About blogging

I started my blog last year. Mr.Waterman taught me how to make the blog at his class. I wrote a lot of things in my blog. For example, there are book reviews, essays and my favorite animal. I think that book review is good chance to read books. I don't like reading books, but I have to do book reviews. Now, I read three books to do book review in a week. We have to write 10000 words during the spring term. It is hard for me. I have to write about 2000 words by next month, so I'll do more book reviews. I seldom write about my diary, so people who look at my blog may be  bore. I'm sorry.  When I got some comments from my friends, I was happy. I want to finish my blog as soon as possible.

[143 words]

Eagles

I like animals. Especially, I like eagles, so I want to tell about it.

Eagles are so cool and good name, so I like them. By the way, do you know the difference between eagles and hawks? Eagles are called “Washi” in Japan, and hawks are called “Taka” in Japan. They don’t have the difference clearly. Eagles are bigger than hawks. Just like that.

Eagles are the king of birds, so ancestors professed them. Many countries use them as the symbol mark. For example, America, Russia and Republic of Serbia are use them as the own country’s symbol mark. They are national bird in America and Philippine.

There are some kinds of eagles in the world. Sea eagle is called “ Owashi” in Japan. It lived in Korea, China, Russia and Japan. In summer, it goes to Russia or China, and it comes back to Japan in winter. Especially, it comes back to Hokkaido. Its beak and leg are yellow, and its body is black and white. It is a natural treasure in Japan. It is getting extinct. There are only 5200 in the world. Next, I want to tell you about golden eagle. It is called “Inuwashi” in Japan. It lives in Africa, North America and Eurasia. It sometimes comes to Japan in winter. When it is a child, it is white, but when it grows up, it turns into black. In Japan, “Inu” means weak. So Inuwashi is not high status in Japan. It is a national bird in Mexico. Touhoku Rakuten Golden Eagles which is a baseball team in Japan comes from Inuwasi. Bald eagle is called “Hakutouwashi”. Their head is white, so it is written “白頭” in Japanese. It lived in North America. I think it is the coolest of birds. It is famous in America, so it is used many kind of symbol mark, for example, ministries and government offices or low enforcement agency.

If I were an animal, I want to be an eagle!

[333 words]

my friend

I talked about animals and pets with my friend, so I want to tell you about it.

She likes animals. Especially, she likes pandas the most because it is very cute. If she were an animal, she would be a dog because it is cute and safety better than wild animals. She likes dogs, but she doesn’t like cats because she thinks that cats are scary. However, I think cats rarely harm man. If I were an animal, I would be a cat because it is freedom.

She hates insects. She doesn’t like to go to pet shops because of smell, so she doesn’t try to go there.

She had been to the zoo when she was 10 years old. She enjoyed watching animals there. She remembers that the sleeping lion. She said it was so big and forceful.

She has never had any pet. If she has a pet, she wants to have poodle. She has ever seen a talking animal on TV. It was a bird. However, it was hard to hear words clearly and it could not conversation, so she didn’t like it.

She wants to see pandas in China someday. We can see pandas at the Ueno zoo in Japan, so I recommend going there without going to China.

[213 words]

About my class

I have the environmental logic class every Wednesday. I think that it is very difficult, but it is interesting. So I want to tell you about that class.

 Do you think about “environment friendly”? I often hear this word anywhere. For example, I hear and see it in TV commercial message or label of PET bottle. You can also see it. Do you think that word is right? I had thought that the word is right until I took the environmental class. However, my teacher who teaches us the environmental logic said that “environment friendly” is not right at the first class. I didn’t know why it is not right then, but I was interested in it.

 I took this class ten times until now, and I could learn a lot of new things. For example, I learned about fossil, radiation, global warming, snow ball earth, Dryas and so on. These are so difficult, so I can’t explain it. However, the more I took this class, the more I could understand about really mean of “environment friendly”. I think that it means kind for human, not for the earth. We try to stop getting global warming for the earth, but the earth will not disappear even if we don’t work for the earth. If we didn’t work to stop global warming, we might not survive.

