Nozomi Sato arrived in Kansas from Japan on July 22, the first day of the Anderson County Fair — quite a crash course for someone who had never before been to America. THE CHILDREN, along with the parents, have had the opportunity to examine their own daily life as well, through the eyes of a young Japanese girl.
She traveled to America with a group of 800 Japanese exchange students, eight of whom concluded their journey in Kansas. Stacy and Joel Sprague — along with their children Kendra, Rebecca and Brock — picked up Nozomi outside of Junction City and brought her to their farm near Lone Elm.
For both Nozomi and the Spragues, these are new experiences.
Stacy said she applied for the Hippo Family Club, a summer foreign exchange program, after speaking with Becky Meiwes about her experience in the program.
“It’s our first experience like this,” she said.
Stacy is a seventh-grade math teacher at Iola Middle School. She, along with Kendra, Rebecca, Brock and Hannah Ingle (Brock’s girlfriend), sat with Nozomi in her classroom on Tuesday afternoon to discuss their experiences.
“It’s about sharing our culture, our way of living,” Stacy said. “We like what we do.”
Nozomi, 13, is the second student they have hosted for the summer. The first student, named Bianca Koppatz, was a 20-year-old from Austria. She stayed with them for three weeks, just like Nozomi.
Both students were from urban areas, so the family has had the chance to show off what farm living has to offer. Nozomi, who speaks very little English, is from Kanagawa, which is just south of Tokyo.
“They really get to experience farm life,” Brock said.
The Spragues have been busy with different fair activities since Nozomi has arrived, so she has been exposed to all sorts of farm-specific activities — fishing, feeding livestock and spending time outdoors. The program encourages students to experience everyday life for an American family, not just tourist experiences. There are no translators involved — it is very much a crash course in American culture.
“We’ve learned that you really have to dial back,” Stacy said of their daily routine. “You have to be patient, and it’s hard.”
“What we do is neat, to us it’s just life,” Stacy said.
The family agreed it has been a pleasant experience to show their way of life to their interim family member. They have learned a bit about Japanese culture as well.
“How do you say ‘hello?’” Kendra asked as she leaned over to Nozomi.
She replied, “konichiwa.”
In America, the children of a family are much more involved in daily tasks, the Spragues agreed. They said it was interesting to see Nozomi’s eyes light up when she had the chance to feed the animals and help around the farm. Stacy said in an email on Tuesday evening that they had taken her fishing — she caught the first, and largest, fish.
“Her smile told the whole story,” Stacy said.
Due to her limited English vocabulary, it was difficult for Nozomi to contribute to the conversation. But, her smiles and nods showed that she was truly comfortable with her Kansas family.
“Are you ready to go home?” Stacy asked Nozomi.
Nozomi waited for a moment, and then just shook her head, “no.”
Stacy said the family has been in contact with Nozomi’s parents, through Facebook and email. They have been sharing her American experiences. Nozomi will return to Japan on Aug. 18, when the Spragues return her to meet the Japanese group in Junction City. They will not forget their brief friendship, however.
“This lifelong experience will continue,” Stacy said. “We love having her as part of the family.”
A CRASH COURSE SEK family hosts exchange student
