Category Archives: ホストファミリー

熊本県荒尾市, 訪問地, ホストファミリー

Meeting the host families


The first day of World Campus Japan! Yesterday on the plane the Japanese people spoke to me a lot, super nice. Everyone helped me find the right bus at the airport and everything. I met the other members today; they all look like awesome people to me. When we met our host families, the first thing my host mom said to me that I should call here Okaasan (mother in Japanese). Yuka, my host sister of 23 years old, was there as well. Otoosan (father) is somewhere in his seventies, really old, and really funny. When I told them I loved edamame, they immediately bought me heaps of it. We went to the gym, where we met a lot of cute grandma’s. Everyone kept telling me that my Japanese was very good and that I was cute. One of the old ladies even hugged me. Next to all this, they gave me a lot of sweets and food.

Tonight I ate so much delicious food, and I even managed to eat with chopsticks. Apparently there are three families living in my house. I was shocked when I first heard it, but I am really happy to get to know a lot of new people. Something that pleases me a lot is the fact that I can get by very well with my level of Japanese. It actually surprised me a bit. Sometimes we use some English words, and if necessary, we have a dictionary.

Tomorrow is the first activity day, and I am looking really forward to. But now I am really tired from all the travelling!

Jessica (Belgium)

訪問地, ホストファミリー, 長崎県大村市

Visit of a Sushi Restaurant

sushi restaurant


On Monday night my host family took me to a conveyer belt sushi restaurant along with my host mother’s parents. It was a very interesting experience! We all had hot tea to drink. There were cups and teabags at the table, and we got hot water by pressing our cups against a spout at the edge of the table, just below the conveyer belt. To get out sushi we just grabbed the plates of sushi from the conveyer belt as it went by. We also ordered some specific pieces from the chefs in the middle. The chefs were in the middle of the conveyer belt loop, making the sushi. When they made some sushi, they just put it on the conveyer belt.

sushi restaurant


The sushi itself was delicious! My favorite was the cooked salmon. The shrimp was also very good. I ate a lot of things I’d never had before. My host family didn’t know the English names for them, so they showed me pictures of the animals on their phone. I had squid, eel, sea urchin, and many other things. I even had something with large fish eggs in it, the size of loquat seeds, that looked just like the eggs from Finding Nemo. Overall, it was a very new, exciting and delicious diner.

sushi restaurant


Benjamin Straub (USA)

お知らせ, ホストファミリー, 参加生

Wedding of Jotter and Hatsumi

wedding of Jotter and Hatsumi


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!!!

訪問地, 地域学習, 地域実行委員、プログラムサポーター, ホストファミリー, 参加生, 大阪府吹田市, ビデオ

Sign Language with Suita!

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

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。

Celi

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

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

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

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!

訪問地, 地域学習, ホストファミリー, 茨城県取手市

Host family day at Disneyland!

Date of activity: August 5th

Today was hostfamily day and we (Tiina and Iris) went with our host brother and host father to Disneyland! It was the first time to go to Disneyland for both of us, so we were really excited. We had to wake up at 6am, because we wanted to be there when the park opened at 8am. We were so happy when we were inside the park and we felt like we were 6 years old again.

Hostfamily day at Disneyland


Because it was sunday and summer holiday it was very crowded. For every ride we had to wait a long time, but we still did a lot of things and the waiting was totally worth it! It was so awesome, we had a great time! You’re never too old for Disneyland!

In the evening, before we went home, we went with our host brother to a nightclub. Although we were really tired, we still had the energy to dance! When we got home, we were even more tired, but we had an awesome day!!

(Tiina – Finland and Iris – The Netherlands)