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| Crossing borders |
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| 4-H Exchange program continues to bridge cultural and geographic barriers |
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 | | CHAD RICHINS/CENTRAL OREGONIAN | | Jillian Jensen and Sean Williams recently returned from summer exchange trips to Japan. Both say they plan to return someday to visit again. |
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By Chad Richins
Since 1993, Crook County 4-H has been participating in an exchange program that allows students from Japan to visit the U.S. and allows Crook County students to visit Japan.
This summer a total of 13 students from Japan have come to Central Oregon, 10 of them to Crook County, to stay with host families and enjoy a real American experience.
Some of the host families, like Ron Benage's family, are first-time hosts. Others, such as Sue William's family have hosted many times.
Williams, the county coordinator for the student exchange program, has hosted students for nine years and has sent three of her sons to Japan.
The students that come from Japan stay for a four week visit, usually in July and August. While here, the students enjoy the usual diversions of American kids; soccer, basketball, swimming and fishing among other pursuits.
The student that is staying with Benage's family, Junichi Morikawa, even got to go to Boy Scout camp. "He really loved it," said Benage. At a recent gathering of host families and students in Ochoco Creek Park, Junichi played basketball with friends while adults prepared food and visited.
When asked if he was good at basketball, Morikawa said, "NO!." The somewhat shy 13-year-old is, however, a decent cook, according to Benage. "He cooked us dinner the other night and it was pretty good." The sharing of traditional foods is only one of many ways the exchange program helps educate participants about each other's cultures.
This summer two American students went to Japan. Sean Williams, Sue Williams' son, went to Yokohama, a port city on Japan's main island of Honshu. "It was fun, but it was pretty hot and humid," said Williams who also got to climb Mt. Fuji. "It wasn't that steep, more of a hike, but it took, like, six hours."
Jillian Jensen, who is homeschooled, went to Nagoya this summer and will be the equivalent of a sophomore in high school this fall. Jensen said she enjoyed her visit to Japan and got to see a lot of the city she lived in. "It was huge," Jensen said. "We drove and also took public transportation, so we got to see a lot."
When asked about Japanese food, Jensen said, "I got to try raw octopus and cooked octopus, but I never got to try sushi. My host family was pretty Americanized so we ate a lot of American food."
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