Movie Review #5 "Mrs. Doubtfire"

This movie is a heart warming comedy. The subject of it is “Love for his (her) family”. You can enjoy it more by watching with your family. The hero and heroine of this movie felt the difference of sense of values between them. Then they divorced. This sometimes happens in the real married lives. I was deep impressed by the tone of voice and acting ability of Robin Williams.

The hero is Daniel Hillard. He is an innocent and doting father. But he doesn’t have a fixed job and always has quarrels with his wife. He was divorced by his wife. The heroine is Daniel’s wife Miranda. She is a reliable and realistic person. She’s the exact opposite of her husband. She finally washed her hands of Daniel and decided to divorce him. Mrs. Doubtfire is a housekeeper. She was hired by Miranda, and came to the Hillard’s home. She does her work – cooking, cleaning and nursing while Miranda is working at her office. Mrs. Doubtfire is a skilled housekeeper. To tell the truth, Daniel disguised himself as Mrs. Doubtfire.

Story
Daniel didn’t have a fixed job and led a free and uninhibited life. So, Daniel and Miranda didn’t get along with each other though Daniel was loved by his children. At last, Daniel was divorced by Miranda. He lost his right to bring up his children and he had to live away from them. When he lost all hope, he knew that Miranda was looking for a housekeeper. He called her with imitating a woman’s voice, and succeeded to be hired. He has a brother who is a makeup artist. He made Daniel up specially and Daniel became “Mrs. Doubtfire”.

Mrs. Doubtfire did a good job. She did good home education and cooked well. She was also a kind woman. So, she was gaining generous support by Miranda and her children. One day, Miranda and her children were invited to dinner by Stu who was Daniel’s rival in love. Mrs. Doubtfire went to dinner with them. At dinner, Daniel’s disguise was exposed. There was quite in an uproar over the affair. When Mrs. Doubtfire had gone, Miranda and her children found her a valuable person. Then, a new housekeeper came to their house. When they open the door after the doorbell rang, they saw Daniel there!

Feeling
I had seen this movie when I was a little child. But I can enjoy it every time I see it. It is an original idea that Daniel went back his home by dressing himself as a woman. I want a father like him. (Though I want him to have a fixed job) This movie tells us that “The way to express his (her) love to his (her) family is not only one.” Please see this movie by all means.
P.S. “Dude (Looks Like A Lady)” by Aero Smith was used in this movie. This is one of the songs I like the best. Why don’t you listen to it?



(498 words / total 8314 words)

Presentation

This is the results of the questionnaires. We asked 130 students, 59 males and 71 females, of KGU.

First, I’ll tell you about the results of the personal questions.
The age groups are like this,
Age 18 19 20 21 Over 22
Number 13 30 55 24 8

The departments are;
Foreign Language 33
Economics 31
Commercial Science 54
Social Welfare 12

The blood types are
A B O AB
51 43 22 14

Secondly, I’ll tell you about the results of the Yes / No questions. The first question was “Do you eat breakfast?” The answers were Yes – 53, No – 77. The more students don’t eat breakfast. Then, I asked “Do you need more eating place?” and “Are you satisfied with the present students’ dining hall?” Most of students think they need more eating place and they aren’t satisfied with the present situation. Most of male students answered “Yes” to the question “Do you need seats in the smoking section?” It shows the high percentage of the students who smoke. Many students want a café and a half of the students want a new convenience store.

Thirdly, I’ll tell you about the results of the ABCD questions. Mac is by far the most popular fast food restaurant. KFC is the second. About 50 more students selected Mac than KFC. I think it is because we can eat cheaply at Mac. We have to pay more at Mos Burger. Only 11 students selected Mos. Mac is reasonable for student, isn’t it? The students like Japanese food and Italian food better than French and Chinese food. I suppose they have less chance to eat French or Chinese food. The place where the students eat lunch the most is the students’ dining hall. The bakery or Lawson are the next.

Lastly, I’ll tell you about the results of the Open question. Most of the students pay about 350yen or 400yen for lunch. Maybe they eat lunch at the reasonable place like the students’ dining hall or bakery. I asked them “How much can you pay for lunch the maximum?” Most of the students answered between 700yen and 900yen. But there was a rich man who can pay about 1,500yen! The most popular food is pasta. Udon, Chinese Noodle, curry and rice, or bowls of rice are also popular. There were some students who wrote unique answers. For example, “Umai-bo” or “Nori-ben” The students wants various kinds of restaurants. A café, an internet café, a fast food shop, a set meal restaurant, an Italian restaurant, a family restaurant, a buffet, a curry restaurant and so on.

(433 words / total 7816 words)

Movie review #4 "Drum Line"

This is a movie about a marching band. The young people practice hard and play the music. It expresses youthfulness itself. Their play is powerful and attractive. Even the people who don’t know much about marching bands would be charmed by this movie. We can enjoy it with our friends or family.

The hero is Devon who is an able drummer. He is a little selfish and a show-off. Though his ability is perfect, he can’t read music. The heroine is Devon’s girl friend Leila. She belongs to a dance team. Sean is a leader of the drum line. At first, he didn’t like Devon because of Devon’s self-centeredness. But, they understood each other.

Story
The gifted drummer Devon was admitted to Atlanta A&T College on the recommendation system. He was selected as a member of P1 class (the best class) of the marching band as soon as he entered the college. He was liked by the president and hoped to bring the championship. On the other hand, he was kept at a distance by the manager and the team leader because of his selfish behavior. One day, Devon provoked the drummer of another college and it caused a scuffle. As a result, he was dismissed from the marching band.

He changed his way by this. By doing battle with the drums, Devon and Sean reached an understanding. The manager allowed Devon to return to the band after he saw them. In that year, A&T College competed with MB College for the championship of marching bands. Devon was selected for a center player of the drum line. He played very well and A&T College won.

Feeling
It was a very interesting movie. I was excited by the play of the drum line. The well organized movement, the play of high quality and their passion for music… all of them were the first rank. I realized again that I like music. I recommend to watching this movie to like music or not.


(331 words / total 7383 words)

Survey Question and Answers Data

Personal Questions
1.How old are you?
2.Are you a male or female?
3.What is your blood type?
4.What department are you in?

Yes / No Questions
1.Do you eat breakfast?
2.Do you need more eating place?
3.Do you like take out?
4.Do you want to open on Sundays?
5.Do you need seats in a smoking section?
6.Do you need any convenience stores besides Lawson?
7.Are you satisfied with the present student’s dining hall?
8.Do you need a café?
9.Do you usually eat lunch at school?
10.Do you need vending machines of food?

