*URGENT ENROLL TO LOCK PRICE

The paper you received on the Trip Decision day that shows the price of each trip is the price that is available till MARCH 31,2011. If you do NOT ENROLL before MARCH 31,2011 the prices will increase! SO HURRY SOON! Visit eftours.com, click log in, then click enroll on a tour and enter the tour number and then follow the steps to enroll on the trip!
Note: Even if it says to Europe ENROLL ANYWAY, the company will fix this soon but it is OKAY to enroll, the intinerary will be fixed soon!

*URGENT DISCOUNT FOR TRIP ENDS SOON

 Along with the price lock comes a DISCOUNT but it only last until MONDAY FEBRAURY 28, 2011! If you enroll to the trip before FEBRAURY 28 you can get 150 OFF the LOCKED IN PRICE! When you pay the enrollment fee you lock the price that is set! When you enroll to the tour number the trip will show to Spain and whatnot but DONT NOT WORRY enroll anyway and the intinerary will be fixed soon so we all can be part of this discount!

Thank You Mario!

Thank You Mario V. for visiting my blog. I hope you found my information useful to our future trip. Comments and feedback would be appreciated to improve the blog or the information on it or if you have any questions.

Yukata Kimono Market Sakura

If anyone of any age wants to take a deeper stroll into the customs of Japan, I have found a great sight that is wonderful and helpful for people would like to take that stroll. It is by choice if you order one but the Yukata Kimono Market Sakura is a business in Japan that sells new handmade kimonos and yukatas that are authentic without the major price due to the silk of traditional kimonos and yukatas. A kimono is a Japanese traditional garment worn by women, men and children. The word "kimono", which literally means a "thing to wear" (ki "wear" and mono "thing"),has come to denote these full-length robes.
Kimonos are T-shaped, straight-lined robes worn so that the hem falls to the ankle, with attached collars and long, wide sleeves. Kimonos are wrapped around the body, always with the left side over the right (except when dressing the dead for burial),and secured by a sash called an obi, which is tied at the back. Kimonos are generally worn with traditional footwear (especially zōri or geta) and split-toe socks (tabi). A yukata is a Japanese garment, a casual summer kimono usually made of cotton. People wearing yukata are a common sight in Japan at fireworks displays, bon-odori festivals, and other summer events. The yukata is also frequently worn after bathing at traditional Japanese inns. Though their use is not limited to after-bath wear, yukata literally means bath(ing) clothes.
Like other forms of traditional Japanese clothing yukata are made with straight seams and wide sleeves. Unlike formal kimono, which are made of silk (the site sells both silk and cotton with a major price difference between the two), yukata are typically made of cotton or synthetic fabrics, and are unlined. Wearing the customs helps people understand a deeper meaning of Japanese Culture. This site http://www.kimono-yukata-market.com/ is a great place to find newly made kimonos and yukatas made of cotton. It is a bit costly but for those who WANT to buy, I recommend this site only because the product is brand new compared to other sites and is made of cotton with a lower price than other sites. SO many selections and beautiful wear for everyone at any age.

Tour Number*URGENT*

For all those who have recieved an enrollment booklet, it was discovered today that the TOUR NUMBER is INCORRECT. If you have tried to enroll with the current tour number EF Tours will notify you that you cannot enroll because it is 35 days till the tour. This is because that enrollment number is for 2011 Europe Trip. For the correct enrollment number, Ms.Aguirre will email those who have given her their email. For all those new to this information and have not given Ms.Aguirre your email you can send me and email(isabelrivera96@gmail.com) and I will provide you with the correct tour number if you are willing to go to JAPAN! I hope you didn't get fustrated with this mistake. I hope everyone can go to Japan.

-Izzy

The Lunches that are not inlcuded in the Total Cost

The reason EF Tours does not provide the lunch cost and that we must pay from our own pocket is due to the fact that they want us to have our own choices to eat where we want to eat. Local or far we can choose where we want to go for any authentic meal. Don't you think that sounds like a fantastic idea? Freedom through a very organzied trip!!!!

Comments, Feedback and Questions

Feel free to leave comments, feedback or questions you may have to improve this trip. I will always be connected with Ms.Aguirre to ensure you have the most up to date information.

QUICKLY BEFORE TIME RUNS OUT!!!

All who are for sure intrested in Japan and want to go it is very IMPORTANT that you pay the ENROLLMENT FEE EARLY so you lock the price and it does not rise.  REMEMBER...THE EARLY BIRD GETS THE WORM!!!  To get more information stop by Ms.Aguirre's room C107 or visit the official tour website at eftours.com

PS. When will you ever say you took an awesome trip to the most modern and beautiful place on the planet with your friends...I hope you can NOW say YES!!!

Don't EVER WORRY...we have ONE WHOLE YEAR to plan and save money as a TEAM!!!

