Surprise Classroom Visit

My Culture and Education class professor, Koji Sensei, found me during lunch and asked me if I would sit in on his class with Japanese students and make comments. The class is discussion-based and conducted in English. Today, his students came to class having read Obama's inaugural address and having analyzed specific parts that resonated with them. Various students presented a three-minute summary of why they thought their chosen part of the inaugural address was important, and what it meant to them. Myself and two other exchange students from the United States also contributed with our views as American citizens. We talked about the United States' responsibility to itself and to the rest of the world in terms of respect and philanthropy. We tried to analyze how human love could be used as a tactic to help motivate the United States to solve its own internal dilemmas and help other countries ameliorate their own policies and lifestyles. We also contemplated the meaning of global citizenship, being responsible for the world in times of increasing interconnectedness. I don't always study politics, so I tried to give my opinions as best as possible and analyze what the students said to the best of my ability, yet I sometimes felt slightly unsure of what to say.

On a different note, I'm currently occupied with travel plans. I'm heading off to Tokyo tomorrow, so I need to pack my backpack for my two-night stay with my host family of three years ago. I also need to study for my Japanese test that I have tomorrow morning!!!