THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONGTHE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG LIBRARIES This book was a gift ... them chances to exchange ideas and experience foreign culture. ... Lu Lo Ho Man F. 6 Art Stream,

THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONGLIBRARIES

This book was a giftfrom

Hong Kong (China). Commission on Youth,

COMMISSION ON YOUTH

Website of the Commission on Youth: http://www.info.gov.hk/coy

2

3

•The International Youth ExchangeProgramme aims to provideopportunities for youths to widen

their horizon and broaden interna-tional perspectives. It also rendersthem chances to exchange ideasand experience foreign culture.

This year, 25 youth del-

egates were selected to visitKagoshima in Japan under

this programme. During the

8-day programme, youth

delegates will be given

chances to meet people

from all walks of life, includ-ing the youth, the elderly,the rich and the poor.

The varieties of explorationcertainly fulfilled the objectives

of this programme. We under-stand how insufficient it waswhen it comes to describehow much we have gained

in this programme by deliv-ering this report.

Nevertheless, we still want to share with you the understanding that wegain and the friendship that we share. We hope you will find this report

enjoyable to read.

-2-

International Youth Exchange Programme

International Youth Exchange Programme is jointly organized bythe Home Affairs Bureau and the Commission on Youth to widenthe horizon of the youth whose age ranges from 18 to 24. Thereare altogether four different destinations for the whole programmeand the programme to Kagoshima in Japan is the third one to becarried out this year.

Hong Kong delegates are selected on a number of basis, they are:(a) be aged between 18-24;(b) be proficient in English;(c) have common sense and good academic background;(d) have good knowledge of Chinese culture;(e) be knowledgeable about Hong Kong;(f) have voluntary/community service experience; and(g) have a valid travel document.

After receiving nominations from Universities, Post-secondaryInstitutes, District Offices, Education Department and Social Wel-fare Department, selected candidates will be required to attendan interview. This year, 25 youth delegates were selected to jointhis wonderful 8-day cultural exchange programme to Kagoshimain Japan.

The programme was the third time to be run. This year'sprogramme continues to be a success of its kind. With the helpfrom the Kagoshima Prefectural Government, youth delegateswere given the chances to visit various community centres andschools. We had a glimpse of the traditional Japanese culture andyet pertained a good understand- p^_ * fing of it in such a short trip. Thoughthe time to stay in Kagoshima isshort, we will never forget the hos-pitality that we have received andthe friendship established will defi-nitely remain in our hearts.

-3-

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Chu LingYear 3, School of Communication, HKBU

"She is a cheerful person and she is really good

at hair styling."

"To my impression, Chu Ling is a very special

girl. I love her smart special character and her

attitude to people and matters."

Eva Tsui Yee Wah

Year 2, Law, HKU"Eva speaks fluent English, always dressed

in a professional way in rehearsals. Her

appearance may deter you from approaching

her. Yet, she is very talkative, clever and

sensible. I enjoy gossiping with her very

much!"

Gary Ng Ka Wing

Year 1, Medicine, CUHK

"He is always ready to help. No matter how

difficult it is, he will try his best to help

you. Also, his cheerful and warm-hearted

personality made a lots of friend for him."

"He likes to take photo and buy postcard from

wherever he went. It's really lucky to have a

friend like him."

Kristine Pang Kit YiF. 7 Science Stream, St. Paul's Co-educational

College

"Kristine is a quiet girl but she is so brilliant

as she will be a doctor in future. When we had

trouble, she was willing to help. When we

visited any food shops, she always bought us

some snacks to eat. Thank you, Kristine!" Ht

"She is nice and considerate. And she loves her

family."

-5-

Gigi Chim Kwok Chi

Year 1 MPhil, Electronic Engineering,

HKUST

"Gigi is among the best actresses of our

cultural presentation. With >90% likeness to

the typical lady in M^^F^, Gigi is so

elegant and courteous.

My 1st impression on Gigi -calm, responsible,

clear-minded but somehow inward.

My impression on Gigi after the trip- warm-

hearted, justice, patient (patient enough to

wait for our articles for this book! Thanks

Gigi!)"

Agnes Chan Nga Sze

Year 3, Professional Accountancy, CUHK

"Agnes is a kind hearted girl. There was

once she mistakenly took Cherise's

luggage upstairs without notifying her.

Cherise then went all over the place to look

for her luggage. Fortunately, it was

eventually found. But then, Agnes was so

worry and sorry that she cried in the end.

I know she did not mean to do it. At that

time, I was really touched by her honesty

and her caring about Cherise's feeling."

Elly Au Nga LaiYear 1, BBA Marketing, CityU HK

"Elly is a very nice girl who always made

people happy. She is cute, quite beautiful

and well-mannered."

"She likes shopping very much, and she

explained that we already gained a lots

from bargains, as the discrepancy was

what we gain. That's her, her thinking way

is very positive and funny."

(Left)

-6-

Connie Lau Wai Yin^

Year 3, Manufacturing Engineering, HK

Institute of Vocational Education (Tsing Yi)

"When we met for the preparation for the

trip, Connie participated very actively and

came up with many ideas. She appears to

be outgoing and talkative. While in the trip,

she showed some kind of 'elegance'.'1

"She is beautiful and presentable. Her

saying is sensible.-'(Right)

Carol NgYikKa

Year 2, BBA(Management), HKUST

"Carol is so helpful and concerned about

all of us every moment. I think this job

must have taken her a lot of time and

efforts. I appreciate her contributions to

the group."

