Asian Pacific Children's Convention and The Bridge Club

Bridie O'Sullivan

In January this year I found out I was one of the lucky children to be selected to go to Japan. It ended up being an experience of a lifetime. I feel so lucky to have been one of these people to go.

For the first four days we were in a camp with 53 other countries. I meet a lot of different people, and it was fun to be around other cultures. We stayed in a little cabin room. We slept on bunk beds. In my cabin were 2 Russians, 2 Thailanders, 2 Chinese, and Fa'afua and I from New Zealand. We also had a Japanese room leader. Some of the activities we did at camp were art work shops, playing all together in a big play hall with sports equipment, try on a Japanese cultural dress, Flower arranging and lots more.

Then for the rest of our trip time we were with our host families. It was my favourite part they were so nice to me! There were 3 kids named Toka, Saito, and Hara, and the 2 parents. We did fun things together they took me out to dinner to a sushi bar and a Japanese noodle restaurant. We went shopping, bike rides, parks and lots more! They even threw me a birthday party! (Because it was my birthday before we came) They lived in a small apartment, lots of the families did. It was very hard to leave them but I still e-mail them and send them mail!

When I was with my host family I went to a school for 4 days. Sometimes it was hard to communicate, so we used things like: Sign language, picture cards and other things like that. The school was very different to my one and the school was a lot bigger and the class rooms a lot different to my one. As well they had no grass. You have to play on dirt. To welcome us to the school they all came into the school hall and we sat on the stage and they did a performance and some speeches were made. Including mine. They did the same when we left. The school was a great way to experience some more Japanese culture.

I am so happy to have been to Japan. I learnt a lot! It has changed a lot about the way I think about different cultures. I learnt a lot about myself and how I cope with different experiences. Now I have a special family in Japan who I will never forget. But most of all I will never forget the experience that I was able to have thanks to Auckland city and Fukuoka city.

Ellen Tapsell

My trip to Japan was something I will never forget. It made me more confident in myself and in trying new things; it was an experience of a life time.

On the 12th of July this year me and 7 other kids and our wonderful chaperones (Abby and Maree) arrived in Fukuoka at 1.00am Japanese time (4.00 am in NZ).

The camp

The first day at camp I was almost still asleep from the long journey, it was all so overwhelming. I had been waiting so long to go to Japan but I still couldn't really believe I was there.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Well let's just say the food was different and not really as good as home, it made you appreciate your mum's cooking heaps!! The time we spent at the camp was spent giving out gifts, playing volley ball on the top of the bunks with people from everywhere and taking photos of everything I saw. My room was number w113, in my room were kids from Thailand, Russia and Korea. The last night at camp we had a party which was great fun. We got to dance on the stage and we sang the song 'We are the bridge'. The next day part of me wanted to stay because I would miss the friends I made there, the other half of me could not wait to go and meet my host family!

My Host family

It was a long, exciting and nervous 1 hour trip to the school, where we met our families. Each of us, the New Zealanders, walked up one by one to be greeted by our host families and that was the start of friendships that will never ever end! My host family fulfilled everything I needed, making my stay very enjoyable. The first few days we (all the New Zealanders) went to school and did a series of things like Japanese calligraphy, cutting, food, games and we also we went swimming.

After school me and my family, whose names are Takako (mum), Masayoshi (Dad), Yuma (brother 8), Nonoka (sister 7) and Risa (sister 3) went out shopping and up the Fukuoka tower! The next few days I experienced the Japanese culture by going to the Temples which were fascinating. Also I went swimming at a river, biking, ten pin bowling and had dinner with their relatives. I also met up with the other NZ kids. My family made my time in Japan the best I could hope for. I wish I could return the favour for all their kindness especially the way they welcomed me into their home.

The last night

On the last night all the New Zealand kids and there Japanese families had a party. All the girls (Japanese and NZ) wore traditional Japanese dresses called Yukatar. We also had fireworks and there were quite a few tears from all the girls L.

Airport

This was the saddest day of my life so far. I could not bring myself to say good bye to my cute little host siblings, it made me think of how much I would miss the games I played with them, and my Japanese Mum, it was like saying goodbye to my real Mum. I will miss her so much because she treated me like her daughter and same for the Dad. All through the boarding I was in tears and on the plane it was even sadder.

I will never, ever, forget them.

But by the time I was nearly home I was too excited about seeing my family to be too sad!

Overall this experience is by far the best thing I have done in my life and I will never ever forget it. It's something I'm so lucky to have been able to do .I have made friends that I will have for the rest of my life.

This was truly an amazing experience that I will remember forever.

Ellen Tapsell.

Fa'afua Silipa

On Thursday the 12th of July eight junior ambassadors, two Peace ambassadors and two chaperones, assembled in the Auckland International airport terminal preparing to leave for Japan, as part of the 19th APCC 2007 Auckland City group. The past eight months preparation was now complete only to be tested in Fukuoka, Japan!

