~:[CH14 - Day 86]:~ Connections

 
~:[CH14 - Day 86]:~ Connections

It was quite the challenging day. I woke up early and moved all my boxes to my room. I had most everything I needed, now I just needed it all to fall into place. For the most part, it did. They arrived early, leaving us enough time to take our time on the tour. My students seemed a little timid at the start, but opened up and they began to converse comfortably. With presentations, the students learned about each other, before they interacted in a variety of activities that the students from Japan prepared. It was great for our students to learn about Japanese culture while meeting new people. From games to karaoke, traditional dance and calligraphy to origami, there were a range of activities for them to participate in. Our students performed a few songs for them, which was one of the highlights of the day for them, while I could see how much our students enjoy participating in their activities. At the end of the day, the connections these students make will have a lasting impact. While they may not be life changing, simply experiencing a different culture will help open their eyes to the world around them and the same will go for their students. I'm sure they learned a lot from each other. After practice, later that night, I headed to LA for a release party for Kevin Woo. I often get asked how I have so many connections through various channels and it's just like how our Tezukayama experience began. In life, you end up finding the right people who connect you to opportunities. You either take them or you pass them by. However, when you take them, you often find yourself gaining even more opportunities and experiences or get the drive to chase these types of experiences down. The key to making connections is putting yourself out there, as once you do, you never know where that road will take you. For today, that road took me to a wonderful cultural exchange for my students and a fun night celebrating an artist on a journey of their own. I hope we all can find those connections that will lead us to the destination we hope to arrive at in the future.