Doris Yip Tsui PikYear 3, Computer Studies, HKBU

"She is a funny girl and efficient person,

and produces hit the moment jokes."

"Doris is a sensible girl and is good at

producing laughter to all of us!"

(Right)

-7-

Zoe Chu Man KiYear 1, English Language, Hong Kong

Shue Yan College

Zoe is a funny girl who did special and

funny things from time to time. However,

she would be serious and enthusiastic

when performing important tasks. Her

music talent really helped us a lot in the

cultural performance.

Evian Wong Yiu Wan

Year 2, BBA(Finance), CityU HK

"Evian is quiet and obedient. She is a

good listener and she always welcome

your opinions. She likes taking photos of

interesting scene very much."

Momoko Leung So Ying

Year 2, Translation, PolyU HK

"Momoko always brought along her

calculator, calculating the price of

Japanese products in HK dollars."

"She likes to make up a lot, on the car or

during the dinner time. Haha, she really

likes to keep herself to look good!"

Sivia Lee Si WaiSales Administrator of a Germany

company

"She is a kind, helpful and quiet girl. B

she is not silent at all. When she faces

some problems or injustice, she will fight

back and give opinion immediately."

(Right)

-8-

Mi-MWong Lam LamYear 3, Social Science, Lingnam University"LamLam is pretty and charming. She isactive, but I would have never expected thatshe is an expert in trend and fashion. Shecan remember the price and popularity ofall sport shoes model as well as famousbrands for bags and fashion. Needless to say,she spent the most among us in this trip!"

Eva Lai Fung Yee! (> S c i e n e e S t r e a m . C o « n i t i o Col legeKowloon"Eva is the youngest girl in this group. Sheis active and talkative. The great thing thatshe did to our group was she brought lots oflaughter to us and taught us how to do cheersand dances."

Lu Lo Ho ManF. 6 Art Stream, Ho Fung College"He is a smart boy and is probably the mosthandsome boy in this group!""He is friendly to all the people in thistour and he helped us a lot, esp. with thetransfer of luggages."

Mandy Wong Hei Man

Year 1, Professional Accountancy, CUHK"My dear roommate, Mandy, is a goodlistener. I enjoyed every night with her!!""Mandy is polite and helpful."

Vicky Yuen Sze LingYear 2, Computer Science, HKU"She has incredible leadership skill, wit andis a good speaker.""She is very helpful and caring."

(Centre)

-9-

Elaine Wong Yee Lin

Year 1, Civil and Structural Engineering,

PolyU HK

"She appears to be not so talkative, but she

was actually active and helpful."

"She likes taking photos very much,

especially the construction sites n so loyal

to her studies!"

"I admired her elegance and her beauty.

She spent much money on buying accesso-

ries in this trip!"

Becky Cheung Ching Man Bi

Year 2, Quantitative Analysis for Business,

CityU HK

"She appeared to me as a mature person.

She has a clear mind and was brought to

be an independent and active person since

childhood."

"I admire her very much being able

to experience a lot of activities since

childhood. I treasure the time I shared with

her and, strangely, I even got insights from

her how I should bring up my kids when I

am about to be a mother!!"

Cherise Fung Sin Ting

"For the first sight I see her I think she

looks like a teacher and she is. During the

trip she is well behaved. My impression on

her is she sleeps a lot and her skin is very

good and she is calm while she's on stage."

(Left)

i 1.1

-10-

Emmy Li Yuen MeiYear 2, Medicine, HKU

"Emmy is a very good Biology teacher.

If I had met her earlier, I would have

been very interested in Biology as her

presentation skills are really fantastic."

Alan Lee Shiu Chungu a r I, Nursing, Polyl I l k

"He is definitely the ^funniest9 person in

our trip. Highlights: He forgot to take

the banner with him when we left the

plane to Kagoshima - I wanna know

which hospital he is going to be nurse

in!!!."

"He had cutie gesture in cultural

performance and invented laughable yet

understandable Japanese terms to

communicate with Japanese delegates."

Agnes Siu LamF. 7 Hang Seng School of Commerce

"She is a very active girl who likes to

express her feelings to people aroundmher. This is great because we do not need

to guess what she is thinking about and

understand her better."

"Siu Lam is very good at communicat-

ing with children and the elderly.

During the trip, she was always able to

make the kids and the elderly around

happy."

