The Ship for the Southeast Asian Youth Program: Friendship beyond frontier and time
"Nippon Maru, sailing the blue, blue ocean
Riding the waves over the deep blue sea.
Can you tell me how much you can cover a day?
Can you tell me how long you have gone
with the purpose of bringing together
young heart and mind?
Nippon Maru , sailing the blue , blue ocean
chasing the wind over the deep blue sea.
Can you take me with you to the ports of the world
with the message of love and peace?
Can you take me to the nations where caring
is only a word to say?
If you carry us over and out to the world
There's a chance we can speak to them all.
There's a chance we can tell them the world's but home
and all people's family!"
SSEAYP Nippon Maru song which is composed by Augusto Francisco Jasmin Meyer remind me about my experience as a Participant of Thai contingent in 1994...14 years ago
Thai Participants batch 21 assembled at Holiday Inn Hotel in Shah's Alam area and we took this pictures on October 7, 1994 before we left for boarding Nippon Maru at Port Klang, Malaysia. Forty-seven days of the Ship for the Southeast Asian Youth Program started at there.
Participant Youths (PYs) from ASEAN and Japan got together, we started to make new friends from different countries 
My first Japanese friend on board is Momo. Momo greeted me and was willing to carry my luguages. She was the same solidarity with me. More than that, she was a photographer for Japan contingent from time to time
Why did I stress from time to time?
Usually, a photographer does not have his face in pictures, but he is the one behind the moment of happiness of people in those pictures.
I volunteered to be a photographer for Thai contingent because I thought that if no one devotes himself to take snapshot of our contingent, we would not have good pictures to keep for our memory. I don't mind if I have pictures less than my friends in the same batch. People asked me to take pictures for them, but few of them asked me to take pictures with them. 
For Thai contingent, I and Dr.Jo were photographers. For Japan contingent, photographers were rotated then Momo sometimes became a photographer but sometimes other Japanese PYs became a photographer.
For Filipina friend who I often talked with is Carmel. She was also a photographer for Philipinnes Contingent but she took motion pictures with a VDO camera. As photographers, we moved freely and could find good location to take good snapshots whereas other PYs had to stand in their rows and could not take pictures as they wanted 
In Singapore, I found that this point was good spot to take picture with Nippon Maru then I asked Carmel to take picture together. This is the best picture which I took with Nippon Maru during the program
Carmel said to me that as photographers, we did not have our faces in pictures. Why don't all photographers of each contingent take pictures together? Therefore, we took pictures together at Klongtoey Port and Muara Port in Brunei. Momo was also in this picture. I just realised that I took few pictures with Momo during the program!!!!!
Some picture is valuable for us because we can't go back to the past and take the same good snapshot in the same place. My Indonesian friend namely Shaifullah took this picture for me when we had a courtesy call his excellency Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai at the Government House. I am indebted for his help. Otherwise, I could not have this picture for memory. Unfortunately, I took few pictures with Shaifullah.
My cabin-mates are Singaporean and Malaysian. Alan Chan was from Singapore and he was also a photographer for Singapore Contingent. I found that many Singapore PYs brought their cameras to Allan and asked him to help fixing! We were proud of our cabin because it was always clean and tidy. Of course, I and Allan don't like dirty cabin 
My favorite place in Nippon Maru is Laundry room!!!! I went there everyday and washed my clothes properly. I knew another Filipina friend, Gail, at there. Gail told her parents when I had homestay at Rizal area near her home that one Thai PY who she knew from laundry room stayed at Frias family. Frias family are friend of Gail's Family.
When we visited Museum in Jakarta, I found the statue of elephant which the King Rama V of Siam gave to Pattavia (Former name of Jakartar) governor nearly 100 years ago. It represented good relationship between both countries. Currently "Klai Ban" documentary TV program in Thailand broadcast, it reminded me the time when I visited there. 
Thai typical attires are colorful and splendid therefore many other PYs would like to wear Thai attires. We are proud of our national costumes which reflect our unique identity.
