'Do you want to go to Space Camp this summer?' This question arose during a conversation with my mother when I was in seventh grade. I actually thought she was just joking when she first said it. She told me she wanted me to experience immersion in another culture and language. When she was in college, she had received an opportunity to go to America, but she had to give up this chance because her mother became sick. As a result, she strongly recommended that I take this trip. However, I had never been to America or taken a trip by myself, before I went to Space Camp in Alabama. I was scared and worried, but, in the end, the great experiences at Space Camp had a significant effect on my ability to make American friends, my decision to study in the United States, and my career goals.
First, it was really fun and interesting to talk with American students.
Cushing Academy and Science Building, ca. 1908
Space Camp (album)
Space Camp Habitat 1 facilityAfter camp started, I talked with the Japanese friends I had met at the airport because I was too afraid to speak in a language I had studied for only three months. However, I wanted to make American friends because I thought it was senseless to come here if I only talked with Japanese friends. On the second day, we were divided into teams with three to five Americans on a team. I tried to use my poor English to make American friends, but it was really difficult. First, I could not even introduce myself without looking at my note book in which I had written a few sentences down. Second, the Americans had never had any Asian friends, so they were surprised when I bowed, and they asked me many questions. They tried to understand my English, which...