I had a really great time with my friends, teachers, adviser and bus driver in Portland. I experienced many things on this trip. My feelings moved up and down a lot during the trip. There are three feelings which express my meaningful memories.
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| Awesome Japanese Grocery Store |
First, I got excited about three things. I went to
Uwajimaya on the second day. Uwajimaya is a big Japanese grocery store. I could buy tons of Japanese food. I was extra excited to buy anything I wanted. I bought Japanese snacks and natto. I didn't think I could buy natto, so this made me crazy. In addition, there was a Japanese book store there. It had been such a long time for me to read Japanese magazines. I felt like I went back to Japan. Another thing which I was excited about was that there is no tax in Oregon. I realized how awesome it is to live with no tax. I didn't have to think about tax. That means we don't have to account for tax when during shopping. I thought this was such a nice thing for me. The last thing was that we went to see a volley ball game at Portland state university. I had learned volley ball when I was in elementary school, but I had never seen a big game like this game. We cheered for the Vikings. Both of the teams were so close to win. These things made me so enthusiastic.
Secondly, I got depressed about three things. We visited Multnomah Falls. It was raining at that time. We were going to reach the top of the fall, but we couldn't get there because of the weather. It was a real bummer for me. We almost reached the top, but we went down for our safety. I have muscle pain now. It was kind of just exercise for me. Another thing is my complaint toward the clerk. I went to Abercrombie & Fitch with my friends in Portland. I really enjoyed shopping at there. However, the clothes which I bought had a security label. My clerk forgot to take it off. I noticed it after I went back to the hotel, so the clothes were still with it. I was fed up with the clerk. The last thing I was depressed is about was the weather in Portland. Portland weather was crazy because it was rainy almost all the time during the trip. That made me grumpy easily. Unlike Southwest , Portland is one of the rainy cities in the USA. I realized that I didn't like rainy days for sure. These things made me depressed.
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| Unforgettable Library |
Finally, I got surprised about three things. The first one was my visit to Reed College. Actually, I didn't feel excited to visit the college for any reasons. I was a little sleepy, but I had a lecture from a girl student. I couldn't hear so well, but we had a tour of the college. That made me so impressed. I thought how amazing this school was. One reason was become I liked the buildings at first. Our guide took us to many places. I was surprised at a dorm which boys and girls share together. I couldn't believe that. I had never visited such a dorm. That was so interesting for me. Another reason is that students don't get grades. This means they don't have to be worried about their grades, and they can focus on their study which they're interested in. That's a really great thing. Another thing which surprised me was that I saw many factories in Oregon. I didn't know that before I visited Oregon. This was new thing for me. The last thing I was astonished about was I spent so much money in Portland. We didn't so much time to shop, but I bought many things in a short time. The only thing which helped me a little bit was that it was duty free. However, I was satisfied with my shopping. I'm sure I have to work after I go back to Japan. The stuffs which I bought are almost for me. These things made me so much surprised.
In conclusion, I'm honestly happy I could go to Portland. I feel sad because this was our Extension students' last trip. I could be refreshed for sure. I really appreciate many people who are related to this trip. I definitely want to visit Portland again and I became interested in America more. During the trip, my feeling changed a lot, but these things made me happy totally.
