April ninth - Saturday, and tenth - Sunday, in Japan:
The GSE 2005 Exchange Trip started on April ninth . My GSE Team Members - Harry Abbott, Julia Vasileyva, Antonio Verges and Monica Koller - accumulated at the door to load onto the plane at San Francisco International Airport to start our voyage to Fukuoka, Japan. It was a long flight - 14 hours with a delay in Nagoya. When we arrived, we were invited by our Japanese has including Mika, Izumi and Ai - and it was enjoyable to see the sign respecting the GSE Team that they had posted at the entry entryway. It was around 7PM at night on Sunday - 3AM on Saturday at home - and they took us via auto through the roads of Fukuoka to our inn for two evenings, the Nishitetsu Grand Hotel. We felt a seismic tremor delayed repercussion as we registered with our rooms - Hisa San said that it was an "appreciated stun". The group smashed for the night, in suspicion of an entire day tomorrow.
April eleventh - Monday:
Up ahead of schedule toward the beginning of today - prepared to begin the day, and in this vast city I could hear the chickens warbling. I strolled a couple obstructs down the road for my some Starbucks espresso in Japan (need to let it be known tasted great) and appreciated the clamor on the principle road of Fukuoka. On with my group blue overcoat, and equipped with numerous endowments to take to our hosts (counting Kona espresso from Teri into equal parts pound packs) - we collected for a Japanese style breakfast back in the inn. I initially saw how thoughtful it arrives - delicate bowing, grins, numerous to escort you - and an individuals association that looks at you without flinching and sees you (I like that). I'm feeling great here.
Goodness, my gosh - we're honored with encounters. The colleagues are elated. We met with Mika San and she sketched out each of our arrangements while we arrive, the receiving families that we will be staying with, and the regions that we'll visit. They say that the months of April and May are the greatest months to be here - good for us. Fukuoka is a city of 1.7 million individuals and the island of Kyushu is around 280 miles in length and 350 miles wide. We will leave Fukuoka tomorrow and go to Rotary Areas 6 and 7 which are more country.
The cherry blooms were in full compel as we headed down the waterway toward the beginning of today. Our first stop was the American Consulate. We met with the Principal Officer and Consul for the U.S., Joyce Wong. She discussed her obligations to the State Department and her task here for a long time. Additionally about how well known Fukuoka is on the grounds that individuals here have an uplifting viewpoint and inviting accommodation. The Prefecture (which is similar to our state) is known for developing teas, sweet strawberries, products of the soil - and the best fish in Japan. It produces 33% of the world's semi-conductors and is a piece of the Silicon Sea Belt (like our Silicon Valley) and produces around 1 million autos that discover their way to the U.S. market. Fukuoka was named the most bearable city in Japan, she says. We remark on what a wonderful and clean city that it is.
Next we're set for the Fukuoka West Rotary Club lunch meeting - and most prominent, there are no ladies in this club - envision that. We meet Dr. Hirohata, who is the approaching District Governor - and he says the he has a Japanese/Boston pronunciation! A RI Director, Mr. Suenaga is from this Club. There are around 140 individuals, and the club is 50 years of age - however not the most seasoned club in the City. Incidentally, the District has around 3700 Rotarians, and under 1% are ladies - something to consider here. The video that Harry set up together highlighting each of our colleagues functioned admirably to show who we are, since we are restricted in our dialect correspondence. It was a solid men's Club - with custom that we didn't get it.
We were gotten in the Governor's office toward the evening (ie. what might as well be called "Arnold's" office in California) and talked with the Director of International Affairs - and found out about the Prefecture and the Japanese government.
The ladies got dressed tonight with high shoes as a feature of their "look" - and once at the eatery we were unshod like all the rest. Our hosts hosted a get-together for us at the eatery Kanzan - and it was beautiful. Our hosts were so fun - they snicker a considerable measure, tell jokes and are exceptionally perky - by differentiation. One host told about his first trek to the U.S. He requested a grapefruit on the arrangement and he anticipated that would get a grape natural product - and what came to him was something that resembled an orange - we all snickered hard at that one. We were facilitated by Tomoshige Tachibana, his wife and little girl - and he is the present District Governor. He talked affectionately about meeting our District Governor, Ron Sekkel and Cindy - and we gave him the blessing from our Rotary District.