After we prepared for many months, we finished our performance on Thai Cultural night without failure. Other countries PYs could learn Thai Culture from our cultural activities on that day. In the same way, we learned culture of other nations from their cultural activities on board.
I realised that ASEAN and Japan share in common for many cultural aspects. Perhaps, because we are East Asian countries. I mean that no matter Southeast or Northeast...we are East Asian countries.
I experienced to attend real wedding ceremony when I had homestay in Brunei Darussalam!!!! Six boys from ASEAN and Japan (except Brunai) stayed in the same family....and Foster brother (Aban) invited us to wear Brunai traditional costumes to attend his cousin's wedding ceremony.
Ship Administration Committee gave a permission to hold Loy Krathong Festival on board. PYs enjoyed this festival. Representatives from each contingent except Thai contigent participated Loy Krathong Festival Contest. Morimoto and I had homestay at the same foster family in Singapore. Morimoto is a funny guy and he was awarded Mr. Funny on Loy Krathong Festival Night. Miwa is one of my Japanese friends who I often talked with. I had ever visited their homes when I studied in Japan. Both of them are good friends.
We took picture of each solidality on deck. Fortunately, it was a blue sky day then various traditional costumes made picture colorful. My solidality B...consisted of many funny guys 
Robert from Brunei is my close friend but we took few pictures together during the program.  If I did not ask him to take this picture together, we might not have memorial picture.
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Robert visited Thailand for his business trip and I met him and brought him to try tasting Thai and Chinese foods. At the time, I promised him to cook Thai dishes for him. 10 years later, I met Robert again in Japan. I showed him around Tokyo Bay when we had ever visited during the program. Coincidentally, we went to Tokyo Bay on the same day when SSEAYP 1994 started--October 7--!!! I brought Robert to my apartment and served him with Thai dishes as I promised. However, I made sure the volume of Thai dishes which I served him
All PYs were brought to do sightseeing in Asakusa area. At there, I met this guy. At the time, I did not know who was he but I guessed that he was likely to be a famous star. I took his picture even if I did not know him at all. When I went to study in Japan, I just knew his name "Kimura Takuya", member of SMAP singing group.
When we set foot on Tokyo, we stayed at National Olympic Youth Center in Yoyogi area. We did activities with Japanese local youths. I knew a Sophomore from Keio University. Her name is Atsuko. She had ever stayed with Thai family in Thailand during AFS program.
I had homestay at Okada Family in Gunma Prefecture. Fortunately, my Japanese language skill at the time could help me to understand simple conversation when I talked with family members.
Unlike other countries which Nippon Maru have to stop and foster family sent PYs at ports, sending-off ceremony at Harumi Pier do not occur for ASEAN PYs. If you ask me which port I impressed sending-off ceremony besides Klongtoey Port which my parents sent off me. My answer is Jakarta Port. Even if I stayed only 2 nights at Depok area but I feel that ties do not depend on how long we know each other. Warm family can transfer love and warmth to outsiders. I still keep in touch with my foster family in Indonesia. My foster brother is still one of my online friends
This is the one of snapshots during SSEAYP which I like.
When I studied in Japan, I always visited Okada Family twice a year on foster father's birthday and foster mother's birthday. I have become one part of Okada Family. On my commencement, Okada Family and Atsuko attended my graduation ceremony at Keio University, Hiyoshi Campus.
Closing ceremony of program was held at New Otani Hotel. Many PYs cried because they might think that they would not have a chance to see each other again. For me, I believed that we would have a chance to see each other again some day somewhere in the world. I believe that as long as we still keep in touch, friendship remains unchanged.
Captain Watanabe Teruo came to the hotel and this is the last snapshot which we took picture with him.
Gail always asked me to take pictures with her during program which I appreciated. This time, I asked Gail to take picture with me...Oppp...She smiled after she stopped crying.
I still keep in touch with Gail. She consoled me when I was in the bad time during student life in Japan. She congratulated on my graduation. Gail is busy with raising her child...I saw pictures of her child from time to time. Gail is studying doctoral course and I will call her "Dr.Gail" in the near future.
Thai contingent assembled again at Narita International Airport to take this picture before we left for Thailand on November 22, 1994. We have become Ex-Thai PYs since then.
