This past summer I had the opportunity to accompany Soai University students to Honolulu, where they participated in a three-week English study program (N.I.C.E.) at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  The students stayed at a dormitory not far from the university and attended English classes every weekday morning until lunch time. In the afternoons they could participate in informal language exchange with UH students or attend various extra activities such as hula dancing lessons, a concert of Hawaiian music at the Honolulu Zoo, and hiking on the famous Diamond Head on the east end of Honolulu. On weekends they had free time to explore the city and the island, or just go to the beach!

      My favorite experience during my week with the students was when  I took them on a Saturday walking tour of downtown Honolulu. We started in Chinatown, where we of course had lunch. Then we walked through the old merchant district, where some of the buildings date back to the 1860's-1880's. Because we were on foot, we could enjoy the details of the  classic 19^th century architecture. We soon reached the waterfront and the Aloha Tower. This is where the big cruise ships used to come in, bringing tourists from the mainland USA and other places in the days before commercial airline travel took over. (In fact my own grandfather, Capt. James Rasmussen, had an office near the Tower when he worked in Honolulu Port from around 1920 until 1938. My mother was born and raised in Honolulu, so it is always a pleasure for me to visit.)  After a cold glass of fresh pineapple and coconut juice, we walked on to Iolani Palace, the elegant European style home of Hawaii's Kings and Queens from the 1880's until the last monarch, Queen Lili'uokalani, was deposed in 1891.

       Our students had a great stay in Hawaii, making new friends, improving their English, learning about local culture and gaining new confidence in themselves. When time came to return to Japan, they felt their time there had not been enough.

      Kaigaikenshu programs are open to all students of Soai University and we expect to offer a similar program next year if there is interest from students.

                                              Aloha,

                                                                    Teresa Bruner Cox