Return to Himeji 2004

Himeji Castle

Last modified: Mon Feb 15 18:07:21 2010  Hits: 

Return to Himeji 2004


 

About the time difference:

Williams Sensei says: "Add four hours, and switch A.M. to P.M., or vice versa."

So, say the kids left Vashon High School at 5:30am Monday, which (adding four hours and switching A.M. to P.M.) is 9:30pm Monday night in Himeji...

Of course, there's also the International Date Line in between here and there, but that only comes into play when you're actually traveling. So although the kids left Vashon on Monday morning, they'll arrive in Japan on Tuesday afternoon, roughly 17 clock hours later.

And when they come home, they'll leave Japan at 5:00pm local time, Friday April 23, and arrive here the same day! Time travel!

(I think... :-)


Here's the latest (03/31/04) schedule, from Himeji Minami high school itself:

VASHON IN APRIL 2004 (Detailed Schedule)


April

12:00

Bus leaves for Kansai Airport (Bus for 33 people) (Shioki) (JTE) (JTE)


13th (Tu)

15:15

Air Canada 35 arrives at Kansai Airport, Entry, Change money




Shinkansen Tickets for VHS, and picking up their luggages



17:00

Bus leaves for school




*Vashon students & teachers take the train to ShinOsaka.



20:00

Arrive at school, Give their luggage to their host family, leave home





15th (Th)

17:58

VHS arrive in Himeji, (Vice principal, Shioki, Tanaka)



18:20

VHS meet host families in the south gate of Himeji Station (2nd floor), and




then go home





16th (Fr)

8:15

Come with host student, and stay in dressmaking room.




VHS teachers meet with our principal in guestroom



8:20

VHS teachers meet with our school staff in the staff room




Our students will move to the school gym.



8:30

VHS teachers & students go to the gym with JTE



8:40

Welcome Assembly




Procedure: Opening address




<go up to the platform>




·National Anthem (the order - USA, and JAPAN)




·Welcome Speech by Mr. Saeki (principal)




·Speech by Teacher




·Introduce their students to Minami students




·Speech by Student




·Welcome Speech by President of School




·Welcome Chorus




·Performance




·sing school song



9:15

Closing address




Go down the platform, and JTE will show around our schoo



9:30

Leave school by car for Himeji with 2 JTEs




Car will be prepared for VHS




Visit Kokoen Garden




Lunch at nearby restaurant, and go to Sannomaru Square




Visit Himeji Castle



15:00

Leave for school



16:00

Arrive at school, Join club activities if you want




Your host student will be with you, Go back with host student





17th (Sa)


Stay with your host family





18th (Su)


Stay with your host family





19th (Mo)

8:20

Come with host student, and go to dressing room.



8:30

Lecture meeting about Mt.Shosha, and Engyoji Temple



9:00

Leave for Mt. Shosha. (2 or 3 JTEs will go with VHS)




*3 cars have to be prepared.




Go up to the top of Mt.Shosha, visit Engyoji Temple, lunch time, walk freely



16:30

*If possible, it would be better that 3 cars will be prepared.




Come back school, join club activities if you want.




Go back home with host student





20th (Tu)

8:20

Come with host student, and go to dressing room.



8:30

Go the the class with host student and take the lesson in class.



9:30

Leave school to visit Hirohata Kindergarten on foot with 2 JTEs



12:00

After this, VHS will go to Tenma Station , and Visit downtown Himeji for




sightseeing & shopping



16:00

Come back school, join club activities if you want




Go back home with host student





21st (Wed)

8:20

Come with host student, and go to dressing room



8:30

Meeting for Kobe (pamphlet will be prepared.)



9:30

Leave school on foot with 2 JTEs



9:53

Tenma Station, Shikama Stationn, Kobe Motomachi Station



11:20

Motomachi, China town, Lunch



12:30

Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park - Kobe Maritime Museum - Port Tower,




Shopping Area (Mosaic)



15:00

At Kosoku Kobe Stn, catch the train for Himeji



16:30

Arrive at School




Join club activities if interested.





