It must have seemed like only a few hours to those families that opened up their homes to the seven Japanese delegates who paid a visit to Barrhead last week.
But it was an entire week that was so busy for everyone involved, time must have flew by in the blink of an eye. Today, the seven delegates, Megumi Inoue, Narumi Okazaki, Yuya Aoki, Mito Sakaguchi, Ami Saitoh and Tetsuma Hayashi, are back in their own town of Tokoro. They spent the week in Barrhead learning our culture while, at the same time, sharing their own culture with their host families.
At first, it had seemed like the trip was to be marred by the devastating earthquake and tsunami that has left thousands of people dead in its wake. But, the determined group stayed in an airport overnight just to ensure they were able to make it here. They were supposed to arrive at the Edmonton International Airport on the afternoon of March 11, but they didn’t make it until March 12.
When they finally arrived, they were whisked away by the twinning committee to Barrhead and to their home stay families. Anyone who has had an opportunity to play host to people from another country can attest to the benefits of doing so, and our home stay families likely forged memories and friendships that could last a lifetime.
The hectic schedule for the Japanese visitors kept them hopping around town, and several trips were made to Edmonton to show off the West Edmonton Mall. It was a treat for the delegates, who took advantage of the opportunity to do some souvenir shopping.
Our local schools, both the high school and elementary school, were included in the tours. In fact, the student delegates attended classes with the younger members of their home stay families. Chris Schembri and his family opened their home to Yuya, and Chris said the experience was something his family is definitely up for again in the future.
A farewell dinner was held at the multipurpose room at the Agrena on March 17. Twinning committee members, home stay families and special dignitaries were invited to bid a fond farewell to this contingent of visitors. It was an event that likely went a long way in cementing the importance of the relationship between Barrhead and Tokoro. A drum circle brought together willing participants to share in the beat of the evening. It was truly an enjoyable evening.
Now, the local twinning committee is poised to make its own trip to Tokoro to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the relationship. A total of 16 people will be making that trip to represent Barrhead at the gala occasion. Twinning committee chairperson Carol Lee said those who are scheduled to attend the event are excited, and plans are being finalized. However, there is some concern about radiation and other effects of the earthquake and tsunami.
Fortunately, Tokoro is in the safe zone. It wasn’t affected directly by the devastation caused by the tsunami. That being said, the contingent from Barrhead will likely have to spend the majority of its time in Tokoro. That’s actually good news. The trip would be an excellent opportunity to see the sights of Japan, but spending as much time in our twin town is a much better way to celebrate a milestone anniversary.