 I think we have to do something to stop global warming for human. This summer, we have to save economize on electricity. I think it is good way to stop global warming because making extra electric power is unnecessary.

 Through this class, I think I want to know more about the connection between the earth and environment.

[282 words]

BR1-18: Dreamtime Painters

"The paintings also tell stories of war." (p. 12)

Do you know Aboriginal rock art? It is the rock art painted long time ago. You can see it all over the world, but arts in Australia are the oldest, according to this book. Aboriginal rock art has a lot of meaning. For example, there are wishes for health and rich harvest, or stories about war and Kangaroos and so on. It tells us a lot of things. But, arts can’t keep good condition forever because of weather or something else. Fortunately, some artists continue Aboriginal art, but it is not rock art. They paint on bark, paper and wood, so they can carry their art anywhere and sell it. Aboriginal art is getting famous, according to this book. I think that it is a traditional culture in Australia, so I want Australian citizen to protect Aboriginal rock art. If you interested in Aboriginal rock art, please read it. This book has a lot of pictures about rock art, so you will enjoy it.

Waring, Rob. (2008). Dreamtime Painters. Boston, MA: Footprint Reading Library.

[164 words]

my friend

I want to tell about my friend. I talked about cell phones with her, so I want to tell about her cell phone.

She likes her cell phone. Her cell phone’s company is Docomo. Her cell phone’s color is white because she likes white. My cell phone is white, too. She bought it when she was a high school student. She wants to get a smart phone because it is popular and useful.

She can’t write an e-mail quickly, so she sends only 5 every day. Her cell phone has camera and TV functions, but she often listen to music.
She spends on it ten thousand yen every month. She wants to pay it, but she doesn’t have enough money, so she can’t it.
She has a computer. She often use internet. She uses it about 30 minutes every day. She searches her favorite K-pop groups or Japanese actors. For example, she searches girl’s generation, Hayato Ichihara or Masaharu Fukuyama. She thinks that cell phones are more useful better than computers because cell phones are small and people can carry it anywhere. Computers can’t do it. I think so, too.

[190 words]

BR1-17: A Real Winner

"The worst thing you can do is to give up." (p. 24)

I think that this book is very good story. This book is a story about a girl who has born blind since she was born. She tries to a sport. It is a winter sport. It is a dog sled races. It takes 7 days. I had not known that sport before I read this book. I think that it is too difficult for her to complete this race. However, her father believes that she never gives up and she can complete this race. It moved me and I think that it is a good relationship between she and her father. If you want to know her goal, please read this book. This book told me that to never give up is important and you can overcome anything if you believe yourself. I recommend this book all of students, so please read this book.

Waring, Rob. (2008). A Real Winner. Boston, MA: Footpront Reading Library.

[144 words]

Essay1-02c: Useful information about KGU

We think Kumamoto Gakuen University is a good university, so we will tell exchange students useful information about KGU. KGU is a large university, so it has a lot of useful places to study or spend college life. However, I want to tell some useful things. One thing exchange students will need to know is having a lot of cheap places to eat lunch and convenience store. Another one is having a lot of computers. Something else they'll want to know is having a large library. KGU has a lot of departments and circle or club.

First, KGU has a lot of cheap places to eat lunch. For example, there is the dining room, the bakery and so on. The dining room has healthy menus, so it is very popular for students and some professors. If you go to there at lunch time, you may not able to get table to eat lunch. The bakery has a lot of variety of menu, but it is popular too. If you want to get a place to eat lunch at lunch time, I recommend going to first floor of the third building. It is not as popular as the dining room and the bakery.