(Left)

(Left)

-11 -

tfr 0Our Fruitful Trip to Kagoshima

August 20,2001 (Day 1)

Afternoon: - Depart from HK

Evening: - Arrive at Kagoshima Airport

- Our first dinner in Kagoshima

„

Delicious Shabu-shabu


Morning: - Visit to Takeoka Primary School

Afternoon: - Courtesy visit to Kagoshima

Prefectural Government

- Visit to Kagoshima aquarium

- Tour around Kagoshima City

Evening: - Welcoming Dinner at Station

Hotel New Kagoshima August 22,2001 (Day 3)

Morning: - Visit to Youth Centre and

experience Japanese Culture

Afternoon: - Tour of Kagoshima City with

Kagoshima youths

Evening: - Arrive at Ibusuki and played

firework at hotel


Morning: - Arrive at "Apron House Ikeda" and

make rice cake with seniors

Afternoon: - Visit to a dried bonito making

factory

- Experience natural hot sand

bath

Evening: - Enjoy the rustic taste of somen

noodles cooled by fresh natural spring water

-Return to Kagoshima city(Rice cake making)

-12-

Morning:

Afternoon:

August 24, 2001 (Day 5)

- Visit to Kagoshima University

- Visit to Koryo High School, meet

school students and observe high

school club activities

- Welcome reception. Meet host

families. Starting of home stay

programme


Homestav


Morning: - Say goodbye to Host families

-Arrive at Kirishima and climb "Ebino Kougen"

Afternoon: - Shopping in Department store

Evening: - See Japanese drum performance and try practicing ourselves

-Dinner with Japanese drum members at Hotel


Morning: - Arrive at Kagoshima airport

Afternoon: - Leave Kagoshima for Hong Kong

-13-

August 20, 2001 (Day 1)

Afternoon: - Depart from HK

Evening: - Arrive at Kagoshima Airport

- Our first dinner in Kagoshima

We were welcomed by Japanese officials at theairport. For dinner we enjoyed the Japanesecuisine, Shabu-shabu in paper containers. We alsohad a nice chat with the Wingbeat members anddelegates from Kagoshima.


Morning: - Visit to Takeoka Primary School

When we arrived at the primary school, agroup of kids have already queued up forthe welcoming. Then we entered the halland a student representative beganto present her speech (in English andJapanese) and students sang some Japanesefolk songs for us. We played games and sangsongs together later on, and had time forsharing too. We all enjoyed that momentsvery much.

Afternoon: - Courtesy visit to Kagoshima

Prefectural Government

The view outside the building wasbeautiful and all of us grabbed this goldenopportunity to take pictures of the views ofKagoshima City. After that, we went to theConference Room and met the PrefecturalTreasurer, Mr. Masamichi Wada. He gavea speech and answered a lot of ourquestions. The answers were helpful to usas they have given us a better understand-ing of Kagoshima.

-14-

Visit to Kagoshima aquarium and tour around the Kagoshima City

We arrived at around 4:00pm. We could seelots of extraordinary sea creatures there. Wealso bought many souvenirs including specialsweet potato cakes in the souvenir shopsinside the Aquarium. Some of us who watchedthe Dolphins Show could even took "Close-up"pictures with the dolphins!

Evening:

- Welcoming Dinner at Station Hotel New Kagoshima

Due to the typhoon on 20/8, the WelcomingDinner was postponed to 21/8 in theKagoshima Station Hotel. We had a great feastand met many new friends from Japan. Wechatted with each other throughout the mealand we got to know more about their culture.

Of course, we had also shared with them whatwe usually do in Hong Kong.

August 22, 2001 (Day 3)

Morning:-Visit to Youth Centre and experience Japanese Culture

Japanese songs 6Sakura% 'Ochibano Odori' and^^fb^W were first presented by the groupYanoi with traditional instruments of Japan -Kodo. Then we had a great time playing ^bfls^W with Kodo. We also have chances to wearbeautiful Yukata (Summer Kimono).Kendo was then demonstrated by the bestteam in the Kagoshima Prefecture. Detailexplanations were given, ranging from the costumes and equipments of Kendo tothe right manner of Kendo playing and its striking techniques. We played Kendofor some time too. Real Kendo competition was demonstrated at the end.We had a Farewell to Mr. Kwok Ka Ming, our tour consultant, as he left thatafternoon.

(Kendo performance)

-15-

Afternoon:- Tour of Kagoshima City with Kagoshima youths

We were divided into 5 groups and

have five hours of free time with

Japanese delegates. Some of us went

shopping at Tenmonkan ( ^cJtftt);

some of us visited a Glass factory and

had such an eye-opening experience to

take a look at expensive Japanese

glassware; Some of us visited HHHand

tasted l8li?jt ...etc.Evening:

-Arrive at Ibusuki and played firework at hotel

After we had had dinner at' /hffclti % we

arrived Ibusuki and accommodated at

Nanohana-kan. We played firework at the

seaside of the hotel n we had never expected

that we could play firework in this trip

before! A0A We tried public bath in this

hotel too!


Morning:-Arrive at "Apron House Ikeda" and make rice cake with seniors

We made Rice-cake in the Apron House Ikeda, with the help of the elderly. When

the rice-cakes were made, we shared it together with the elderly as brunch. We

talked with the elderly and found that they were cute and friendly. We sang songs

for them and they danced for us in return. Also, we bought sweet potatoes which

were famous products in Ibusuki as souvenir. Later on, we packed the cakes that

we made and took all the cakes

with us as souvenirs when we

left We had a great time and we

were so unwilling to say goodbye

when we left. We greeted each

other once again before we got

onto the bus.

