I would never forget all these experiences because every single one is worth remembering. My stay in Japan showed me the true meaning of friendship and family. It is when you accept the person without any reason behind it because love is unreasonable it can’t be explain but it can be shown.

The first time I learned about the exchange program, I already felt excited and nervous at the same time. A lot of questions popped out in my head. Questions like “Where would I sleep?” or “Do I need to cook my own food or wash my own laundry?”. With these questions, I was forced to inquire about the exchange program. At first, it was never my intention to join the exchange program but because of the different experiences I heard coming from the people who joined this program, it gave me the courage to join and give my best to it. I never regretted the decision I made. That decision brought me to a new world and fulfilled one of life-long dreams.

The very first time I stepped into the ground of Japan, I felt shivers all over my body. I was excited and nervous at the same time. This led to my first not-so-good experience. I forgot to get the ticket that was used to ride the train. It was my first time to ride a train and my first to be in trouble. Fortunately, my ticket was tracked and was directly reported to the conductor. This gave me a very good impression of Japan. I felt safe living there. The very clean surroundings and cold breeze would make me want to walk instead of riding the train. Japan is the cleanest and safest country I’ve went so far.

I’ve experienced a lot of first times when I was in Japan. It was my first time to ride a train, eat sushi, eat Japanese bento and first time to have a brother, family and friends who welcomed me with open arms. My foster brother, Yuki Ono, was the busiest person I’ve ever met in my life. There were times that he was very tired and that he would fall asleep in the train. He was having a hard time speaking English but I understand because if he would let me speak Japanese I’m sure I couldn’t even finish a sentence. He tried his best to make me comfortable and game everything I need for my stay in Japan. My foster parents, Mr. and Ms. Ono, treated me like their own child. They would prepare me breakfast, lunch and dinner. They made sure that everything I wanted to eat would be in the dish. My foster sister, Ayaka, was one of the sweetest girl I’ve met. She welcomed me and treated me like her own brother. Besides from my foster family, I’ve met friends who made me feel welcome and treated me like their own close friend. Takaya Nakata, Eisuke Yoshida , Kodai Urushibara ,Taro Kamegamori, Nobita and a lot more treated me like we were friends for years. They talked to me and shared their experiences in life. I also shared mine and taught them Filipino games and jokes. I taught them “Bahay Kubo” and “Pinoy Henyo”. They were such fast leaners that after the first time I taught them they would do it on their own. Their smiles and laughter would make me smile from ear to ear. If I would have the chance to choose my brothers, I would choose them. I never got the chance to say goodbye and thank them for accepting me as their friend but I promised myself that I would come back and spend more time with them in the future.

Yuki and the Eiko Gakuen students brought us to different tourist sites in Japan. One of the best tourist sites was Yokohama. It was like heaven. The different structures were perfect. It was also my first time to touch snow in Niigata. When I was child, I’ve always dreamed of touching snow and I never expected it to happen. We were on top of a mountain which gave a perfect view of the city. There I also experienced riding the cable car and the bobsleigh. I also experienced their public bath which eased the pain from by body. It made my body stronger and more energetic. In one of our tours, I was able to ride the Tokyo cruise and get a view of the Tokyo bay. It was really a fun experience. I was able to go to Disneyland and try their different rides. Besides from the tour, I also had a fun time In joining the different English classes. I was able to experience having a debate between the Eiko Gakuen students, be a leader in a group work , played “Guesstures” and joined and learned the game cricket. Those times were really special and really inspirational. The Eiko Gakuen students really give their best in everything they do. From academics to clubs,s they give their all. This was seen especially during the Eiko Festival. They made their own posters that looked like being printed out but that was just made purely by hand and they work independently. The Eiko Festival was really a blast. I was given the opportunity to perform on stage and it felt so good. Thank you very much to the Eiko Gakuen administration for allowing me to perform.

With all these experiences I’ve had in Japan, I promised myself that I would come back and give tribute to everyone because they made my stay in Japan very comfortable that I felt home. I would never forget all these experiences because every single one is worth remembering. My stay in Japan showed me the true meaning of friendship and family. It is when you accept the person without any reason behind it because love is unreasonable it can’t be explain but it can be shown. Just like what Mme. Chua said “I may leave Japan but my heart will stay”. I would like to thank God for giving me this opportunity I would not be able to do all those things without him ,to the foster families, to the whole Eiko Gakuen administration and to the Sacred Heart School administration for entrusting me to be part of this exchange program.

Thank you! Arigato gozaimasu!!!