Second, KGU has a large library. It has a lot of variety of book. For example, there are book for TOEIC or TOFEL, book for thesis, magazines, newspapers and the One piece written in English. You can watch movies at the library because library has many DVDs and TV to watch a DVD. It is wonderful for me to watch a DVD at the library. Sometimes, the library holds showing of movie. It is for free. You should check this information.

Moreover, there are convenience store and bookstore. You can go there whenever you need to go. This convenience store opens at eight a.m. and close at ten p.m. A lot of students go there to buy foods, magazines, drinks and so on. KGU's bookstore's name is Maruzen. This bookstore opens at ten a.m. and eight p.m. Books, magazines, breads, drinks and stationery is sold there. Many students buy stationery there. If you buy magazines at this bookstore, you get ten percent off. It is very profitable for students.

Third, KGU has a lot of computers, so you can use a computer and printer anytime. There are computers in e-campus center, library and first building. KGU’s computers have The Oxford English Dictionary and British National Corpus. You can’t use it at home. It is very useful to study English. When I told my friend about it, she was surprised. When you forget to do your assignment, you can use a computer and finish your assignment without going home.

One thing exchange students will need to know is KGU has many departments for example, the department of foreign language, social welfare, commercial science, and economics. The department of foreign language has two courses. One course is Britain and the United States, another is East Asia. You can study foreign language both of them. The department of social welfare has five courses. There are First social welfare, Second social welfare, child household welfare, life wellness. The department of commercial science has two courses. One is commercial science and the other is hospitality management. The department of economics has three courses, management, legal economics and international economics. You can choose any department whatever you want to study at this university.

KGU has many circles and clubs. There are about 110 circles and clubs. If you join it, it makes your college life more joyful. Most of circles and clubs have many parties, for example, a hanami party, a karaoke party and so on. It is good chance to make friends. If you don’t want to join it, we recommend going to the English Lounge. It is a not circle, but it is a popular place for exchange students, so you can make friends and enjoy talking there.

KGU should have signs for exchange students. KGU is large and has a lot of buildings, so exchange students may lose the way. It is waste of time for them. If KGU has signs for them, it makes their college life useful. KGU has a lot of exchange students who come from China, Korea, and America and so on, so KGU needs signs in Chinese, Korean and English.

These information will make exchange students’ life enjoy and satisfying. I want exchange students to spend wonderful life in Japan. KGU has a lot of good things and interesting circles and clubs, so I want you to find it yourself. If you find it, please tell me. Please go to these places to spend your good college life.

[782 words]

I co-authored this essay with ... (& ...). We used content from our previous, individual essay posts (1-02a-b).

Individual essay posts (1-02a-b)

Hazuki's rexised essay (2012.05.23)
Ayaka Y's revised essay (2012.05.21)

Here are links to each of our co-authored essays:

Joint essay posts (1-02c)

Ayaka Y's joint essay (2012.06.20)
Hazuki's joint essay (2012.06.21)

About my keitai

My keitai is smart phone. The color is white. I like white, so I chose this color. The company of my keitai is docomo. My keitai can take 3D photos. However, I think that it is not good because it is not 3D such as 3D movies. I seldom use 3D camera in my keitai. I often use internet in my keitai. For example, I use youtube and google. It is very useful. When I went to my friend's house, I dropped my keitai into her bathroom. I picked it up and dried soon, but something is wrong with it now. i have to do to the docomo shop as soon as possible.
                                                                                                                                      [114 words]

My friend 2

I want to tell you about my friend. My friend hates tomato because it has a bad taste. When I gave her tomato, she was very angry. She usually eats rice, miso soup and side dish for breakfast. She has a well-balanced breakfast every day and she fills with it. Her mother is good at cooking especially, deep-fried food. She likes it so much. She ate chicken yesterday. She likes it better than beef.

