 "Photo: Jase Chun")
I used to complain about the heat in Hawai'i, until we landed in Hiroshima, where the summertime weather is a heavy, hot blanket. I didn't know what to expect during my two-week stay, but I was excited to start my "Hiroshima and Peace" course at Hiroshima City University.
Hiroshima has a very efficient public transit system, which I used to get to school and to visit the downtown area, where Hiroshima Peace Park is located. We spent a day visiting the Memorial Center at the Peace Park and listened to the testimony of a living "hibakusha," a victim of the atomic bomb.
While half of my classmates were regular students at Hiroshima City University, the other half were visiting from countries such as the United States, China, Germany and Malaysia, where my closest friend from the trip, Nizam, is from.
During a field trip to the Hiroshima Castle, Nizam dressed in his country's formal attire because he knew we were going to meet the mayor of Hiroshima He asked a ton of questions about every detail in the castle, and it made our class trip a memorable learning experience.
The view from the castle's tower was of the strong city. The city's progression since the nuclear attack was an amazing sight.
In my two weeks abroad, I realized just how big this world is and just how important it is to work together to prevent future nuclear attacks. The course changed my life and made me see the world differently.
HIROSHIMA AND PEACE
+ Two-week summer course conducted at Hiroshima City University, July 28 to Aug. 7 + Application deadline: April 24, 2009 + Web site: tinyurl.com/hiroshima-abroad + Contact: Darrell Kicker,Physical Science Build-ing 205, kicker@hawaii.edu; or Brien Hallett, Saunders Hall 717, bhallett@hawaii.edu
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