Japan WON!!!

Japan won! My knees were knocking when I saw that Italy and the South Pacific got twos and threes with very few voters. Japan was next and I shot my hand into the air along with my mother and friends. 5 votes and the election was over. Japan won the election and my throat swelled. There will be more information on the trip and the culture of Japan on my blog. I thank all the parents and students who came and voted for Japan and Lastly, I thank Ms. Aguirre for planning these exciting adventures for us. Fundraising will be very important to ensure many kids can experience Japan. No more McDonalds or Starbucks folks...we need to save our mula now. For all who couldn't or did not attend there is still much room on board. Come by Ms. Aguirre's room and ask for an Enrollment form. We are going to Japan in 2012 for 9 DAYS!!!

February 21

Today is the day folks! The Day Japan WILL BE PICKED. I will hopefully record this exciting event(exctiting for me anyway) and post it up with the GOOD NEWS. See you at 5:30PM tonight!!!

Orquesta de La Luz - Descarga de La Luz

Izzy is Puerto Rican with a pinch of Mexican whom has extremely high interests in Japan...but don't you ever think people in Japan are the same as me but opposite. Here's PROOF! They are interested in my culture as I am theirs so....both cultures can have a taste of the other!!!

High School and College Credit with EF Tours

High school credit

Students can earn an official transcript from EF when they demonstrate their increased global awareness through projects completed before, during and after their tour. Students who participate in EF's credit program will benefit from an enhanced tour experience; deeper learning takes place when an international experience is supplemented with pre-tour and post-tour projects. Upon approval, students may have this credit added to their high school transcript, or they can keep their EF transcript separate and submit it as an additional course when applying to universities.

 

College Credit is also available!

What is included in the program fee...

Program fee includes:

Airfare: Round-trip flights
Transportation: Comfortable motorcoach • Bullet train (with extension)
Accommodations: 7 overnight stays in hotels with private bathrooms (9 with extension)
Meals: Breakfast and dinner daily
Tour director: Full-time EF Tour Director
Sightseeing: 2 sightseeing tours led by licensed local guides (3 with extension)

Optional excursions: Nikko • Nara

Approximate Trip Activities!

2012 itinerary, valid from 10/1/2011 to 9/30/2012

Day 1

 - Fly overnight to Japan

Day 2

 - Tokyo

Arrive in Tokyo

Day 3

 - Tokyo

Take a guided tour of Tokyo:

·         Harajuku shopping district

·         Imperial Palace Plaza

Visit the Meiji Shinto Shrine
Visit Asakusa Kannon Temple
Enjoy a tempura dinner

Day 4

 - Tokyo

Optional: Nikko:

·         Toshugo Shrine

·         Kegon Waterfall

·         Lake Chuzenji

Day 5

 - Kamakura • Hakone

Travel to KamakuraSee the Great Image of Buddha
Continue on to Hakone
Spend the night in a traditional Japanese ryokan

Day 6

 - Hakone • Kyoto

Tour Hakone National Park
Take a cruise on Lake Hakone
Ride a cable car up Mount Komagatake
Take a bullet train to Kyoto

Day 7

 - Kyoto

Take a guided tour of Kyoto
Visit Nijo Castle
Enjoy a Kimono Show
Visit the Gold Pavilion
Optional: Nara

·         Todaiji Temple

·         Deer Park

·         Kasuga Shrine

Day 8

 - Kyoto • Osaka

Visit Inari Taisha Shrine
Travel to Osaka Visit Osaka Castle
Enjoy an okonomiyaki dinner

Day 9

 - Depart for home

 - 2-DAY TOUR EXTENSION

Day 9

 - Osaka • Hiroshima

Take a bullet train from Osaka to Hiroshima
Take an excursion to Miyajima Park
Visit Istukushima Shrine
Take a guided tour of Hiroshima
Visit the Peace Memorial Museum

Day 10

 - Osaka

Visit Himeji Castle
Return to Osaka

Day 11

 - Depart for home

News on Trip-Febraury 16

I have done much research on companies to use for fundraising and they all seem quite profitable without using a penny of our own. There are about 3 companies and 1 at which can do good for our earth at the same time. I will not reveal the companies quite yet because we must wait until the final decision at the meeting on Monday, February 21 if Japan is or WILL BE selected. I have found that we may have two or one and a half free days in Japan in Tokyo and Kyoto to Osaka.We can travel anywhere we want during these free days but at our own expense including transportation. On one of our free days I hope our fellow travelers would agree to experience the most wonderful Japanese tradition...EATING RAMEN! Also, if Japan is selected we may ask the parents or students interested if they would like to take an extension of two days in Japan to go to Hiroshima with an extra cost. You may notice there are two tour selections to Japan in EF Tours. One is longer and more educational(Hiroshima and Nagasaki) and the other is a bit shorter but more adventurous(Tokyo and Kyoto). To get the best experience we are probably going to take the shorter more fun one instead of the educational one so we don't have to constantly be visiting museums all day. The tour is called "Japan:Land of the Rising" and in my next post I will post a approximate schedule on how the trip will look like by each day and the activities we will be doing(provided by EF Tours). I will also provide what is included in the cost and what is not and some travel tips when traveling through EF Tours.
Sayonara(Goodbye)
-Izzy

