Japan Discovery Trip 2008:
I'll be asking a question for you after I say a bit of things.
Detailed Summary of this exciting opportunity I've Received:
My high school has been asked if we wanted to participate in a trip to Japan. They gladly accepted the offer. There was a meeting of all the people who wanted to go and sadly, only 10 people could go. There were around 50 students at the meeting and this really made every *gulp*. Than it was said only students of the Japanese classes will be going. Luckily I was in a Japanese class (learning of the language) and managed to get the last spot on the trip. All I can say is that I feel like I'm the happiest/luckiest man on earth!
Now then, we received a very detailed list of all the things that we will be doing in a meeting in which our parents have had to attend. We were told how much money will be needed for the whole trip and what the money will be used for. Trust me, for what we are going to do on the trip we got an amazing deal. Kind of like shopping at Wal-Mart. The total cost of the 11 day trip will be between $2900-$3200 (Canadian Currency). This will include meals, transportation, our homestay, and the many things that I will mention later on.
This meeting happened just yesterday (Oct. 29, 2007). I was amazed on how fast everything was put together. The 10 lucky people that were picked just 3 days before the meeting have already got booked seats in the 2 planes that will be taken us to Japan. My grandparents will being paying my $1500 needed by this November 1st. Seriously, now you know why I feel like the happiest/luckiest man on earth. My mom and I had absolutely no money to begin with. I thanked them so much and now the rest of the family and I are all helping to pay for the other payments needed in the upcoming months.
Now for the things that we will be doing: (In order)
- Spending a day with our homestay family.
- A visit to the Toyota Motor Company.
- Tokugawa Art Museum.
- Shopping at Nagoya (We're allowed to buy ourselves swords in a shop that specializes in the making of them).
- Shinkansen Bullet Train.
- Visit Okazaki's Johsei High School.
- Participate in the clubs and activities.
- Visit Shirakawa-go in Gifu.
- Hirugano Kogan (Ice cream will be found here!)
- Overnight trip to Kansai area.
- Hikone Castle.
- Kinkakuji in Kyoto.
- Nijo Castle.
- Ninomaru Palace.
- Mount Mikasa in Nara.
- 13 course meal in an Onsen Hotel.
- Mount Wakasayama
- Todaiji Temple.
- Nigatsudo (Nara Park with the Sarusawa-no-ike and Koufukuji Temple).
- Horyuji.
- Drive to Iga and visit the Ninja House.
- Farewell party with homestay families.
- Day with homestay family.
- Return home...
The meeting I attended showed us pictures from a previous trip. They where breathtaking.
Now I would like to ask if there is anything I should look out for while we go to these locations. If you have any good advice for my trip, I would like to hear what you have to say.
If your wondering how we are getting this all for such a great cost. The company the schools dealt with is a Japanese Company called "Kintetsu". I herd they are a huge tour company.