ABCD questions
1.What fast food shop do you like best?
A.McDonald B. MOS BURGER C. KFC D. Mr. Doughnuts
2.What kind of food do you like?
A.Japanese B. Italian C. French D. Chinese
3.At which building do you want a restaurant?
A.No.14 building B. No.11 Building C. No.3 building D. No.4 building
4.What time is the best to open the restaurant?
A.8:00 a.m. B. 8:30 a.m. C. 9:00 a.m. D. 9:30 a.m.
5.What time is the best to close the restaurant?
A.7:00 p.m. B. 8:00 p.m. C. 9:00 p.m. D. 10:00 p.m.
6.How many seats do you want?
A.100 B. 200 C. 300 D. 400
7.Where do you usually eat lunch?
A.The students’ dining hole B. LAWSON C. Bakery D. Other

Open Questions
1.What is your favorite food?
2.How much do you usually use for lunch?
3.How much can you use for lunch to the maximum?
4.What kind of restaurant do you want?


Answers Data
*Total answers (130)

A1. 18(13), 19(30), 20(55), 21(24), 22~(8)
A2. M(59), F(71)
A3. F (33), E (31), C (54), SW (12)
A4. A (51), B (43), O (22), AB (14)
A5. Y (53), N (77)
A6. Y (85), N (45)
A7. Y (71), N (59)
A8. Y (68), N (62)
A9. Y (78), N (52)
A10. Y (61), N (69)
A11. Y (42), N (88)
A12. Y (84), N (46)
A13. Y (92), N (38)
A14. Y (103), N (27)
A15. A (79), B (11), C (30), D (10)
A16. A (63), B (42), C (7), D (18)
A17. A (43), B (48), C (8), D (31)
A18. A (25), B (36), C (34), D (35)
A19. A (17), B (31), C (42), D (40)
A20. A (40), B (43), C (34), D (13)
A21. A (52), B (31), C (33), D (14)
A22. Ex: Pasta, Udon, Chinese Noodle, Gyudon, Katsudon, Curry, Hamburger…
Unique answer: Umaibo
A23. ~350 (46), ~400 (48), ~500 (26), over 500 (10)
A24. ~500 (27), ~700 (56), ~900 (34), over 900 (13)
A25. Ex: Café, Internet Café, McDonald (Fast food), Teisyokuya (Japanese restaurant)
Italian restaurant, Buffet, Family restaurant, Curry shop

(473 words / total7052 words)

Book review #7 "Black Beauty"

This is a story about a life full of ups and downs of a black horse.

The storyteller of it is the black horse. When he was four, he was sold and he had to live apart from his mother.

The new owner Square Gordon liked his black coat and white spots on his forehead and back. He named the horse “Black Beauty”. At Gordon’s stable, there was a pony. His name was Merrylegs. He said both Gordon and his groom John were good, so Beauty would be happy.

There was another horse there. Her name was Ginger. She had cruel treatment by her first owner. She also said Gordon, John and his pupil Joe were so kind that she was happy.
Soon, Mrs. Gordon became seriously ill. John rode on Beauty to bring a doctor. It was a stormy night. The trees fell down and the bridge was washed away. Beauty ran as fast as he could with the doctor and John. When he got home, he had a high fever. But he recovered with John and John’s nursing.

Mrs. Gordon got better too, but the doctor suggested a change of air. Merrylegs went to the priest, and Ginger and Beauty were sold to Lord and Lady Richmore. Lady wanted to tighten the reins. Ginger could not bear broken and Lady fell on the street. After that, Ginger disappeared.

Richmore’s groom Reuben often drank too much. One evening, he rode beauty and passed on a gravel road. Reuben was too drunk to notice that Beauty’s shoe was loose. Beauty’s hoof spilt and he could not stand the pain. At last he fell onto his knees. Reuben shot to the ground and he did not move any more.

Lord and Lady Richmore decided to sell beauty. At a horse sale, no one wanted Beauty whose knees got hurt and black coat was not beautiful then. Finally a kind-looking man bought him cheep. His name was Jerry Baker. He named his new horse Jack. Jack (Beauty) became a carriage horse. The job was a little hard, but Beauty was satisfied with his new life. Because Jerry never forced to go faster and he was very kind.

Once time Beauty saw an old scrawny horse on the street. It was Ginger. She was also a carriage horse, but her driver was cruel. Soon, beauty saw a cart carrying dead Ginger.
One day, Jerry’s customer came and asked Jerry to be her groom. He had to part with Beauty. Beauty’s new master was cruel and worked him very hard. Beauty became weaker by overwork, and collapsed in the street at last. Though his master deserted him, a kind man took him home. He was a horse doctor. Thanks to him, Beauty was getting better. The doctor took Beauty to his new master. They were two grown-up sisters. Who should Beauty meet there but Joe! He was their groom. He noticed the horse was Black Beauty. Now he lives happily with good masters and the groom.


Feeling
A proverb says “Inscrutable are the ways of heaven.” It means “god alone knows what will happen.”
Good things and bad things happen over and over in our lives. I was keenly aware of that by reading this book. I thought about life deeply. I think it is an excellent book.


(554 words / total 6579 words)

Movie review #3 "Cars"

This is an animation film using computer graphics. The pictures are of great quality, the same as “Mr. Incredible”. I felt the pictures are attached greater importance to quality of the actions than to reality. It may be because the characters are not humans but cars. This film expresses car races. So it is suitable for adults than children.

The hero is McQueen who is a little selfish. He is the rookie who everyone expected to be the next winner. He is aiming for the Piston Cup championship. The heroine is Sally. She is a luxury car and very beautiful. She wishes to revive “Radiator Springs”. McQueen and Sally seem to be in love each other. But every time they meet, an old jalopy Mater interrupts them. Doc is a car who is treated as the town mayor of Radiator Springs. He doesn’t like McQueen who broke the town. To tell the truth, he is a master car who won the Piston Cup championship in three consecutive seasons.

Story
At the final race of Piston Cup championship, the biggest car race in America, the three reached the goal at the same instant. The race would be held in California again to decide a champion. He was heading for California. On his way, he lost his way and wandered into Radiator Springs. It was a deserted country town. He broke a road in that town by mistake. He ended up having to repair it taking responsibility. Can he get to California on time?

McQueen and people (cars?) in town soon opened up to each other. The day of the race came after repairing the road. Doc and other companions in the town became the crew for McQueen. Thanks to them, he was in the lead. At the last lap, a veteran car King crashed. McQueen turned back to help him. Though McQueen couldn’t win, he received the highest praise for his behavior. He decided to live in Radiator Springs. After that, the town recovered its liveliness.

Feeling
On the whole, this movie is ordinary. There aren’t any impressive scenes. I’ll give it a mark of 60. I felt unfamiliar with the personification of the cars. However, I was impressed the scene that McQueen helped King. In addition, the inserted songs were very good. Anyway, this movie had little to make me want to recommend it.


(394 words / total 6025 words)

Book review #6 "The Dinosaur Who Lost His Roar"

This is a story about five dinosaurs Sid, Spike, Ross, Ollie and Rex.

Sid lived in the middle of a big forest. He liked crashing through bushes, climbing tall trees and splashing in the river. But, most of all, Sid liked scaring other dinosaurs. He had the loudest roar of all.

One day, Sid went for a walk. He saw Spike, Ross and Ollie on his way. He gave a roar one by one. When he saw they were frightened, he laughed very hard. That night, Sid felt his throat hurt.

