INTRODUCTION: IMAGES and EXPECTATIONS

The first time I heard about the World Youth Meet in Nagoya, it was from our AJET teacher, Sylvia. She briefly introduced the program and filled us in on the qualifications to go. I was thrilled at having the chance to go to Japan, and especially to stay with a host family, which I have never experienced before and so I decided to work to gain the qualification.

        Homestay was the most tempting part of the whole trip for me. I saw it as a chance to really experience traditional Japanese lifestyle and cultures, which I could never get through touring groups. Maybe travel agencies could allow you to see all the landmarks and amusement parks, but to actually live like the Japanese, well, it was a travelers・ dream.

        I expected [rather anticipated] to learn a lot more about Japan than I used to.

        I was sure I would be able to open my eyes and become an even more international person.

        I was dying for July 20 to come.

        And finally, it was here.

BODY: OUR GENERAL SCHEDULE

BODY: PREPERATION

        This trip to Japan was really important, and Sylvia took it very seriously. She required us, the delegates, to take a serious attitude too. We had two days of training before the trip started, which involves learning Japanese and practicing presentations. I think that if we did a good job on our presentations, mostly it was because of thorough preparation.

        We had to work things out with the Japanese group though [in our case the Inabe High School group], and so we stayed up late the night before the Conference, mostly to work out the sequences of the presentations, confirm the contents, and write down the script [mainly used for Japanese translation.] Everybody was busy, the conference room we used as the working area was filled with people, the laptops were running, the atmosphere was buzzing with action. Unluckily, I had a headache though, and after I finished my script, I hurried up to my hotel room and rested.

        The following morning was hectic as well. We rehearsed, and ran through the whole presentation.

Then came the Big Time.

Michelle, Lily and I pause for a shot after our 7/19 training session.

BODY: THE CONFERENCE

        I was in Unit 2 of the Taiwan group. We focused on the topic of ：School life.； We made compare and contrast of the Japanese and Taiwanese differences, and through the progress cleared up misconceptions and misunderstandings.

       I was responsible of the Introduction and the Conclusion. I had a [pretty long] draft, and I presented it to the audience. Since we had limited time and a tight schedule, Sylvia was very anxious about our time control. I practiced several times before it was just right.

        I personally think that we did pretty well overall. I・m really proud of our group [and also the Inabe High School group｛wouldn・t have been the same without you!] The other groups did really well, too.

Me doing the introduction.

BODY: COMMENTS and SUGGESTIONS

        Basically I think the World Youth Meet 2000 is a success and I truly enjoyed it a lot. But there is always room for improvement, isn・t there? ^_^

        These are just some of my suggestions:

(1)   VC is not very appropriate for usage in the actual meeting because it is very unstable and not very reliable. Technology always fails us when we need it most.

(2)   Perhaps we spent a little bit too much time on the Na Wa project, even though it is very meaningful. It gets tiring after such a long time.

BODY: THANK YOU(S)

        I especially want to include the Thank You section from my WYM homepage because I really want to express my thanks to each and every one of you. So here it is below:

This summer was a very memorable experience to me. I had the opportunity to go to Nagoya, Japan, and participate in the World Youth Meet 2000. I had a great time there, and I will cherish the memory.

I really want to thank all of you-- our coordinators, our teachers, the friends in Japan, and of course all of my AJET pals. Without you, none of this would have happened.

Special thanks to Ms. Kondo, for your kindness and all of the efforts you put into this project. Believe me, we could feel it.

To Mr. Kageto: Thanks for arranging such a wonderful trip to Ise!

To Sylvia, wow! Getting a bunch of kids abroad and keeping them safe and sound is a colossal job, isn't it? But you managed it! Thank you for helping me look for my book!

To Mami and Itsumi, I love you!! You are absolutely the most wonderful host there ever could be. Your kindness and warmth is something I'll never forget. This homepage is dedicated to you! I hope you could see it. BTW, I love your house. Maybe someday when I retire I'm going to get myself a house up in the mountains, just like yours. May all your family be happy and healthy.

To our Inabe High School pals: Great job, people!!

To Lana, Theresa, Carol, and Angie-- the pals in Group 2-- you guys are impossible! You were great to work with, and I think all of us did a great job on the presentation.

[To Theresa: Thanks for the beer!]

[To Lana: Plz keep standing up! Heeheehee!   (I'll never forget how wrong I used to be about you. ^_* )]

To Group 2 and also Michelle, Lily and Katrina: Don't forget about "the Night(s)" we spent in Angie's room!

To everybody: Thanks and love and peace always!

        I will always remember this summer, and my trip to Nagoya.

BODY: PHOTOGRAPHS

        These are just a little bit out of my WYM album. If you would like to see more, please refer to my World Youth Meet 2000 homepage: http://ajet.nsysu.edu.tw/~kg74/wym.htm

Me and Michelle upon arrival at the Nagoya International Airport.

The entire Inabe Group.

Me and Lana on the streets of Nagoya.

A group pic of the Na Wa project.

A group picture in our Yukatas.

[This is in the temple owned by my host family. ^^ ]

Washing our hands at the Ise ・・.

A group picture in front of the Nagoya Castle.

A group pic on the MRT with lots of people staring at us. : p

CONCLUSION: THE INTERNET and I

The Internet proved to be of great help when I needed to search for information. It was fast and efficient. All you needed to do was simply type in a key word, press ：enter； and patiently wait. The search engine does it all. In the matter of seconds, you have a bunch of sites offering the information you need just barely at your fingertips. After you have found the articles (or pictures) that you want, all you need is the click of your mouse） ：cut-and-paste；） then PRESTO! You・re done. The info is nice and neat, all carefully typed-up, and after you print it, you are all finished.

        Aside from the convenience the web had to offer, e-mail also became the fastest and most convenient method of transferring information from one place to another. After all, I don・t have a fax machine, so if someone wanted to send me information at once, I have to head for the nearest 7-11. But after having an e-mail account, I was able to receive the stuff immediately without much trouble. (Actually, all I have to do is open up my computer, hook onto the modem, open Microsoft Outlook, and start receiving mail. Everything you need to get shall be yours in seconds.

        E-mail is also a super-efficient means of exchanging opinions with your friends and others. You could send copies of the same letter to several people at once, and they receive it almost immediately after you send it. Then they can respond as soon as possible. You don・t have to cope with the delays of the Post Office. You don・t need post stamps, only a modem. And the price is almost entirely free.

        The Internet is certainly the best thing that has come along since my school years. The benefit of Internet-assisted-learning is beyond description. And I・m glad I have the chance to experience it all.

Written by Charlene Chen

2000/8/13 all rights reserved.