-16-

HighlightsAfternoon:

- Visit to a dried bonito making factory

In the afternoon, we toured around

Ibusuki City. First, we visited a factory

which produced dried Bonito fish. We

learned and observed the process of

making bonito fish. The instructor of

the factory was very enthusiastic in

describing and explaining the manufac-

ture procedures to us.

- Experience natural hot sand bath

We were already very excited

before we tried it. At the moment

when the helper poured the hot

sand on our body, we really felt hot

and some of us hoped to leave the

sand as early as possible. However,

after a while, we started to get

used to the temperature and

stayed in the sand for almost

15 minutes. It was a good and

relaxing experience for us and we

were still excited in discussing our

feelings when we left the venue.

Evening:

- Enjoy the rustic taste of*somen noodles cooled by fresh natural spring water

-17-

i t * i i * i inlQnilQniS

w w

-Return to Kagoshima city

It was a good feeling for most

of us as it might be the first

time that we tried the special

method of cool ing the

noodles in the spring water

fountains. After we finished

our dinner, we sang a song to

thank the Japanese youths

for their help and warm

hospitality. When the bus

finally arrived in Kagoshima

City, we said goodbye to the

Japanese youths and the

atmosphere was a bit sad

because we missed one

another so much.


- Visit to Kagoshima University

We have a better understand-

ing of Kagoshima University

after the Vice President gave

an introductary speech of

Kagoshima University and

answered our questions.

Then we toured around the

library of Kagoshima Uni-

versity, which was established

for only a few years. We

visited the library archive,

tried the library system and

took some photos there.

-18-

- Return to Kagoshima city

- Visit to Koryo High School, meet school students

and watch high school club activities

We received warm welcome from a group of Koryo High School students who

played orchestral music at the school entrance, followed by welcoming speech

and introduction by the principal.

We gave them a cul-

tural presentation in

return. We had lunch

with them and talked

a lot with one another. • _*Then we observed the tea

ceremony, the Judo dem-

onstration and later on

took photos with baseball

team members. We had a

joyful moment there.

Welcoming reception. Meet host families. Starting of home stay programme

The welcoming reception was hosted by

the Mayor of Koriyama Town. A wel-

coming speech was given.

We watched a drum performance and

had our own performance presented to

the host families before we gather with

our individual host.

Our hosts and we were then called out

one by one. All of us were extremely nervous and excited to have our first

meet with our host families! After chatting for some time, we separated from

our team members for the next two days and started our homestay

programme.

-19-

August 25, 2001 (Day 6)

HomestayAugust 26,2001 (Day 7)

Morning:Say goodbye to Host families

In the early morning, all

of us went back to the

Koriyama Center and had

farewell to our host families.

Afternoon:

- Shopping in Department store

Arrive at Kirishima and climb "Ebino Kougen"

Some Japanese youths accompanied us to

climb up the "Ebino Kougen" mountain, it

was tough but most of us have tried our best

to walk up those rocky path. When we

looked down from the mountain, the whole

view of Kirishima was so clear and nice, we

took lots of pictures there too.

As we have time left, we went to a department

store nearby for shopping for about one hour.

We tried our best to explore and bought the

most we could given the short period of time.

-20-

Evening:

See Japanese drum performance and try practicing ourselves

Kirishima was beautiful where hot

spring vapour appeared in lots of

places. When we arrived at Kirishima

International Hotel, we got a chance to

experience Japanese culture, which was

by watching the drum performance

presented by a group of girls. We tried

to play with those Japanese drums too.

Dinner with Japanese drum members at Hotel

After the performance, we had our dinner with the Japanese drum

members and Japanese youths.


Morning:

Arrive at Kagoshima airport

Afternoon:

Leave Kagoshima for Hong Kong

We really had a great time in Kagoshima and did not want to say goodbye

to the Japanese delegates, staff and translators w hen we left. We really

hope we can meet them again in the near future and will keep in contact!

-21 -

Travel tipsShopping/Sight Seeing

1. Kagoshima can be a shopping

place with lots of choices.

Tenmonkan is a centralized

shopping place there, but most

shops closed at about 8 pm.

i2. You must go to "Daiso"

(¥100 Shop) for trendy

things at low price.

4. Muji is very cheap. Ice

cream and pudding are

excellent.

6. It's common to find game

centers. Sticker photos are

very popular. The machines

offer a lot more varieties

than that in Hong Kong.

3. It takes a long time to

use credit card. Use

cash instead!

5. Donit mix tttt up with $f. It

is different!

7. It was nice to travel by the

Cityview bus. You can go to

see a lot of tourists' spots by

that bus.

-22-

Travel tipsClimate:

1. Kagoshima is famous for its bright

sunshine, do remember to apply your

sunscreen as frequently as you can in

order to keep yourself stay "white", or

else, no one can guarantee how you will

be like after the trip!

Communi

1. Communicate with the help

of Chinese character.

2. Bring a dictionary with you,

at least, pen and paper for

communication.

General:

1. All hotels provide you

yukata

2. The Japanese bow "ojigi"

is famous all over the

world. It can be used uni-

versally: for greeting,

thanking, leave-taking or

apologizing.

'Yukata'

-23-

Travel tips3. Don't use boiling water to make

green tea; it only makes the green

tea bitter.

4. Never ever bring a small suitcase,

because you will be given a lot of

souvenirs.