22nd (Th)

8:20

Come to school, go to dressing room



8:30

Attend Classes with host student in the morning




lunch (Bag lunch or at Cafeteria)



12:45

Take the extra lessons (art, calligraphy, music)




After school, fill in the questionaire, etc




stay with Classmates, and host student



16:00

Preparation for Farewell Meeting




Host students will go to school cafeteria.



18:00

Farewell Party (Potluck party)




Procedure: Opening Address




·Farewell Speech (Principal)




·Speech by VHS teachers




·Cheers by Chairman of International Understanding




·Let's eat and drink for our relation




·Performance by our students & Vashon students




·Brief Speech by VHS students (one by one)




·Farewell Speech (one of the SC)




·Sending souvenier




·Speech by one of the host families




·Closing Address



20:00

Cleaning, go back with Host family





23rd (Fr)

11:30

Gather at the guestroom. Brief meeting with Principal.



12:00

Bus leaves for Kansai Airport with host students




(Vice principal), Shioki, JTE)



15:00

Arrive at Kansai Airport. Go to Check-in Counter.



16:00

Move to Flight gate. Here we say good-bye.




* 16:30 Bus, leave for school



17:00

Leave Japan (Air Canada 36)


Note:


 


Here's the first schedule that Maren sent me:

Sunday 04/11/2004


Get lots of sleep, check your luggage, etc!

Monday 04/12/2004


Leave for Japan!


Meet at the United Group Check-in counter by 7:30am at the latest!


Air Canada flight 8092

Seattle~Vancouver

9:30am ~10:23am


Air Canada flight 35

Vancouver ~

12:30pm~


Tuesday 04/13/2004








Arrive in Japan!

~Osaka

~3:15pm


Meet Himeji teachers, change money, get JR passes for teachers


Kansai airport ~ Hotel Shinosaka

Tel: 06-6322-8800


Dinner in Osaka


Buy breakfast to eat on the bullet train tomorrow




Wednesday 04/14/2004


Bullet train

Hikari 345

ShinOsaka~Hiroshima

7:10am~8:44am


Street car to the A-Bomb Dome, Sadako Statue, Hiroshima Peace Museum.


11:30am

Lunch at Shinchan okonomiyaki shop


Street car to Miyajimaguchi


Ferry to Miyajima


Sightseeing and souvenir shopping near Itsukushima Shrine


Hike to Tsutsumigaura Park


Camp in cabin at nature park


Cook dinner and relax

Thursday 04/15/2004


Breakfast


Leave at 8:30am hike to ropeway


10:10am ropeway to the top of Mt. Misen


12:00pm obento lunch in Miyajima


Watch Buddhist firewalking ceremony


2:55pm ferry

train to Hiroshima station


bullet train

Nozomi

Hiroshima ~ Himeji


5pm

Meet homestay families and return home with them


Ms. Williams and Ms. Taylor to hotel

Friday 04/16/2004


8:20am

Meet with Himeji teachers


8:40am

Welcome assembly


9:25am

Tour of the school


10:20am

Tour Himeji Castle and downtown Himeji


4:00pm

Return to Himeji Minami.

Club activities with students.

Saturday 04/17/2004



Time with host family


Sunday 04/18/2004


Time with homestay families

Monday 04/19/2004


8:20am

Meet in the sewing room


8:30am

Extra lessons about Japan and Kobe


9:30am

Sightseeing in Kobe.


4:30pm

Return to school.

Club activities, return home.

Tuesday 04/20/2004


8:20

Meet in the sewing room


8:30am

Go to classes with host students.


9:30am

Visit Hirohata Kindergarten


12:00pm

Explore Himeji City.

Wednesday 04/21/2004


8:20am

Meet in the sewing room


Visit and picnic on Mt. Shosha.


Return to school

Thursday 04/22/2004


8:20am

Meet in the sewing room


8:30am

Fill out trip questionnaire forms, classes with host students


12:45pm

Special lessons (art, calligraphy, music, etc.)

6:00pm

Farewell Party


Friday 04/23/2004


11:30am

Meet at school to say good-bye.


12:00pm

Leave school by bus with host students


3:00pm

Arrive at Kansai Airport


5:00pm

Leave for Seattle

Arrive home!



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Himeji Castle

Return to Himeji 2004