Day 13

27/09/2019

Today was a day filled with goodbyes as we left Daisho College and saw our host siblings for the last time. In the morning, after dropping off our suitcases, the Mazenod boys enjoyed a fun day at the Cultural festival at Daisho. There were many great activities and the food was delicious. Unfortunately, the day came to an end and was finished off with an energetic concert that had people on their feet. Soon after we said emotional farewells to our new friends and left for Senri Hankyu Hotel.

By Timothy Ng Chit Wing 

Reminder for Picking up Students on Saturday

Hello,

Just a reminder to please check the Melbourne Airport website to confirm that the flight is on time.  The flight number is JL773 which is due to land at 9:55pm on Saturday, 28th September  2019. 

Thank you 

Day 11

25/09/2019

Yesterday at Daisho Gakuen we started the day off with three Japanese classes.  Even though we did not understand most of what was said it was still interesting to see what a Japanese class in Japan was like.  During the first Japanese class we learnt new kanji and was provided sentences that used them.  In the second Japanese class we read sentences.  In the third and final Japanese class we had a combination of both kanji and sentence writing.  The next class was physical education.  We played softball and started off with catching and throwing.  After we were comfortable we took turns catching, pitching, batting and fielding.  Before we knew it period 4 was over.  It was lunch time.  We were offered a choice of either beef or pork.  Lunch was usually provided with miso soup and a bowl of rice.  After we ate our lunch at the cafeteria we returned to our classroom to await our next class which was social studies.  The teacher told us a little about himself and told us that he has been teaching social studies at Daisho Gakuen for 28 years.  The last class was English.  Similar to Mazenod’s own Japanese class, Daisho’s English class do listening tasks.  They listen to the CD and fill in the blanks.  Since the school festival is coming up our class practiced their routine after the English class.  We got to watch their performances.  Everyone liked dancing and had a great time practising.  Since our host sisters do not participate in club activities we had free time before we had to go home.  I decided to play basketball in the school gymnasium.  The day was overall positive and we had a great time!


By Vinh Nguyen

Student Update

Our sister school, Daisho Gakuen, is truly showing the wonderful hospitality that Japan is known for. The families are caring and attentive and treating our young men like their own. Our young men are responding with similar sentiments and should be proud of their efforts. They are really pushing themselves to communicate in Japanese and are trying all they can. Daisho staff have commented on their efforts and their manners. They have represented themselves, their families, school and country faultlessly.

Miss Yolanda Bonica

Day 10

 24/09/2019

Today was another day for the Daisho Gakuen students, but for us Mazenod boys, it was the first full day we were immersed in Japanese school life. My first lesson of the day was what they call “bou ki” or bookkeeping. What I had already noticed on Saturday and have affirmed today is the friendly and close relationships the students have with their teachers. They laugh and joke with each other, teachers and students poke fun at each other, something that did not fit my perceived notions of Japanese culture. This is only one of many things that has surprised me during my short stay in the country.

By Christian Moore

The time spend on the weekend with the miyoshi family was very eventful. On Saturday, we went to Kasuga's (host brother) younger sisters sports day to watch her perform in races and dances which was filled with many people and lots of energy. Afterwards, we returned home where we met Kasuga's grandparents. They were very interested in the Australian lifestyle so I showed them pictures. We then had traditional Japanese food made by Kasuga's parents which was very delicious. Later that night, we went to a sushi restaurant for dinner where I ate raw fish for the fist time which I didn't regret. On Sunday, we mainly relaxed with each other and watched movies. Later that night we went to a hot spring which was very soothing. On Monday, we went to the Osaka Castle and had hawaiin lunch there. The castle was spectacular, we say many historical artefacts as well as the amazing view from the roof top. After that, we went to a shopping mall to buy obento at a Japanese restaurant. It was delicious.

By Joel Chirappanath

Day 8 & 9

23/09/2019-24/09/2019

Day 7

22/09/2019

Today some of the Mazenod students went to Osaka Castle with their host brothers and sisters, along with some teachers form Daisho and Mazenod.

We got to see the rich history of the castle and area once inside and there was an incredible view of the city and scenery form the top. We then went to Shinsaibashi, where we saw the famous Glico Man and were able to eat lunch like we lived in Japan, thanks to our hosts.

After out excursion, Okada Sensei took Vinh and I out to a Sushi Train restaurant for dinner. The Sushi Trains in Japan are nicer than the ones in Australia. Afterwards, at home, we got an authentic experience playing Mario in Japan. Today was a great opportunity to experience both traditional and modern Japan.

By Anthony Vassilialis

Day 6

21/09/2019

This Saturday I woke up at 6.40. I ate a breakfast made by my host mother. I ate eggs and sausages with some cereal. We left the house by 7.00 to catch a 2 trains in order to get to Daisho. After arriving we gathered at the cafeteria to discuss todays  plan.  We were introduced to the school in the morning assembly. Afterwards we had a school tour taking us into period 1 where we entered our host’s classroom. Christian, Brian and I had  a civilian lesson, afterwards we had Japanese and then for period 3 math methods. After the classes finished I ate lunch with everyone then returned to class for dismissal.  As there is an upcoming culture festival we helped in making banners.  After school we rode bicycle to Christian’s host sister where we played Wii. We arrived home around 6.40. Afterwards I did some homework once dinner was ready I had a great conversation with the family and gave gifts out. The school and family is very nice and everyone is understanding eager to help Japanese speaking skills.

By Jasan Dalamagas

Day 5

20/09/2019

Day 4

19/09/2019


Today we went to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum which highlighted the affects the atomic bomb had on Japanese people, including many children. It also displayed the steps the American’s took leading up to dropping the bomb as well as in the aftermath. The overall message of the museum was to prevent another event such as the that occurred at Hiroshima.


We had an Okonomiyaki lunch while we were in Hiroshima. This was not only a delicious meal, but also an incredible experience, watching the meal being made and served right in front of us.

By Ben Noonan

Day 3

18/09/2019 - Ghibli Museum