5. Never ever bring a hard shell

suitcase, because it is too heavy.

Beware of overweighing.

6. Knowr more about Kagoshima

before you go, that's important!

*>**}l*t>

/

Special for exchange tour:1. Don't bring too much to go to

Japan, there would provide u

w ith many things that you need

(e.g. shampoo, towel).

2. Bring more film and souvenir

with you, because you will meet

many people. Prepare more

name card with your profile,

so that you can give it to the

Japanese youth.

3. Make a clear plan for the time

with your host so that you can

schedule where you will go

and how long you will stay in

different places.

Giving souvenir to a Japanese friend

-24-

EllyItinerary:Day One

Arrive home - I was hosted by Mr. Maruyama, his wife,

his mother and three children.

Chatting

Try Kimono -Actually, my family didn't have kimono,

but they borrowed two from their relatives. When

I knew that they asked for help fromtheir relatives,

I was touched by their warm action

Dinner at home - They taught me to cook traditional

delicious Japanese food (sushi and hot pot)

Sleep

'Day Two

Breakfast at home

- They taught me the process of praying

Mandy:

din-out

home

visit their fields - Since my host father was a farmer,

they grew crops and fed cows.

I visited their fields and cow house

where I found interesting.

dinner

firework - We enjoyed firework on the

top of the mountain which

I haven't experienced before.

sharing

"The home stav was incredible!"

Itinerary:

24 Aug

1600 Meet oto-san, take luggage back home...

1630 Arrive home! So excited to share my photo album

and souvenir to my host family!

1730 Drive to supermarket, shop for dinner

1900 Time for photo sticker, drive back home

2030 Home-made H fiffifffffi 0

2130 Shower and bathing

2200 Watching TV, chatting

2330 Good night

-25-

25Aug

0900

1000

1100

1345

1415

1530

1630

1900

Morning walk along the river and field outside my host family's house

Visits to A«llj&[l| - «M* > «J^ • ^MWtt

SPlUBTM^MIft&B - &IH& ' doing exercise at GYM and swimming

Lunch at Joyful Restaurant (A western food restaurant)

Back home and get changed

Bus tour to Kagoshima city centreShopping

^^C^C^ (1 had the chance to wear the traditional clothes- yukata to the

firework place! What a wonderful experience! )

Arrive home, shower and bathing

Watching TV, chatting with my host family

26Aug

0700 Farewell breakfast and leave

'What a fruitful experience!"

2300

2330

VickyFriday

Mentally challenged adultsi Home

Summer Festival

Saturday

Pottery making

Sushi

Bamboo Museum

Barbeque

Yukata wearing

-26-

Carol:24/8

Afternoon: at home, sharing with family

6:30 pm: Dinner at home, Japanese style dinner- cold noodles

+ Tofu+ yakitori + Onigiri <yummy~>

7:30 pm: Set off for "ten mon kan" ̂ Jtfl! Went to a

coffee shop and appreciated street music

<marvelous! And I got the musicians9 signs~>

10:30 pm: went to a disco where my host brother

'What a fruitful experience!"

25/8

12 am: arrived at home, had a long chat with my host sister, then sweet dream.

9:30 am: Breakfast at home- fried vegetable* rice + miso soup and watching TV together with the family.

10:30 am: Help in the shop- convenient chain shop "Ai Shop"

11 am: Set off for "ten mon kan"- Shopping! < I tired Kimono in a department store!! It cost 1,900,000

yen!! >

5 pm: Visited my host aunt A, she's keen on making kimono! She helped me dress up the yukata, which 1

wore for the firework show at night

6 pm: Short visit with host aunt B, she's a nice lady with a sweet smile.

7:40 pm: Arrived at a park, sitting on the green appreciating the great firework.

9:00 pm: A sudden heavy rain- wholly wet and run away

10:00 pm: Back to aunt B's home for change of clothes. Meet with host cousin.

11:00 pm: Back to home, BBQ with host family- a great time!

26/8

12:00 am: Practice Chinese tea ceremony to my host family and chat with them

3:00 am: Go to bed

7:30 am: Breakfast at home- Spaghetti + Tofu+ fried vegetable; family photos taking; set off for

community center...Bye Bye n_n:::

-27-

ommentsTsui Yee Wa, EvaThe most memorable incident was ojjpthe day

w||%ent to the Apron House Ikeda. That \

my first time to make the rice caki, I have

ver tasted any rice cakes before. Besides, it

was very touching that we had dancing and

singing with the elderly there.6 Why the elderly in the Apron House are so

happy? Why are they so optimistic afcout the

future? What about the elderly in Hong

Kong?91 always think about these questions

er I came back to Hong Kong. Is this the

culture difference? I think I wilWtry to find

out the answers to the above questions.

All in all, the laughter and the voi|e of the

pfeple elderly in the Ittuse will remain

vividly in my mmd.

(Left)

Eva Lai Fung Yee

Through th§ trip I know mfire about Japgn and

Japanese. In Kagoshima, it is rare to find rub-

bish on the street, and wetan find automatic

ig machirils everywhere easilf. A)

le ffiere arie helpf have a set

civil responsibility in their mind.