Beware of Japanese Customs for February 14

This is considered year round but since its Valentines Day you may need to be reminded (as a Japanese Custom...not American)
 
1) It is considered a shameful act to kiss in public.
2) Hugging is considered impolite in Japan, as is any other sort of physical contact. 

Valentines Day in Japan--Happy Valentines Day to All!

Do you have any plans for Valentine's Day? Is there a special way of spending this time in your culture? In Japan, it is only the women who give presents (mainly chocolates) to men. Japanese women are usually too shy to express their love. (Though it might not be true nowadays.) Therefore, Valentine's Day was thought to be a great opportunity to let women express their feelings. However, this is a custom that smart chocolate companies spread to boost their sales, and it has been very successful. Now the chocolate companies in Japan sell more than half of their annual sales during the week before Valentine's Day. Men are supposed to return gifts to women on a day called "White Day" (March 14th), a Japanese creation.
Does it sound good to you? Don't get too excited when you get chocolates from Japanese girls! They might be "Giri-choko (obligation chocolate)." Women give chocolates not only to their loved ones ("A true love" chocolate is called "Honmei-choko.") "Giri-choko" is the chocolate given to men such as bosses, colleagues or male friends that women have no romantic interest in, just for friendship or gratitude. The concept of "giri" is very Japanese. It is a mutual obligation that the Japanese follow when dealing with other people. If someone does you a favor, then you feel obligated to do something for that person.
Unlike the West, sending a Valentine's cards is not common in Japan, and the phrase "Happy Valentines" is not widely used. "Happy Birthday" and "Happy New Year" are common phrases. In this case, "Happy ~" is translated as "~ omedetou （～おめでとう）."

Interesting Facts About Japan-http://facts-about-japan.com/interesting.html

1. Raw horse meat is a popular food in Japan.
2. Sometimes the trains are so crowded railway staff are employed to cram passengers inside.
3. Japanese celebrate Christmas, but it is more like Valentine's Day in the western world.
4. Poorly written English can be found everywhere, including T-shirts and other fashion items.
5. More than 70% of Japan consists of mountains, including more than 200 volcanoes.
6. Mt. Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan, is an active volcano.
7. Many Japanese do not know the difference between Shintoism and Buddhism.
8. A nice musk melon, similar to a cantaloupe, may sell for over $300US.
9. There are four different writing systems in Japan, romaji, katakana, hiragana, and kanji.
10. Coffee is very popular and Japan imports approximately 85% of Jamaica's annual coffee production.
11. Japan's literacy rate is almost 100%.
12. Sumo is Japan's national sport, although baseball is also very popular.
13. Sumo wrestlers eat a stew called Chankonabe to fatten up. Many restaurants in the Ryogoku district of Tokyo serve this nabe (Japanese word for stew).
14. Many toilets in Japan have a built-in bidet system for spraying your backside.
15. When you use the restroom in some one's home, you should put on special bathroom slippers so as not to contaminate the rest of the home.
16. Noodles, especially soba (buckwheat), are slurped very loudly when eaten. It is often said slurping symbolizes the food is delicious, but the slurping also serves to cool down the hot noodles for eating.
17. Japan is the world’s largest consumer of Amazon rain forest timber.
18. Vending machines in Japan sell beer, hot and cold canned coffee, cigarettes, and other items.
19. When moving into an apartment it is often required to give the landlord a "gift" of money equal to two months' rent.
20. There are around 1,500 earthquakes every year in Japan.
21. It is not uncommon to eat rice at every meal, including breakfast.
22. Average life expectancy in Japan is one of the highest in the world. Japanese people live an average of 4 years longer than Americans.
23. Japan is the largest automobile producer in the world.
24. The Japanese language has thousands of foreign loan words, known as gairaigo. These words are often truncated, e.g. personal computer = paso kon. The number of foreign loan words is steadily increasing.
25. Tsukiji market in Tokyo is the world's largest fish market.
26. Although whaling is banned by the IWC, Japan still hunts whales under the premise of "research".  The harvested whale meat ends up in restaurants and supermarkets.
27. Some men in Japan shave their heads to apologize.
28. Some women in Japan cut their hair after breaking up with a boyfriend.
29. Tokyo has had 24 recorded instances of people either killed or receiving serious skull fractures while bowing to each other with the traditional Japanese greeting.
30. The first novel, The Tale of Genji, was written in 1007 by a Japanese noble woman, Murasaki Shikibu.
31. The term karaoke means "empty orchestra" in Japanese.
32. In a Sumo training "stable" the junior rikishi Sumo wrestlers must wash and bathe their senior sumo wrestlers and make sure their hard to reach places are clean.
33. Contrary to popular belief, whale meat is not a delicacy in Japan. Many Japanese dislike the taste and older Japanese are reminded of the post-World War II period when whale meat was one of the few economical sources of protein.
34. In their effort to make things cute and cuddly rampant inbreeding of dogs has resulted in one of the highest rate of genetic defects in the world for canines.
35. Raised floors help indicate when to take off shoes or slippers. At the entrance to a home in Japan, the floor will usually be raised about 6 inches indicating you should take off your shoes and put on slippers. If the house has a tatami mat room its floor may be rasied 1-2 inches indicating you should to take off your slippers.
36. Ramen noodles are a popular food in Japan and it is widely believed extensive training is required to make a delicious soup broth. This is the subject of the movies Tampopo (1985) and The Ramen Girl (2008).
37. On average, it takes about 7-10 years of intensive training to become a fugu (blowfish) chef. This training may not be needed in the future as some fish farms in Japan are producing non-poisonous fugu.
38. Ovens are not very common in Japanese kitchens, but most households own a rice cooker.
39. Geisha means "person of the arts" and the first geisha were actually men.
40. It was customary in ancient Japan for women to blacken their teeth with dye as white teeth were considered ugly. This practice persisted until the late 1800's.
41. In ancient Japan, small eyes, a round puffy face, and plump body were considered attractive features.
42. Some traditional Japanese companies conduct a morning exercise session for the workers to prepare them for the day's work.