Thinking back, I remembered how nervous I had been when the principal told me back in October I had been selected to be put forward from the school to apply for this opportunity. After many interviews, each time feeling nervous as the numbers got smaller, I was so excited when one evening in January, I got the phone call and Maree asked me "Want to go to Japan?"

The junior ambassadors had had several kapa haka practices and group information evenings that had brought us together over the past few months. I had also shared a Saturday with one of the group to get to know each other better.

As the group checked in bags and waited for departure time I felt an avalanche of fear growing inside me, getting bigger and bigger as time ticked on. I looked around at my family and wondered how the next 13 days in Japan were going to be? 

Once we got through customs I could hear my mother's voice saying "be good and have fun!" fading away. My head was filled with all my thoughts about home.

We boarded the plane and I just totally forgot about mum and dad because I was getting right into the movies and songs. Once I had finished watching about 10 movies I had a one hour sleep thinking that we were nearly going to land until I asked Bridie "How long do we have now?" When Bridie replied "9 hours", I sunk my head into the aircraft seat. I couldn't go back to sleep so I turned on my TV and watched another movie "Blades of Glory!"

Before I knew it, there was an announcement saying "Excuse me passengers we have arrived in Tokyo, Narita Airport Japan. The temperature is…" We had finally arrived! I was so excited, wondering what the next 13 days had in store for me. Our group boarded a bus to our next aeroplane trip to Fukuoka.

I couldn't remember much of that flight because I slept the whole way through. I do remember watching our group filmed on the big TV screen flying around in the air. On the bus ride to camp I couldn't see much but I managed to see lots of bright lights and big towers and buildings. Once we got to camp I was really tired and couldn't see properly. We went to the restaurant once we arrived and had some supper. It was just a bit of cereal, chips, and milk.

On the first day of camp all the New Zealanders got extra sleep. I felt a little sick so I slept most of the day. The next day I made a lot of friends from Thailand and we talked for a while. The camp was only a couple of days but a great chance to mingle and build relationships with other children from the many other APPC countries. 

The last day of camp was a Sports Day as well as a Festival!

The sports events were really fun and physical. I remember we had to have four people get into a big cardboard box and we had to crawl really fast to get to the other side. Everyone enjoyed that activity! Then there was another game where we had to throw little hacky sacks into a very high hoop. Everyone participated and everyone had fun!J Later on we had a festival and it was lots of fun! Everyone just went crazy and partied! Ellen, Bridie, and Georgia ran up on the stage and started dancing to the song Hey Mickey!  I didn’t want to get on the stage so I watched and laughed. Finally but sadly the festival was over!

At my host familiy's house I felt a bit unsure of what to do but my host mother was very nice to me and gave me some fun things to do and to watch. They enjoyed my interactive scrapbook about Auckland and my family and my first gift to them; dinner placemats with sheep on them! I also gave the children some books of NZ native animals to read about.

While with my host family, I went to a couple of famous places like The Yahoo Dome, and the Fukuoka Tower. I also went to a science fair and a Pokemon Festival on Pokemon Day!

In the school I made tons of friends and I had heaps of fun, We did calligraphy, drank tea, played tag, flew a kite, played with some traditional toys and did a math’s test - which I failed! The school exchange was over, but I managed to see a lot of the friends I had made there at Bridie's birthday and at the exercise classes.

My days with my host family ended so quickly. I gave them a large picture book of New Zealand, a sheepskin rug and a pair of slippers for each of the parents with a silver fern on them!

The last day of the trip all the junior ambassadors had a big party! The fireworks display was really amazing!

Finally it came to the time to go to the airport. I felt really sad and wasn't ready to go home. I kept trying to think of happy things and the new friends I had made. Once we got to the airport we saw all the other APCC children! It was really hard to say goodbye now and hold back from crying. We finally boarded the plane. I kept trying to cheer up Bridie, Ellen, and Georgia who couldn't help crying.

On the flight home I made some American friends who were very cool. It was also fun as we counted down Oscar's birthday. As well I got to be the flight attendant walking down the aisle giving out the Air New Zealand lollies to the passengers.

The captain finally announced we were going to land in Auckland. Peace ambassador Claire and I were the first ones to walk out of customs and see our families! There was mum waiting for me! Had I been good? Did I have fun? No more butterflies, no more fear or nervousness. Just a lot of fun memories of Fukuoka and all the international friends I had made! It was great to be back to everything I know but also great to know that I now have a second home!

Was it a worthwhile experience? Too right! Auckland City and Fukuoka are supporting a really fantastic idea to help foster world peace and build positive international relationships. I am grateful to have been chosen as an ambassador and will never forget this amazing trip! It really was a life changing experience!