She can drink strong coffee and likes milk tea very much. I like it, too.
She likes Chinese foods better than Japanese foods. For example, she likes Chinese noodle, gyoza and nikuman. She often buys nikuman at the Seven-Eleven. She likes sweets. She often eats chocolates. She recommends Meiji chocolate because it is popular from older people to kids until now. She never eaten French dishes in a restaurant, but she wants to eat there someday.
She likes eating foods, but she is keeping slim, so I want to know why she can keep slim. I also like eating foods, but I can’t keep slim. I try not to eat too much every day. I want to be a woman who can eat a lot like Gyarusone.
                                                                                                                    [201 words]

My hometown

My hometown is Kikuchi, so I like it. I want to tell you about Kikuchi. Kikuchi has a lot of rice fields. Everyone think that Kikuchi is country. However, I like it better than urban because urban is crowd.

If you can come to Kikuchi in this season, I want you to see fireflies. It is beautiful and touching. If you can come to Kikuchi in winter, I recommend that you go to the Kikuchi valley to see the starry sky. It is also beautiful. The Kikuchi valley is a cool place, so you can go there not only winter but also summer. It is a good chance to go there, because we should save electric power in this year. Please come.

One of my favorite events in Kikuchi is summer festival. It is very fun because my friends who live alone outside Kumamoto come back and go to summer festival together. There are many food and game stands, for example, yakisoba, ringo-ame and dipping for goldfish. The most important thing is fireworks. You can see it about 30 minutes. It is very big and beautiful.

That’s why, I like my hometown, Kikuchi. Kikuchi and KGU are far away, so I have to get up early every morning. However, I like live in Kikuchi better than living alone near KGU.

[220 words]

My friend

My friend is Manami. I asked her some questions and she answered, so I’ll tell you about her.

She likes Arashi because they are cool and their songs are good. She usually sings Arashi’s song when she goes to the karaoke. For example, she sings “WISH” and “Love so sweet”. She can’t play a musical instrument. She likes to sing, but she isn’t good at it. She wants to go to Arashi’s concert. She sang “Aogebatoutoshi” when she graduated from high school. Her favorite song is “Oh, yeah”. She usually listens to music in her room. She has 20 CDs. Arashi’s songs make her happy. She likes J-pop. She doesn’t like K-pop and classical music. She usually goes to the karaoke with her friends who like Arashi because she has a good time together.

[134 words]

Using the computer

I think the computer is very useful because it has a lot of good functions. For example, there are internet, Microsoft Word and so on. If there were not computers, you should write reports by yourself. It is inconvenient because you should check spells or grammar by yourself. Recently, we can buy something at the internet. It is good for older people to buy something without going out. We can make friends using the computer. I think it is very useful because we can contact overseas. I think people can't live without computer especially, office worker.

[97 words]

BR1-16: Monkey Party

"Every of the year, people bring food for the monkeys......." (p. 12)

This book tells us about the connection between Buddhism and monkeys. In Japan, people don’t like monkeys which harm man. For example, there are monkeys running around the streets or taking foods from someone’s farmland without permission. So people try to catch them. However, most people in Thailand allow these monkeys because they are Buddhists.

They always give monkeys a lot of foods. I think that Japanese don’t have local religion, so Japanese may not be able to understand this action. However, it is important for Buddhists to give monkeys foods because they will get good karma through that action.

I like this book because this book has a lot of pictures of cute monkeys. If you want to know about the rank of monkeys in Thailand, I recommend this book. You must be surprised.

Waring, Rob. (2008). Monkey Party. Boston, MA: Footprint Reading Library.

[135 words]

BR1-15: Don't Believe Your Eyes!

"Culture should be soon, everyone should enjoy it." (p. 17)

This book tells us about an interesting tradition in Italy. You can see it in the part of Italy. It is an illusion. It is a special technique to paint something on the building. It can make a small house look much bigger.

I think this technique is so unique because Japanese don’t paint something on house. When I watched pictures in this book, I didn’t know where fake window is. This book has a lot of pictures about houses painted fake things, so you can enjoy reading this book finding fake things. If you are interested in that, please try it. 