The next day, Sid went for another walk. When he saw Spike, he tried to roar again. But only a croak came out of his throat. Spike laughed him. He tried to roar at Ross and Ollie, but he could not. Ross and Ollie also laughed at him. Sid went red and ran all the way home. He ate a spoonful of honey, drunk some worm water and went to bed.

The next day, Sid’s throat was better. He decided to visit Spike, Ross and Ollie to say sorry for scaring them. But they were not anywhere. Then he found some footprints. They were not Spike’s, Ross’s and Ollie’s. Sid followed the footprints. The footprints led to a huge dinosaur called Rex. Rex had taken Spike, Ross and Ollie home for dinner. Sid crept up behind Rex and gave him his biggest, strongest, loudest roar. Rex was terrified and ran off without looking back. Spike, Ross and Ollie thanked Sid and they became good friends.

Feeling
When we hear the word ‘dinosaur’ we feel a little scary. But the dinosaurs have unique shape and they are all colorful and cute.

Rex was a little scary because he caught Spike, Ross and Ollie and wanted to eat them. But it was funny to see that Rex was running away in a panic Sid’s roar.

‘Bad boy’ Sid is not so bad. He just scares other dinosaurs by his loud roar. The children who read this book will laugh with Sid to see other dinosaurs are frightened at his roar and fall into the river or drop eggs. It was the heartwarming scene of Sid eating honey or drinking hot water when he lost his voice. Some children may want to eat honey.

At the end of this story, three dinosaurs were saved by Sid and they became good friends. The children will relieved and close the book. I want to read this book to my children in the future.


(419 words / total 5631 words)

Movie reviews #2 "Groundhog Day"

Though this film is belongs to comedy, I don’t think so. There are many points which let us think them over. I felt dizzy by the expressions that repeat same time on and on. I empathized with the hero Phil, and I often thought “If I were him…” in spite of myself. It was because Bill Murray’s performance was excellent.

The main character is Phil who is a weather forecaster. He isn’t liked by everyone because he is selfish. He came across a strange occurrence where he went to cover. After that, he had changed little by little. His co-star is Rita who is director of the program. She went to Pennsylvania with Phil. She hates selfish man like Phil. She is considerably beautiful.

Story
Phil who calls himself a ‘popular’ weather forecaster went to Pennsylvania with a beautiful director Rita and cameraman Larry. They visit there to cover Grandhog Day which was held once a year on February 2. Phil finished his job unwillingly and went to bed at the cottage. When he woke up next morning, he noticed that he had gone back to Grandhog Day morning. He went back to February 2 day after day. He lost his mind and killed himself. But he went back to Grandhog Day morning again every time he killed himself. At last, he gave up dying and decided to enjoy ‘February 2’ forever.

Phil has spent Grandhog Day more than half a year. He has learned everything about the people in the town. He can play the piano and fix a flat tire. He is not selfish now. He holds out a helping hand to the people who have troubles. His half a year of trial for love with Rita bore good result. They fell asleep at the night of the party. When they woke up next morning, it was not ‘February 2’ but ‘February 3’.

Feeling
I felt very happy after I finished watching this film. I don’t like him at first, but I have a food feeling for him now. The eternal youth is expressed in this film. It is human’s earnest wish to live forever. But how many people can stand the repetition of the same day? I can’t stand it. I was impressed that Phil tried to enjoy that situation. I respect him.


(386 words / total 5212 words)

Book review #5 "A Little Princess"

Sara lived in India with her father, Captain Crewe. He thought the heat in India was not good for Sara and the schools were better in London. He decided to send his daughter to a boarding school in London. The name of school was Miss Minchin’s Boarding School for Young Ladies.

Miss Minchin welcomed Sara because she was the richest pupil. She gave Sara the prettiest bed room, a pony and carriage and her own maid. It was displeasing to Lavinia. Until Sara arrived, Lavinia had been Miss Minchin’s best pupil, and Sara took her place. The other girls had heard that Sara was as rich as a princess, and they soon adored her. Sara was kind to everyone, even to her maid Becky.

Captain Crewe wrote to Sara that his old friend had offered him a share in his diamond mines, and they would be rich beyond his wildest dreams. Miss Minchin knew that and organized an amazing birthday party for Sara. But during the party, a solicitor came to Miss Minchin and told her that Captain Crewe died of jungle fever and he had lost all his money.

Miss Minchin was enraged by the news. She told Sara to clear her bed room and move to the attic. Everything in Sara’s life changed at once. Lavinia had taken her place next to Miss Minchin. Every day, Sara was sent on errand after errand. She was expected to go out in all weathers and to dust and scrub the rooms. The other pupils stopped talking to her. Her only friend was Becky.

One morning, someone moved to the empty house next door. Becky told her that it was an English gentleman whose name was Mr. Carrisford. He came from India. He was rich but he had been very ill. When Sara looked out of her window, she saw an Indian man-servant with a small monkey at the window of the house next door.

A few months later, Sara heard a scratching sound at her window. It was the monkey from the next door. Sara took it to Mr. Carrisford’s house. Mr. Carrisford was surprised to hear that Sara called a man-servant Lascar. He asked why she knew he was a Lascar. Sara explained that she was born in India. Mr. Carrisford asked Sara her father’s name. When he heard the name –Ralph Crewe– he shouted “It’s her!” He was Captain Crewe’s friend and he had spent two years looking for his daughter. He thought he’d lost Captain Crew’s money, and that made him ill, but he had not. When he got well and want to tell the truth to Sara’s father, he had already died. He was very glad to see her and promised that he would take care of her.

Feeling
Through this story, I thought people were mean. When Sara was rich, everyone made a fess over her, but after she lost her money, they treated her coolly.

There are many people like them not only in the stories but also in real world. However, there are good people too. Most of the people I’ve met in my life were good-natured persons. I feel I’ve been happy all over again.

My mother told me that this is a very famous story and everyone read it, but I had not heard even the title. Is it the generation gap??


(561 words / total 4826 words)

My new motorcycle

I got a motorcycle in September. Before then, I used a bicycle. I had used it more than six years. So it became rather old. The metallic parts got rusty and its saddle was torn.

One day, my mother said to my father “It’s time to buy new one. But I think it better to buy a motorcycle than a bicycle. He comes home late at night because of his part-time job. He has a driver’s licence so he can ride a motorcycle. A secondhand motorcycle is not expensive. It is as much as a new good bicycle.” My father thinking for a while, then said “OK.”

My mother asked her father (my grandfather) where to buy. He took us a bicycle shop near his house. He is on good terms with the owner of the shop. The owner showed us some secondhand motorcycles kindly. We decided to buy one he recommended. Now I ride it every day.


