| Friends meet face to face again |
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By Mick Jensen - Ashburton College student Caitlin Hyde and her Japanese friend Yumi Koyama were reunited last week. The pair may not have seen each other for 10 months, but they have diligently kept in touch via regular emails and electronic photos. Yumi and 30 other students from Tokorozawa Kita High School in Japan arrived in the district last week for an 11 night stay school exchange. The face to face encounter was an exciting moment for the long distance buddies, who first met in September last year when Caitlin was on a school exchange and study visit to Japan. Caitlin stayed with Yumi, her parents, who are both teachers and Yumi's two sisters for three nights of the trip. The short friendship established in Japan has stood the test of time and the 9000km distance between their two countries. Caitlin describes her Japanese language skills as “below basic”, whilst Yumi struggles with the complex English language. Yet, they still manage to understand each other pretty well. Japanese isn't too hard to learn and English is probably harder, says Caitlin. Yumi has been staying with Caitlin's family in rural Anama and loving the experience of being in New Zealand for the first time. She's already been cuddling a new born lamb and has checked out Orana Park with her host family. Yumi also celebrated her 17th birthday last Friday, enjoying a birthday cake and typical Kiwi “tea” at Robbie's Bar and Bistro. She's currently adjusting to the cold Kiwi winter. When she left home the temperature was in the mid 30's, she said. The rural Mid Canterbury landscape is also in stark contrast to Yumi's home town of Tokorozawa, a commercial suburb of Tokyo, which has a population approaching that of our big city neighbour Christchurch. For Yumi New Zealand means “lots of nature and lots of animals”. The tour itinerary for the Japanese students' has so far included a powhiri at Ashburton College, time spent in the classroom and a jet boat trip on the Rakaia River. The students will visit Allenton Primary School today and have trips planned to the Antarctic Centre, Rosebank Resthome and a local farm. The exchange visit will end with a social get together and supper on Friday, before the long trip back to Japan. Both Caitlin and Yumi intend keeping up their long distance friendship, they say. 
Yumi and Caitlin are keeping in touch despite the distance barriers.
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