Kathi Smith (team leader, manager of Business Enterprise Centre)
(First Comments to District:)
From the moment that I received my first email from GSE District Chairman Matsuoka-san, I knew that our experience in Japan would be outstanding. My team and I had many questions and we always received prompt and detailed responses. Your district website was extremely helpful in preparing us for our exchange. I commend you for posting the reports of past GSE teams in both Japanese and English.
The GSE committee did an excellent job of providing us with enjoyable and educational vocational days, a wonderful introduction to Japanese culture and the best host families that anyone could possibly ask for. The stays at the Hotel New Otani provided us with a chance to do planning as a team. The hotel staff were superb.
District 7080 has had much experience with Group Study Exchange and I feel quite justified in stating that District 2660 provides about the best all around experience of any district with whom we have exchanged. Your District and all Rotarians with whom we have met carry out the goals of the Rotary Foundation to their fullest and beyond.
I can only imagine how many hours each member of the GSE Committee spent in ensuring that our visit was so memorable. Thank you District Governor, GSE Chairman Matsuoka san, GSE Committee, all Rotary Clubs and Rotarians who gave us such a warm welcome and, of course, the host families who made us a part of their families.
I have learned a great deal from your District and your Clubs. I look forward to sharing this knowledge with our District when I return this week. My District Governor is very interested in learning about Rotary in Japan and introducing new ideas to our district.
District 2660 is an outstanding example in the Rotary world. You should be extremely proud to be Rotarians in this District.
Thank you for the best Group Study Exchange program in the world.
(the second set of comments which were personal:)
This month in Japan has been incredible! I leave Japan with countless new friends, hundreds of photos and experiences about which more people only dream. I have eaten foods that I never imagined that people might eat. I have seen the beauty of the Sakura, the history of Nara and Kyoto and Lisa and I even had our picture taken with Akabono. I have tried Kendo, been to a tea ceremony and attempted Sho do. I have learned about the government and education systems and heard the sounds of the recent election. I've even learned a little Osaka ben like Mo Kally Maka and Bochi Bochi Den Na.
However, the most powerful memories of my time in Japan will be forever and always the people.
To me, one of the greatest benefits of Group Study Exchange comes from the connection with people. While it is wonderful to see and experience other countries and cultures, it is the people opening their hearts to other people that brings the greatest rewards and understanding. My greatest memories will be of the moments that allowed me to be touched by the kindness of the people that I met in Japan. Shared laughter and tears; common challenges and joys; a struggle to speak a language that is not your own. These are some of the best moments and the ones that I believe provide the greatest benefits from GSE.
While there may be many differences in the history and culture of our countries, there are far more similarities. We face obstacles and fears, experience joys and successes, we have family and friends, hopes and dreams.
Rotarians, host families, companies and strangers all welcomed us. People demonstrated great patience as we struggled with our Japanese. People went out of their way to speak English even when they were not comfortable doing so. People were honest about their country and their lives. From a group of five year olds saying "hello" to a 90 year old singing Sakura, Sakura, no matter where we went, people were kind and giving.
I have learned so much about your country and culture, but I have learned the most about your humanity and kindness.
You have opened your hearts and your homes, not just because we were from Canada or from Group Study Exchange but because you know the importance of people getting to know one another without labels, as individuals. Our world is very small and understanding is more important than ever. You have offered us a strong understanding of how much we are alike even in our differences.
Rotary has a goal to increase world understanding. By doing so, through exchanges like this, we can avoid the atrocities that occurred in the past like Hiroshima. Thank you host families for making us a part of your family. Thank you Rotarians for your open hearts and thank you GSE committee for making sure that we leave Japan with such beautiful memories and good friends. I will never forget the kindness and generosity of each of you.
Domo arigato goziamashita.
Dennis Flamming (Agriculture and Land Development Consultant)
The last four weeks in Japan has been full of rich and rewarding experiences. I was fortunate to have visited most of the prefectures with the Kansai region as a ﾒgoodwillﾓ ambassador from Canada.
