After 5 years of dating, one of the World Campus – Japan alumni, Jotter Verhaeghe (Spring program’08) from Belgium married to Hatsumi who was involved in the World Campus Japan stay in Kumamoto in 2008. It was a very nice reception with many guests from Belgium and Japan including World Campus Japan host families from Abiko, Suita, Omura and Arao as well as World Campus Japan alumni. Congratulations, Jotter and Hatsumi!!!
I think back on my World Campus International trip on a regular basis, and each time feels like a dream. It’s hard to believe all those adventures actually happened. Swimming in rivers, doing meditation techniques, seeing Tokyo to its fullest extent, and so much more. Ever since I was in middle school I wanted to go to Japan, and now that I’ve gone there I can’t think of any other way of going other than WCI.
While waiting to board the plane to Japan, I can honestly say this program was not what I was anticipating in any way. I was expecting to meet students who were also interested in Japan and to explore the language and culture and get immersed, but what happened was about a million times better. From my 2 sessions there I made some of the best friends on this earth and shared some really intense experiences. We formed bonds through hardships, laughter, and adventure, and I will never forget it or any of them. The easiest way to describe it is each day we get to go some place or do something amazing, all the while in the midst of friends who are all laughing and having the best time of their lives. All of this happening while learning Japanese, getting to know the culture, and the every day lives of the citizens there.
Going to Japan was a life changing experience for me and I will never forget it or the friends I made from different countries, or the connections of the families I lived with and became part of. Thank you World Campus International, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
Morgan McCulloch (U.S.A)
This youtube video shows, WCI Norwegian alumnus, Henning Rodtwitt teaching sign language to the LOC members and host families as a part of the community event in Suita city, Osaka. During this event we also had great messages from past WCI participants expressing their appreciation and love for Suita. World Campus-Japan is not just a 5 session program! There is always WCI preparation and events going on all year round! Check this out and hope to see you in Japan!
Maki Honda (Kumamoto):
吹田滞在中は、本当にお世話になりました。大阪ならではの賑やかな女性たちの集まった実行委員会の皆さまに、とっても楽しませていただきました！あんまりみなさんとゆっくり
お話をする時間がなかったのが残念です。
それからホストファミリーの小山家のみなさんとも、短い時間でしたが、とても楽しい時間が過ごせました。食事や、毎日のイベント、私たちのためにたくさんのことを考えていてくれて本当に嬉しかったです。
大智くんの将来のこと、子どもたちに対する想い、たくさん素敵なお話を聞かせてくれて、ありがとうございました。
大智くん、祐巳くん、花心ちゃんにとっても、いい思い出になってくれていたら嬉しいです。
また、少し成長した子どもたちに会えるのを楽しみにしています。
Celiana Dolovitz Meneses (Venezuela):
World Campus – Japan has been an amazing experience for me because it has giving me the chance, in two years, to experience 4 different families.
A family of a hard working LOC who happens to be the mom of one of my life time best friends Yui. What an amazing chance to get to know her family.
Another hard working and super Host mom, who has a huge list of host kids all around the world and a husband that it is truly a dad for I am sure all of us who have been part of their family.
A family of hikers and mountain climbers that gave me not only cooking classes but also tips to go up Mount Fuji! ~ Grandpa greeted me everyday with a few words in Spanish and mom who accepted me after having many doubts taught me sign language… priceless.
Finally, a family of 3 generations of girls that included a new born baby. I was part of the family picture, a memory i will never forget! I now have a sister for life, thanks Aya and your family. Thanks to all for giving me your smiles, a place to sleep and most important, your trust! I learned a lot in each and everyone of your homes!
Love you all!
Ellery Oosterberg (The Netherlands):
大阪は一番 Is written on one of my Facebook profile photos. However that is how I feel after visiting Japan last summer. Even though Osaka is a big city it still has the warmth hand of a smaller town. I lost count of how many times I went to Nanba or Umeda, so much do I love the city.
It is also to my great Host family from Suita that I fell in love with Osaka. They are the ones who showed me around Osaka and her great secret spots. And to be really honest I think it says something that I went back to Osaka during my 2 breaks.
As for this message, which is written in the cold weather of the Netherlands, it is a short one however I will return to Osaka next year to show my appreciation to Osaka even more!
I love you all and I miss you all! And also the best Christmas wishes to everyone!
Best greetings ,
Ellery Oosterberg
Iris Spruit (The Netherlands):
Hello!
Thank you all for the great time we had in Suita. We did some fun activities and although it was really hot, I enjoyed it. Not only the activities we did in Suita but also my host family made my time in Suita a great time. They were really nice to me and we did a lot of fun things. I miss them and I would love to come back to Suita and see them again. I really feel like I’m part of their family.
I hope we’ll meet again someday!
Iris
Paulina Meza (Mexico):
I send lots of love to my host family in Suita! I enjoyed my stay very much, and everyone made me feel welcome. Thank you for having me over during the summer! I hope to see everyone again, thank you also for your effort. I really appreciate it and will never forget my time in Suita! Best vibes!
I was with World Campus International during the summer of 2010, and I was never the same after that. I feel that it changed me in ways I never thought it would. And for the better.
When I first applied to the program, I did it because I wanted to know Japan not from the point of view of a tourist, but from the local communities. Once I read about WCI, I realized that it was exactly what I was looking for. Staying with host families, helping the local communities, getting to know the culture from the inside – it sounded perfect. But nothing could prepare me for the emotional rollercoaster that I was about to enter.
When I arrived at Tama (Tokyo), one of the members of the staff told me: “Welcome to an hell of a ride!”. I remember to think that he was just trying to be funny and dynamic. By the end of the program, I realized that he was not joking.
My experience with the host-families was simply amazing. I connected so much to them that, even 2 years after my experience with WCI, I keep in touch with them on a weekly basis. I really feel like they are my family. Also, the WCI group and all the experiences we went through together created really strong bonds. I already visited some of my friends that I met there, and I received them at my house, in Portugal, too! And not only the WCI friends, but also japanese friends that I met during our activities.
I remember that, on the last day in Japan, we were asked to comment on the highlights of the trip. I was crying so much that it was really hard to do it. I was crying because I made bonds in such a small amount of time, that I never thought I would. I stepped so many times out of my comfort zone during the trip that I felt so much stronger and confident, that even made me confuse. It was intense. Really intense. And wonderful.
And I will come back, for sure. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do so in 2013. I hope you can join me too!
Ana Margarida Cardoso (Portugal)
Hiro Nishimura was invited to the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and he presented the World Campus – Japan program to the interested Gothenburg students. We would like to thank Truman-sensei, Shimizu-sensei, and Okamoto-sensei, the faculty members at the department of languages and literatures of the university for helping us introduce our program.
