🌸Hirodai Ambassador [Study Abroad Report] Ayano Kawase, 4th year student, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, No. 3

Hirodai Ambassador Activity Report

Humanities and Social Sciences Department (4 years) 　Ayano Kawase  San

[Study Abroad Destination] University of Hawaii Community College (USA)
[Study Abroad Period] October 2023 to July 2024
[Types of Study Abroad] Long-term study abroad at a partner university

 

Aloha! Greetings from Hawaii! Well, before I knew it, I'm halfway through my study abroad experience!
Time flies incredibly fast. Perhaps time really does fly by.

This time, we'll focus on LCCs in the first half.Leeward Community College) Fall Semester Regarding the end of the term, I'll write about my time in Hawaii in the latter half.et’s check it out! 

 

The final exams ended without a trace.F in ESL classall Semesteris over.
At the end of each class, we had a party-like atmosphere where we shared food from each country, played Werewolf, took pictures, and had a really great time.
When I think back to my days at Hirosaki University, where I wrote nearly 10 reports in one semester and created classes (because I was taking teacher training courses...), it really feels like the end of the semester just passed by without me noticing.

Let me give you a rough overview of the LCC final exam content. First, the Reading & Listening class.
In this class, we started in November to write one report about each of our respective national cultures, Bulletproof ParagraphThe task was to write it according to a specific format.
However, since there was time allocated for working on it during class, and the homework was broken down into stages, I was able to finish it quite easily.

Next is the grammar class.
This is a summary of about 10 units we've learned so far, including tenses and relative pronouns.Exam(using relative pronouns)00 words The above WritingThe exam (including) was conducted in face-to-face and written format.
This is a Q at the end of a regular lesson unit.uizThanks to that, and because the professor set aside time for face-to-face review and questions the day before the final exam, I was able to complete it without any problems.

Finally, LSK110University students called (here, cold doctor studentThe final exam for the class that teaches the qualities, attitudes, and systems of (as a person) is a summary of everything learned so far.0The questions were multiple-choice and administered online.
Since we were allowed to refer to textbooks and other materials during the test, everything went smoothly. 

 

My December was very eventful.
At 5:12 AM on December 10th, a major challenge in my life began.It's the Honolulu Marathon.
4 kilometers2.195km, in miles 26.6 miles...In winter in Honolulu, dawn breaks at 7 a.m., and the area in front of Ala Moana Beach Park was overflowing with people while it was still pitch black.
I was wondering if there would be a countdown to the start, but after the national and state anthems were sung, fireworks went off and before I knew it, the long battle had begun.

Three miles before the race, I met Yoshio Kojima, who had been appointed as an ambassador for the Honolulu Marathon, and we filmed a video together.
I ran for about 8 miles (12.8 km) until I felt a pain in my lower back, so my friend left me behind.
I ran, walked, ran, walked, and when I got too tired, I would try to keep up with the runner in front of me, and so on, until I reached the halfway point.

 

This eastern part of OahuHawaii Sea It was incredibly tough heading towards the area known as [name of area]. Even though it was Hawaii, it was a straight route with hardly any change in scenery. The cheers from the roadside were incredibly heartwarming.

After all sorts of things happened, I finished the race completely exhausted and battered, feeling like my upper and lower body were two separate entities.
Wow, that was tough. I was expecting to run for 7 hours, but it only took me 5 and a half hours.

I managed to get home by taking connecting buses in the morning, fueled by sheer willpower. My host family welcomed me back, congratulating me on completing the race. I had a headache, my legs ached, and I thought I'd never do it again! But I've already signed up for next year's half marathon ♡ 

I'm going to make the most of my short winter break on Oahu!

With friends from Hirosaki University at Dole Plantingand HalewiI went to a region in northwestern Oahu called [name of region]. It's an area where you can feel the atmosphere of old America.
DoleWhen you hear that, you might think of bananas, but pineapple is the main ingredient.
I also tried the world's largest maze. Going through hedges, I felt like Mei from Totoro.

I indulged in a food marathon in Haleiwa. I enjoyed the famous garlic shrimp and shaved ice, as well as gelato and coffee.
I fell in love with the garlic shrimp, so I'll definitely go again. Even though I'll end up smelling terrible.

Also, A is located southwest of Oahu.DisneyI went to a Disney park that's known as [name of the park]. It mainly features a spa for hotel guests, so there aren't any attractions, but admission is free if you're just sightseeing.

Character greetings, which are difficult at Tokyo Disney, are easily done at Aulani if ​​you manage your time well. I was able to meet 7 characters! Lucky me!
The Hawaiian and Christmas-themed characters were just too cute... 

 

We also had a Christmas party, didn't we...?
I had a wonderful and fulfilling stay within the host family's community, which had become familiar to me as well.

I'm off to a New Year's Eve party. Apparently there will be fireworks, how wonderful!

Now, I hope 2024 will be a happy year for everyone.