You have welcomed me into your homes, shared personal stories and extended your hand to me in many ways --- just as true friends do. Many Rotarians, their families and other business people have taught me a great deal about Japanﾕs history, culture and way of life.
It has become obvious to me that people in Japan are hard workers. They are also working hard to ensure that land development and food processing occurs in a safe and environmentally sensitive manner.
I have observed a strong respect and value of the past, and the anticipation of a bright future. Examples include efforts of the those living in Miyama-cho to preserve their traditional rural village, as well as the reminder at Hiroshima of the devastation of war and the encouragement of all countries to live peacefully with each other.
Living in your beautiful country has opened my eyes, heart and mind in many ways. This exchange has enabled me to see and feel differently than when I first arrived. Regardless of our language, religion, hair colour or cultural background, it is clear that people in Canada and Japan share common goals and struggles. We all want the best for future generations as we strive to live in harmony with each other, and with nature. I will now watch and read the news, and speak to others with an increased interest and awareness of Japan and other Asian countries.
This GSE experience has impressed upon me the value of strong relationships - both in our business and personal life. The host families, Rotarians and businesses I visited displayed many acts of kindness and friendship over and over again. I look forward to nurturing the seeds of friendships that have been sown during our stay in your District.
There have been many proud moments as our two national anthems were sung during our stay. My hope is that we will all continue to promote international understanding at home and when we travel.
Thank you to everyone who worked very hard to make our GSE experience such a success.
Vanessa Cato (Risk Management Manager at Royal Bank of Canada)
We have seen so many new things, met so many wonderful people, tried so many new foods, and established so many important friendships, it is hard to believe so much can happen in only 4 weeks.
Our schedule was a perfect combination of business and culture and we are truly fortunate to have enjoyed the beautiful Sakura. The GSE organizing committee, our host families and all the Rotarians and volunteers that planned and participated in our exchange have provided us with the opportunity of a lifetime.
For my work in banking, it was a very important time to be here to understand the challenges facing Japanese banks and to learn the steps that they are taking to regain their strength. The knowledge that I have gained of the Japanese financial system will be invaluable to my career at Royal Bank of Canada.
I have found the Japanese language fascinating. This was my first experience with a language written in characters. Thank you to everyone who taught me kanji, hiragana and katakana and for putting up with me as I tried to read signs on the trains, buildings, streets and even at the kitchen table. With my new books and Japanese English computer dictionary, I look forward to continuing my studies of the Japanese language.
I have enjoyed tasting so many wonderful Japanese dishes: takoyaki, sukiyaki; teppanyaki, shabu shabu, oknomiyaki, kushi katsu and sushi, sashimi and so many new fish - totemo oeishi-kata; And, of course, I will not forget the live squid that stared at me with its two big eyes from a plate at the end of the sushi bar.
The most important and more memorable part of this trip is the host families. Staying with host families is what made this exchange a very special and unforgettable experience. Thank you for welcoming us so warmly into your homes and sharing with us your way of life. Thank you for taking such good care of us, for teaching us about Japan and for your interest in Canada.
I do not want to think of today as goodbye, but as the beginning of many very special friendships. Thank you for the wonderful memories that we have shared, and I look forward to strengthening these relationships as our lives unfold.
As our trip draws to a close, it is very clear to me what a
warm, giving and important organization Rotary is and its tremendous
ability to positively impact the lives of others. It has been
an honour to represent Rotary District 7080 and I am truly privileged
to have participated in this exchange. The experiences we have
shared these past few weeks will be with me always.
Doomo arigato gozaimashita.
Lisa Arai (Media Buyer at Toronto Sky Dome)
Konichiwa.
