MY REPORT

I don't know that it is OK to put my report of KAIGAIKENSHU. But I heard that most of the students who had the class about KAIGAIKENSHU put their reports to their blog so I try it.If it is bad thing, I will not count these words. So if it is not allowed please tell me...

1. Introduction
How do you welcome Christmas and New Year? Japanese think these days are special days, and American people must think these days are special days, too. This idea is same among both countries.Christmas is a memorial day of the day Jesus Christ was born. Christians have celebrated this day since a long time ago. But now, many people all over the world are joining this celebration even if they are not Christian. For example, in Japan, some people believe in another god, but they celebrate Christmas day with family and friends and boyfriend or girlfriend.New Year is the beginning of a fresh year. Japan has many customs around New Year’s Day. Maybe some other countries have their own customs as well. It is interesting to compare their different customs and life style on New Year’s Day in America and Japan.To explore these different customs, I made a questionnaire for both Japanese and Americans. They answered the same questions. I will compare the differences and similarities that the questionnaire has.

2. In Kumamoto
In Japan, we spend Christmas with family or friends or boyfriend or girlfriend. We get together in our house or restaurant to eat something special. Children get Christmas presents from Santa Claus, even though it is actually a surprise from their parents.New Years Eve’s is welcomed with family eating buckwheat noodles and going to temples. We ring the watch-night bell each time we go there. We also go to a shrine on New Year’s Day, and often draw a fortune slip. Of course some people spend New Year with their boyfriend or girlfriend. They go to a shrine and draw a fortune slip, too. There are fortune slips especially for “LOVE” so many Japanese couples buy them. But they enjoy these events after cleanup. It is one of the main customs in Japanese end of the year. We have a custom to clean the house. The reason why we clean our house before welcome New Year is to have “TOSHIGAMI” in our house. It is a name of god who comes to each house on New Years Day. From old days to now, many Japanese have continued this custom.According to the questionnaire, some Japanese tend to take a lot of time to spend some events; for example, New Year's visit to a shrine, with their boyfriend or girlfriend. Of course they like their family and friends. But they had an idea that they should to spend these events with their boyfriend or girlfriend.

3. In the US
According to the questionnaire, American people tend to spend Christmas day with their family and friends. Surprisingly, they do not spend Christmas with their boyfriend or girlfriend. They have a lot of time to spend with their family; they often go to dinner with their family to eat chicken or Mexican foods.Before New Year, they do not clean their house especially like Japanese. They spend time relaxing, eating some foods and watching TV. They do not do any special work. Some Americans wrote on the questionnaire that they were lazy.On New Year’s Day, they gather at someone’s house and eat foods they brought. It is similar to Christmas in America. They enjoy New Years days without customs. If they have boyfriend or girlfriend, they spend New Year’s Day as a couple. They may go to parties with their boyfriend or girlfriend.A few weeks later they do clean their house like Japanese year-end cleanup because the temperature gets warmer. They do this with the good weather in spring, and this is called “spring cleaning.”

4. Conclusion
Japanese people have some stereotypes about American people. It was that Americans must be crazy about their boyfriends or girlfriends. So I thought that maybe the questionnaires’ answers would be filled by the word “boyfriend” and “girlfriend” and that surely they must be deeply in love. In Japan people are ashamed to be close to their boyfriend or girlfriend in the public places, and they tend to spend annual events only by themselves. They spend with their family before or after that. But, in America, they spend these events with family and friends and it includes their boyfriend or girlfriend. They are so friendly and parents do not mind that their daughter or son is necking.I could not experience the Christmas and New Year in Minnesota directly, so I asked people how they spend Christmas and New Year. My host mother, Alaina, said that they always gather at a friend’s house and all of them bring some special foods. They have a buffet party and they play some games. There are many foods in the kitchen so they go there and dish out what they want to eat as they like.In Japan, they often go outside. They go out to dinner, they go shopping and they go to see Christmas illuminations. If they spend Christmas in their house, they buy or make some special foods and they put dishes which have these foods on the table. They sit on the chair and surround the table. Then, they start to eat and talk together. In Japan, there are Christmas presents for children from their parents. According to the interviews to the Japanese students in Kumamoto Gakuen University, they get these presents on the bedside. In America, they put these presents from parents and relatives under the Christmas tree.In Japan, they prepare the house for New Year. They clean their house and their office hard. They buy round rice cakes offered to the gods at New Year’s time. They eat special foods in the New Year Eve and go to temple to ring the watch-night bell. On the New Year Day, in Japan, children can get New Year’s presents of money from relatives. We eat “Osechi.” It is traditional meal in Japan.After New Year’s days, when it is coming that warm season, Americans begin spring cleaning. They do cleanup their house. It is similar to Japanese year-end cleanup. They are wiser than Japanese because they can do it without cold. They have this opportunity so they do not clean their house at the year-end. They do not do any special work before New Year.(1097words)

Write more!!

