Off to the Orient 

Exchange to Koriyama and Aichi (Nagoya) Japan

 October 8 - 23, 2008

Report by Exchange Director rubye Erickson  

Fabulous friendships, fun, and fascinating activities are the words 22 American ambassadors from Minnesota, Nevada, and West Virginia are using to describe a cultural adventure to Koriyama and Nagoya, Japan. On October 9 our ambassadors arrived in Tokyo for an amazing experience; twelve of the group were new to the Friendship Force. We experienced a huge variety of activities with our gracious hosts that ranged from hiking in the mountains, learning to weave, tie-dying the Japanese way, shopping for vegetables we couldn’t pronounce, going to the Noh and Kabuki theatre, savoring a wide variety of foods and forming life long friendships.

My two goals were safety and fun, and the exchange more than surpassed them. The majority of ambassadors wanted to know where our next adventure would be. Koriyama is making a request to Atlanta to visit Minnesota in 2010.

The following were our ambassadors:

From our club: rubye Erickson, Exchange Director, Jack and Jane Bardon, Barbara Gould, Floyd and Jacquie Hagen, Jane Heller, Val Hessburg, Anne Shea, Bernie Marleau, Rita Mays, Blaine McCutchan, Joan Rathbun, Joyce Sharp, Dagmar Runyon, Don and Susanne Wolter, Andy Mickel and Cheryl Vollhaber.

From Reno, Nevada: Gary and Jeannie Atkinson and from Sissonville, West Virginia: Bobbi Hess.