It's hard to believe that the past four weeks have passed so quickly. This Rotary Group Study Exchange has been an incredible experience, one that I will always remember fondly. The schedule was the perfect blend of Rotary meetings, company visits, vocational visits and sightseeing. The busy schedule enabled us to experience many aspects of Japan and its unique culture in a very short time.
I understand that few Japanese people have the opportunity to see Sumo wrestling and I was thrilled to be in attendance at Sumo wrestling -they are so big and strong.
I also enjoyed my vocational visits to Osaka Dome, Takarazuka girls' opera, Dentsu Advertising and Universal Studios Japan. Since I work at Skydome, my favourite visit was to Osaka Dome. It is such a wonderful facility.
Thank you to everyone involved in the planning and execution of the activities on the schedule, especially the GSE committee. I was always impressed with how smoothly everything ran and how prompt Japanese people always are.
Thank you also to my homestay families who welcomed me so warmly into their homes and hearts. This is one of the highlights. I sincerely appreciated my homestay families' warmth and kindness. It was always difficult to say goodbye.
Thank you to everyone involved in this GSE exchange to Osaka
City. The past four weeks have been the trip of a lifetime.
Domo arigato gozaimashita
Akela Peoples (Educational Entrepreneur)
Konichiwa. Mo kally macha.
A famous Japanese proverb says "easy comes, easy goes". But it will not be easy for us to leave Osaka. The last four weeks have been filled with many new and memorable experiences. I have worn a beautiful kimono, attended the Takarazuka Girls' opera and enjoyed the beautiful Sakura. I have discovered many new tastes such as ika, momijioroshi, ponz and even natto. I have had the honour of attending Sumo wrestling and the emotional experience of visiting Hiroshima. I have seen impressive technologies such as satellite tracking devices, laptop computers half the size of Canadian laptops and even heated toilet seats.
I often found myself running to keep up with Osaka people who I have learned as the fastest walkers in the world. Although your population is very dense, your city is very clean. I cannot recall seeing garbage in public areas and I watched in amazement as an employee vacuumed the subway station. I always felt very safe in Osaka and it was amazing to see young children ride the subway alone without worry. I never worried about my personal belongings and if I did lose anything, it was comforting to know it would probably be exactly where I had left it.
I have been especially impressed with the strength of the family unit in Japan and although there is concern about younger generations, I easily observed that the family is the binding fabric of Japanese culture. Respect for superiors and elders is still very prevalent and I urge you to fight to hold on to this very special part of your culture.
Your commitment to efficiency is obvious in your creative and practical architecture, electric parking lots and seats that rotate on the Shinkansen.
Early in my career as a classroom teacher in Canada, I had the opportunity to teach many Japanese students in high school and was always very impressed with their work ethic. This trip has allowed me to gain an understanding of the roots of their dedication to school work. The common goal of entering into a top university and the emphasis placed on examinations even at a very young age requires students and their families to focus on academic achievement at least until university or college. Jukus do not exist in Canada and it has been very interesting for me to notice and learn about the differences and similarities in the way we educate our youth. As we move towards the new millenium, we have much to share and learn from each other.
We are fortunate that our new friendships have tremendous potential as new technologies allow us to communicate around the world with ease and efficiency. Even a decade ago, it would not have been so easy to maintain friendships on the other side of the world.
To the GSE committee, I thank you for all of your very hard work in making this experience such a great success. Thank you especially to the Rotarians that invited me to become a part of their families for a week. You and your families have a very, very special place in my heart.
For me, these personal experiences were perhaps the most memorable part of this adventure. Thank you for your generosity and I look forward to communicating with you as we continue to share experiences from the other side of the world.
The friendship, kindness and warmth of Rotarians in District 2660 will be remembered by me always. And also, I would like to say at this time to my fellow GSE members, it has been an honour to be a part of such a dynamic and great team.
Another Japanese proverb says "one life, one chance" and in this case I truly hope that that proverb is not true because I hope I have another time in my life to visit this very special place with so many special people.
Domo arigato goziamashita and mido okeenee.