Nyuzen Student Delegation in Forest Grove

About two weeks ago some students, a city delegate and an English teacher from the town of Nyuzen, Toyama-ken in Japan visited Forest Grove in Oregon. Forest Grove and Nyuzen are sister cities and students and officials often participate in exchanges for language study, experience of foreign life and foreign relations.

I couldn't wait to see some of my students again after almost a year! I had taught in five schools which covered every area of Nyuzen so I was sure to know most of them. I was also interested to see how they would react to being in the U.S. since many of my students were often shy about using their English.

I was to meet the delegation on Friday the 31st, Halloween. When I was in Nyuzen I would ask the students who had gone to Forest Grove what their favorite part of their trip was. The resounding answer was 'trick-or-treating.' What could be more fun than walking through a street in a foreign country where everyone gives you candy for saying a seemingly magic phrase???

Very little.

I was told I would be helping translate for the day but without much details. I speak Japanese, but poorly at best since leaving. Thinking the occassion would be casual, I dressed in slacks with a sweater which I thought would have be safe. I arrived and was told I would be the official translator for the Nyuzen city official. I found a respectable man dressed in a black suit who spoke little English. To make matters worse, we were to tour the Police Department, Power Dept, Parks and Rec dept, Waterworks, Library and Fire dept and to top it all off, have lunch with the mayor. There's only one thing you can do in a situation such as this... and I'm still trying to figure out what.

To make matter worse, I ran into traffic coming up to to Forest Grove that morning. The first stop for the delegate was the Police department. Since neither could really communicate without me, the police took liberty and had the official shoot a gun at the firing range. Now, I can't think of many things that embody America's image in the eyes of the world as being able to easily obtain a firearm. In fact, Japanese tourists will often pay top-dollar to be able to shoot a weapon in the US. So, this may have been the highlight of this man's exchange experience and I didn't have to translate anything!

Most of the remainder of the day was probably not nearly as exciting for the delegate, although for me it was very interesting trying to figure out how to explain in Japanese how a domestic power breaker works or how water is purified into a drinkable state for the city.

At the end of the day we were able to meet with my students. They had been visiting the Forest Grove schools with their host families. Their clothing and mannerisms were very distinctly Japanese, which, when in juxtapposition to Americans', struck me as interesting. We spoke in some English, some Japanese but it felt as though I was back in Japan.

The fire department had brought out their fire engine for the students to see and were giving rides up the ladder/lift. The head fireman was also feeling a bit outdone by the police dept allowing the delegate to fire a gun so they turned on the fire hose and allowed everyone to shoot it.

Finally, the students took a tour through the city to see what trick-or-treating is like. The shops offer candy for the kids on Halloween and so the Japanese students were able, while equipped with the words, "trick-or-treat," to obtain bags of sweets and other goodies. The girls loved the little children in costumes and there was no end to the '可愛い!' or kawaii, which means cute.

After we had returned to the townhall, we departed. It wasn't the last time I would see them however. I met them one final time at the airport and bade them farewell. I wanted to show them much more of my home but was content with being able to just see my friends again. Thanks for visiting Oregon!

またね!