I had splendid experiences
on the Southwest Trip.
I went there on this wonderful trip with powerful Extension members and
teachers for a week last month. This trip was not only for amusement but
also for studying. We studied about Southwest before this trip, for
example, culture,
history, and tradition, so this knowledge was helpful to understand. I
could find
different things between Spokane and Southwest, also I felt spiritual
tradition there.There are five things that impressed me the most.
First,
we visited a lot of interesting museums. I hardly
go to museums because they are a little boring for me, but All of museum
which we
visited during this trip was interesting. I could learn culture and
traditional
things easily. The most enjoyable museum for me was Folk art museum.
Folk means
normal, so all of the objects were painted or made by people who don't
have much ability, but all of objects were fabulous. I really enjoyed
looking at them.
Second, I had a opportunity to talk with
cheerful students at University of New Mexico. UNM’s nick name is ’lobo’ which
mean ‘wolf’ in Spanish. We did campus tour at first. The most surprisingly fact
was students can use a lot of things free. I thought it is very useful and
convenient for them. I also was impressed that library is so beautiful and comfortable
for students to do whatever they want. They can eat, do homework, study, sleep, and listen
to music. After our campus tour, we visited Japanese class. I enjoyed delightful
conversation with the students. I also discussed second language learning. For example,
what is the good way to study second language or what or how do we want to use
our skill in second language. We enjoyed talk about this topic as second language learners. I
was surprised that most students don’t study so long, but their Japanese are
good!! Also, they have high motivation to study Japanese, so I was very happy
because they are interested in our country. I had pleasant time with them at
UNM.
Third, I felt interesting differences between
Spokane and Southwest. For example, all of structures were different because there
are adobe style. When I arrived in the Southwest, I was very excited because all
structures were adobe and I like adobe style. Also food was different. Chilly
is the famous food in Southwest, so there were a lot of spicy foods. When I
had dinner at restaurant on the first day of the trip, I was surprised because the food
was too hot and more spicy than I expected. I enjoyed learning about these differences.
Forth,
I had a little uncomfortable
experience there. First, I thought the pronunciation of people who live
in there
was different from people who live in Spokane. When I visited Acoma High
school and talked with students, I couldn’t easily understand what
students were saying to me, so it was more difficult to communicate with
them, but it was interesting
for me. Surprisingly, some students can speak their native language, and
a man
spoke to us in his native language, it was my first time to hear their
native language and it was graceful
opportunity. Additionally, I heard a lot of different languages at the
Grand Canyon. There
were a lot of visitors, so I could hear different languages at same
time. I like
to study language, so all of this was a stirring experience for me.
Finally, I enjoyed all of the places in the Southwest, but my most impressive place was the massive Grand Canyon.t my first impression
was
how huge it is. I couldn’t imagine how huge it is there before I
arrived
at the Grand Canyon. I felt magnificent nature and fresh air.
Fortunately, we could
see a view of both of beautiful sunrise and sunset from the Grand
Canyon. When I saw
the sunset on the first day of the Grand Canyon, I felt like I’m
watching Lion King which
is a Disney movie. I have two enjoyable memories of the Grand Canyon.
First, my
wonderful group members held a party called ‘noodle party.’ We bought
noodle
and some snacks to eat as dinner and enjoyed eating and talking. We lied
down
to see a lot of amazing star. The weather was so nice and clear, so we
could see a lot of star. We also looked at Milky Way clearly. It was
first time to see it, so I was very moved. Luckily, we saw some shooting
stars. It was also
my first time, so I was excited and the most grateful happening was that
all of
us could see a big shooting star at same time. We screamed and I had
goose bumps
because it was the best shooting star we saw. Next, I saw a heavenly
sunset on second day. That day was free time, so we went to Yaki Point
to see
the sunset. Yaki Point is the best point to see the view of the sunset.
We arrived there
early and we took a video letter to send us in the future. It will be
fun when we
watch it 10 years from now. After that, we could see graceful view. I
was happy to
see such a wonderful view. At the Grand Canyon, I thought how small I am
and
how empty I am. I also thought how foolish I am. I had negative
thinking a little, but I realized that I have limitless possibility. I
think I my
mind changed after seeing gorgeous view. Visiting the Grand Canyon is
unforgettable memory
for me.
During this trip, I could learn about many
things and have rare experiences. I thought that Native American's tradition
and strong spirit are awsme. It is difficult point because as one of the example, there was
a Pueblo Revolt in 1680 and Spanish came there, so it was almost impossible for them to
keep their traditions and culture, but people especially those who live in Acoma pueblo (Sky city) are taking
over their traditions for the next generation. Language experiences made me
excited. I found different thing and these were interesting for me because
these were rare. At Grand Canyon, my feeling was changed from before and Mother Earth taught me how small I am. Also I have innumerable possibility like
the sky. I felt very strong feeling. These might not be only my first time but
also my last time to have brilliant opportunities, but it might be one of the admirable
and unforgettable memories of the Extension program.