, and the days are noticeably going a bit faster. Winter is coming!

This past week, from Tuesday to Friday, Nichinan was very lucky to have nine foreign graduate students come and visit the middle school. For three nights, the students stayed in a small house and apartment just across from my house, boosting the population of my little neighborhood above the baseball field by roughly 100% percent. The purpose of their visit was to spend time at the middle school and give presentations on their countries to the students, and on Friday each graduate student, including me, split the students into groups and gave a final speech and presentation in front of the entire student body in English. Above all else, the purpose was to foster the growth of cultural understanding and English communication. The students were shy at first, but slowly they opened up and talked with the graduate students, even in English when they could.

Three of the students were from China, and the rest were from Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Nigeria, and Morocco. They are studying at Kyoto University in the graduate management program, I believe. Also, all of their English were superb, and communicating with them was no problem at all.

From left: Emmanuel (Nigeria), Talibi (Morocco), Wenjun (China), Jeab (Thailand), and Park (Korea).

From left: Yang (China), Sreychou (Cambodia), Luija (China), with Mr. Akita behind them.

All of the grad students and some teachers, with the exception of Nga (Vietnam) because she missed her train. She would show up at the school later.

Welcoming ceremony.

Self introduction of the graduate students.

After the welcoming ceremony, we spent the rest of the day in classrooms giving presentations to the students on our countries. Even though the students already know who I am, I was also asked to give a presentation on America while Henry Sensei was acting as facilitator for all the activities.

After the first day of the welcoming ceremony and first rounds of presentations, the students were invited to an enkai (Japanese social party) at a restaurant just up the road from my house, and where they were staying for the next three nights.

All the grad students walking up the road to the enkai. By this time, Nga (the Vietnamese student, dead center) made her late appearance! 

 The Enkai was wonderful. The principal, vice principal, Mr. Akita (head English teacher), and members of the town office were there as well.

The principal of the school has a little trick he likes to show people every now and then. It involves a chain necklace and a metal ring. Essentially, he holds the ring to the top of the chain necklace, drops it, and instead of falling to the ground, it somehow goes through and is looped through the chain.

Emmanuel looking inquisitively at the principal and his trick.

Yang giving it a shot.

The trick has now grabbed the attention of everyone at the enkai.

The next two days were the same with the presentations to different classrooms. On Thursday afternoon, the graduate students were given a tour of Nichinan, and Henry and I were invited to come along as well.

In front of the town office.

Our new mascot! After this was taken, they were introduced to the Mayor and the board of education.

A common sight in my town.

We visited a well-known Ryokan (Japanese style inn), and saw a white board outside of it. 

"Kyoto students were here!" written in all of their languages.  

Kato Sensei, the art teacher, was one of the two drivers for us. Here is showing us on the map where we're going next.

Visiting a temple. Almost all temples in Japan are built on higher ground, so the stairs leading up to it is a common thing.

The Tori (gate) taken from the top.

The temple.

Jaeb and Wenjun. "Hmmm?" says Park.

One of the last stops on the tour was the lumber yard and factory, Nichinan is famous for its lumber industry.

If only a camera could capture smell.

We also got to tour the wood processing building. It was incredible seeing first-hand the process of tree trunks turning into planks of plywood. I wanted to take pictures, but honestly, I am so clumsy I was afraid I would accidentally get stuck in some piece of machinery and be shredded to a thousand little pieces.

Thursday night was their last night, and I invited them to come to my house to grill and drink some beers. It was nice having company over like that for once in my house. It will be hard to forget such a wonderful time.

Friday, after the school wide group presentations, we had to say our goodbyes. Emmanuel said during his goodbye speech that one of the hardest parts about traveling is that in the end you have to say goodbye. I am reminded of the ever-known passage, "This too shall pass."

I hope these students understand the tremendous impact they had on each and every one of us. I consider myself lucky to be able to have interesting and relevant conversations about many topics that would be hard to have elsewhere. Topics from Mandarin, Chinese characters in the Korean language, Pigeon English, East Asian politics, and Korean Starcraft were among a few of the cool things I got to talk about with them. The impact on the students were obvious as well. Students who never tried any English are now getting an interest. Not only the students, but the principal as well. After the students left, the principal told Henry and I he would like to have private lessons with us in the morning when the students start their first period class. Cannot say no to that!

To the grad students, if you're reading this: Thanks for coming to Nichinan. We are all better because of it. I hope to see you all again in the near future, and you always have a place to stay in my house, whether it's in Nichinan or somewhere else that the future takes me.

Goodbye, everyone!