The flnior citizen in Kag0shima is energetic

and health^Fhey Sre as active ̂ kids.

\ And |̂|ie primary school stedents really like to

raise questionp, and they all Havf a good

majority <3jfAtherarneed not

glasses.

Last but not least,I learnthow I could express

my idea i jht way as w.ei

impfrrjance of teamwor^. I hope end-|

ship can Ia^ forever, ana we c^ our

friends again in the neltr fu

-28-

CommentsChu Ling

Japanese food is great.

I meet many excellent people (I mean you guys)

I think the Japanese are expert in packaging

and everything is neat and tidy.

I have built up a great deal of long and lasting

friendships.

lized the inequality between Japanese women

and men, of which men are obviously at relatively

superior positions.

felt that Japanese cherish and respe

traditional culture very much.

Japanese girls are more girlish.

Japanese concern about quality, ever

to a certain standard, they always ti

before their performance.

Old people art still in workforce whereas ir

old people are generally extfuded by(Centre)

Doris Yip

This trip to Kagoshima was valuable. I met

a lof of Japanese friends and had a bettef

understandlMg of their culture. W me, all th^

Japanese always try their tiest to complete tl

work professionally. However,*what surprised

ml the most was that the people in Kagosh

live a simple life and treasure what tltly already

have, such as families and friends.

EftllSt

-29-

I really appreciate the holme stay arrange-

ment as it pro\f|ded me a chance tp]know

mpre about the traditiotfpndJtfe-style of the

Kagoshima citizens. I would never forget the

night that my host family Brought me to the

Summer Festival Celebration in atJ^riyaina

where I watched plenty of traditional

performances and shared a great time with

several members of my host family. I%ould

like to thank my host-family and

Japanese friends for their warm hospitality

and help.

Elly AU Nga Lai

Hey! If s a wonderful trip. Why? I m£t a lot

of good f r iends , in Hong Kong and

Kagoshima. Whatis morel* Besides ha^

fun, I learnt a lot from Japanese too. T

have a good order. They pack things tidily,

no matter my host family members, Staff in

shop. They are good (nffizens, like keeping

rubbish until tffey meet a bin. Moreover,

their Attitude is positive which I noticed in

the Apron Ifewse fkeda.The elc

their lives and make usewf skills to sc

others, e.g. therms a market at Aj use

Ikeda. Moreover, my h^t mojfcfer taught rnij

to cook Japane|Jp>od. You see! Ho\Aa nice

This journ^ colored my fife. K|ôshi

-30-

CommentsWong Yiu Wan, Evian Wong Lam Lam

m this exchange programme, I

iny things from Japan, incl

culture and people. I found that 1

in Kagoshima are very nice an

Ithough some of them cann

glish well, they tried thei

mmunicate with me. For exa

st family

(The second from the left)

-31-

CommentsMandy Wong Hei Man

:h an enjoyable and memoralhome stay in my host

f a m i l y ' s house , thekomoto'S family, is

definitely one of thejhlights of my summer

vacation this year, and itcolour to the rest of

in Kagoshima, the

you indeed^Forsummer for meFrom the bottoittkg to express

s to my dearest hosteir hospitality and

i •

/ould

my trip*ettable

menenAgnes Siu Lam

only a 8 day tripbut what should I

-32-

CommentsMomoko Leung So YingI have experienced the passion and^gttitudes

Japanese have, Japanese are all

courteous and passionate no mattery how old

and who they are. For example, how their

primary students w eleome us an4 how their

elderly danced for us, and how my host

family welcome me will be utterly unforget-

table in my whole life.

Vicky Yuen Sze Ling; most memora

*ing of karaoke togethe

family. It was so great to sing together with

could see how ttfe family members

interact wi!h%ne another am ion-

iipr*That gave me a chance to know

about Japanese families. And ia fact-we had a

gftod time at that night. One after am

each and every one of us sang ;. was

Iso invited to sing! I remembered that I c

lo sing a scf|kg that was sung !er%

as special! he father in the

>st family. A fejt so warm to be with the host

1 really appreciate their hospita

family, 1 am only a strai

opened their hearts to me. 1 hav

I wras one of their family

though they do not speak m

trigjgi very hard to un

what I needed. For instance, i

primary school children

sometimes checked the di

time jjist to slBw one Eng!

That i¥as really touching.

-33-

Comments

Nttl

Zoe Chu man ki

This is my £jpt cultural exchanggjprograrnme. I've 1

some Japanese culture, wlpeh was what I have never

net many Japanese friends. The};, have

inged my impressio i my

1, there werejio skyscraper, but três and

here

Iv stav wiralfiiâshi familv was^li^Storêt-

Irs HiaiAlci

fiember how to ol&v t h a t k

ae in Kagoshima? flo

again.

dear Naomi, I will never forget

:iallv came to our hotel to sho^

fOIBL

-34-

Gigi Chim Kwok Chi

I 1VU It

tell othersraditional

he sincerity and kindnes

representatives have touched me.

very willing to help us and wt

are with us. The warm receptio

ior house was the most memor;

ey have optimistic attiie also learnt n

tion of Kagos

family and

These e

Connie

(Left)

la and

Th^home-stay programme is t

part of the trip as I c

experience closely with the Jiey taught me a lot of Japa

customs. Til regard the

learnt from them as the most

for my ent%| life. We also play<pence. I wouW

h them/Thanks for tiSSYOt

-35-

CommentsAlso I gained the friendship fromJSther

gates, which is unforgettable. They

are imprinted into my mind, memorizedever!! dAvAb

Cheung Ching Man BeckyI experienced many kinds of traditionalJapanese cul tura l activities, suchas playing Kendo, classical musical

instruments, drums and making rice

cakes wit^he elderly. We also|ifepareda series of cultural performance to

Japanese youths and our host families.

