Today, the JSAP 2014 group enjoyed visiting Hibi Elementary for their Hello America program. My home stay mother picked me and a few other students up and took us to our Kyudo lesson. Kyudo involves an ancient bow and arrow practice that dates back to 250 B.C. The instructors showed strength and patience in the act of firing the tall wooden bows with precise aim, burying it into their targets. Soon it came time for us to give it a shot (literally).
I stepped up and tried to fire the bow by pulling back with all my strength. I released it and the arrow flew a little to the right of the target. The second time I pulled back the bow, my shoulder popped, making me feel uncomfortable about firing the bow again. However, the Kyudo instructors thought we performed so well on our preliminary lessons that they gave us an opportunity to fire on the farther targets.
I realized this was my opportunity to show Stapp what I was made of – true archer material. I honed my inner Kyudo strength and fired the bow with some serious power. The arrow flew through the air, twanging all the way until it came to rest, imbedded in the target. I did it! I hit the target. Stapp later hit a bulls-eye and decided to rub it in until it became time for us to leave. I got in the car with Aya-san and we headed to her house for the Japanese barbecue party my family planned for dinner.
When I saw my dad, he again informed me to go downstairs and “rest slowly” until the food was prepared. I went to my room and took a brief nap until I heard my home stay grandparents arrive at the house. I then played card games with my little siblings and their friends until my dad fired up the grill. Soon enough, we were eating delicious Japanese barbecue, eating rice and drinking biru until deep into the night.
We continued to discuss cultural differences until a man from the Tamano City TV Station arrived to interview my family and I on our study abroad experiences. We continued to drink and eat food late into the night until my exhaustion finally overtook me. I presented my gifts to my parents and siblings and I really think they liked them a lot! They were very grateful and would not stop thanking me until I showered and went to bed at 10:30 p.m.
When he went to Japan, Marty was a sophomore in the Sam M. Walton College of Business studying Business Finance, Fine Art Ceramics, with a minor in Economics.
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To find out more about the U of A International Business in Japan program, visit http://studyabroad.uark.edu/wcobjapan