(158 words / total 4265 words)

Book reviews #4 "The Flog Prince"

Princess Poppy did not want to marry her fiancé Prince Humperdink. Because she hated him. She said “I will find another prince to marry!” “You can have until tomorrow morning,” said King. Princess Poppy picked up her golden ball and stomped into the garden. She ran down the palace pond, throwing and catching her ball as she went. On her way, there was the wobbly stone. She slipped and fell into the pond. Her beautiful golden ball flew out of her hands and disappeared into the deep dark pond. It was a birthday present from King. Then a frog appeared and said “I can fetch your ball for you.” “But you must promise me something first,” he added. “Anything, anything!” agreed Poppy. He said “Promise that you will let me live in your palace.” “In your dreams,” thought Poppy. But she said “I promise.” The frog found her golden ball and held it above his head. Poppy snatched up the ball and raced back to the palace. “Hey!” the frog called after her and said, “What about your promise?” Poppy disappeared without hearing his words.

Poppy arrived just in time to charge for dinner. When she sat down her seat, there was a faint topping sound. Poppy rushed the door, opened it and saw a frog. “Hello,” said the frog. Poppy slammed the door in his face. “Who was that?” asked King. “No one,” Poppy answered quickly. The tapping noise came again. “Poppy, I really do think someone’s there,” said the Queen. So Poppy told the truth against her will. “Then you must keep your word,” bellowed the King. “Let the frog in.” The frog enjoyed the dinner. After dinner, the frog wanted to go to bed. But Poppy said “You are not coming anywhere near my bedroom.” “Princess does not break promises,” said King sternly. Poppy took a deep breath and picked up the frog by one foot to take him to her bedroom. The frog wanted to sleep in her bed, but she did not want to. When the frog said “I will tell your father,” Poppy picked up and threw him out of the window. There was a long silence, followed by a loud splat. Poppy suddenly realized what she had done. “I hope I have not killed him,” she prayed, and raced down the stairs. The frog was lying sprawled on the palace lawn. Poppy picked up him gently and said “I’m so sorry.” She bent down and kissed him. There was a loud crash of thunder, followed by a shower of sparks. The frog became a handsome young prince. “A wicked witch cast an evil spell on me,” he said. “I could only become human again if a princess kissed me.” Then he asked Poppy “How can I make it up to you?” She answered, “Well… you could marry me.” Then she said to King “Daddy, you did say I could find my own prince.” “That’s true.” said the King with a sigh. The Prince said “Princess Poppy, will you marry me?” “I will” said Poppy.

Feeling
I’d heard the title, but I did not know the story. This is a story with a happy ending and I like these kinds of stories. But I felt a sense of incongruity in this story. Because in this kind of stories like “Snow White” or “Sleeping Beauty” the Princess woke up with the Prince’s kiss. In this story Princess kissed the Prince on the contrary. I was a little surprised.

Anyway, Princess Poppy is very selfish, isn’t she? The King said to her “You’ve been pampered by mother and spoiled by your sisters.” I think he is right. I don’t want to marry a woman like her. Incidentally, I want to know the whole story of what has happened to Prince Humperdink who was a fiancé of Princess Poppy since then.


(644 words / total 4107 words)

Book reviews #3 "A KISS FOR LITTLE BEAR"

Little Bear draw a picture and wanted to send it his Grandmother. He asked Hen to take it to her. Grandmother liked it so much and she asked Hen to take him a thank-you kiss. But hen passed the kiss to Frog, the Frog passed it to Cat, and the Cat passed it Little Skunk. Then Little Skunk saw another Little Skunk. She was very pretty. He gave the kiss to her. And she gave it back. Hen saw them and got the Grandmother’s kiss back. She ran to Little Bear and she gave him the kiss. The Skunks decided to get married.

Feeling
This is a heartwarming story. We feel that Little Bear and his Grandmother love each other. The kiss from Grandmother passed one after another. This kind of repetition is often used in children’s stories. Children like it. By the way, I hope the Skunks to be happy.


(151 words / total 3463 words)

Book reviews #2 "RUNAWAY PANCAKE"

There was once a family with seven children, and they were always hungry. One day, their mother made pancakes for breakfast. But a pancake did not want to be eaten and run away. All of the family ran after it. The pancake was too fast to catch it. When the pancake rolled past by a kennel, a dog finds it and began to run after it. A rabbit in a field saw the pancake rolling past. The rabbit began to race with it. A duck on the stream began to chase it too. A cat in the farmyard, goat in s meadow, and a fox in some bushes also joined them. The pancake hitched a ride on a kite to escape the fox. It landed at the edge of a forest. There was a pig in a pen. The pig wanted to eat the pancake too, but he was too clever to say so. “What’s the hurry, Mr. Pancake?” he asked. “Let me walk through the forest with you. It’s a dangerous place.” The pancake said “Quickly! Don’t let them catch me!” The pig pretended not to hear and asked “What did you say?” again and again. At last the pig said “I can’t here you. You’ll have to come closer.” So the pancake jumped over the fence and into pen. The pig snapped it up and swallowed it…in one gulp.

Feeling
I felt that the cunning persons always benefit. I wonder this story is good for children. It might be better if the pig had retaliation. Anyway, the story is fun, and the children may like it. …By the way, everyone likes pancake, doesn’t he?


(276 words / total 3312 words)

Movie reviews #1 "Mr. Incredible"

This movie is so-called “the hero story.” It describes not only the activities of heroes but also the difficulties to be heroes or the love for family. The pictures with computer graphics are so realistic that they look like the pictures of actual events, but on the other hands there were many actions which are possible only by using computer graphics. The quality of this movie is very good.

The main character is Bob Parr who is called Mr. Incredible. He is a gentle and strong man. He has a job and lives an ordinary life but he can’t forget the glorious days when he was a hero. The second character is his wife Helen Parr who is called Elasti Girl. She can grow her arms and legs at will. She is the exact opposite of her husband. She wants to be ordinary. She can’t handle her children. The third character is Syndrome. He was an Incredi Boy who admired Mr. Incredible when he was a little boy. But he became a anti-hero because he was estranged from Mr. Incredible. He tried to make himself to be a hero with a robot he made.

Fifteen years ago, there were many heroes like Mr. Incredible. They were thanked by people. But people began to criticize them after an event. At last the government authorities said “Heroes are unnecessary.” Fifteen years later, Bob Parr who was just a run-of-the-mill insurance company employee received a request from a woman. She wanted Bob t work as a hero.

At the climax of this movie, Syndrome tried to be an only hero by killing heroes all over the world. His robot was destroying the town. The Mr. Incredible’s family had fallen into enemy hands. They could escape from Syndrome’s hiding place and went to the robot to fight. Their friend Frozone helped them. They succeed to defeat the robot after a hand struggle. Their family ties became strong.


Feeling
Thought, I don’t like animation films like Disney’s Films, I enjoyed this movie. It expressed various feelings or thoughts of people about heroes. In Japan, there was a hero “Ultra man”. He had beaten the monsters which broke the towns. But Ultra man also broke the towns when he was fighting with the monsters. People would have complains about his behavior if their houses were broken, even if it was un-escapable to defeat the enemy. The people in this movie were exactly like that. I think this movie is good because it expresses heroes from a different angle.

(422 words / total 3036 words)

The Expedition to Kansai ~ 4 days memorial trip~ #3 (Speaking 4 vacation)

We woke up in good health at the spa in Okayama. We discussed the plans for our trip and decided to go to the sea. On the way to the sea, we dropped into a convenience store and had breakfast.