^Through our dancing, they mus^ have

luiown more about Chinese culture* I feltextremely nervous when I was dalfcing

in front of my host fan

Living with my host family gave.memdst unforgettable meft|ories. Mr andMrs MIZU1NIA treated me ^sîeir

iddaughter because both of them are^

nearly 70 years old. We had BB^Landkfast in the garden, and I met their

neighbor^ during the BBQ gathering. We

felt cur- one another and'chattedfor about 5 hours. I tried to eliminatethe language barrier by usiirg sftnple

Japanese and it was glad that theyunderstood it. I prepared them Chinese

style "congee with pork" before I left.

Luckil aid OISHII (delijciou

r and MrsMI2|JJMA, GO (their

dog), their ne ighbors a asKagoshima.

-36-

Comments

AlanAlfthough I stayed inweek, I really enjoyed the trip. Kagosis a beautiful place. I took a lot of photos.Ifou can't miss the Iso Gardffen if you go toKagoshima.%i(i must be attracted by the

îlowelNs and trees. Apart! from sightseeing, I experienced the Japanese c'u

an't get from jqping a§ ordinarysigiit-seeing tour. I tried the Japsmusic, Kendo, Japanese d rums%iakii% rice cake. I walked around withJapanese ycftajig people. We hadynealstogether. We went shopping together. Myhost family wras very kind to me. They

» buy any food I like to eat and to anyI want to go. They gave me a gift,

"Yukata" (Japanese traditional clo?I had a w ronderful t ime with them.

^Moreove ny energrirted gropp svith me

all the time. That's why we w;tic abodt the trip.

nk this trip inI experienced many "firstfirst; time I visit JaparI 1delegates fi2 HK? governmis the first time I stayand this is the first time

ide many "'first timeJapanese Culture and ma

nds during the trip. ̂know (

hip quickly.Japan officials and delega

family, Mr. Ono aing me in tr

period. This is unbtrip. I would fiot ]

ith thiem.

time

thoug

-37-

Lu Lo Ho Manjace is slow in Kagoshima. P

ind; the city is clean and beauti-

ful. It is more desirable t<

Kagoshima if you want a plain me. The

n welcome and meticulous care

from the government and otlier

ials really impressed me

We should learn from the success of

Japan. People in Kagoshima are able

to lead a different and more clShfort-

than in Hong Kong because

FEhe most memorafcîncident is that

L

lunicate very well aftid the time

met is shite. I love them all ar

ishima, I will definitely vi

Kagoshima again!

€ am very grateful to the Home Affairs

Bureau and the Commission on"

for organizing such a valuable ex-

ige pftpgramme as my pei^pecti^

5 wider now* Thif programme

should be extended to benefit more

-38-

CommentsGary NG Ka Wing

Before the trip I longed for the honjfestay

which I may not have the chance to try in

other programs. It turns out that the

exciting moments are much more than

I've expected!

Friendship is the greatest present to me.

It is the trip, but not our friendship, ^vjiich

has passed by. I look forward to meeting

our Japanese counterparts sook in Hong

Kong!

SiviaIt's really a memorable experience in my

life. Kagosllma is the first placîwe

in Japan. All people I met gave me

very deep impression. They .are ve

warm-hearted, kind and helpful. The

Japanese youth are very kind to i

Although we met for only a few days,

they still treated us as a very gooctgjriencL

> Als% for our Translator's Chi., we like

her very much because of her warmest

smile.

We can drill more deeply

Japanese culture. The visits t<

Primary School, Koryo Hi|

Apron House Ikeda aliimprc

their politeness, their sincerity

warm reception, regardle

During my homestay, the language

barrier didn't hinder our communica-

tion. We talked till midnight , and I

interacted wiM them by playing

piano with their musical scores!

We missed ^ch other when v

^separate. Though \il^havfcn "t

I know our%earts have been

really wish I can visit tljem again!

-39-

Comments\'l Ollg* ant: IS Mill

willing to help. Especially for those who*

are so carets, just like me, sheiyill do

ttier best to solve ou^ problem.

The second reason why I like Kagpshima

is the beautiful scene. 1 ||ok a deep breath

everyday when I woke up. Tfresh which we can't find in Hong Kong.

All the interesting events (for example,

sand bath, fire works and publre'bathêtc.) are very meaningful for us. We

experience the Japan's traditioi

Agnes Chan Nga Sze

for me. It i<

l)ut firealh crie

had to say goodto my host

my pleasuwi th Ni

Though

squeezed some time to take1 me w go around tne cexperi lew

"mofte abou t Japa

culture.

iVûm is a hair stylist. She

took about 2 hours to helpme set my hair, do the make

up and fiii|}ly helped me

ip thcHumono.

