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Miwa Shinoda
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2004-05 Inbound from Japan
Date of Birth: September 19, 1987
Hometown: Kawaguchi-shi, Saitama, Japan
Sponsor: Kawaguchi-Chuo Rotary Club, District 2770, Japan
Host: Flagler Beach Rotary Club, District 6970, Florida USA
School: Flagler Palm Coast High School
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| Bio |
| September 23 Journal - "I
had very good experiences with the hurricane. I have typhoons in Japan, but
the hurricane was stronger than the typhoon." |
| October 31 Journal - "So it's my
first time for trick or treat!! I got a lot of candies. My neighbor's mom
made for me a scary costume. I love that costume!!!" |
| December 13 Journal - "It's becoming colder more and more everyday, but I don't
feel it's December (winter). Maybe it's because my city in Japan is more colder
than here." |
| February 18 Journal - "Maybe most of
you think I have nothing to write in my journals. But it's not true. I've
done so many things since July including I put on weight so much... oops!!!" |
| June 28 Journal - "This Youth Exchange Program is just
amazing! I still can't believe I've been here in U.S. 11 months already and I'm
gonna leave here in 3 days. Time just goes by so fast." |
| July 26 Journal - "My family
remembers me but they're all like 'Oh, my goodness Miwa. What had you eaten
in America?' Yup, I knew I gained a lot." |
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Miwa's
Bio
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 My name is Miwa, I am from Saitama of Japan. I was born in
Saitama. I am 16 years old. My birthday is September 19th. I have
1 older brother and 1 older sister. Their names are Takaaki and Eri. I am in
the 11th grade at school. My brother and sister are university
students.
My hobby is shopping, listening to music, and doing
sports. I have 1 dog, and her name is Run. I belong to volleyball club at
school in Japan. I like English class the best. |
September 23 Journal
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I'm enjoying my stay here in Florida. The beach is very
beautiful. I like beach very much. I saw many baby turtles at the beach,
it was my first time experience so I had very good time.
In orientation, I had a
very good time. I was happy to meet other exchange students. I'm looking
forward to spending a good time with another meeting.
The school is very hard
for me, because still I can't understand English well. I was very
surprised when I went to school for the first time, because the school is
very different from my school in Japan. I met many new friends at school.
Also, I met two girls who are exchange students from Japan. I take
English, American history, Vocal, Marine science at school.
And I had very good
experiences with the hurricane. I have typhoons in Japan, but the
hurricane was stronger than the typhoon. I spent two days with no power,
also it was my first experience.
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October 31 Journal
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Happy Halloween!!!!!Hi
everybody!!!!!!! The time spend soooo first... I'm staying here in Florida
already more than 3 months. I'm having so much great time!! Boating,
kayaking, watching movies, shopping, and riding wave runner etc... ( I
wanna try surfing someday! ) The wave runner is sooooo much fun! I love
that!! I saw dolphins when I went boating, kayaking and riding wave
runner. But I couldn't see the face...
I went to Homecoming 3 weeks ago. We spend 4 hours with
dance!!!!! When Homecoming finished at 12:00 midnight, I had pain in my
feet... But it was fun! Also, I went to see the manatees at christriver.
The manatees were soooo big! I saw big hippopotamus, and crocodile, etc...
I went to Epcot at the beginning of October. It was very
fun. We ate dinner at Japan's corner. It was good. I love Disney!!! So,
I'm looking forward to going to Disneyworld next time!!
We don't have Halloween in Japan. So it's my first time
for "trick or treat"!! I got a lot of candies. My neighbor's mom made for
me a scary costume. I love that costume!!! I enjoyed very much!!!!! How
was your Halloween??
Bye bye!!
Love, Miwa
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December 13 Journal
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Hey everybody!!! I can't believe it's already December. Are you
ready for Christmas? It's becoming colder more and more everyday, but I don't
feel it's December (winter). Maybe it's because my city in Japan is more colder
than here.
Anyway, I changed my host family the end of November. So,
I'm staying with my second host family now. They're also very nice!!!