Written by: Faafua Silipa

Georgia Petry

When I got to Fukuoka, Japan I was filled with excitement. I felt a tiny bit lonely for the first part of the day but when I bonded with the people in our cabin (Russians, Thailanders, Chinese) I felt very at home. A big thing that I noticed whilst I was in Japan was that even though I couldn't speak much Japanese and my host family and camp friends couldn't speak much English we seemed to get along as if we could understand each other perfectly. For example at camp the Russians, Thailanders, Chinese, Buhtan and New Zealanders played continuous games of bunk volleyball and we all acted as best friends towards each other. Also when I was staying with my host family the 3 children were also very fond of volleyball and we played many games of it. We also played Japanese style dodge ball and tenpin bowling when I was in Japan I found that it was very easy to bond with anybody and everybody; they were all very loving and caring towards us all.

Apart from my host family members my closest friend would of been my dormitory leader Erri. Erri is Japanese and can speak simple English, much like the rest of my roommates. She is very loving and made us all as comfortable as possible. The best thing about camp would have been.... EVERYTHING. From the games in the play hall, to the Japanese art lesson, to the bonding with other cultures, to the 'fantastic' meals, to the free time, to the bunk volleyball. Just everything and just when I didn't think that it could get any better I remembered we still had a week with our host families.

The week with our host family was probably the best week in my life. As soon as I met my host family I grew attached to them (which explains why the 4 girl JA's were crying from fukuoka to Tokyo!) my host family were like my real family. They acted as if I was their daughter, taking me everywhere, comforting me,offering to pay for things for me. They were all so generous and kind and I miss them very much!

We went to the mall alot and losts of the items there were rock bottom price!. My host brother who was 12 years old loved the arcade and my host family spent about $20 each time we 'dropped in there' but it was all fun. My host daughter (she is 10) loves dodgeball and she was always insisting on playing. Although I wasn't too keen for they all threw the ball really hard at you and the ball was not soft and spongey, more like steel although we played a lot but I changed the rules so that we used a plastic, blow up beach ball and then I was a lot more keen on joining in. My host mother Minako did everything to make me feel comfortable and tried very hard to learn some of the kiwi sayings such as "would you like your meat raw, medium or well done"? as I did visa versa. Nami (5) seemed to be my Japanese host, for example when we went to the supermarket, she would grab my hand and rush around showing me all of the best Japanese products (ice-creams, biscuits, chocolate and cakes), trying to explain to me what they were and how you ate them. My host brother Yaso (12) tried to play a Japanese verision of ygigho however I had no idea what to do so I just lay random cards down when it was my turn. Evidently I lost every time! My host dad yaso carried a Japanese to English pocket dictionary which was very useful! This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I wish I could go back to Japan again and again and again.

Georgia

Ashton Lee

Ashton wrote the following FUN speech about his trip to Japan for the APPA speech competition.

I've just returned from a free 2 week once in a lifetime trip to Japan.......

Okay so you may be thinking, SHOW-OFF but I bet the next thing is if he can do it then how can I get this super duper deal?. Well listen up and I'll share with you some inside information. You need to be good looking, have a wicked sense of humour and the brain of a rocket scientist!. Well maybe you'll need a bit more than that. You have to be 10 or 11 years old, so if you're older than me, you've simply missed the boat. The ability to be able to stuff as many souvenirs as you can into every centimetre of your already overweight and oversized suitcase is a must. You'll need massive amounts of coins to visit shrines, where you spend all your yen trying to get good luck which is given to you with each coin dropped into a wooden box.

Another necessity is a modest personality. Bathing in Japan is done with lots of others. At a Japanese bath house with my host brothers, we walked around, showered, bathed in spas and drank all completely naked.

Being able to have a limp wrist is an advantage in Japan. It will enable you to 'conge', to paint Japanese letters to impress your classmates and teacher, and it also gives you some great art work back home.

You need the ability to handle a pillow well. At camp the Russians are awesome opponents in the nightly pillow fight, they currently hold the record and we New Zealanders need to win it back!.

One of the more difficult parts of living in Japan is being treated like their royal king. Walking into your school and being mobbed for your autograph. These things you just have to adapt to.

With over 40 countries at the camp, you will need the ability to communicate in other languages. The Australians and New Zealanders decided that is sucked to be able to speak just one language, so we made up our own 2nd language, we named it VEGEMITE. Give it a go - Hemi means hello.

The last thing you'll need is to be able to make tough decisions like whether to ride the 2nd largest ferris wheel in the world; shop for a new wardrobe in the Gap store or visit Spaceworld and go on the 130km ride!. It can be a hard life sometimes.

So I guess if I had to make you a list, the following is an absolute must:

If you're pretty good with a limp wrist, have a great whack with a pillow; look good in your birthday suit; can fit a small car in your suitcase and don't mind being treated like a Hollywood star......... there are eight vacancies up for grabs, just maybe one of them is for you!.

Ashton Lee

Finn O'Connor-Morberg

I was really tired when I woke up at 4am. I got up and ate breakfast with astonishing speed! And raced out to the airport to meet the others!

