This is the Consulate General's house in San Francisco; it overlooks the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. We had a dinner reception here last night. You can see that they're treating us wonderfully!We hit the ground running, arriving at the hotel at 1:50, with ten minutes to register and eat lunch before orientation. Unfortunately, the day started off with some bad news. After 12 years, the Japanese government can no longer support this program. The organizers are hopeful that if the economic situation turns around, they will be able to recreate some aspects of the exchange, but not all of it. Because of the current economic crisis, we're the last group of teachers who will be traveling to Japan with JFMF. Even though I haven't experienced the bulk of the program yet, I'm bummed. I think about how many students must have benefited from their teachers' trips over the past 12 years.