The way to the sea was very crowded, so we changed the route and used the highway. We arrived at Sami Bathing Place before noon. We had looked at the place on the map. It was summer the season of the sea! We went to the beach with excitement. But the beach was almost deserted to our surprise. Besides, most of the people there were parents and their children or couples. Two men on the summer beach…..the lonely wind was blowing… Pulling ourselves together, we jumped in the sea and swam furiously with the floats. After that, we shot at each other with water pistols which we had bought in Kumamoto, and took a walk on the seashore. About an hour later, we felt hungry and ate yakisoba at the seaside cottage. Then, we left the beach.

Hiroshima was our next goal. On the way, we were in trouble. The brakes of our car did not work! I thought it was dangerous. I stopped the car in the parking space and took a rest. Though the brakes began to work again, I drove very carefully.

We arrived at Hiroshima on August 15. Yes, it was the anniversary of the end of World War Ⅱ. We visited the Atomic Bomb Dome. It was smaller than I had expected. But there was a strange stillness around it. We prayed from the bottom of our hearts.

Then we dropped to the former Hiroshima Civic Stadium. We had dinner at a eating house in the shopping mall.

At the night we stayed at the Net café again. The café was great. The room where we stayed was very large. It seemed that five men could sleep there and I had a best night’s rest in this trip.

Well at last, we would go back to Kumamoto tomorrow.

To be continued…

(347 words / total 2614 words)

Book reviews #1 "Pinocchio"

Once upon a time, there was a piece of wood in the carpenter’s workshop. The carpenter’s name was Mr. Cherry. When he picked up a chisel, the wood cried “Don’t hurt me!” Just then, his friend Gepetto came and said “I want to make a puppet.” Mr. Cherry was happy to get rid of the strange piece of wood.

Gepetto got the piece of wood and went home. First, he chipped at the wood to make a head with hair. Then he gave the puppet two eyes. Gepetto did not notice that one of them winked. He made the nose. As he smoothed it down, the nose began to grow. After he finished the mouth, it laughed. When the legs and arms were finished, the puppet jumped up and ran out the house. Gepetto ran after him and cried “Stop Pinocchio!!” The policeman saw Gepetto and said “You are under arrest for threatening a puppet.” Pinocchio went back home and relaxed. A cricket came to him and said, “Respect your father. Only good sons have a chance of becoming real boys.” But Pinocchio ignored him. Pinocchio was cold and tired. So he rested his legs on the fireplace and fell a sleep. Gepetto came back home and found that the fire had burned off Pinocchio’s feet.

With a new pair of feet Pinocchio became happy. He said Gepetto “You are great Dad and I’ve been a rotten son, but I promise to be good from now on.” Gepetto decided to send Pinocchio to school. The next morning, Pinocchio found a brightly painted building on his way to school. A puppet show was held there. Pinocchio thought “I will go to school tomorrow.” and he got into the building. Pinocchio was dragged on stage and surrounded by puppets. Then the manager came and yelled “You’ve ruined my show. I’m going to use you for firewood.” But at last the manager said “Take these five gold coins back home to your father.”

On his way home, Pinocchio met a fox and a cat. They said “Why not double or triple your money?”　“Come with us to the field of miracles.” Pinocchio followed them and stayed at an inn. The next morning, the innkeeper shouted “Wake up!! Your friends have gone without you and they have not paid.” Pinocchio handed him a gold coin and rushed outside. He looked for a fox and a cat, but he could not find them. Then “Foolish puppet. Now take those coins home.” buzzed a faint voice. It was a cricket. Pinocchio cried “I’m going to triple my money at the field of miracles!” the cricket said “There’s no such place. This lane will only take you to madmen and murders.” But Pinocchio went on walking. After a while, he saw to figures. They look like murders. They sais “Bring us your gold.” Pinocchio ran into the thick trees and manged to escape.

Pinocchio saw a little cottage out of the woods. He was invited in by a very polite poodle. The next morning, Pinocchio met a silvery fairy at breakfast. Pinocchio told her about his adventure. She asked him to show coins. Pinocchio said that he lost his coins in the wood. Then his nose doubled in length. “Or maybe I swallowed them,” he added. His nose grew enough to touch the wall. “You will never be a real boy if you do not tell the truth,” the fairy said. She opened the window and called for three woodpeckers. They had pecked Pinocchio’s nose back to its original size. The fairy said, “your father is in these woods looking for you.” Pinocchio raced outside.

Before Pinocchio could find Gepeto, he met the fox and cat. They said “Let’s go to the field of miracles!” Though he refused them at first, he followed them after all. They said “You must bury your gold in the middle of the field. Them take this pebble and throw it in the rive. When you come back, your gold will have multiplied.” When he got back, the fox and cat disappeared and his coins were gone.

After a few hours, a huge pigeon came to him and said “Gepetto is in great danger.” The pigeon scooped him onto her back and sored into the sky. They saw a small boat struggling in the rough sea. Pinocchio dived into the water. He swam and swam, but he could not find his father’s boat. Soon he was washed onto the sandy beach.

It was Toyland. “Here we only have fun. We will cheer you up!” shouted the toys. Then “Watch out.” said a twinkling voice. “They will make a fool of you.” Over the next few days, Pinocchio tried very hard not to have fun. But there was so much to do. It was so exciting that he completely forget about Gepetto. One morning he was surprised at himself in the mirror. He was turning into a donkey. He ran to the beach and swam away.

It was hard for Pinocchio to swim as a donkey. Soon Pinocchio became a puppet again. But a huge shark swallowed him. He found Gepetto in the darkness. Pinocchio said “Let’s get out.” and led Gepetto to the shark’s mouth. Suddenly, the shark let out a giant burp, throwing Pinocchio and Gepetto in to the sea. Pinocchio towed Gepetto to the shore and they were home again. That night the fairy appeared to Pinocchio in a dream. “Well done,” she said and kissed him. The next morning, Pinocchio became a real boy. “Son,” Gepetto cried with joy.


Feeling
I have seen Pinocchio as a Disney Movie. I remembered the outline of the story, but I did not remember how Pinocchio became a real boy. Pinocchio was so pure that he was deceived easily. I think human boys are dupe like him. If they keep bad companies in their boyhood, they gradually fall into evil ways. Gepetto might be overprotection. In other words, he had deep paternal love. I was impressed by the depth of his love.

By the way, I have doubt about this story. I had thought that Pinocchio and Gepetto were eaten by a whale not a shark. Is it my misunderstanding?


(1037 words / total 2267 words)

The Expedition to Kansai ~ 4 days memorial trip~ #2

On the second day we got up at eight and left for Koshien Stadium. We got breakfast at a convenience store and took the superhighway. We got to Nishinomiya City after an hour’s drive. Nishinomiya was a big City and we were impressed by its bigness. When we saw a part of Koshien Stadium from the City Highway, I thought “At last, we reached our goal!” But there was a problem. There was no parking area at Koshien Stadium. We had to look for a pay parking lot. It was not easy to find, it because more than ten thousand people were coming there to watch baseball games. The parking areas near Koshien Stadium were full, so we had to park a few kilometers away from there. We walked to the stadium and went into the outfield blenches. We could watch the game free at the outfield blenches. There were so many people there that we could not find our sitting space easily. We barely sat down and watched the game. Thought we watched only one game, we enjoyed very much. The team of the big-name school (Chiben Wakayama High School) played the game, and they won.

