Extension students went on the Portland trip. We visited many museums and places to learn American culture and also Japanese-American. It was colder than I expected, but I enjoyed everything on this trip. This trip was a last trip for us as Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute (MFWI) students. Looking back now, each trip has each wonderful memory. I really like the atmosphere of the downtown in Portland. There were many people running, and moreover, the shops were so cute and fashionable. On this trip, there are three experiences that were very worthful to me.
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| Wonderful Trip in Portland |
First, there was an important chance for me to think deeply about how hard life Japanese-American and American people spent long time ago. I had studied the history about the war, but I had never thought about their life and feelings of them. We visited the Japanese American Memorial, and then, there were poetry that they wrote. When I read them, there were various feelings, for example, sad or angry. I had read the book about the war, so I could imagine the meanings of them. It is very difficult for me to imagine what happened at that time, because I live now. I could feel what they thught at that time and how heavy life they spent, so to visit there was very valuable experience to me.
Second, I feel that the development of technology is awesome to live. We visited the Wasco Country Historical Museum and learned how the people spent their life. There were very interesting information for me, and among them, I was very surprised at the weight of everything. In my imagination, the rifle is very light, so they could get animals to eat ar make fur easily. The truth was very far from my imagination. I saw the real rifle and shooting for the first time, and I tried having it. It was very heavy and difficult to carry. I was very surprised at the real sound and weight of the rifle. In addition to this, their treansportation didn't inovate, so it was very hard to carry heavy things. I think if I could go to the period, I couldn't do anything. Therefore, I appreciate the ancient people who invented useful things. After visiting there, I thought that I'm very blessed with everything around me.
Finally, I had a marvelous time with the students of the Columbia Basin College (CBC) and the Portland English Language Academy (PELU). We visited the CBC and the PELU, and we had time to talk with the students. I was very happy, because I could talk to the American students and international students. Among them, I met two people who are from Japan came to study abroad. I was impressed by them, because they looked like very strong. I want to study abroad more, so I want to have more confidence like them. I think that it helps me to be more active and possitive. I was also pleased that I could talk to American students more fluently than before. I want to talk to more people from other countriees, so I decide to keep working hard to communicate and enjoy being with them. This encounter encouraged me to study English more.
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| Unbelievably Great Extension Members |
In conclusion, I had an amagingly precious time on this trip. This trip was very special for me by many reasons as I mentioned. This experience made me a chance to think about my own country's history and today's life. Also, I was impressed by many people to make effort more, so I will keep studying English hard. I enjoyed this trip very much, and I like the Extension members more. They are amazingly excellent. The last trip as a MFWI student was awesome memories to me.