My 'epic' Japan cultural immersion

I am excited to share my Japan immersion experience. I was fascinated and curious to learn more and explore what the AGS teachers and staff prepared for us in our Japan Cultural Immersion.

Because I like trains, I enjoyed being at the Kyoto Railway Museum. I was very happy to be there and to look around, video recording for a whole 10 minutes to show to my brother what I saw, which was lots of old trains. One of the exciting parts was riding the steam engine. Because I watch lots of videos of trains, I was expecting a very loud whistle, and yes, I was correct! My friend even called it "Godzilla ahh." 

Next was the Mazda Museum, where I learned about the car company's history and what they will do in the future. Of course there were lots of cars inside the museum. In fact, one of them was my Tomica car - the Mazda Savanna RX7- in real life form and size! I was surprised that the museum also played the sounds of the car. I was expecting to see the Mazda 787B that participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, which is very popular. We also went inside the actual factory for the tour. When I turned my head to see the car assembly line, I asked, "How long does is it actually take to make a car?" If I remember correctly, it takes 15 hours to complete a car or round. One thing that stayed in my mind from the Museum is when they said, "We will always serve and put people first in our minds." I can recall that Mrs. Virgie Esteves also said, "It's like Magis." 

The other things I had fun with were the Shinkansen ride to Shin-Osaka -> Hiroshima; Hiroshima -> Okayama, Sakura 540 (Kyushu West Japan); Okayama -> Shin-Osaka, and the visit to Notre Dame Seishin Elementary School. The Shinkansen ride on the N700S was a great experience for me! And being in Notre Dame Seishin Elementary School was epic. It was nice to see and meet my partners. But since they were shy, we only interacted a little and asked one another a few questions. Cleaning the classroom was fun.

We also went to a church near Notre Dame Seishin University (NDSU) with bells made of melted armory. I wondered why there were so many Filipinos there, and it almost felt like being back home. It gave me "It's hot outside" vibes. 

Learning about Japanese manners and greetings was not just good but great! I remember the Tea Ceremony and how to do it! While rotating the cup clockwise until the design shows in the front, I then say, "Sorry for going ahead of you, I will join you.” While bowing, I say, “Thank you for the tea!" 

In conclusion, I learned many things that I can apply back in the Philippines. The Mazda quote will remind me of Magis and the other stuff I learned I can apply when I am in Grade 6. The Japan Cultural Immersion was a really memorable, amazing, and fun experience for me and others.