Our Journey to Japan: Yee-Haw for Cowboy Golf!!

Share our Excitement & Join our Journey

Welcome to the travel blog of Rotary District 5580's Group Study Exchange (GSE) Team which will embark on an exciting five week goodwill / vocational exchange to Nagoya, Japan in November, 2009.

Here, our hybrid American-Canadian team of enthusiastic and adventurous young professionals, along with our lovely, talented and fearless team leader, will share cultural experiences and engage in unique vocational learning opportunities.

If you have come to this site, you are likely: a Rotarian, family member, friend or colleague of one of the team members, or... are just plain blog-curious. Either way, we encourage you to check our site often to learn about us, follow our progress as a team and of course, keep in touch as we explore Japan.

We thank Rotary in advance for the adventure of a life time and to all readers, we invite you to share our excitement and join our journey.

Sincerely,

GSE Team Japan 2009

________________________

GSEのホストの皆様へ、

私どものチームブログへようこそ。

チームリーダーのイボンヌ、そしてチームのメンバーの、ローズィー、レベッカ、ベン、ジュリーです。

この度の交換留学という機会に恵まれましたこと、先より御礼を申し上げます。

この留学におきまして私どもは大変な感激、また皆様に会って学ばせて頂くことをまちどおしく思っております。

短文ではございますがご挨拶まで。

GSEチーム　ジャパン　2009

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Yee-Haw for Cowboy Golf!!

Group Study Exchange (GSE) Team Japan convened in the lovely lake town of Bemidji, Minnesota, August 14-16, 2009, for its third installment of GSE preparation.

The weekend began with two riveting games of “Cowboy Golf” or, what is better known in some U.S. towns as “ladder ball”. This intensely competitive game, which requires an unparalleled degree of skill, strength, and athleticism, saw the teams throwing pairs of golf balls (strung together with rope) over a ladder-like structure for which points were awarded depending on which rung they landed on.

Team Sven and Ole (Ben and Julie) – representing hometowns located on Lake Superior (Duluth and Thunder Bay), took game one after a suspenseful ending – would they get the one point required to achieve a score of 21 to win the game or get 2 or 3 points to push them over 21 which would decrease their score to eleven? After their win , Sven and Ole hugged it out and in sportsman-like fashion, congratulated Team Paul and Babe (Rosie and Rebecca, representing Bemidji) for their efforts.

After a successful run, new teams were created. This time Team Paul Sven (Ben and Rebecca) took the challenge. Team Babe & Ole (Rosie and Julie) blamed their lack luster performance on the bat-sized mosquitoes that swarmed their heads interrupting their concentration. Unfortunately, game three, the championship game, was rained out so the true capabilities of Team Babe & Ole remain a mystery … until Nevis.

On the business side of things, the team hustled to run an efficient meeting and accomplished what they set out to do by Saturday evening. A structure and a theme were landed on for the presentation, roles and responsibilities were assigned, and brochures and business cards were finalized.

Our next meeting September 18-20, 2009, will take place in a “remote” location (i.e. a cabin in Nevis) care of Rebecca. Will a survivor challenge be on the horizon?? While it can’t be said for sure, GSE Team Japan will certainly see some more challenges…all in the name of team building.