I was excited to go on the Portland trip because I could shop without taxes, but I learned many things from the trip besides shopping. This trip became one of my valuable experiences as an extension student.
At first, I went to three American universities, and that was a precious experience for me because I could see the differences between American universities. First, I went to Columbia Basin College. It is a two-year university like SFCC next to MFWI. The campus was pretty small. I met Japanese class students, and I thought their Japanese listening and speaking skill were high level. Next, I went to Reed College. This college was also small, but students seemed positive about studying. The campus was filled with artistic drawings and the buildings were nice. Even in restrooms, there were lots of drawings, and I thought students in this college were imaginative. Third, I went to Portland State University. This university was quite huge, and the campus was part of the city. I didn't go to the campus, but I could see there were lots of students who were from other countries. Even in one state of U.S.A., there were differences between some universities and colleges.
Next, I had a great time at Columbia Gorge Discovery Center to learn the history about Lewis and Clark. I had already learned about the Lewis and Clark discovery, but I could see their life plainly at the museum. A man had a lecture with lots of equipment which they had actually used. I was surprised at the way to cure an injured body. They didn't have doctors, so they got rid of their illness. A man showed me tools to put teeth away. The lecture was very interesting for me. After the lecture, I looked around the museum, and I saw many interesting things. I saw the canoe, and I thought it was longer than I expected. I was interested in the exhibit which showed how many meals they ate during the journey. They ate nine pounds of meat per day per person, which means they killed a bunch of animals during the journey. All exhibits at the museum were new and interesting for me.
Third, I felt nature a lot during this trip. Unfortunately, it was cloudy and rainy for four days. On the last day, I went to Multnomah Falls. I was astonished to see the large and dynamic water fall. It splashed and got me wet. Even though it rained hard, we went hiking in the mountain. The trail was unforgettably steep, and I had a hard time walking. What surprised me was that many American people visited to hike, and they walked without an umbrella. I couldn't understand why people came to the mountain on such a bad weather day. Also I thought about Lewis and Clark journey while I was hiking. Lewis and Clark also walked that steep trail with bad weather. I was reminded that they had a strong belief for discovery.
Through this trip, I learned American culture and history. I found some differences of American universities, about Lewis and Clark, and the nature in Oregon. This trip gave me good experiences.
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| Dynamic Multnomah Falls |
Third, I felt nature a lot during this trip. Unfortunately, it was cloudy and rainy for four days. On the last day, I went to Multnomah Falls. I was astonished to see the large and dynamic water fall. It splashed and got me wet. Even though it rained hard, we went hiking in the mountain. The trail was unforgettably steep, and I had a hard time walking. What surprised me was that many American people visited to hike, and they walked without an umbrella. I couldn't understand why people came to the mountain on such a bad weather day. Also I thought about Lewis and Clark journey while I was hiking. Lewis and Clark also walked that steep trail with bad weather. I was reminded that they had a strong belief for discovery.
Through this trip, I learned American culture and history. I found some differences of American universities, about Lewis and Clark, and the nature in Oregon. This trip gave me good experiences.