Resolutions

The end of the year is nearly here already, and we're all starting to think about the winter break. Some of you will be looking forward to a "romantic" Christmas, others will be having fun with friends. Both sound fine to me. Of course Christmas has nothing to do with romance in Western countries...it's a family time, more like O-shogatsu here.


As the new year approaches, it's also a traditional custom to take stock of yourself
(= think about how you are now, what you would like to change). People make new year's resolutions (things they promise themselves they will change, e.g. some bad habits or weak points of their character). My resolution is to eat more pizza and drink more beer, because I didn't have enough in 2011 (ha ha).

How about you? Do you have any regrets about 2011? What would you like to change for 2012? Also, do you have any plans for the winter break yet?

(Actually, we've done 10 posts already so you don't have to write a post about this topic if you don't want to).

Cause and Effect Essay

The first draft of your cause and effect essay is due on Thursday December 22nd, in OC class (Friday 23rd is a Monday schedule).
Length: 500 words
Weighting: 25%

Choose from one of these topics:
1. The effects of moving to a new city
2. The effects of a parent or friend on your life
3. The effects of technology on your life
or "causes"...
4. Why you want to study abroad
5. Why you broke up with a boy/girlfriend
6. Why animated movies are so popular
7. Other?

If you have a different topic you want to write about, please check about it with me first.

Picture 1

Look at all 5 photos. With a partner, discuss the following:
Where is/are (s)he/ they? What is/are (s)he/ they doing? Why? How does/do (s)he/ they feel? What happened before the photo was taken? What will happen after this?

Think of these photos as the effect of an action or some events. Please explain in your next post about what is happening in a photo, and what were the causes that created this effect. If you can only write a small amount on one photo, choose two or three.

Picture 2

Picture 3

Picture 4

Picture 5

Something new

As a university student, this is the best time for you to have a variety of experiences, right? When was the last time you tried something new (did something for the first time)?

During our trip to Hokkaido in the summer, my wife and I went to the horse races, not for the first time, but the second time for me, and the third time for her. It had been 25 years since my first time, so it felt like a new experience. If you've never been, you might enjoy trying it once if you go to a place with pleasant facilities like this one (in Hakodate). We could sit on the grass, see the horses as they walked around before the start of the races, and have some small bets just for fun.

What would you like to try for the first time, as soon as possible? If you have no definite idea, just write about a couple of things you think you MIGHT enjoy trying (not "challenging"...Japanaese English).

Travel

We recently talked in class about foreign places. Can you guess where these photos were taken? I've been to some of them.

1. Which of these places would you most like to see?
2. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go, and what would you do there?
3. What foreign news stories have you seen on TV or read about recently? What comment do you have about those stories?

Culture

In class yesterday we were talking about other cultures and customs. Of course there are lots of nice customs and cultural attractions in Japan. Sometimes I'm surprised that students seem to misunderstand about a few things. For example, taking your shoes off in the house is a part of the culture in many countries around the world, not only Japan. Tofu and sushi, among other foods, are originally Chinese etc. One of the things I like about Japan is bathing culture, in sentos or rotenburo or onsen. I especially like riverside rotenburos in the mountains.

Among the many odd cultural events we can find around the world, I'm intrigued by this one (in the photo), called Tomatina. Do you know it? It's held in a small town in Spain every year around the time of the tomato harvest. You could say that it's a waste of tomatoes, but it also looks like a lot of fun and attracts many tourists. If possible, I'd like to take part someday.

What parts of Japan's culture do you like? Are there some things you don't like so much? What foreign cultural events are you interested in?

Autumn

Temperatures are dropping, so autumn is really here now. We've started eating hot pot (nabe) at home already. What have you been doing lately? Did you go to the school festival?

Do you have any plans to go and check out the autumn leaves? I'm going to Nara this weekend, although I expect the 19th and 20th to be the best weekend (I have to go to Tokyo for a conference that weekend though). If you want to see some good autumn scenes, one of my favorite places is Tofuku-ji temple in Kyoto. I'd recommend you see it sometime. This photo is one of the most famous views. Have you been there?

Keeping in touch

The listening task in OC class yesterday was about Mari trying to use technology to stay in touch with her family. Of course one of the most popular ways of doing so these days is Facebook.

I have read that more than half of U.S. teenagers use social media sites (e.g. Facebook) daily- 22% visit them at least 10 times a day. Such sites are playing a significant role in children's social and emotional development. Researchers say that some children are suffering from "Facebook depression", or depression related to cyberbullying, sexting, and so on.

Actually, I don't use Facebook. I'm not interested in it because I don't need "friends" that I don't know or never meet. I prefer to keep in touch one to one. What do you think of Facebook?

Do you keep in touch with friends from elementary school (or others)? Who is your best friend? What do you like about them especially?

Marriage

Recently we talked about marriage in class, but you haven't had a chance to share your ideas with the whole class.

When English speakers talk about "Mister Right" or "Miss Right", they mean the one man or woman who is perfect for them as a partner in marriage. In the old days, many people believed there was just one perfect partner for them, but that idea is not so common anymore.