I spent Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania. (My first host
family's neighbor's moved from Pennsylvania. So, they have huge house in
Pennsylvania.) I visited about a week and I spent soooo much good time. I
really loved that trip. Also I enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner. And it was
snowing!
I spent a great time at Disney world, too! I love all of
parks, but especially I like Magic kingdom. It's because I like roller
coasters. Actually, I went to Epcot with my choir class, too. We sang
Christmas songs at there. I can't wait for Christmas, winter vacation, and
New Year!!!!!
Have a good time!
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February 18 Journal
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Hey everybody!
I realized my journals are very short every time and I
have only three journals since I came here in Florida the end of July. Maybe
most of you think I have nothing to write in my journals. But it's not true.
I was just enjoying so much and I am kind of lazy because it was too hard
for me to write long journals in English. I'm sorry. lol I've done so many
things since July including I put on weight so much... oops!!!
I really enjoyed American Christmas. on Christmas eve, my
host mom prepared some carrots for reindeer and some snacks for Santa and in
the Christmas morning, some of them ware gone. It was so funny. Then I got a
full stocking and so many presents from host dad, host mom, host sister,
first host mom, first host family's neighbors, host club counselor, host
mom's friend, friends, and two presents from present exchange at Christmas
party! I've never gotten such a lot of Christmas presents before. Thanks
everybody! and I realized how Christmas is big in America through many
house's big decoration and many Christmas cards going over. I also enjoyed
Christmas with my chorus class. We had some concerts during Christmas time.
but I couldn't memorize all song's words perfectly. So sometimes my mouth
moved different way with everyone...
On New Year's eve, I got phone call from my family because
in Japan was already New Year, so they said to me "Happy New Year!" but we
were still in 2004. That was a kind of interesting thing for me. lol. We
went to party at host mom's friend house at night, then we watched Times
Square on TV with champagne. and I did the wish bone that from turkey on
Thanksgiving dinner with host sister, but it was a kind of suck. Both bones
were really short and the rest of the long bone fell over on the floor... I
hope we'll get our wishes...
On New Year, we licked honey for good luck in 2005! And we
went to St. Augustine. We did horse riding. I was surprised because the
horse was smarter than I thought. Thanks for walking for us, Sambo!!!
I enjoyed the Seacamp trip so much except our room had 6
cockroaches since Florida Keys were really warm. Warmer than here! It was
like summer even if it was the end of January. I like warm weather, but I
really don't like the bugs. yucky! lol. I with I had underwater camera
because the ocean was very clear. And we also watched beautiful sunsets. I
wanna go to there again!
I can't believe time has gone so fast. (I think I say like
that thing every journal... ) and I can't wait to go to the beach and swim
again in the summer.
love always,
Miwa |
June 28 Journal
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Hey guys! It's sad to say, but
it's going to be my last
journal...
First of all, I just wanna say "Thank you!" to everybody. I had such great
experiences through this past year. This Youth Exchange Program is just
amazing! I still can't believe I've been here in U.S. 11 months already and I'm
gonna leave here in 3 days. Time just goes by so fast. Of course I'm excited to
see my family and friends in Japan again, but it's just hard to say bye to
everybody here and I'm sure I'm gonna miss here. Florida is such a wonderful
place. This past year, I had so many things and it was totally a different year
from I ever had 16 years in Japan. I enjoyed to live here (by the beach) so
much. I'll never forget all the great people I met, and all time that doesn't matter
happy or sad. All things I had are my great memories now!
Since I didn't write journal a while, I wanna write what I
did after February 18th.I went to Massachusetts
with my second host mom and host sister for 4 days from Feb 19th. We
stayed host mom's sister's house. It was snowing and so cold. It was my
first time to spend in that cold (17F). Anyway I enjoyed the trip!
Mar 4th, I had sleepover at church. We did games through
all the night and we went to see sunrise at beach that was very beautiful.
Mar 22nd, my sister, who is 19, came to visit me for a
week from Japan. It was really nice to see her again! We stayed at my
first host family's house together and we spent such a good time at Disney
world and Easter etc...