After the game, we went to the stand to buy some souvenirs of Koshien Stadium. We met Mr. Tsukita who was a pitching ace of Kumamoto Technical High School there. They were eliminated in the first game the previous day. Mr. Tsukita and I live in the same town. We graduated the same elementary school and junior high school. I had my photograph taken with him. After that we had lunch at the Koshien branch of Daiei next to Koshien Stadium. We left for Kumamoto after lunch. We did not use the superhighway and ran slowly to enjoy the seascape and other beautiful sceneries.


When we arrived at Okayama, we decided to stay there that night. We went to the police box to ask where to stay. The police officer suggested us to stay at the Kenko-Land (spa). He was so kind that he drew a map of and showed us how to get there. We enjoyed the large bath and played Shogi. Then we fell asleep.

To be continued……


(367 words total 1230 words)

My new idenify

Hello, my name is Dimetorio Alveltini. I am from Milan, Italy. I am 38 years old. I have 6 members in my family… father, mother, my wife, 2 boys and me. The boys are 10 and 7. My job is police officer. I like playing table tennis and I hate smoking. I also like watching soccer. I am fan of the Intel Milan. So, I am intelista. I do not like AC Milan. I want to watch Milan Derby in stadium someday.


(82 words / 863 words)

The Expedition to Kansai ~ 4 days memorial trip~

I took a trip to Kansai from August 13 to 16 with my close friend Boo-chan. Before the summer vacation, Boo-chan said “Let’s go to some distant place.” and I agreed. The reason why we decided to visit Kansai was we wanted to watch the All-Japan High School Baseball Championship Tournament at Koshien stadium. Then we talked about the way to go there. We thought that going by car was the most convenient, so I asked my mother to lend me her car. Koshien stadium is in Nishinomiya city, Hyogo. It is about 700 kilometers from Kumamoto. It was a mind-boggling distance for me because I had never drove outside of Kyusyu. But our aim of the trip was to go to some distant place so I decided to go there. Before the trip I bought ETC and installed it in my mother’s car to use the highway. The expressway toll was only 1,000 yen during Bon holidays when we paid by ETC.

The First day
On August 13, I went to Boo-chan’s house to pick him up and left for Kumamoto Interchange. We got a map of Kyusyu area at the first rest area. The map showed all rest areas in Kyusyu. (Later we got same kind of maps of Cyugoku and Kinki area) Though we were afraid that the highway might be very crowded because it was the first day of Bon holidays, we could run smoothly. The opposite lanes were a little crowded. It was heavy schedule to get Hyogo and back in four days. So we planned to go as far as we could on the first day.

We made merry when we left Honsyu and made merry again every time we crossed borders to another prefectures. We tried to go as far as we could as I mentioned above. However, we sometimes took rest at the rest areas to recover from the fatigue of our trip. On the way, we saw the root of the rainbow and the beautiful mountain with clouds. Those fantastic sceneries made us happy.

We arrived at Himeji city, Hyogo on the first day. I was surprised when I noticed that I had driven for twelve hours. (We left Kumamoto at eight in the morning and arrived at Himeji at eight in the evening.) Then we decided to stay there tonight. We stayed at an Internet Café because it was expensive for us to stay a hotel. We went to a police station to ask where the Internet Café was. (We did not want to waste money. We set aside forty thousand yen for our trip including gasoline charge.) At the Internet Café, we took a shower and slept in the pair booth. Then an unforgettable event occurred. Suddenly, a clerk of the café came into our booth and said to me, “Excuse me. Your friend’s snoring is too loud and other customer can not sleep well.” I apologized to the clerk and wake up Boo-Chan. He went out the café and slept in the car.

To be continued…….

(508 words / total 781 words)

“Boubra Matsri” was held at Kasuga Elementary School on Saturday, August 8. “Boubura Matsuri” is the local festival sponsored by Kasuga community. “Boubra” means pumpkins in Kumamoto dialect. In the old days, many pumpkins called Boubura were grown in Kasuga and they were feature of this district. There are words “Kasuga Boubradon” in “Otemoyan” a traditional folk song in Kumamoto.

Boubura Matsuri is held on the second Saturday in August every year. It started in 2003. I have joined it as a volunteer staff since three years ago. I made yakisoba this year. It was the first time for me to work at a food stall, so I was excited and a little uneasy.

I will show you how to make yakisoba. First, oil on the iron plate and grill meat, then, add cut cabbages and been sprouts. Shake pepper and salt when the vegetables became soft. After that, put noodles and sauce and mix well. The taste was….. just so-so.

Making yakisoba was fun for me, but I felt very very hot. Because the fat often spat while I was making yakisoba. I wore a T-shirt and a short pants then. I made a bad choice in my clothes.

When I put off my clothes at home after the festival, I found my skin turned red with sunburn. It was to have been expected because I worked under the burning sun in a tank top many hours to prepare for the festival. I experienced the tortures of hell. The pain continued for a week.

Anyway, I enjoyed the festival. I am planning to appear on the stage and perform something next year.



(273 words)

Our New House

On Saturday, July 4 we moved into a new house. The new house is in the municipal apartment with twelve floors. It is not so far from our old house. We live on the tenth floor. Thought the view from our house is splendid, there are some drawbacks.

First of all, it is very noisy. My house is close to Kumamoto station which is under construction for Kyusyu Shinkansen. Around the station many houses and buildings are being taken down and built. New roads are being built too. More over our house is next to the railroads. Various trains run all day. The freight trains are more the most troublesome. They are very very very long and it takes so much time to pass by. They often run late at night. We can not sleep well everyday. (To tell the truth I sleep enough.)

The second drawbacks are wind and rain. The winds blow hard and it is hard for us to open the front door. Sometimes we are almost blown away by the strong wind. The rainy days are miserable. The winds drive the rain and inundate the outside of the front door. The umbrella is useless when the wind is strong. I feel like crying on rainy days.

Thirdly our house is hard to reach by public transportation. Bus service is available in our neighborhood, but buses do not run frequently. So we usually use streetcars. It takes about ten minutes to near by streetcar stop. It took about five minutes to Kumamoto station from our old house, but it takes about 15 minutes from our new house. The road in front of our new house is always very crowded. We can not leave home easily by car. We become impatient when we do not have much time.

I hope we will acclimate ourselves to the new house soon.

(311 words / total 9985 words)

Book review # 14 "Miss Rumphius"

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Alice. Her grandfather was an artist. When he was very busy, Alice helped his drawing.

In the evening, Alice sat on her grandfather’s knee and said “When I grow up, I will go to faraway places, and when I grow old, I will live besides the sea like you.” Her grandfather said “That is very well, but you must do one more think, it’s doing something to make the world more beautiful.” “All right,” said Alice.