We spent the time at the airport saying goodbye and checking the last minute things, then it was time to leave. We said goodbye with tears in our eyes and walked through the customs and security on to the flight. Half of us were so tired that we could have slept for the whole 10hr flight! But no one wanted to. We looked out the window and played on the TV's on the back of the seats! In the end I got about 4 hours sleep and the others probably got less but we didn't care.

As soon as we got off the plane I knew I was in Japan as we felt the heat that nearly swept us of our feet! We walked through the fantastic airport to catch our next flight from Tokyo to Fukuoka. At about 2-3 o'clock in the morning, we arrived at the marine house camp where had some food and then went to our cabins. Josh was my room mate and we probably both fell asleep as soon as our heads touched the pillow.

Over the next few days we all made friends with the other countries but I feel I got on best with the Philippines, Australia, Vietnam and Russia. We also gave out our gifts and had fun! Then in the evening we were all asked to have a bath together nude. The New Zealand boy's at first found this awkward but soon got used to it as we had to have one every night.

On the last night at camp we all got together and sang songs and also the New Zealand boys did the haka with the girls backing us up by singing.

In the morning we said goodbye to all our friends and exchanged e-mail address's with one another then the kiwis all got onto a bus and we were driven to Sunuko Elementary School where we met our host families and had lunch. I said goodbye to the others and went with my host family to their apartment.

We played in the park with some of my host brother's (Aran) friends. Then when we came back we had a bath together (they even had their own TV in the bathroom). After that we had dinner and went to bed.

When we woke up we went to school and I met the other J.A's who were there as well. We spent the day at school and I got to make some things and also had a shot at writing in Hiragana. The next days were much the same, going to school and catching up afterwards.

Then we had the festival! In downtown Fukuoka, there it was, gleaming with yellow and balloons in the air! We all found each other and talked for a while then we had to get changed into our performance costumes. We quickly ran down to the stage, got on and started doing our performance.

When we had finished our performance we headed back and we met up with some of our friends that we had made and went around talking and shouting about things! After the festival we went home and then headed out in the evening for the farewell party with just the J.A's and their host families. It was one of my favorite times on the whole trip.

We had some food then headed out beside the harbor and played with sparklers and I found that it was really nice to see children from different countries bonding and having a good time and it was REALLY pretty with the night sky and the water. We were all very sad when we left.

On the day of departure we were all pretty emotional and none of us wanted to leave. When we were walking through the departure gate half of us had tears in our eyes and we were all very lucky children. I think I speak for all of the J.A's when I say this was a truly remarkable experience.

By Finn

Joshua Campbell

On Thursday the 12th of July me, seven other junior ambassadors, two chaperones and two peace ambassadors went to Japan. On our way to Fukuoka our first stop was at Tokyo. We were there for quite a few hours but that was OK because we saw some kids on their way to the convention that came from Samoa, Tonga and Fiji.

Once we got to Fukuoka, we felt like royalty. At the airport they took photos of us. The Bridge Club hosts then took us in a bus straight to the Marine house camp. At marine house we got to meet heaps of kids from everywhere and every day when we got up, our early morning meetings were cancelled because of all the rain, but even though the rain was pouring it was still super hot.

We had the same food every day but I didn't mind because I ate everything in front of me. My favourite times at the Marine house were the sports day and swapping souvenirs. On our last night at camp before we went to our host families (the two peace ambassadors had to stay another two nights), we had an awesome get together with dancing and singing. The next day we were all so excited to meet our host families at the school. The Japanese school was a big building with about five floors.

We had to sit on the stage and get welcomed. Nearly everyone at that school is so kind and friendly to you. I enjoyed the science class and the calligraphy. Also their swimming pool is on the roof surrounded by buildings, most of those buildings were apartments. We had a swim one hot day. The school was quite different from what my school was like. They kept chickens and rabbits in the school yard and we all had lunch delivered to us in the classroom. At the school everyone had to wear special shoes but because my feet were so humungous I borrowed normal shoes from my host brother. I stayed in an apartment building on the 4th floor and was in the same building as two other kiwis. Me and my host brother walked to school which wasn't far.

My host dad took us to the hot springs because my host mum usually wanted to stay home and clean up. She wouldn't let me help clean up but I made my bed anyway. My two little host brothers liked me to chase them every night because they were very cheeky. I didn't get to go shopping but my host brother took me to a dairy where I found lots of Japanese key rings. We did our kapa haka performance in the weekend and it was a real buzz to do it in front of so many people, there were even some TV cameras filming us. On the second to last day my host parents took me to my host dad's temple. This was his temple as he was a master. He was so lucky because the whole temple was his territory but even though he was the master it would have been a hard job to teach other Japanese the Buddhism way. He showed me what to do in the temple and I wore a kimono.

