Our hearts are with our Japanese family

Bahraini youngsters who spent two-months on a Japanese ship say their thoughts are with their new-found friends whose country has been devastated by natural disasters and a catastrophic nuclear reactor crisis.

The 12 young men and women were the 23rd group from the kingdom to embark on 'Ship for the World'; an annual programme designed to broaden the participants' global view, deepen mutual understanding and develop new friendships. They returned home just a few days before an earthquake, measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale, struck Japan.

Around 300 youngsters from 13 different countries were onboard the ship - Fuji Maru - which included a 131-strong contingent from the host country. National delegation leader Leena Mustafa Sharif, 32, said the group started their journey in Tokyo in January and proceeded to Fukuoka to stay with local families before boarding the vessel.

She said: "The news about the earthquake and tsunami was very shocking and we were very worried about our friends. Phones were down and we could not reach anyone. However, we have friends all over the country and eventually word was passed around and we were relieved to find out that everyone we had come in contact with was safe.

"The thought that it had happened so close to our visit did make us shudder and we received several calls from our friends here because they were not aware that we were back in Bahrain safely.

"Some called to just talk about how they felt about the situation there, because for them we are their connection to Japan. The country has been hit badly by the events and even our ship was converted into temporary accommodation for those affected by the disaster."

Her colleague Yaqoob Mohamed Buhazza, 24, from Muharraq, added: "Staying with different families in Japan has made us very attached to the country. A part of us is now Japanese and now I feel like I have a family there.

"The news of the earthquake was very distressing. It is not the first country to be hit by an earthquake, but I had just gone to Japan and it felt very close."

Present and former members of the programme have formed a network of volunteers around the world and have also offered their homes for the evacuating Japanese.

The voyage, which was devoid of any mobile or internet contact, took the group to Fiji and Australia and included stops at different ports - Solomon Islands and Naha.

Onboard the ship, participants joined various action groups, arranged with the United Nations University in Japan, and enjoyed activities such as a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

Leena said: "The idea of the ship was to isolate us from the outside world; there was no internet or phones to connect or distract us.

"Through a variety of games, role-play and ice-breaking activities, we learned a number of things and made life-long friendships."

Yaqoob added: "My three best friends onboard were from Mexico, Chile and Sweden.

"They are from different cultures and at times we could not even understand each other's jokes but it was our differences that connected us.

"We are almost completely different. They come from an open culture and we are conservative, yet they appreciated that we are flexible and close knit.

"We also made a lot of Japanese friends but communication was not easy because many were shy and had difficulty with the language. But the activities helped us get to know them better."

Leena who has been on the programme before said that she managed to meet some of her old friends in every port the ship anchored. As national leader she also met the Prime Minister and Crown Prince of Japan and the Governor of Queensland in Australia.

Bahrain is the only Gulf country that allows girls to participate in the programme. Leena said: "Many were amazed that girls from a Muslim country were involved. Each delegation has 12 people and seven of us, including the leader of the delegation, were girls.

"We sort-of corrected their misconceptions about Bahrain and about Muslims. For many people it was the first time they had met anyone from our part of the world."

The programme has left lasting impressions on all involved. Two former participants are now fluent in Japanese and are currently pursuing their Masters and PhD degrees in Japanese universities.

Also, on the lighter side, most have mastered the art of eating noodles with chopsticks and say they now 'queue up' naturally and are more conscious of food wastage than ever before.

Zainab Abdulaziz Ali Bahram, 23, from Isa Town, Ahmed Abdullatif Ismail, 26, from Manama, Budoor Ebrahim Kamal, 26, from Janabiya, Duaa Tawfeeq Al Masqati, 23, from Isa Town, Amal Jassim Albinali, 28, from Riffa, Safeya Al Alawi, 25, from Muharraq, Fajer Talal Mufeez, 21, from Manama, Omran Mohamed Alsayed, 30, a resident of Dubai, Ali Mansoor Alsayed, 26, from Saar, and Ali Mahmood Mohamed, 23, from Sanad, were the other participants....