What a week!!!!

This has been an amazing week.

We have visited and observed the inner workings of all the levels of Japanese schools.

The elementary school was fantastic. The kids loved having us there. We felt so welcome. We were greated by a cermony with singing and we were presented with gifts from the students. I recieved a scroll with ancient characters on it. It is lovley.

The middle school was also very interestering. I learned, yet agian that it is just a languagethat seperates us. The students there acted just like my students, who I miss greatly.

I had lunch with ninth graders, lthe last year required by the Japanese educational system. Many of these students were goofing off and acting like a regular 'ol teenager. Not the typical image you see of a Japanese school.

The high school we observed today was amazing. These students are here because the choose to do so, it is not required of the government. The school was ranked the second best school in the nation, these students are the best of the best and it showed. They were very focuses on their studies. They were not bothered by the us being there at all.

This school is structured very much like our college. The students "major" in a couse of study and take all of the appropiate classes to graduate. Then it is on to college.

Tomorrow morning it is off to the home stay, where I will be staying with a Japanese family for the weekend. I will not have internet access for several days, so have plenty of comment for me to see when I can log back on.

I miss you all...I willbe home soon and looking forward to a Big Mac, Coke and fries.