Waring, Rob. (2008). Don'T Believe Your Eyes! Boston, MA: Footprint Reading Library.

[102 words]

BR1-14: The Lost City of Machu Picchu

"The truth is that parts of Peru are very poor."  (p.14)

This book tells us about Machu Picchu and Peru. Machu Picchu is a famous city in Peru. Many people go there. Do you think about that? Some people think that it is good, but some people against it. Do you know why there are two opinions? There are two problems, economy and environment. If you want to know about that, please read it. This book is not only Machu Picchu’s history but also benefit of Machu Picchu. I don’t like history, so I enjoyed reading this book. This book showed some opinions, so I could understand easily. I recommend picture of page 4 because it is beautiful and magnificence. If you are interested in that, please try it.

Waring, Rob. (2008). The Lost City of Machu Picchu. Boston, MA: Footprint Reading Library.

[118 words]

My favorite movie

My favorite movie is Pirates of the Caribbean. This movie is very exciting and Captain Jack Sparrow is cool and funny. Some characters are not humans for example, Davy Jones. His appearance is not good because his head and face is an octopus, and his leg is a crab. It looks like real, so I like it. I think that everyone enjoy watching this movie, because this movie is not difficult to understand. I think Johnny Depp is busy, but I want to watch the new movie of Pirates of the Caribbean soon.

[92 words]

BR1-13: The Memory Man

"There's a lot of brain space, so I think there are no limits." (p. 18)

Can you remember that what you ate dinner one week ago? Gianni Golfera who has a very special kind of memory can remember every detail of every day of his life. This book tells us about him and brain. If you have this memory capacity such as him, you can pass some exams easily. It is difficult, but it is not impossible. According to this book, if you train your brain to remember, you can memorize a lot of things. I think brain is amazing because brain has a lot of functions. For example, there are functions about memory, dream and language. However, it is very difficult to understand and prove them. It is interesting for me. If you interested in brain, please try it.

Waring, Rob. (2008). The Memory Man. Boston, MA: Footprint Reading Library.

[125 words]

Presentation for speaking

Hi, I’m Tara. I’m from Egypt. I want to tell about myself. My hometown is Hurghada.　This city has a lot of greens and beautiful seas. When I was child, I used to go swimming there. I live in Cairo now. Cairo is a capital of Egypt. Cairo is the busiest city in Africa.

My job is a chef. I work at the big and expensive hotel. I like my job, because people who ate dinner I cooked said ‘You are a good chef.’ I felt happy to hear that.

My hobby is taking photos. I like pyramid, so I often take its photos.

I’ll introduce my family. First, I introduce my husband. He likes eating foods and he can eat a lot, so I like him. Next, I introduce my sons, Abdul and Gamal. They are twin, but they don’t look like twin. I think that they are cute and smart, so I am very proud of my sons. Finally, I introduce my parents. My father is strict, so I didn’t like him when I was a child. But now, I love him. My mother is very kind. They are very shy, so they didn’t look at me when I took this photo.

My favorite place is Cairo Tower. It is very beautiful and tall.

I dislike small places, because small places make me hot.

That’s all. Thank you.                                                                       [230 words]

BR1-12: U.F.O.s

"Read them and decide for yourself if they are true." (p. 1)

Do you believe UFO? UFO means Unidentified Flying Objects. This book tells us about UFO. For example, UFO arrived at Tunguska and Roswell and so on. This book tells us about its detail. I recommend chapter 8 in this book because it is stories about aliens’ famous film. It was very interesting for me. When I finished reading chapter 8 in this book, I thought I wanted to watch E.T. again. This book has a lot of pictures. For example, there are pictures about UFO, Alien and E.T, so you can enjoy it. If you interested in UFO, please read it, and talk about it with me.

Brooke, Helen. (1999). U.F.O.s . New York,  NY: Oxford Bookworms Factfiles.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　[107 words]