One of the last nights all the NZ ambassadors had a dinner at a restaurant with all our host families and after dinner it was even more exciting as we had fireworks. Later on after all our fun, we had a rest before the saddest day, the day which we were to leave. All my fun times had gone so quick and before I knew it, it was time to go back to NZ.

At the airport I had to say goodbye and I was really sad and most of the girls were really crying. I had such a great time and enjoyed myself so much I didn't want to go home. I hope when I'm older I get to go back as a peace ambassador. I will never forget my journey to Japan.

Oscar Jones

The APCC is all about friendship, and if you've been selected please read this. The day before we left I got nervous, I thought I can't do this and that's when I slapped myself on the head and said to myself "of course I can!". So we left to Japan the next day and it was sad leaving our parents. All the mums (and dads) were all upset. We walked through the departure gates and set off on our journey.

The plane ride is long and boring but that's not half the experience. Then at 11 o'clock at night or was it 12?, we arrived at Marine House. Our room leader showed us to our rooms. You will be in a room with one other New Zealand Junior Ambassador. The next morning we went to breakfast, it was egg with fish and some salad. Do try it... if that's what you get I can't say its great but its all you get til lunch. Lunch is usually different and with some sort of ice block or ice cream, dinner is always different too.

In the mornings there is supposed to be a morning meeting except they were always cancelled while we were there. Remember whenever you leave your room, lock your suitcases because some of the girls misplaced their locks.

The last night at the camp there is a farewell party and everyone has a great time, they might make a giant conga line, its great fun. Next you will move on to the homestay.

At the homestay you will go to a school, at the school you will have heaps of fun. You might do calligraphy, you might do swimming, but either way its really fun. Then you'll just have a few days to be with your host family. You will do things like going to theme parks, to museums and temples, its real great fun and you'll really enjoy it. So have a great time in Japan and have the time of your life.

Clare Gallagher - Peace Ambassador

This year I attended the APCC as a Peace Ambassador (PA), 10 years after having participated as a Junior Ambassador (JA) in 1997. The role of the PA is to lead The Bridge Club of their country. This club exists to help maintain communication between the JA's who have been to Japan, connections with the Bridge Clubs and JA's from other countries, home-stay families, and encourage the JA's to remember and spread the open-minded, respectful and understanding attitudes learnt at the APCC.

In Japan, Amanda (the other NZ PA) and I spent half our time at the Marine Camp and the other half in a home-stay. There were 21 PA's from 16 different countries and we all attended many meetings to discuss our Bridge Clubs and help each other to make them more successful. In our free time at the camp (which we seemed to have hours of!) we talked to the other PA's and got to know about their countries, their experiences as a JA and why they wanted to come back as a PA. For most of us, our first time in Japan was an unforgettable experience that had shaped our ideas and increased our awareness of the world and we wanted to be part of it again. We believe that it is important to help the JA's stay in touch when they return home and develop the friendships they started in Japan.

While at the Marine camp the PA's had roles as volunteers which was lots of fun! I was on the restaurant team which involved handing out rice or chopsticks, etc, at mealtimes and it was a fantastic way to meet everyone at the camp. We also went exploring around the campgrounds nearby, played in the recreation centre with the JA's, and on one occasion joined in on a truth or dare game with the NZ JA's which resulted in me being dared to strut down the busy corridors like a super model (quite embarrassing, but better than eating the entire vegemite sachet!).

The most memorable moments of the Marine camp for me were watching the performances one evening which included one where the male Japanese volunteers dressed up as cheerleaders, with full make up and hairspray and performed a hilarious routine! Another night we had a small birthday party for two of the PA's. There were about 35 people squashed into one of the little rooms singing songs and all eager for some of the birthday cake we had been promised all day. The birthday cake ended up being two beautifully decorated cakes the size of saucers which had to be cut (with chopsticks because there were no knives) into the tiniest portions so that everyone could have a taste.

During the second half of the trip at the home-stay I managed to squeeze in lots of sightseeing around Fukuoka. We visited an amazing area called Dazaifu where we saw a Shrine that was dedicated to education and we also visited the stunning Kyushu national museum which is tucked away into the hillside. My host family knew I studied architecture and were fantastic at taking me to the most interesting old houses that used to be residences of Samurai and Japanese aristocracy. I had an incredible couple of days and learnt so much!

I was quite keen to do a bit of shopping in Japan and got very excited when Amanda and I got a chance to go one day. We began looking in one mall, which had seven stories of shops, and then discovered it was next to another seven floor mall, and that underneath them there was also a network of underground streets which crossed the road and linked onto a large department store which joined another department store... and it went on and on! We were both quite overwhelmed! We did our best to try to find bits and pieces for souvenirs and not become lost but found that shopping in such an enormous area with no idea what we wanted was quite a tricky mission.