Sister Malviko took me to a

dairy farm. Therf were

cows9|pQKats^$fifeep, hens an^

horses. We could touch themand take photos. We could

milk-pac|:$ging. We ate themost famous food ttere i.e.

With is made from tfiffresh milk, it nighlme, we went tWsee the fireworks - Ihe first

watch with so manf people.

-40-

CommentsCarol NgYikKa

Elaine

"keiolu" [Is the Japan

name funny?]

I wj|§ delighted to helf ing t

with our counterpar igoshim

have long been fascinated b^Jap:

the chance of "tasting" the real ci

in Kagoshima was surely an

me.

The "return rate" of the tri

edly high -1 gained not only self-deve!

but also the valuable friendships

from my closed groupmates,*passionat

in Kagoshima and beloved host

the 8 days of 24- hours int.

to the 100% exposure in the public 1

had^developed close companionship.

Living alone with new people in an uiknown

place is^certainly a challenging experience. The

warm hospitality of my Host fa

tpuchejd my heart. It was so sad that we h

be apart again...>_< We are keeping iip. touch,

hope someday, wt can meet again!

summer of 2$01 waif one of the h

The ti||p to Kagoshima has definitely been

^n experieneiôf a life-time for%%seH

even c%e else that traveled ibfKagoshima with

us. There are so jnany unforgettable|?xperi-

s in jthe past 8 d^ys, f^ôo many to

mention here! I our exchange prcAramme

has been fully utilized byralljhe HK delegate^

jas we have all developed socially, ip||gllect

and s|ijritual!y throughout the past 8 i

especially duripg the educational tapi, cultural

visits and recreational activities.

-41 -

CommentsAnd having received the warm hospitality

from my host family, I feel great pleasure.

Indeed, in accordance with the objective

of the IYEP, I find myself learning more

about Japanese culture and broading my

international perspective. Lastly, I have

made many friends, whom I will never

forget.

KristineMy experience for this time wa^ fresh and

exciting enough! There are many differences

between Kagoshima and the largest cities

like Tokyo and Osaka, for example, the pace

of life is slower.

The programme allows us to know more and

even to taste (e.g. Kendo^lrnaking rice cakes

and boniest ay) Japanese culture and

interact with Japanese youths, elderlies and

school children and the families as & whole.

What makes the trip really enjoyable is the

warm hospitality of all the people. Ttiey have

always tried their best in preparing to

exchange ideas with us, and to show us

their own culture. I can really feel their

enthusiasm and love for their culture.

I spent a good time with the family

members and especially the children, who

have been exceptionally warm to me. Again,

I was impressed by their efforts in planning

to show us their place and culturK and their

hospitality really made Me feel like that is

"mv home15.

(Right)

-42-

CommentsEmmy

There is no doubt that this trip to Kagoshima was the most exciting programme for

my summer vacation this year.

The Mt. Sakurajima,

being one of the most

active volcano in the

world, has impressed me

not only with its mag-

nificence but also the

mark of its volcanic ash

which has given the

lovely kids at Takeoka

Primary School the most

fashionable school uni-

form! The 4hot sand

bath9 at Ibusuki was

another highlight. The

very nice old lady

heaped loads of hot

black sand on me. It was

a little suffocating yet a

very exciting experience.

I just couldn't help keep

showing m|f friends the

pictiire with my whole

body buried except my

little head!

Of course I wouldn't tell

them what I have seen

after the 4hot sand bath'

at the 'shower and hot

spring' cubicle, which I

think is a hundred times

more exhilarating......

In addition to these

interesting sight-seeing,

the extraordinary op-

portunities to try wear-

ing yukata, playing judo

& kendo, appreciating

the art of tea were

equally impressive.

Last but not least, I

would never forget the

two nights that I have

spent w i t h my host

family who has been so

nice to take

I am sure all these sweet memories will always remain in mv mind.

-43-

The success of the International Youth Exchange Programme2001-2002, delegation to Kagoshima, Japan, all lies on the

contribution of the following organizations and persons. Here,we would like to present our deepest gratitude to these parties for

their support and advice in the preparation andsmooth proceeding of the programme.

Commission on Youth, especially our tour consultant,

Mr. Kwok Ka-ming

Officers-in-charge of the Home Affairs Bureau:

Mr. Herman Cho, Principal Assistant Secretary for Home Affairs

Mrs. Anissa Ng, Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Lawrence Ko, Senior Executive Officer

Miss Christina Sze, Executive Officer

Mr. Michael Man, Executive Officer

The Kagoshima Prefectural Government

Our guides and interpreters for the trip:Miss Chizuko Nagamine

Miss Ayako Yoshinaga

All the host families in Kagoshima for theirwarm reception and hospitality

Thousands of thanks to all of you!

-44-

IX15S13320

P 915*226 161 Y02Kagoshima international youth -exchange programme 2001-02 :delegation to Kagoshima. Japan[Hong Kong : Commission onv^ntH onnoi

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THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONGTHE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG LIBRARIES This book was a gift ... them chances to exchange ideas and experience foreign culture. ... Lu Lo Ho Man F. 6 Art Stream,