[Date & Time] Wednesday, September 28, at 10:00~17:00[Spots] (Morning) Hokokuji Temple and Jomyoji Temple (trying powdered green tea) (Afternoon) home visit experience
[Visitors] 13 Libyan students
[Attendants] 3 KSGG members for guiding around Kamakura and 4 KSGG members for their home visit experiences
We had the students studying in Japan enjoy sightseeing in Kamakura, though their home country, Libya, was struggling with its civil war. KSGG members, Mr. E and Mr. H guided them wholeheartedly, which had the students learn a little about Japanese culture. We had lunch in a buffet style at an Indian restaurant. As the students are young, they enjoyed our guiding in lusty and happy harmony.
In the afternoon, the students divided into four groups experienced home visit. Three of them came to my house. I served them with tea and cakes. Then I talked about various topics such as the origin of their names, how to read Japanese characters, and Japanese daily lives. While they were at my house, they prayed to Allah. They washed their hands and feet. My wife and I offered one room to them for praying and waited in another room till they finished their prayer. It was no more than 10 minutes. Soon after that, they had to leave our house and we went to the nearest station.
It seems that each of them has his own career choice. I truly wished Libya and their future luck. A few days later, they sent us a thank-you postcard. They put in a lot of effort to write thank-you words in Japanese. I was impressed with it.
☆ Report on Home Visit of Students
[Date & Time] Wednesday, September 28, at 14:30~17:00
At 14:30, I met Mr. N from JICE and KSGG members, Mr. S, Mr. H, and Mr. Y at the nearest station and then brought them to my house. I welcomed my guests from Libya, wondering how I should host my guests from the country changing into a newly reborn country, which had gotten through the worst of its commotion. We talked about Japanese as they were studying Japanese. When I taught them tongue twisters, they earnestly practiced saying, “Kaeru pyoko pyoko…” or “Frog flopsy flopsy…” They taught me that they also have palindromes in Arabic. He said the phone went dead for about one month because of the country’s commotion. Now the phone is working and internet access is available. So you can read the latest news in Arabic on the mobile phone. Libyan Embassy staff said that the project of overseas education might be taken over but they could not tell if the students could go on to the graduate school as it had been planned. The three students told about their unsettled, severe situation in even tones. I saw them off at the station, hoping that they would overcome their trials and become a bridge between Libya and Japan. Although I had known about the situation of Libya only through the news, on this day I found out that it really happened. I received a thank-you postcard from the three of them, who had put in a lot of effort to write the words of thanks on the card in kanji characters, hiragana characters, and katakana characters.