The other great part of the home-stay was the fantastic Japanese food. After a week of cornflakes, rice and mysterious stews at the Marine camp I was ready to try anything different and particularly enjoyed raamen which is a soup and noodle dish that the Fukuoka region is known for. It is such a popular dish there that they have a place called the Raamen Stadium. The Raamen Stadium is on the top floor of a mall and where there are about eleven styles of raamen restaurants that you can choose to go to and my host father spent a great deal of time deliberating over which type of raamen we would eat for dinner!

On our last day in Fukuoka we went to a BBQ with all the PA's, their host families and some of the Marine Camp volunteers. It was a beautiful day and we had Japanese style BBQ food in a park that overlooked the sea.  Everyone had a chance to say goodbye to each other before we returned home and take pose for about 200 more photos!

Amanda and I are now very excited about running the NZ Bridge Club and have got lots of ideas about what to do. The Japanese Bridge Club members are so enthusiastic and supportive and have really encouraged us to do our best for the club for the year that we will be in charge of it. I learnt so much returning to Japan as a PA and think that the APCC is a very worthwhile experience.

Amanda Wallace - Peace Ambassador

When I found out that I had been selected as a Peace Ambassador to return to Japan after 5 years and have the opportunity to experience the trip again I was over the moon and very excited.

After the tiring, long flights it was nice to arrive at the Fukuoka airport to see many smiling faces and yellow t-shirts of the volunteers welcoming us. We spent the next five days at the Marine Camp where Clare, the other NZ Peace Ambassador and I attended meetings, gave a presentation of the NZ Bridge Club and got to know the other peace Ambassadors, volunteers and members of Bridge Club Japan. In the meetings we discussed future plans for the Bridge Club and how to improve and expand our own Bridge Club. There were many activities for the Junior Ambassadors (JA's) throughout the day, including a sports day and performance night where Ja's throughout the day, including a sports day and performance night where JA's showed their cultural performances. Everyone enjoyed dancing to 'The Macarena' and ended with the 'We are the Bridge' song which was very moving.

After five enjoyable days at the Marine Camp, we left to stay with our host families. I had a spacious room with a traditional Japanese futon bed. The shelves around the room were lined with ornaments which were given to the host family by other visitors. I even saw a kiwi!. My host family made sure that I was kept busy during the day taking me to a high school, Space World (Theme Park), shopping mall and English classes. I met with the host families from 2002 (when I was a JA) including my host family, the Uragami family. It was really great to see them again and see how much they had all grown up. They shared photos with me and we exchanged gifts. This brought back many happy memories from my previous trip.

The 'We are the Bridge' festival day was really fun!. I was proud to watch the NZ JA's performing their item along with may other countries. I also met many of my past home stays who stayed with me in NZ. Over the time I spent at my host family I leant a lot about Japan and enjoyed experiencing the Japanese culture. The day before our flight all of the Peace Ambassadors and members from Bridge Club Japan met up for a Farewell BBQ, where we enjoyed the hot, sunny weather and the activities they had for us. I particularly enjoyed the watermelon game, where I was blindfolded and given a stick to smash open the watermelon but unfortunately missed it twice!!.

It was really sad to say goodbye to everyone but we all knew that we would keep in contact and meet again sometime. I made so many new friends in Japan and now understand much more about the different cultures. I want to keep the NZ Bridge Club active by having quarterly meetings and regular activities planned. I will definitely keep in contact with all the people I met in Japan through email and letters.

I strongly encourage the past JA's to apply to be a PA because it is a very rewarding experience and I have many happy memories which I will never forget.

Maree McInerney

Our trip to the 19th Asian-Pacific Children's Convention in Fukuoka this year was just fabulous! ....... Firstly here's a bit of background on the convention so you understand how and why the journey came about.

The Asian-Pacific Children's Convention is an organisation which aims to promote international co-operation between children so that they will grow into adults who have a strong sense of their identity as a 'Global Citizen', someone who is aware of their social responsibility for people in every country or region. The APCC was founded by Fukuoka Junior Chamber in 1989 as part of the Asian-Pacific Exhibition. The first APCC was such a success that the organisers decided to hold it again the next year. The APCC is now in its 19th year. Children from more than 30 countries/regions throughout the Asian-Pacific area take part in the APCC every year. Since 1989, more than 6000 Junior Ambassadors have visited Fukuoka. Junior Ambassadors are chosen for a variety of reasons, but in order to be qualified, they must demonstrate that they believe in the APCC philosophy and are capable of spending about 2 weeks staying in a foreign country, with a willingness to always do their best and to try all the new experiences that are offered.

This year 336 children from 46 different places all over the Asia-Pacific region took part in the convention. Our New Zealand delegation consisted of 8 Junior Ambassadors (all 10 or 11 years old ), two Peace Ambassadors (aged 20 and 16, who had both been to Japan as Junior Ambassadors when they were 11 years old) and two chaperones (Maree McInerney and Abigael Vogt).

