Asian Youth Development Program in Okinawa

Today, we had to wake up at 4:30 because art visual team had to make ‘AYDBOT’. Anyway, I woke up at 5:00 🙁

After ate breakfast, we went to Ando Security. It was a small company in Okinawa. We looked around the company and listened brief explanation about company. Though it was a small company, their goal was not small.

And finally! our AYDBOT is completed and we also had final rehearsal. I’m really excited of tomorrow’s closing ceremony 😉

Group:6-4
Country:Rep. KOREA
Name: juhyun Kim

Ah, The last day is nearer and nearer. It didn’t look like three weeks.
This morning, I got up at 5:30 because me, Bruce and Anas were planning to sing for morning call and we did it. We had a nice breakfast. After that, we went to the Ando Securities company. I have no big thing to do with the final presentation. So, I was very free this whole day ( except the practices ). But all participants were very active and they finished the whole thing for the presentation today. We practiced again and again. So, we are ready for tomorrow. Mr.Latino told us that we did very well and that made us stronger. We will sleep very well tonight because we perfectly completed for the presentation.

Group : 5-2
Country :Myanmar (Burma)
Name :Rem Ruat Thanga (Ruata)

Hello!everyone.Today is Sunday 21/08/2011 and i have to type about my feeling,tell more for activities .So you and i we should be prepare know more about today together,let go.
Today in the morning i have wake up 6 o’clock for start working but during that time have somebody sing a song on speaker for wake up,right!it so joking because every day don’t have like this,maybe today is the special day ,so that they have to make something to surprise us.After that i’m go to take a shower and go to the dining room,check temperature ,eat breakfast and then we have to go for visit “JICA” by bus.We arrive there about 9 o’clock i’m not sure,i just guess.Then we start workshop,we have to share idea and preparation the same with in the hall , we have any participants of JICA they have to make us enjoy, laughing , etc.after that we have comments but it also happy , I like today , I really say from my heart. Until 12:45 we have lunch everybody think they are so hungry because I have feeling like that too but a foods are very delicious we have to eat a lot. we feel full so much and that hall is so big, specious if I walk alone I may lose already and then we have to come back for do our job again. Maybe tired but happy about our job we doing by our-self and have a good feeling .
I feel good today but sometime make me feel sad so I always think a lot about it, do not worry it is OK already. I came to japan to learn more about environment they gave me to know about solidarity,and big family. I think everyone is also have this feeling so that’s why the last day for closing ceremony they cry because they lost these things but we will keep in our heart the same with them .
The last one I hope everyone enjoy and have a good healthy, spending all the time in japan for useful and remember everything in japan. we have cry,sad,happy,serious but we have to clear that problem to be good. So I wish everyone from Asia ,you are my best friends ,we are the big family everyday we have to eat breakfast,lunch,dinner together, have the same house ,the same mother ,father sister and brother those are the second family of us . we don’t know each other before but we are so friendly. that are the big thing in my heart I never think this is the end already , I only think we live the same world it is not today maybe in the future I really ensure that we may to meet and greeting again. thanks for AYDPO , tutors, facilitators,coordinators,sponsors and every participants thanks so much I love this program.

Group:3-3
Country:Laos
Name:Miss. Phavadee PHASAVATH (NOUK)

I got up at 6:30 and then had breakfast at 7:30 after that I had lecture5 which in title that Water and Environment issue(Purifying water on a global level) by MR. Kanetoshi Oda Nippon Poly-Glu Co,.Ltd. This lecture made me know how to purifying water for using . Mr Kanetoshi demonstrated purifying water that was very interesting I just wondered that after purifying we could drink that water as soon as .In addition Mr. kanetoshi gave me the wonderful powder that could purify the water to be clean water . After lecture I had lunch at 12:00 , the foods were very nice I like that foods and then about 1 hour I had freetime I enjoyed with my friends in the room we were listening musics and made the music video that was so funny after that at 14:00 I had to prepare for the final presentation it was very hard, I had to brain strom with others but finally it was passed well I was very happy that I was the one of them, I was in the performence committee. After finished preparing about 18:30 I had dinner at the restaurant, the foods were still very delicious I ate a lot and then about 20:00 I had meeting at auditorium to discuss how to make the presentation to be good I had to brain strom with others again after finished that I went back to my room and took a shower and after that sleeping. that was very hard day for me but it was passed well I was very happy

Group:5
Country:Laos
Name:MR. sitthima KEOVONGKOTH

We had two interesting lectures. They were our last lectures, very useful and memorable. Besides, we had a preparation for the final presentation. It’s gonna be tough because we don’t have much time left. But we believe that we can do it well.

Group:6
Country:Vietnam
Name:Giang Nguyen Thi

This was a tough but interesting day. Actually I did not like the weather today, it was too sunny. We went up the hill to see the castles. I felt very hot and tired this time. But when we came to Kimutaka to see the fantastic play performed by some youngers same age with us, I felt different. This was awesome! We were all excited. Thanks, my friends.

Group:6
Country:2
Name:Giang Nguyen Thi

It was the last day of the home stay. Sayaka(Japan), Asri(Indonesia) and I had a lazy morning. I then cooked Indian food for everyone! I was surprised to find that in such a short time I had formed such and irrevocable bond with my host family. I was indeed sorry to leave, but leave we had to. At around 2pm we reluctantly said our good byes to our host families and embarked for the Churaumi Aquarium.

