Red carpet rolled out for visiting students

Angelique Flores

Eight Huntington Beach teens have been busy this week with their new

friends from Japan and New Zealand.

The Sister City Assn. of Huntington Beach is sponsoring its annual

youth exchange program with the sister cities of Anjo, Japan, and

Waitakere, New Zealand. The students arrived June 28 and will stay until

July 12.

Local host families have taken the students to sightsee Southland

spots--from Disneyland and Universal Studios to South Coast Plaza, the

mission at San Juan Capistrano and the beach. The youths also planned to

participate in the city’s Fourth of July Parade.

“By the end of the two weeks, they’ll be best friends,” said Gisela

Campagne, Sister City Assn. liaison.

Eric Morley, 17, whose family is hosting Japanese student Megumi

Kamiya, 14, said the Japanese teenagers arrived with gifts from home:

chopsticks, origami creations, snacks, fans and pictures.

Eric, in turn, has shown his guest some traditional American pastimes:

watching a baseball game, fishing and swimming.

“My son is just having a great time with them. He really enjoys

getting into their culture and language,” said Eric’s father, James

Morley.

The teens have had fun on their outings, but communication has been a

bit of a challenge.

“They have electronic translators, and we have little phrase books.

And we play a little charades as well,” James Morley said.

Following the visit, the Huntington Beach hosts of Japanese students

will travel to Anjo in August.

The local students hosting the New Zealand students already visited

New Zealand during their spring break.