I had many reports last week. I could not write my blog enough…
I’d like to write more this week and I’d like to get credit this class! Please do not abandon me…
I am going to write more lately.(40words)

ICE CANDY

Hi. It was humid cloudy today. I put on YUKATA as my part-time job’s staff. July 18th and 19th were YUKATA festival in downtown. Did you know that? I worked on the street near my coffee shop putting on YUKATA. It was too hot! I was standing on the street almost 8 hours. I could not stand straightly at last. I sometime sat down on the bench near my shop. I vended ice candy. There were about 11 kinds of taste. I want you to eat these ice candies. These are so good and we can feel cool with it. Please eat it when you want to feel cool at downtown! I will show you the tastes. Strawberry, Milk, Chocolate, Powdered green tea, Black tea, Mango, Blue apple, Coffee, Salty milk, ADZUKI and WASABI. Everything is delicious and I want recommend you to eat all of them!(147words)

spring BR10 BUZZ SEES THE DIFFERENCE

I want to talk about “BUZZ SEES THE DIFFERENCE.” I read this book as book review.
It was not realistic story.
They are crazy creatures. BUZZ and ZIP are citizen in planet Zero. He went the peace conference at planet Seven.
There were many strange creatures so BUZZ thought they are ugly.
ZIP did not mind that and he thought BUZZ is not quiet and he is not calm.
BUZZ heard that other creatures said that this place is going to explode in few minutes.
BUZZ was surprised and he could not move. After they went away, he went back to ZIP and he said about bomb. But ZIP did not believe him because BUZZ does not have trust. But BUZZ never give up and he stood on the table and he shout for many creatures.
They started to escape. But one creature has not move. He could not see and watch because of headset. BUZZ talked to him but he noticed that the creature is the ugliest one. But he tried to touch his shoulder. The creature took off the headset and they run together.

I could not understand the story well…But I think that BUZZ could talk to strange creature and they could escape. It is good thing.(210words)

spring BR9 The Coat

I am going to show you a book which title is “The Coat.”
This story is not easy for me.
In this story, the boy Mark will move. He heard that his neighbor cried. It was man. Mark listened to mans speaking.
“Where is my coat!?”
His daughter said “I think I put it out for the garbage truck this morning.”
Man was sobbing and he said “It was not just an old coat. The pockets were full of treasure.”
Mark listened to the voice so he thought that he can get the treasures. He started to follow the garbage truck by bicycle. At least, he could find mans coat at the top of the rubbish bag.
He went back to his home and he opened the pockets. He found an old fob watch, a faded photo of a young woman, a locket, bottle tops and a shark’s tooth.
He could not find any dollars or diamonds or emeralds or rubies.
He was not sure what to do with it. Maybe he should take it back to the dump.
But next morning, Mark found the man in his garden. Suddenly Mark knew what to do.
“Hello” said Mark.
“I found your coat.”
The old man looked surprised as he took his coat from Mark.
“How did you get? Where was this coat?” he asked.
Then, he looked at the faded photo.
“You have made an old man very happy,” he said.
“Good!” smiled Mark.

This is not just good story. Mark thought that he could get other’s treasure first.
But finally he could change his mind. It is good story I thought.
Thank you for reading.(276words)

NEWS

I want to tell you my two good news.
I could get qualification of secretary 2nd.
I am so happy!
And, my reports about teaching to junior high school student in teaching course was selected as model reports by Mr. Kamimoto!
I felt special!(44words)

Worst days in my life

Hi. Today, I would like to talk about worst days in my life.
I have an experience to be operated right eye because of detachment of the retina. It was about three years ago. When I was studying hard at night for end-of-term examination on second year in high school, I noticed that I could not look on my right eye well. I felt discomfort in my right eye but I had no time to go to ophthalmology. Eventually, I went there after two weeks by the first unease. At there, I was shocked at ophthalmologist’s word. “You have to operate soon. You should enter university hospital tomorrow and you should operate your right eye tomorrow.” I could not understand what he said. But he called my parents to his ophthalmology and he did some procedure to university hospital to operate tomorrow. I could not believe that I will be operated tomorrow.
I cried so much and I scared to failure. I went home with sadness and next day I went to university hospital. I was operated my right eye with general anesthesia. My operation took about five hours to finish. The first time I opened my eyes after operation, I felt pain on my right eye so much. I could not see myself first. And next day I tried to see my eye and I shocked at my red eye. It looked not human’s eye. Too red!!
I could not take off the gauze almost one month after that because of bad appearance. After discharge of the hospital, I backed to high school. I had headache at least 5 minutes reading book. But now, I can read book and use eyes almost usual. I can sports I can run I can wash my face freely! I cannot see the world on my right eye because my right eye’s retina cannot remedy my eyesight. But I can see with my left one so I can enjoy my life.
Thank you for reading. (340words)