I had a chance to have one of the Hawaii student stay with my family after the farewell party. When I showed her into a Japanese-style room, she was very excited at the tatami floor. I was a little surprised because it was quite common for me. She was also interested in the tokonoma and shouzi. For her, this was the second time she had ever slept on a futon but she was very pleased about it. We played a video game together at midnight. She was a very good sword fight player! She and my family had a very good time. When we talked about our family, I found a interesting cultural difference between us. In her country, for example, ‘grandmother’ means not just one person. The word include grandmother’s brothers or sisters, too. In contrast, grandmother means only my father or mother’s mother in Japan. I would like to learn more difference through future GP activities. In spite of her short stay, my family had such a wonderful time with her, and I will never forget that day.

by Miki