Page 8 - 1999

On the other
They may have headed away from our town, but not our hearts.
Domo arigato gozaimasu' means thank you very much.
T hanksgiving Sunday brought to CCI not only a
turkey dinner, but 106 beautiful girls from Nakamura
Gakuen Girls School in Japan. The anxiety that they must have felt when the 3 buses brought them to the school parking lot filled with hostfamilies and their signs! I am sure that the CCI families had no idea what a profound effect these young ladies in their grey uniforms
and heavy luggage would have on them. The 6 days went by all too quickly. Their mornings were spent learning English, afternoons involved visiting various tourist attractions
around the area and evenings were spent with the host families, learning from each other and communication
"WE DON'T WANT TO GO!" Those 5 words, when put to- gether and spoken beautifully through tears, expressed the
heartfelt thanks of both Japanese and Canadian
families after a too-short visit.
with each other by drawing pictures and using charades. For them, it was a treat to buy a movie ticket on 'cheap Tuesday' for $5 as opposed to $23 in Japan or being able to eat a $3 melon that would retail for $21 at home. Our
Friday night was unforgettable. I will never forget the beautiful sound from the voices of our new family and the ceremonial dance that we were invited to join, celebrating our unity, fond memories and love. Many tears were shed as they boarded the buses.