It's been a number of years since I was a camper myself. Instead, I'd like to share with you a story about campers from the other side of the world.I have recently returned from Japan, where I was teaching English to highschool students in a small town Southwest of Tokyo. Every fall, the entire freshman class heads for the hills - the foothills of Mount Fuji. They spend a week there learning survival and other outdoor skills. Most of all, they enjoy the break from classroom studies and the opportunity to spend time with their friends. The students are responsible for every aspect of the camp; deciding what to eat, buying their supplies and organizing the weeks activities. You can imagine the planning that goes on, months in advance of their departure date. New clothes are bought (the students normally wear uniforms), the buses are loaded up and away we go!
This past year we were snowed in, an unusual occurance, but this did not dampen the students' enthusiasm. Hiking - scavenger hunts - bird watching - woodcarving - star gazing - these are just a few of the things they participated in. The camp ended with a huge campfire, with over 350 students and teachers attending. During the planning stages of camp I had told the students about our Canadian tradition of roasting marshmallows around a campfire. Finding marshmallows, however, proved to be next to impossible in our small town of only 4000 people! They opted insted for 'onigiri', a typical Japanese rice snack.
I think campers are the same the world over. They arrive wide eyed and a wee bit nervous. But when it's all over, they leave with great friends,wonderful memories and a burning desire to do it all again the following year. As we were packing up and getting ready to go home, lots of students were eagerly organizing their own camping trips with their friends and families for the spring vacation. And I was requesting a care package from home, full of marshmallows!
