Saturday, September 17, 2011
Photo
Neighbors | Sarah Foor .During their Aug. 4 visit to Mill Creek Park's Ford Nature Center, Allison Henline (left) and Emily Henline (right) gave their Japanese exchange student Hinata Nakama (center) a tour of the grounds.
By SARAH FOOR
Every summer, 1,000 Japanese youth travel to North America with the LABO International Exchange Program. For three weeks in late July and early August, the Henline family in Austintown welcomed 14-year-old Okinawa, Japan, native Hinata Nakama into their home to share friendship and cultural exchange.
Nakama’s two weeks in the United States were busy ones, with visits to the Ohio State Fair, Niagara Falls, Cleveland and Lake Erie, and the landmarks of Mill Creek Park. With cooperation from the Ohio State University and 4-H, Nakama’s trip provided an opportunity to sharpen her English skills and discover the everyday lives of an American family.
“My parents always hoped that I would travel and learn about many parts of the world,” shared Nakama, through her translator Yoshiko Matsumura. “My family is very busy and we do not have much time to go out together. The Henlines are very close and we’ve seen great things during my trip.”
For her host sisters, Allison and Emily Henline, who both attend Fitch High School, the program has broadened their view of the world.
“The more we learn about each other, the more I’m amazed at how big the world truly is. Having Hinata live with us shows me all those little details of what life is like in Japan and it’s really interesting,” shared Allison Henline.
“People all over the world are different, but at the heart of it, we’re all alike. I already knew that, yet it was still really beautiful to see it in action,” added Emily Henline.
Nakama is now safely back at her home in Japan, but she promised she would have much to tell her friends about her time in America.
“Everyone is very, very friendly,” she said. “And Doritos are my favorite American snack.”
This comment elicited a friendly laugh from her homestay family.
“That’s been the best part of the exchange – Hinata is amazed at things we take for granted,” said Nakama’s homestay mom, Shelia. “She tasted Doritos for the first time and her eyes just lit up. ‘Wow, what is this?’ she said. “Junk food, we told her.”