April 3rd, I moved to my third host family's house. I'm
so lucky to have three wonderful host families.
I went to New York for 5 days with my first host mom and
her good friend. We stayed the friend's sister's house. They're all so
nice & funny people and we laughed and laughed and laughed... I had such a
good time with them. Thank you for having me! We went to Statue
of Liberty, New York Empire State Building, Times Square, a comedy
show... And I could have chance to go to school in New York one day. The
school was very different from the school that I went to here in Florida.
It was nice to go to the school! I had so much fun on the trip and I wanna
go there again!
April 20th, I went to NASA with some Japanese people
who came here through Group Study Exchange program.
May 18th, We went to Orlando to watch Star Wars movie.
The movie was from 12:30a.m. to 3:00a.m. That was a very fun experience
for me!
We went to camp for 4 days from June 7th. It was nice
place and of course I had fun there!
June 11th through June 24th, I went to West coast
trip with over 50 exchange students who spent their exchange year in
Canada, Alaska, Ohio, Virginia or Texas. It was a wonderful trip. We went
to so many places in California, Nevada, and Utah, such as Golden Gate
bridge, Hurst castle, Santa Barbara, Hollywood, Universal Studios,
Huntington beach, Disneyland and California adventure, St. George, Zion
canyon, Las Vegas (we rented a limo!), Mammoth lakes, Virginia city, Lake
Tahoe, Reno rodeo, and Hard Rock Cafe,..... It was a really fun trip!!!
Thanks again! I love you all!!!
see ya, xoxoxo, miwa
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July 26 Journal
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I got back here on July 2nd afternoon (Japanese time). The flight
was OK, but I felt so long this time since I couldn't sleep in the plane except
an hour which means it had gone almost 24 hours since I woke up at Lesa's house
till I went to bed the night at my house in Japan. I don't know why I couldn't
sleep. I was trying though.... usually I could sleep anywhere. I slept on the
way to Florida from Tokyo so I didn't feel that long last year when I got over
there.
My family remembers me but they're all like "oh, my
goodness Miwa. What had you eaten in America?" lol - yup, I knew I gained a
lot. I still don't know what my dog thinks. Of course my dog was happy to
see me again, but I don't think she knew I was gone for a year. She was
happy and wagged her tail just like everyday she does... When I got to
Japan, my first impression was EVERYTHING SMALL!!! yes, everything... I
still remember my first impression of America was EVERYTHING BIG!!! I
realized my sense changed through this past year. lol - Well, this is the
different culture that I wanted learn. I love both Japan and America. We
came back home from the airport by taking trains and a taxi. I felt so
weird. The view was so changed before I got on the plane in Florida and
after I got off the plane in Tokyo. I felt just weird because everything is
different. I still feel like it wasn't just my dream living in America for a
year, was that??
I started to go to Japanese high school again on the 8th.
it was so nice to see all of my friends and teachers again. Of course they
were like " Miwa-! Miwa?? " and I was like "yes, I gained so much... " lol -
I couldn't wear my school uniform regularly, well, I tried so hard though.
But I couldn't go to school without a uniform anyway, so I wore it somehow,
not regularly, but it didn't look so bad. I hope... lol ... and guess what?
I had tests on 11th and 12th at school and of course I didn't study for it,
actually I didn't know anything about that tests. Plus my Japanese wasn't
perfect. But my teacher said "we all know your situation so it's ok, why
don't you just take tests with everybody!?" So I took them (there were three
kinds of tests). and I got 3 points out of 100 points on one of them. It was
funny more than sad. I laughed with my friends about that, I'm easygoing
anyway. I thought American high school was easier. Now I'm in summer break
from July 21st to August 30th. It's shorter than FPC has. We had a kind of
big earthquake couple days ago. It was scary, but everything's fine, nothing
was broken. I miss Florida where is no earthquake! A typhoon is gonna hit
here tonight...
Thank you for everything again!
With love,
Miwa |
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