There were around 30 individuals at the gathering, including a percentage of the families that we will be staying with. Also, Kenji Ogawa (Ken) was there - he'll be the approaching group pioneer when this District sends us a group one year from now. His group has as of now been picked and we will be meeting them later. We're generally astonished at the excellence of the presentation of the nourishments here - and realize that the eating regimen is going to take a couple pounds off of every one of us. The presentations are in Japanese, so we miss a portion of the correspondence that doesn't get deciphered - and a large portion of the general population we meet aren't familiar with English - however it's superior to our Japanese. The night opened with an excellent customary Japanese move - and included a lot of purpose and brew to make the night joyful. It was a full first day.
April twelfth - Tuesday:
After breakfast and gear in the anteroom - we set out toward the train station to leave Fukuoka and go into the wide open. Dr. Maruyana took us on the train to Omuta and the Omuta Rotary Club. The room was set western style, and with around 60 - and again - no ladies in this Club. Julia, Monica and I stood out in the room. As Izumi (Dr. Maruyana) and I discussed ladies in Rotary - he indicated out me that it is an issue of sex as well as one of "class" that has constrained ladies in Rotary here. He was benevolent and said that there are not a lot of me here - implying that lady have not by and large had the entrance to the monetary structure here that I have had in the U.S. Likewise that ladies are not considered in the higher class of the general public that Rotary picks its participation from here. Intriguing - it is hard for me to hold my tongue. I call attention to the Club as I talk that my Club looks altogether different than theirs - that my Club has half ladies. What's more, further, that numerous men in a bad position with this change, some left Rotary in challenge - yet that they for the most part love ladies in Rotary at this point. They shake their heads - and somebody deciphers that they are stating, no ladies here. They solicit what orders from ladies join our Club. They don't feel this will change later on. Izumi says that he is radical - that he feels this change is vital and that the world's future requires it.
Back on the train - much like our trains just clean - we proceed down the line to Kurume City. The houses are getting greater (with Shogun-style rooftops) and there are stunning mountains in perspective. We are going to Nishi-Nippon shinbun (Newspaper) where we meet with a correspondent who inquires as to ourselves and arrangements to do an article in the biggest daily paper. It's a stroll from that point, with the wind blowing hard, to City Hall and the Mayor's Office. The Mayor goes along with us and we discover that the photo to go with the daily paper article is brought with the Mayor in his office and his warm welcome.
Izumi has a delightful house with some western looking rooms, and a room that we accumulate in and sit leg over leg around the table. Japanese desserts and tea is served and PCs in mass turn out to see what we've recorded for the day. Humiliating to advise yet I went upstairs to the restroom, and pushed the wrong button on the toilet - and water shot everywhere throughout the roof - envision. They have it all over us in toilets here - they're warmed and do a wide range of things.
The previous evening at the supper, Mr. Tanaka served as a Japanese allegory for me. He put a chopstick on the table - then expected with his brain, as he says - and moved that chopstick six inches noticeable all around without touching it. Yet, that wasn't all, he obtained somebody's watch - and by putting his hands on both sides of it - and meaning with the grouping of his brain - he propelled the time by 60 minutes! Astounding.
Harry San, Monica San, Julia San, Antonio San and I go off to our receiving families from Izumi's home and began our Japanese remain. From here you will be got notification from each of us independently - with one of a kind encounters and I'll keep on discussing the things that we are doing together. So fortunate - I'm staying with the Tanaka's. Much things is moved and everybody goes off joyfully, with my mobile phone number as required.
Ai lifts me up, with the Tanaka's and we are made a beeline for an extremely uncommon Japanese style eatery - and more little plates of nourishment than I can eat. Rapidly, however, after supper - we conclude that we're going to go to the Hot Springs - wow - am I prepared for that. We enter a working with a ladies' side and a men's side - peel off to get in the warm pools, yes - it calmed. By taxi we headed to Ogori and the hundred year old house were the Tanaka's live. I'm staying in a space to myself with a futon b
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