The students, who joined the Rotary Club of Saipan meeting at the Hyatt yesterday, said they learned a lot during their five-day stay.
Umi Asazuma, Mika Sunouchi, Yuki Oshima, Kie Inoue all came from Hasaki, one of the hardest-hit areas by the tsunami that slammed Japan last March 11.
The students said they would like to stay longer if they could, and to come back if they get a chance to do so. They got a taste of island life and interacted with students from Kagman High School on Monday and Tuesday.
Rotarians Pete and Lucy Schilling hosted two of the students while McDonald’s Saipan manager Marcia Ayuyu hosted the other two students for the first two days.
Ayuyu said hosting the students had been a very good experience for her and her family.
“The students were very excited to learn all about the culture, they tasted local food and we took them on a tour around the island which they appreciated so much,” Ayuyu said.
She also brought the students to the Taste of the Marianas at American Memorial Park on Saturday and to the Sophia Walk and Fun Run on Sunday morning. The rest of the day was spent at the Pacific Islands Club Water Park.
“We would have wanted to show them more but time was very short and our schedule was very hectic,” Ayuyu said.
Lucy Schilling said communication was not a problem because the students were very eager to learn English.
“The first thing they said when we met them was for us to speak to them in English,” said Mrs. Schilling who taught them how to cook and prepare Chamorro dishes.
She said it was her first time to host exchange students and is willing to do it again.
Pacific Development Inc. shouldered the transportation and incident costs of the students during their stay here.
Yoichi Matsumura of PDI said the four students were the first to visit Saipan from Japan under the Rotary Club student exchange program.