As the long anticipated day of our departure for Japan dawned, we set off on 12th July, 2007 with a pre-dawn arrival at Auckland airport. After farewelling a lot sad parents, we flew for 11 hours on an Air New Zealand 777 aircraft from Auckland to Tokyo (Narita International airport), then after a wait of a couple of hours in transit, boarded our Japan Airlines flight to Fukuoka - with a flight time of 1 hour and 55 minutes. By this time we were all starting to fade a little, and to our disappointment, as we approached Fukuoka airport the pilot announced that we would have to go into a holding pattern over the airport as the bad weather would not allow us to land. After circling for what seemed like an eternity, the weather improved enough for us to descend in to Fukuoka. As we came through customs, we were greeted by a wall of waving, smiling yellow-t-shirted APCC volunteers, who snapped a group photo of us (yikes, after such a long journey we weren't prepared for a photo - which would later be printed in a newspaper!) then escorted us to a bus, which took us to Marine Camp (our base for the next few days).

We arrived at Marine Camp very late at night. Upon locating our Chaperone sleeping quarters, Abi and I realised there was no bedding for us! ..... a rapid trip to locate a volunteer who could assist us was required, and after much deliberation, two futons (sleeping mats) were located. We were finally able to retire to the land of nod (more than 24 hours after we set off from our homes in Auckland).

It rained and rained and rained some more at camp as a tail of a typhoon was skirting around Fukuoka. The wind was so fierce the staff at Marine Camp had to tie down many items in the camp grounds and take the portable showers away. The rain put paid to a lot of outdoor activities and the morning assembly was cancelled every day we were there. However the children didn't allow the inclement weather to dampen their spirits and set about meeting and mingling with the other camp residents with great vigour, exchanging business cards and small gifts. There were many planned activities to keep us busy, and the New Zealand children had been set the task of completing a questionnaire with 2 other Junior Ambassadors from countries they had a particular interest in. July is the rainy season in Japan, and it also steamy hot!! (temperatures can reach the mid 30's) but you soon adjust to it.

Every year more than 500 volunteers (mostly young local Fukuoka residents) support the APCC. Their job is to make sure that the APCC runs smoothly and that all of the Junior Ambassadors /Peace Ambassadors and Chaperones have a good time in Japan. And boy do they work hard ......... they appear to be toiling away in the APCC Office until the early hours of the morning, and then back again at their post a few hours later after a quick nap ready for another day. They face many challenges in their role as volunteers, one example of cross-cultural misunderstanding was 'The Great Coffee Revolt'!!!. This year the chaperones did not have access to any coffee or tea, and those of us who were more than a little addicted to the beverage banded together to have this rule amended/softened. Negotiations were tense at times, with neither side willing to bend. Finally a truce was brokered, and coffee and tea were made available for an hour a day ....... believe me, this window of opportunity was VERY well patronised, in-fact the two cup coffee maker almost blew up from over-exertion!!. Watching the reactions of various chaperones and the Japanese staff during this incident was very amusing indeed ....... particularly the Samoan chaperone who was the Great Coffee Revolt ring-leader, she certainly could rally the troops.

The weather fortunately fined up just in time for the camp Sports Day, where all the children were split into teams and participated in various events such as crawling in a piece of cardboard like a tank wheel and throwing balls into a hoop faster than the other teams.

Upon leaving Marine camp, we were driven to meet our host families. They had prepared a lovely welcome meal for us (consisting of many of the foods they thought we would like such as: Watermelon, Ice creams, sausages, chips, chicken nibbles, pancakes and grape Fanta). As we ate, we got to know our host families. After the meal and a few games we all went home on our own with our host families for the night.

The next morning we all met up again at Sunoko Elementary School (all the Junior Ambassadors were staying with students from this school). We attended school for 4 days, sitting in on various classes. This school is a central city primary school with a roll of around 250 children (the roll is apparently rapidly declining). The teachers and students were all extremely welcoming, and the bravest of them were excited to try out their English on us!. The formality in the staff room was quite interesting, with a definite rank amongst the teachers. I arrived at school at 7am each morning (with my host father who was the head teacher), he said he normally arrived at school by 6am but had been given an hour's reprieve while I was staying, as the principal wanted to let me sleep in a little longer!.

The school principal (Mrs Mori) took me on a wonderful evening tour of Fukuoka (taking in Fukuoka museum; Fukuoka Tower and a very authentic Japanese restaurant where we sat in a little booth with a sliding door and tatami matting, served by a kimono clad waitress). Elementary school students in Japan are all provided with a school lunch each day, and have turns at dishing out the lunch to all their classmates (as lunch monitor), I did notice that some portions were enormous and others were very stingy!! ... it seemed to be the luck of the draw as to how much you got, especially if you were in a class with the very young children. The year 1 and 2 students wear yellow plastic hats and bibs over their school bags when they are outside the school grounds to make them more visible and walk to school in a walking school bus.