Word of the Day-February 13

The word is  いいよ(Iiyo) meaning okay.The phrase sounds informal, therefore it shouldn't be used to your superior. "Ii desu yo" can be used in formal situations. "Yo" is a sentence ending particle.

Butterfly on Your Right Shoulder Live in HD (1080p 1920 x 1080)

VOCALOID - From Y to Y [Live Concert Realtime Hologram]

The Newest Generation of Concerts and Music...a Hologram Anime that sings and dances!!!!

Taste of Japan

These videos will give you a taste of Japan right from your computer...

Delightful Japan

Cool Japan

Beautiful Japan

The Many Wonders of Japan Close-Up!

New News on the Trip!!!

A date is set February 21, 2011 for the battle of the location of the trip. We will meet at the cafeteria at 5:30P.M. ( My apologies for not giving the school name. Our Principal restricted the use of using the school name for the trip is not actually associated with our school but it is a school trip with a teacher and all those willing to pay. We will hopefully with the approval of out Principal pick a name for a travel/culture club to use as our title.) My mother and myself will be there to promote and establish a connection with the other parents on the culture of Japan. Our goal is to promote Global Awareness to students in our school. Many people live on without knowing the experience and feeling of being in another country or furthermore taking an interest in many diverse cultures. The teacher in charge will be Ms. Aguirre(A Spanish French and AVID teacher). The final three locations to pick from are Japan, South Pacific(such as Australia) and Europe(such as Rome). In my eyes I see people taking an interest in the many diverse cultures of Europe. Even, textbooks go into deeper detail about the past and government of Europe but what about Japan? Think about it how much do you know about Europe versus Japan? This is the argument we want present to in students and parents at the meeting so that Japan will hopefully be the 2012 Trip Choice. We need to deepen our education not only with books or our own nation's history but with the world. And Japan will be the first of many trips in our young lives to experience the many cultures new and old of our world today.

I will provide further travel details, personal preparation and open the world of Japan with Japanese etiquette, phrases, music, fun facts and much more...

Word of the Day-February 9

The word is 助けて(tasukete) meaning Help. If your in trouble in Japan and need help, give a yelp of this word and hopefully you will be aided by bystanders.

Word of the Day-February 8

The word is 愛 (ai) meaning Love. In Japanese, "love" is "ai （愛）," and the verb form "to love" is "aisuru （愛する）." "I love you" can be literally translated as "aishite imasu （愛しています）". "Aishiteru （愛してる）," "aishiteru yo （愛してるよ）" or "aishiteru wa (愛してるわ, female speech)" is normally used in conversation. However, the Japanese don't say "I love you" as often as Western people do, because of cultural differences. I am not surprised if some Japanese say that they have never used these expressions in their life.

Word of the Day-Febuary 5

The word is こんにちは (Konnichiwa) meaning Good Afternoon. Give someone a friendly Japanese greeting with a smile!!!

Okay Everyone, it took a while but Ive decided to do something fun and new.Everyday we are going to have the japanese word of the day in English and Romanji.