When she grew up, she lived a city far from her hometown. She also went to various places. She visited a tropical island, climbed tall mountains or went through jungle. After that she lived a house by the sea.

In spring, the flowers bloomed that she had planted. They were Lupines. She loved Lupines the best. She wanted to plant more. She bought large quantities of lupine seed and planted them everywhere. The next spring, field and hillsides were covered with beautiful. She was called Lupine Lady.

Feeling
This story is expressed as it was told by Alice’s great niece. She heard the story of her great aunt’s life and she long to live like her. Alice’s grandfather said to Alice “You must do something to make the world more beautiful.” Alice kept her promise by growing beautiful flowers. Alice also said to her great niece the same words. Her great niece does not know yet what that can be. If someone said me “You must do something to make the world beautiful,” what shall we do? I don’t know how to grow the flowers. I can’t paint beautiful pictures. The illustrations are colorful and very beautiful. The story is unique. This is a very attractive book.


(293 words / total 9674 words)

Book review # 13 "MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS"

Mr. and Mrs. Mallard had been looking for a good place for raising a family of ducklings. At first, it was hard to find safety place without foxes, turtles or dashing bikes. At, last they found the perfect place. It was a quiet island in the Charles River. There was a kind policeman called Michel at the police booth near the island. They built their nest there and Mrs. Mallard laid eight eggs. Soon the duckling hatched out.

One day, Mrs. Mallard and eight ducklings wanted to walk to the Public Garden, where Mr. Mallard was waiting. On their way to the Public Garden, there was a highway. They could not cross it because so many cars were running there. Then, Michel came running, waving his arms and blowing his whistle. He stopped traffic so Mrs. Mallard and ducklings could cross the highway. After that Michel rushed back to send a police car. The policemen held back the traffic so Mrs. Mallard and the ducklings could march across the street and they could arrive the Public Garden safely.

Felling
This is a heart-warming story. Mr. and Mrs. Mallard had a long trip to find a best place to live. They went to many places before they decided to live a quiet island in the Charles River. It was because parents’ love for their children. In this story, the mallards are coexistent with human beings. Michel and other policemen helped the Mallards and the people of Boston cooperated with them. It seemed very natural. Both the Mallards and human beings look happy. Not only the story but also the illustrations are great. They were drown by the writer. They are pencil sketches using a brown pencil with a delicate touch. The scenery of Boston is beautiful and the ducklings are very cute. I like the illustration. When Mrs. Mallard and ducklings arrived at the Public Garden, they all turned round to say thank you to the policemen. The policemen smiled and waved good-by. I smiled unconsciously when I read this scene.

I have seen the Japanese TV news that the spot-billed duck family was crossing a busy street and many cars stopped and waited until they finished crossing. I think the people become gentle when they see lovely things. Besides they feel happy by helping such things.


(386 words / total 9381 words)

Book review # 12 "GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU"

One day, Little Nut-brown Hare said to Big Nut-brown Hare “Guess how much I love you.” Big Hare said “Oh, I do not think I could guess that.” “This much.” said Little Hare, stretching out his arms as wide as they could go. Then, Big Hare stretched his even longer arms and said, “But I love YOU this much.” Little Hare thought, “That is a lot.”

Next, “I love you as high as I can reach,” said Little Hare stretching himself. Big Hare did the same, it was quite high. Little Hare tried various ways, a handstand, hopping, bouncing up and down to express his love.

Meanwhile, it became dark and Little Hare felt sleepy. He looked up the dark sky. “I love you right up to the MOON,” he said and close his eyes. “Oh, that’s very very far,” said Big Hare talking Little Hare up in his arms. Then he whispered with a smile “I love you right up to the moon, AND BACK.”


Feeling
Little Hare was very lovely. The scenes that he was trying to express how much he loved big Hare were heart-worming.

Love is invisible. So, it is hard to express the size in words or forms. I learned about it from this book. I wish I could express my love like them to my lover someday.


(223 words / total 8995 words)

Essay #5 The worst days in my life

There were two worst days for me.

The first one was the day the Hanshin Tigers was overtaken the leader and won the championship by the Yomiuri Giants although the tigers had a 13 games lead. It was October 10 in 2008, an unforgettable day for me. The Tigers played very well from the early stages to the middle stages last year, but it lost games in a row after August. At last the Giants won “historical upset victory”. It made many Tigers’ fans sad and despondent. I was one of them. I felt as if I was strangled with a cord every time the Giants narrowed the gap. I still remember the pain I felt then.

On October 10, I shed tears when the Giants won the championship. I was so sad that my voice failed me. At the same time, I said to the Tigers “You did a great job. Thank you for the dream to win.” in my heart. We the Tigers’ fans never give up. We will go on supporting. We are sure that the Tigers will win again someday. I will remain a fan of the Tigers forever. This year, the Tigers is for from the winner but I hope that the Tigers will be stronger for next year.

The second one was the day that Southern All Stars stopped their music activities. Last year was the thirtieth anniversary since they made the debut. Southern All Stars announced to stop their music activities for the time being. I have been a fan of Southern All Stars since I was a junior high school student. I have been fascinated by the songs written by Mr. Keisuke Kuwata. He is the main vocal of Southern All Stars. His songs have various sides, some songs are sad and others are delightful or passionate. When I first heard that Southern All Stars would stop their activities, I couldn’t believe it. I was shocked by the news. I was very sad because I had listened and sang their songs almost every day.

However, they didn’t break up. They decided to take a rest for a while. Even if they won’t resume their activities, they will continue their activities in my mind. I wish they will start their activities again someday.


(379 words / total 8772 words)

My grandfather's sweet corns

My grandfather was a high school teacher. Though he retired more than 20 years ago, his former students or parents still send him the crops or marine products which they grew.

A few days ago, he calls me. He said “A lot of sweet corns were sent to me. They are too many to eat for grandmother and me. I would like to share with your family. Please come to my house.” I went to his house by car and got many corns. He said “The best way to eat them is eat row corns.”

At home, I ate a row corn as he said. He was true. It was very good. The next day, my mother seasoned the corns with a pirch of salt and wrapped them in plastic wrap. Then, she cooked them with a microwave. I ate one, it was also good. I will eat the corn with butter and soy sauce next.


(156 words / total 8393 words)

Co-Co-Ichi

The other day, I went to “Co-Co-Ichi” to eat curry and rice with my close friend Boo-chan. We can choose the degree of the hotness of the curry, the various kinds of topping or the volume of the rice.

I ate the first level of hotness (it had normal hotness) with fried chickens and bacons as toppings. But Boo-chan was a challenger. He ordered the fifth level of hotness curry!! Oh my goodness! It had twelve times as hot as the first level curry. Can you believe it? He was dripping with sweat when he was eating it. He managed to eat it up and said, “It was not hard for me to eat fifth level of hotness though I feel as if it made a hole in my stomach.” His eyes filled with tears…


(135 words / total 8237 words)

My grandfather's hat

My grandfather likes hats and caps. He has many. He often wears a cap when he goes fishing, plays sports or works. When he takes a trip or goes shopping, he wears a hat. Of course, he wears a hat to shade his head from the sun or to dress up himself. But there is another reason. He always says, “I looks ten years younger when I wears a hat.” Maybe it is because a hat covers his thin hair.

