Mana

2011-12 Inbound from Japan

Sponsor: Rotary Club of Sanuma, District 2520, Japan

Host: Rotary Club of Treasure Coast Vero Beach, District 6930, Florida

Mana's Bio

I have just passed the hardest month March because of the memories of a year ago. I'm still dreaming about tsunami stuff, my friends and my grandpa. I don't know how many times I cried in March, how many nights I couldn't sleep, and how many time I asked my friends for help. March was the hardest one for me and it shouldn't last forever.

But I'm really proud of myself being a Rotary exchange student. I'm having a difficult time but I'm sure this experience helps me a lot. I met wonderful exchange students here and also Rotarians. I wanted to be a translator - that's why I became an exchange student. But the earthquake had changed me a lot. I still want to be a translator but I really want to be a government person to help the people who had got damaged because of the disaster. I understand the job is the one of the hardest one, nobody wants to do it, so I will, no I should because such a difficult situation let our rotary club send me to here as an exchange student. I really appreciate the Rotarians who are supporting me. I will bring power back to Japan!

I said March was the hardest one but I got a big opportunity to progress. I met some Japanese exchange students on my trip at NY and DC. The only student who is from disaster area was me, but all of them were concerned about Japan. Not only Japanese people but also the students who are from all over the world asked me about the disaster area. The questions always made me cry but I'm glad to answer because it is my mission. I'm really proud of Miyagi state, Japan because many people still concern about my country. I can feel we are loved. It's easy to say "pray for Japan" or such a phrase but I don't need the phrase anymore. I just want to tell how Japan is doing right now and I will do. I want the people who have never had such a tsunami stuff to fell something from the pictures of tsunami.

I had suffered thinking how I should tell, what I could do as an exchange student from Japan. It took almost 8 months to know what I can do.

I know it's kind of late but I will continue doing it after I go back to Japan to tell how Japan is going.