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Arrested development?
Eiji Erai laughs after Roseburg Police Capt. Jerry Matthews handcuffed him outside Roseburg City Hall Friday afternoon. At right, Kazuko Takahashi, in pink, and other delegates smile at Arai's predicament. The Shobu, Japan, sister city delegates talked to city officials and looked over police and fire vehicles during their tour of the city.
The sunshine came just in time Friday for the first adventure of Roseburg's sister city delegation from Shobu, Japan.
A trip to Grants Pass with the visitors' local hosts and counterparts offered a day of wind in their hair and river spray on their faces during a Hellgate jet boat excursion on the Rogue River.
"The weather is very fine," said Takashi Hirasawa, the president of the Shobu delegation, while visiting Roseburg City Hall Friday after the Grants Pass trip.
He and 10 other visitors from Shobu went on a hurried visit to City Hall before they were rushed to the homes of their host families to prepare for a welcome reception later that night at Roseburg High School.
The 45-minute trip to the city's hub was full of laughter, snapshots and handshakes.
The delegation learned that Mayor Larry Rich doesn't get paid for being the mayor, so he keeps his day job as Roseburg High School's assistant principal. They posed in front of the city's emergency vehicles and one delegation member even ended up in handcuffs for a laugh.
A trip to Grants Pass with the visitors' local hosts and counterparts offered a day of wind in their hair and river spray on their faces during a Hellgate jet boat excursion on the Rogue River.
"The weather is very fine," said Takashi Hirasawa, the president of the Shobu delegation, while visiting Roseburg City Hall Friday after the Grants Pass trip.
He and 10 other visitors from Shobu went on a hurried visit to City Hall before they were rushed to the homes of their host families to prepare for a welcome reception later that night at Roseburg High School.
The 45-minute trip to the city's hub was full of laughter, snapshots and handshakes.
The delegation learned that Mayor Larry Rich doesn't get paid for being the mayor, so he keeps his day job as Roseburg High School's assistant principal. They posed in front of the city's emergency vehicles and one delegation member even ended up in handcuffs for a laugh.
Roseburg City Manager Eric Swanson noted how proud the city is to have Shobu as its sister city, pointing out the artwork from the Umpqua Valley Arts Association's Shobu collection hanging on the council chamber walls.
"As you can see, we are reminded of that constantly," he told the group with the help of a translator.
The group began their weeklong trip from home Thursday night. Their weekend tour of Roseburg included Friday's jaunts, a day with host families Saturday and a farewell barbecue at the Armstrong ranch in Umpqua. From there, they left for Canada for a few more days of sightseeing before heading home.
The sister city program has been an official exchange for 12 years, extending from the student exchange program begun by the late Harold Winfield, who taught at Joseph Lane Middle School.
"It's three days of an opportunity to get to know them and learn about their traditions and culture," Rich said of the group's visit.
Wallace Taylor of Roseburg has hosted visitors from Shobu for several years. He already knew the couple he's hosting this year, Eiji and Hamako Arai, saying "it's just like old friends come to visit."
"I love the people," he said. "We've been over there six times so we've got a lot of friends over there."
One of the Japanese traditions he especially appreciates is the respect families have for their elders. Traditionally, the oldest son moves into the second floor of the family home so he can take care of his aging parents.
"I think that's a wonderful tradition," he said.
H.D. Honscheid, Roseburg's delegation vice president, is excited to visit Shobu this fall with the other local delegates. He'll be staying with the family he hosted last year and said it's a good opportunity to learn how to "nonverbally communicate."
"They may talk different, but they're still like us," he said.
Jon Burpee, the delegation's president, will also be heading to Shobu in the fall.
"The trip is like you're a child, and they just take you everywhere and treat you like royalty," he said, adding that he enjoys having the chance to return the favor.
As of Friday, Hirasawa, who visited Roseburg four years ago, seemed to be enjoying his time here.
He was particularly excited to see an eagle nesting while floating the river on the jet boats.
"I saw the national bird ... the eagle ... on the top of the tree," he said. "That was very agreeable and peaceful."
* You can reach reporter Chelsea Duncan at 957-4246 or by e-mail at cduncan@newsreview.info.
"As you can see, we are reminded of that constantly," he told the group with the help of a translator.
The group began their weeklong trip from home Thursday night. Their weekend tour of Roseburg included Friday's jaunts, a day with host families Saturday and a farewell barbecue at the Armstrong ranch in Umpqua. From there, they left for Canada for a few more days of sightseeing before heading home.
The sister city program has been an official exchange for 12 years, extending from the student exchange program begun by the late Harold Winfield, who taught at Joseph Lane Middle School.
"It's three days of an opportunity to get to know them and learn about their traditions and culture," Rich said of the group's visit.
Wallace Taylor of Roseburg has hosted visitors from Shobu for several years. He already knew the couple he's hosting this year, Eiji and Hamako Arai, saying "it's just like old friends come to visit."
"I love the people," he said. "We've been over there six times so we've got a lot of friends over there."
One of the Japanese traditions he especially appreciates is the respect families have for their elders. Traditionally, the oldest son moves into the second floor of the family home so he can take care of his aging parents.
"I think that's a wonderful tradition," he said.
H.D. Honscheid, Roseburg's delegation vice president, is excited to visit Shobu this fall with the other local delegates. He'll be staying with the family he hosted last year and said it's a good opportunity to learn how to "nonverbally communicate."
"They may talk different, but they're still like us," he said.
Jon Burpee, the delegation's president, will also be heading to Shobu in the fall.
"The trip is like you're a child, and they just take you everywhere and treat you like royalty," he said, adding that he enjoys having the chance to return the favor.
As of Friday, Hirasawa, who visited Roseburg four years ago, seemed to be enjoying his time here.
He was particularly excited to see an eagle nesting while floating the river on the jet boats.
"I saw the national bird ... the eagle ... on the top of the tree," he said. "That was very agreeable and peaceful."
* You can reach reporter Chelsea Duncan at 957-4246 or by e-mail at cduncan@newsreview.info.
Sister city ambassadors sought
Applications are still being accepted for those interested in being an ambassador for the Roseburg sister city delegation, which will head to Shobu Oct. 18-27. A maximum of 20 delegates will be chosen to represent Roseburg.
Delegates will get to take in Japan’s fall season colors, be greeted at a formal reception and stay with Japanese host families. The trip will also include visits to the city’s Cultural Center and Town Hall, day trips, a visit to a spa area and a three-day trip to the mountains. Information: Jon Burpee, 672-2536 or jburpee@rosenet.net. For more information about the sister city program, visit www.roseburg-sister-cities.org. |
