5月20日、HIBISCUSプログラムに参加中の2年生より、スプリングブレイク(学期中休み)の活動についての報告が届きました。ハワイ大学のHELPが企画するハワイ島へのショートトリップや、オアフ島のアウラニ・ディズニーリゾートへのツアーに参加した学生たちは、ハワイでしか体験できない休暇を過ごしたようです。



My Spring Break on Big Island
Hinako Ogami

I went to the island of Hawaii during the spring break from May 7th to May 9th. On the first day, I went sightseeing near the hotel and had a great time playing in the hotel pool. I was really tired because I wore my goggles, but it was fun. On the second day we took a bus tour around Hawaii Island. At Kona Coffee Shop, I was able to sample various kinds of coffee. Among them, I liked the first-class peaberry high-grade coffee. In Kilauea Volcano National Park, warm steam spouted and I could feel the wonder of nature up close. I saw the black sandy beach for the first time on Black Sand Beach. The ground was very hot because of the sand. After the bus tour, we went to see the sunset. The sunset seen from the beach is beautiful and comfortable. The third day was an unforgettable day for me. I woke up at 1 o'clock in the morning and saw the starry sky and the sunrise on Mauna Kea. Mauna Kea was so cold that I couldn't think of Hawaii. However, when we arrived at the observation point, the starry sky was wide enough to forget that. When we looked up, there were a lot of stars I had not seen so far, and I could see dozens of shooting stars. The first time I saw so many stars, I was moved to tears. After that we moved to the top by bus and saw the morning sun. It was difficult to breathe there because of the thin air. The speed at which the morning sun rose was faster than I thought. The starry sky and morning sun of this day gave me a lot of power. On this trip, I had a lot of valuable experiences and three days that I will never forget. I'm glad I could go to the island of Hawaii.

My Best Memories of My Spring Break
Hazuki Sato

Finally, the long-awaited Spring Break started. I did many activities with my host family and friends during Spring Break such as hiking, swimming in the sea, joining a Birthday Party, going to cafes to eat lunch, etc. Especially impressive among my many memories was going to Aulani Resort with friends for three days and two nights. Aulani Resort is a resort hotel which is run by Disney, but it is not the same as other resorts in Disney land because there aren't any attractions. However, there are swimming pools, a water slide, entertainment shows, many kind of activities where we can enjoy traditional Hawaiian cultures. The first day, we strolled around Aulani Resort and joined the Ohana Disney Movie Nights to watch Hercules on the big screen under a starry sky. It was so interesting for me! The second day, we swam in pools and took pictures with Disney characters. The Disney characters at Aulani Resort are very cute, wearing Aloha shirts. That night, as if on a school trip, everyone in the room played UNO.
On the last day I bought souvenirs for my host family and my family in Japan. Aulani Resort-limited Olu is popular. So many guests bought it. Aulani Resort was a very nice place, but the food there is a little expensive. Therefor I recommend to buy ingredients at the ABC store nearby and make the food yourself. We made smoothies, pancakes and tomato pasta for breakfast and dinner in the kitchen of the room. It was a lot of fun to cook together. I had a great spring break thanks to my host family and my friends.