He leaves his hat everywhere. He has left it at my house many times. The other day, he joined a meeting at a hotel near my house and left his not there. He called my sister and told about it. She went to the hotel by bike. She will take it to grandfather’s house by car tomorrow, because she will take a day off. Oh no! Not again!


(148 words / total 8102 words)

Book review # 11 (LILLY'S PURPLE PLASTIC PURSE)

Lilly, a girl mouse, loved school, because she loved her teacher Mr. Slinger. She wanted to be a teacher like him in the future.

One day, Lilly went shopping with her grandmother and got a new pair of movie star sunglasses, three shiny coins and a purple plastic purse that played music when it was opened. That next morning, Lilly went school with them. She was so happy and she wanted to show them everyone. Mr. Slinger told her to wait until sharing time, but she could not wait. At last Mr. Slinger said to her “I’ll just keep your things at my desk until the end of day.”

At first, Lilly was very sad. And then she became angry. She drew a picture of FAT Mr. Slinger with bad things about him. Then, she sneaked it into his bag. After school, Mr. Slinger gave Lilly her purple plastic purse back. On the way home, Lilly opened her purse and found a note from Mr. Slinger. It said, “Today was a difficult day. Tomorrow will be better.” There was also a small bag of tasty snacks. Lilly felt awful. She ran all the way home and told her parents everything. That night, Lilly drew a new picture of Mr. Slinger and wrote a good story about him. Her mother wrote a note and her father baked some tasty snacks.

The next morning Lilly got to school early and handed the story with a picture, her mother’s note and her father’s snacks. She said, “I’m really really …………… really sorry.” During sharing time, Lilly did a little performance using her sunglasses, shiny coins and purple plastic purse. Mr. Slinger joined in. After school, Mr. Slinger served Lilly’s snacks to everyone. Lilly was very happy. Mr. Slinger was right. It had been a better day.


Feeling
Lilly is innocent and simpleminded a tipycal child. She was in high spirits with her new things and she couldn’t control her desire to show off them to everyone. It was just like a child.

She got angry about Mr. Slinger’s discipline although she loved him. It was also childish. Probably everybody has experience that they felt repelled by their parents or teachers. It is difficult for us to reflect and apologize even if we had known our falt. Lilly knew her mistake by Mr. Slinger’s warm note. She was very sorry about her behavior and apologized to Mr. Slinger from the bottom of her heart. Then she could enjoy her school life again.

There are proverbs “To err is human.” And “It is never too late to mend one’s ways.” I remember them after I read this story.


(443 words / total 7954 words)

speaking presentation

my presentation

Manuscript of My Introduction

About myself
My name is Shinichiro T. Please call me “Hammer”. I’m 20 years old. My blood type is “B”. I was born on November 4. So, my zodiac sign is Scorpio. My hometown is Kasuga which lies near by Kumamoto station. I have lived there for about 20 years. I love my town.


My family
There are four members in my family. They are my father, my mother, my older sister and me. My father is a high school teacher. His specialty is metallic engineering. He likes classical music. He can play the cello and the piano. My mother is housewife. She is around 50. she always says “Don’t tell my age to anyone!” So, it’s a secret OK?” My older sister is 24 years old. She works at cake shop. She is very unique. Her action makes us laugh.

A part time job
I have worked at Daiei Kumamoto store for three years. It’s a part time job. I sell daily necessities, beddings, bikes, stationeries and so on. I work on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Please come to Daiei. I’ll welcome to you with a beautiful smile.


My hometown
My hometown Kasuga is surrounded by nature though it lies near the city area. The people are friendly and kind. It’s a good place to live. However, it has changed in these days because of the construction of Shinkansen. It may be good for the growth of Kumamoto City, but I feel a little sad to see that my memorial places are changing. Anyway, I love Kasuga and I want to live here forever.


My favorite sports
I like baseball. I belonged to the baseball team when I was a high school student. I like not only playing but also watching baseball. I’ve been a fan of the Hanshin Tigers since I was a junior high school student. My favorite players are Mr. Hamanaka, Mr. Kanemoto and Mr. Hiyama.

One of my hobbies
I like collecting comic books. I began to collect them when I was a high school student. There are about 1,500 comic books at my house. It is my dream to collect more than 10,000 comic books. The comics are one of the Japanese cultures which we are proud of.


My favorite cartoonists
My favorite cartoonists are Adachi Mitsuru and Takahashi Rumiko. My father likes them too. So, we have most of their series. Adachi’s works won my heart. They are full of human feelings and humor. I love all his works but I like “H2” the best. Please read it by all means. Takahashi’s works are rich in variety. “Urusei-Yatsutra” and “Ranma” are eccentric and “Mezon- Ikkoku” is a little tender. I am always surprised at her various ideas.


My favorite movies
The Godzilla movies are my favorite. Among all works, the early ones have high quality, I think. I began to watch Godzilla movies before I entered an elementary school. So, I have been a Godzilla fan for about fifteen years. My recommended works were made from 1989 to 1996.


My favorite music
I love singing or listening to music. As for classical music, I like Chopin’s music. His NO.7 waltz is wonderful. I like pop music too. My favorite singer is Keisuke Kuwata. A happy felling pervade my heart whenever I listen to his songs his music is marvelous.

My favorite places
I have three favorite places. The first one is the narrow wooden deck at my house. I sometimes enjoy sitting there just gazing vacantly at the drifting clouds. I feel as if the time stops. The second one is the top of Mt. Hanaoka. I live at the foot of Mt. Hanaoka and I have climbed it many times. The view from the top is splendid. I have a feeling that I am in the center of the world when I stand there. The third one is Boo-chan’s house. Boo-chan is the nickname of my close friend. We have been good friends for more than ten years. We often visit each other. His room is always in a mess but it’s comfortable for me.



(684 words / total 7511 words)

Book review # 10 "Corduroy"

"Corduroy" is a name of a teddy bear. He wears corduroy overalls. He had been on the department store shelf for a long time. He had waited for somebody come along and take him home.

One day, a little girl found Corduroy and wanted him. Her name was Lisa. But, Lisa’s mother did not allow to buy him because she had spent too much and Corduroy had lost the button to one of his shoulder stops. Corduroy felt sadness, and tried to find the lost button. At night on that day, he began to search everywhere in the department store for his lost button. However, he was found by the night watchman and taken back to the shelf before he found the button.

The next morning, Lisa came to buy him with her savings and took him her home. She sew a new button on his overalls. Lisa and Corduroy became good friends.

Feeling
I read this story for the first time, Corduroy was very cute. He looked old and he lost a button, so the adults did not like him. But, he became a precious friend for a girl. I remember that I had many toys of Ultraman or Godzilla as my treasures. Of course, this book is good for children. But, I recommend it to adults. If they read it, they might remember “something important” which they left on their childhoods.


(233words / total 6827 words)