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Nanae’s 2013 Fall Concord Delegation

On Tuesday, December 18th at the Nanae Culture Center, we held our final debriefing session for the 2013 autumn delegation trip to Concord.  Family, friends, school principals and teachers all came to listen to this year’s delegation members talk about their experience in Concord.

Nanae High School students present on their experience during this year's delegation (PHOTO BY EMI KIMURA)
Nanae High School students present on their experience during this year’s delegation
(PHOTO BY EMI KIMURA)
Nanae Middle School students answer questions and remark on their experience in Concord (PHOTO BY EMI KIMURA)
Nanae Middle School students answer questions and remark on their experience in Concord (PHOTO BY EMI KIMURA)

This year’s delegation trip (including travel time) spanned from October 1st – 11th.  The group was composed of 3 high school students, 5 middle school students and 6 adults.  We spent our first 6 days in Concord, where each member stayed with a host family.  After a day of sightseeing in Boston, and a night in a hotel, we boarded our return flight from Boston to Tokyo.

Group photo on our day of departure from Hakodate International Airport, featuring Nanae Superintendent Mr. Yoshida. The sign reads: "Nanae - Concord Sisiter City Exchange Delegation".
Group photo on our day of departure from Hakodate International Airport, featuring Nanae Superintendent Mr. Yoshida. The sign reads: “Nanae – Concord Sisiter City Exchange Delegation” (PHOTO BY KOJI TERAYA)

Below I’d like to share a recap, as well as some of my own thoughts on this year’s delegation:

When the day came to depart on this year’s delegation trip to Concord, I was feeling a little nervous.  Unlike past delegations, our group had very few members who spoke English or had ever traveled to America, so I had been told I would be relied on as both a guide and translator.  However, Continue reading “Nanae’s 2013 Fall Concord Delegation”

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Fall 2012 Delegation Arrives!

After a trying evening of delays, missed flights, and an overnight in Chicago, Nanae’s 2012 Fall delegation made it safely to Concord yesterday! Tonight we will be celebrating the 15th anniversary of our sister city relationship. Watch our Flickr Photostream for photographs from the celebration and the dinner, and, Wi-Fi permitting, TUNE IN at 4:00PM Eastern Standard Time for a live video covering the Mayor’s presentation at the Concord Town House!

-Former CIR Ben Mirin

The Live Video:

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Impressions of CCHS: Nanae HS English Club

By Ben Mirin, CIR, on ConcordNanae.org and via Qik Live video

Last Friday, I showed this movie (in Japanese) to this year’s English Club at Nanae High School.  Produced by Nanae student delegates who visited Concord in 2010, the movie documents Japanese middle- and high-school student observations about Concord-Carlisle High School, where the delegates spent a week attending classes, touring the campus, and experiencing American high school life.

After showing the movie I asked our English Club students to identify differences they noticed in the video between CCHS and their own NHS.

If you’re a Concord student and you’ve been to Nanae, post some of your reactions after reading in the comment section below, or post them on our Facebook Page ! What was different about Nanae High School from CCHS?

Here’s what the Nanae students said:

Takanori Abe (2nd-year student, Class 2, 2011 Band Delegate to Concord):

It’s interesting that the bell at CCHS marks the end of class.  I was very surprised.  In Japan, the bell marks the start of class.

Chinami Takada (1st-year student), Akira Kimura (1st-year student, Class 3), & Shiori Wada (3rd-year student):

There is a big cafeteria in CCHS, but we have no cafeteria in our high school.  Students in Concord also have no school uniform, just like university students in Japan.

Ayu Kosugi (3rd-year student):

Students in Concord can use computers freely at any time.  We cannot.

Generally, I think CCHS is bigger than Nanae High School.

Continue reading “Impressions of CCHS: Nanae HS English Club”

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Sister Cities Ep 9: Looking Back (Part 1)

Produced by Nanae International Relations and Domestic Affairs
Directed by the CIR

This is part 1 of the final interview for the Sister City Series, with Azuma Miyata, Chief of Nanae Town’s General Affairs Section and the leader of the largest delegation ever to visit Concord. Enjoy, and stay tuned for part 2 next week!

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To submit suggestions for future content, please email concordnanae@gmail.com. Thank you for visiting ConcordNanae.org.

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Sister Cities Ep. 6 Full Translation

Produced by Nanae International Relations and Domestic Affairs
Directed by the CIR

Here, for now, is the final version of Episode 6, with Japanese translation. Please enjoy revisiting the highlights of this episode while we continue working through the glitches currently delaying the production of Episode 8!

Please consider leaving a comment on this post in the comment section below, or subscribing to the RSS feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.

To submit suggestions for future content, please email concordnanae@gmail.com. Thank you for visiting ConcordNanae.org.

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Sister Cities Ep.7: Community Concert w/ Katsuyuki Onodera

By Ben Mirin, CIR

It’s Golden Week in Japan, which means our posting schedule is a little irregular.  The cherry blossoms are finally emerging all over Nanae, and the weather accurately reflects the time of year.

Happy Spring!

Please consider leaving a comment on this post in the comment section below, or subscribing to the RSS feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.

To submit suggestions for future content, please email concordnanae@gmail.com. Thank you for visiting ConcordNanae.org.

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Sister Cities Ep 7 Sneak Peek

By Ben Mirin, CIR

September 25th, 2011: An interview shot during last year’s historic community concert between the Nanae and Concord-Carlisle High School bands. Featuring Susan Erickson and Robin Cicchetti

Stay tuned for the next episode, in which I’ll sit down with beloved Nanae Band Director, Katsuyuki Onodera-sensei. We’ll be talking about the concert, and enjoying a special backstage interview with CCHS Band Director, Al Dentino!