The Churaumi Aquarium was one of the best experiences I have ever had! It was so wonderful! We saw so many different kinds of sea creatures like corals, sharks, crabs, lobsters and what not! It really was an enchanting ride that left me speechless. I will cherish this memory forever.

Group:1
Country:India
Name: Sanya Chhikara

I know Sanya has just posted her diary, but as we were both assigned to write for this date, I’ll give you my perspective. After waking up late and missing our host child’s 6:30 exercise, our host father decided to take us out horseriding!

This was more fun than I had thought at first as we quickly picked up some basic skills and before we knew it we could even make the horse run really fast! However the task became more difficult as the horse kept stopping to eat grass our host child offered her. Soon, we headed towards the beach, meeting Misa, Jamie and Nana at their host families shop. After enjoying the sights and the shaved ice, we quickly headed back to our house, exchanged gifts and before we knew it we were waving goodbye to our host families at the port. We knew we would miss them but looked forward to what was planned next.

We shared laughs and stories on the ferry and bus on our way to the Churaumi Aquarium. Did you know that the ‘chura’ in Churaumi means beautiful? Neither did I but i soon found out why. Amazing corals, Massive whale sharks and playful dolphins awaited us. As we walked through the gorgeous exhibits Nana, Farah and myself exchanged random facts about the marine enviroment and learnt some mind-blowing new things. After the dolphins were not jumping around anymore and the adorable manatees (I love manatees) began to just lay around, we knew it was time to head back and have some dinner. After more great times on the bus journey we arrived at our next destination: Shimanchu club. I really liked the atmosphere there and I soon settled in with my roommates.

I dont want to drag this diary entry on for too long which is hard as we did a lot today. And I really mean that! So, in short, today was awesome. or beautiful. maybe incredible. Wow, It’s really hard to summarize this, so how about you just enjoy these photos? After all, pictures tell a thousand words! Have fun! 🙂

Group: 2
Country: Brunei
Name: Muhammad Azim Shamir

Yes, it was the home stay. Final the “Home Stay” I was waiting for. We had arrived here at this place last evening and it was time to get going.
In my home, there was a grandfather, a young grandfather he seemed, a grandmother, again young, and their grandson, the cute and lovely, Taiyo. He made our even pleasant and memorable with his jumps and kicks and punches. And not to forget the cat, that I barely saw. :/ I was there with the two tutors, Koki and Yogie. Both of them really helpful and supportive, and spent half of their time at home stay translating things to me.
The morning of 16th was pleasant for another reason. We didn’t have to wake up at 6 and be there for the health check-up on time. We woke up at 8. Woosh! It reminded me of my vacations. We had our breakfast after that (I don’t really remember what we had) and we were off to the Island Tour. We saw caves, memorials, farming fields, and yes, site of suicide. The tour gave me immense knowledge about Ie Island’s history, basically during the World War II. I also learnt about a very interesting thing. Outside a cave we saw a stone. The family explained to us that it was meant for pregnant women. They came there and lifted the stone. Depending upon their ability to lift the stone, we could decide whether the child is going to be a girl or a boy.
Later in the day, we went for beach combing. The second time in this program. We all were extremely tired and no one was interested in picking up the garbage. Still, I don’t know how, we managed to fill up almost 5 baggages of trash. Cheers to us! After that we went to the beach for some swimming and have a leisure time.
In the evening we practiced the song that we’d learnt the previous night on Sanshin. Koki was the best of us 3. He could actually play the whole song without break and sing simultaneously.
After the delicious dinner (I’m sorry, I’m too bad at remembering what I ate) we went back to bed. It was the end of another exciting day in this program.

Group: 2-5
Country: India
Name: Akshit Chopra

On the morning, we went for snorkeling, I really enjoyed this activity. it’s my first time experience this activity, so even it’s hot and I got sunburn, but I was very happy.
At the evening, we gotta go for home-stay at Ie Island, but I was very surprised that the host family welcome us with a traditional dance of Okinawa. I was really surprise, because they just stand and wait for us under the hot sun.
When I arrived at the host family’s house, I was a bit sad, because when I saw the house, it made me feel miss home so much and want to go home immediately. My mother and grandmother (host family) were very good, they loved me as their own family members. I feel like I was at my own home. But the house is too quite, so at night, I just looked through the window, seeing the moon and missing my parents and home so much. I prayed for the day to be back.

Group: 5
Country: Cambodia
Name: SokCheng Ngo

Today is very nice. i’m happy and funny in group discussion .But some serious because we think a lot about information foe presentation.Wow this program so big everybody prepare this presentation very nice and funny my group also. i love today.

Group:4
Country:Thailand
Name:Suchawadee Theamsawet

I finally got to walk on the beach in Okinawa after having been here for almost a week now!

Beach combing was the first activity of the day and it was my first time at it. It really gave me a sense of accomplishment after cleaning the beach, knowing that it was worth every drop of sweat! 😉
It was also interesting how we could find garbage from neighbouring countries on Okinawan beaches but it reminds us that we should always manage our own trash responsibly as well.

After lunch, we had a lecture on Education of Sustainable Development. The professor placed a lot of emphasis on education as the fundamental way of solving global environmental problems and I think we can all start on education by telling our friends and family all that we have learnt during this program. Even though it might seem small but simple actions will go a long way 🙂

Our first mid-term presentation is gonna start tomorrow!!

Loving every bit of Okinawa,
Jamie

Group: 2
Country:Singapore
Name:Jamie Ye