After I went to study in Japan since 1997...and I never boarded Nippon Maru. Ten years later after SSEAYP 1994 finished, Ex-JPYs held a meeting at NYC to commemorate the 10 th anniversary of SSEAYP 1994. I also attended this meeting. On that day, there was the great earthquake in Niigata area which we felt building little shake from time to time but it was not serious. We saw VDO during SSEAYP 1994, it looked like that we went back to the time when we were PYs. It's nostalgic indeed!!! As a photographer, I did not forget to bring my camera and take this snapshot for memory.
There are many Ex-JPYs who I hardly talked with during the program. However, after I went to study in Japan....I often contacted with them. Inochan has become one of my pen-friends or e-mail friends. She is a typical Japanese who I appreciate since new Japanese generation do not care about such manner. I always receive greeting postcards from her twice a year. Even if I returned to Thailand, I wrote letters or call her from time to time. Kayoko and Aya are Ex-JPYs who I had ever visited their homes. Their families are so kind to me.
I had a chance to board Nippon Maru again in 2005. At the time, Atsuko became National Leader, Masanobu and Kumiko became Administrative staffs. Kumiko gave me a boarding pass then I could board Nippon Maru. What did I feel? It looked like I come back to my home
I was on Nippon Maru during the program then I did not have a chance to see how picture looks like when Nippon Maru gradually departs from port. It's the first time which I took pictures of Nippon Maru gradually departed from Harumi Pier, Tokyo.
Rainbow bridge and Nippon Maru in Autumn 2005
Three years later....
I knew from my friend batch 33 that Reunion On Board (ROB)would be held on November 22, 2008. I reserved the seat to attend ROB 2008. I met Tok batch 33 at Klongtoey Port. If she did not inform me, I might miss the last chance to board Nippon Maru.
Nippon Maru-C has been used for SSEAYP since 1990 and it will be replaced by Fuji Maru from next year. Then, Nippon Maru will be the legend for us who had ever boarded her.
I did not know this news until I boarded Nippon Maru on Reunion Night. However, I took this picture by chance before I boarded Nippon Maru. This is the most beautiful picture of Nippon Maru at dusk which I had ever taken.
Friends from batch 23 asked me to take picture with them. Thank them, I finally have a picture with Nippon Maru before it left Thailand.
In theater, I never came here again since I get off Nippon Maru.
I felt that I get older compared to friends from other batchs
In dining room, I had ever took last picture in this room before I got off Nippon Maru on following day.
Fourteen years later, I took picture with my friends from the same batch in the same place.
There were 8 people from batch 21 who attended ROB this year.
On following day....November 23, 2008
Sending-off ceremony was held during 14:00-16:00 hrs. at Klongtoey Port. When PYs released ribbons from Nippon Maru and Foster families got their ribbons, it reminded me how sad when people have to say good bye to ones who have ties with You never know how sad it is until once you have experienced by yourself
Some PYs and Foster Families cried.... One day in the future patch of their ways will cross each other again.
Someone told me that when you meet a new one, please keep in mind that one day you have to separate from him/her....and when both of you separate each other, wind of fortune will bring both of you to see each other again.
Distance is not the hurdle for friendship. Even if some friends keep silent, it does not mean that they forget us absolutely. Some short encouraging messages from friends especially in the hard time have more value than any other thing. Friend indeed like a firefly, it will appear when you are in the trouble time. Many friends from SSEAYP helped my life complementary. Thank all of them from the depth of my heart.
I had ever seen Nippon Maru gradually departed from Harumi Pier in Tokyo. Today I took picture of Nippon Maru which gradually departed from Klongtoey Port....and she wil not come back to Thailand again!!!
Thank you for bringing our paths cross together and creating good mutual understanding and bulilding up friendship among PYs.
Goodbye Nippon Maru!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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If I did not ask him to take this picture together, we might not have memorial picture.
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ผู้ติดตามบล็อก : 6 คน [
I haven't finish reading all of these but will continue very soon ka. You've got lots of nice photos here.