Sakura Matsuri

   I joined Sakura Matsuri which is a kind of festival to introduce Japanese culture this weekend. First, I arranged for the festival with JSSL which means Japanese Studies Student Leaders in the morning. I was looking forward to joining this festival because I could communicate with others. There are a lot of people to help the arrangement, so it was going smoothly. I prepared by setting up tables, chairs, and decoration. I was glad to talk to WU students during the arrangement. Next, I performed Taiko in the afternoon. Although I had practiced Taiko, I was extremely worried about it. There were more people in the audience than I expected, therefore it made me increasingly tense. I performed two pieces which are called “Rensyu Taiko” and “Matsuri”. It was first time to perform Taiko in front of people, but I could perform it perfectly. After I finished performing Taiko, I ate Japanese food and saw other performances such as Karaoke contest. It was very exciting for me. Finally, I helped clear up after the festival. I tidied up equipment and carried the remnants of meals away. It was the hardest work for me that day because it took a lot of time to finish this work. I felt sorrow of parting; however, I was so happy to join the festival. Indeed, I went through various experiences in Sakura Matsuri.

 

Spring Break

     I joined the WAVE program in spring break. On the first day, we went to a beach and cleaned up. It took about 2 hours from Willamette University to the beach by bus, so I was a little tired.  It was hard to pick up litter on the beach because it was very spacious. After we finished cleaning up, we went to Tillamook Cheese Factory. There were dairy products, such as cheese and milk. In particular, I was glad to eat delicious ice cream.

 

 

 

     The second day, we went to Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary. There were various kinds of animals, for example, pigs, horses, llamas, sheep and so on. These animals had been hurt by someone, but they were quiet around us. We divided into two groups and helped farm. My work was cutting dead leaves. It was simple work, however I really felt this was volunteering. Also, I had an enjoyable time because I could interact with animals.

 

      On the third day, we went to Community Homeless Connect which was a facility to help homeless. We prepared by setting up tables and chairs to invite them. I was surprised that there were a lot of homeless in Oregon. There are no facilities like this in Japan, therefore I was impressed. After we finished setting up, we went to a theater to watch a movie. It was very exciting.

 

     On the last day, we volunteered twice. In the morning, we went to West Salem Boys and Girls Club. We pulled weeds and carried the soil to the garden. In the afternoon, we went to MPFS Warehouse which made products. We helped to pack nuts in bags. I was tired because I repeated the work, but it was a good experience. During the WAVE program, I could become friendly with Willamette University students gradually. Moreover, I could practice speaking English when I talked to them. Indeed, this project gave me a wonderful experience.

 

The PowWow

      I went to the PowWow and saw various kinds of thing. First of all, there were dancing people in the center of the gym. They wore native dresses and performed to traditional music. Some of them were children, so they were very cute. After I saw the performance, another race came out. All of them were men and wore unique accessories and masks on their faces and heads. I was just frightened of them. Second, I went out and caught sight of tents which sold ethnic dishes. I was full, therefore I couldn’t eat them. Ethnic dish which I could see looked like pizza. It had a good smell. Finally, I saw the selling areas. There were a lot of accessories, musical instruments, drawing, dolls and so on for sale. In particular, accessories were to my satisfaction because I had never seen such beautiful accessories. I didn’t have enough money to buy them, but I bought two cheap items. In conclusion, it was a good opportunity for me to learn about another culture.