All the New Zealand children took part in a swimming class at the school. Most of the students had cloth-like swim caps and towels with elastic around the top and buttons down the front so you could wear it like a cape or skirt. Everyone had to walk through a very cold shower before getting into the pool, and I was told that when the queue banked up you could get trapped under a freezing blast of water for quite some time!. Many squeals of shock were heard coming from the changing shed.

Standard issue sandshoes are worn by all students in the school. You always take your street shoes off and change into your uniform sandshoes when you enter the school building. Abi and I had to wear plastic slippers as the sandshoes only go up to a certain size and I'm afraid our feet were a little on the large side (by Japanese standards).

Every year a Chaperone Symposium is held during the convention, at which the chaperones come together to discuss a pre-determined topic (this year it was Education). Unfortunately, due to the typhoon the Chaperone Symposium was cancelled this year. The New Zealand chaperones and Peace Ambassadors did however attend a meeting to discuss the future direction of the APCC and plans for next year's 20th anniversary.

The meals at my homestay were extraordinarily delicious!!. Totally Japanese and just so fresh. A word of warning to those who attend the convention in the future - they will ask you to fill in a form before you go outlining your culinary preferences. What you write down on this form will be taken AS GOSPEL, so if you say you like something, you are liable to be given it every day!!!. Or they will go to a lot of trouble to obtain that food for you ..... which can prove embarrassing. I had stated on my form that I loved Japanese food, and was very pleased with the resulting plethora of Japanese delights served up.

My host family took me to visit a fish market, which was fascinating. To my horror, they casually pointed out quite a large display of whale meat, saying that it was delicious. The variety of quantity of fish and seafood was quite astounding. One night I attended an Aikido class with my host father (as an observer I hasten to mention), which I found fascinating. Some of the class members were so supple they could bend backwards and touch the floor with their heads!. My host father told me he found it essential to keep up his Aikido classes as an antidote to the stress of his life.

The Japanese department stores are wonderful, as are the ever attentive and plentiful staff. There is always a food department on the lower-ground level of each department store. These were a feast to my eyes, with everything so beautifully displayed. In the top department stores there are even attendants in the lifts (wearing hats and gloves). I must say, upon my return to New Zealand I was utterly shocked by the lack lustre service I witnessed. After travelling, there is always a period of a few days following your return when you are able to view New Zealand through the eyes of a foreigner ..... I think we have an awful lot of catching up to do in the service department in order to reach the sublime Japanese standards.

My lovely host dog (My Host family's pet) was a Japanese Shiba named 'Ken'. Whilst sitting on the floor with Ken at my side, they told me that this breed of dog can easily bring down a bear ..... I was slightly more wary of him after that. He was treated as a prince in the house ..... having his teeth brushed every evening and his legs showered down and blow dried after his twice daily walk in the park.

I was lucky enough to visit a Buddhist Temple in Fukuoka, where the head monk asked whether I would like to ring the temple bell (an enormous bell with a wooden pole which you pull back with rope to strike/ring). One of the monks showed me how to ring it, then I tried it on my own. It took quite a lot of strength to pull the pole back after striking the bell so it didn't hit it a second time. The bell rang out through the neighbourhood. I was told you should pray under the bell until the echo stops. I think the temple was one of the most peaceful places I have ever been.

The 'We are the Bridge Festival' was held on the 21st July in a large outdoor square in downtown Fukuoka. There were 3 stages in the square, with simultaneous performances on them by all the participating countries/regions at the convention. The New Zealand Junior Ambassadors wowed the substantial audience with a 5 minute Kapa Haka routine, including rakau and poi, then went on to record a message for the Eco Asia 2007 conference on camera. The New Zealand message ( thought up by Junior Ambassador Oscar Jones ) was 'If you cut down one tree, plant two more'.

Leaving our host families at Fukuoka airport was a real wrench, with many a tear shed and a mournful looks backward as we made our way through the departure gate, homeward bound. I think we all felt sad that we couldn't stay a bit longer as we were really getting into the swing of life in Japan.

We flew from Fukuoka to Narita. Tokyo's Narita International airport is absolutely vast and modern with a monorail taking you between terminal buildings. The departure board is so huge with departures listed to every part of the globe.

From Tokyo we flew to Auckland (via Christchurch ), arriving home at around mid-day on the 26th July.

After Junior Ambassadors return from Japan, they naturally want to stay in touch with the children they have been to the convention with, and also to meet the Junior Ambassadors from precious years. This is possible through the New Zealand Bridge Club, run each year by the Peace Ambassador who has attended the last convention. Junior Ambassadors can join the Bridge Club and participate in various activities organised by the club. There is also a link with other Bridge Clubs around the Asia-Pacific area and hopefully in the future we are working towards setting up joint ventures with other Bridge Clubs.

We all forged many friendships in Japan and gained a far better understanding of Japanese society and its nuances. On top of which, we had a wonderful time and all definitely have a strong desire to return there one day.