I think there are probably several people who could be ideal partners for you. The most important thing is timing. Are you both ready for marriage at the time you meet/ start dating? Of course you need to share common values etc, and find each other attractive, but that is not such a rare thing to find in others.

I met my wife on a flight from Bangkok to Osaka about 9 years ago. She was travelling with her friend (who had been my student several years before), so I talked with them for a while on the flight. We dated for 3 years before marrying in 2005.

For me, looks are not the most important thing. I think my wife looks nice (not beautiful). What I like about her is her character. I know I can always trust and believe her 100%. Also, she has common sense and is not shy about telling me her opinion, especially if I have a foolish idea/whim (I sometimes do). She's also independent (she has a job, and doesn't depend on me to entertain her all the time), and talkative, which means I don't feel pressure to always think of conversation topics.

Tell us about what kind of person you hope to marry, where, when, how etc.

What kind of person would be your ideal partner? When do you think you will feel ready to marry someone? What kind of wedding/ honeymoon would you like to have? Please respond in your next post.

Scary stuff!

It's only a couple of weeks until Halloween. Do you do anything for Halloween? It was never a big thing around where I grew up in Australia, although I've enjoyed Halloween parties in fancy dress as an adult with other foreigners and Japanese in Japan. We all see a lot about American activities on that night in movies, but celebrating the night goes back many centuries, at least 800 years, to Britain. It was a prelude to All Souls Day, when people prayed for/respected the memory of their dead relatives (something like O-bon).

Anyway, for your next blog post, please write something with a scary theme, for example something scary that happened to you or that you were told. Another idea would be to write about any fears you have. What are you not afraid of now that you used to be afraid of when you were younger? What are you afraid of now that you were not afraid of when you were younger? How do you overcome your fears? etc.

I've sometimes felt scared in airplanes at night when flying through violent storms, with the plane rocking around in the turbulance. My worst moment was when climbing on a mountain and for a short time being in a unexpected position where if I'd slipped I would have fallen hundreds of meters down to the ground.

1st essay (400-500 words)

Compare and contrast one of the following:

* Yourself and someone you know
* High school life and university life
* Two jobs you are interested in

Outline due 10/14
Body paragraphs due 10/21
First draft due 10/28
Final draft due 11/18

My favorite season

Visitors to Japan are sometimes surprised or amused to hear Japanese say "I love Japan because we have four seasons!!". Most countries in the world have four seasons. Probably what people mean to say is "Japan's seasons are so distinct!", which I think is true. It's easy to notice the day when one season ends and the next begins.

Australians of European origin living in northern Australia tend to say that they have two seasons (wet and dry), because it's never cold. On the other hand, aborigines living in the northern countryside say they recognize 7 seasons, based on subtle changes in nature! It reminds me that seasons are a matter of human perception.

Anyway, spring is my favorite season, for several reasons. First of all, I hate winter (because it's cold and everyone gets sick), so it feels great when the days start to get warmer. It's even enjoyable to watch the weather report on TV and hear that the next day will be one degree warmer, and maybe the day after that will be another one or two degrees warmer.

I think our moods are affected by the weather, because winter is the time I'm most likely to feel negative or gloomy, whereas in spring I tend to feel optimistic and enthusiastic about things. As I enjoy going to temples or places in the countryside, or spending time in my own garden, spring is also a good season for seeing various flowers, including cherry blossoms, rhododendrons (tsutsuji), and hydrangeas (ajisai).

Summer

Welcome back to KGU! How was your summer? I hope you were able to do everything you wanted to.

My summer was okay, not so amazing really. I went to Hokkaido for a couple of weeks with my family. We flew into Hakodate at first, and checked out the famous night view of course. Besides that there wasn't much special to see, but it's a pleasant town. At first we thought we'd entered a time warp and gone back to the 1950s (it seems quite innocent and simple compared to Osaka). One day we went to the horse races and lost a bit of money, but it was fun. I was surprised that my wife was so into it.

The part of the trip I enjoyed most was when we stayed in a rented cottage just outside Niseko for 4 days. It was really quiet at night, with starry skies and just the sound of crickets and birds breaking the silence. One day we climbed to the top of a mountain (see the photo). The ropeway took us to near the top, but for the last 1300 meters we had to walk up a steep dirt path over large rocks and tree roots. I was carrying Sophie on my back, so I had to stop several times to catch my breath. It felt satisfying to finally get to the top and take in the view though.

Anyway, for your first post I'd like you to just write about what you did this summer.

Summer Vacation

It's nearly that time of year again! Days at the beach, shaved ice, lots of free time (maybe)...sounds good to me. What are your plans? Please write about what you think you might do (maybe), what you're sure you will do, and what you'd like to do (ideally), if possible.

I'm going to Hokkaido again (same as last year). This time we'll fly into Hakodate, then go up to Toya-ko, Niseko etc on the way to Sapporo. I plan to eat soft cream every day again! I really noticed the difference in taste between soft cream sold up there and in Kansai. I've never been able to believe it when Japanese say that rice from different areas tastes different (Niigata rice is best?), but I'm starting to believe it may be true after all.

Poster Presentations

Congratulations everyone, on a job well done!! I thought everyone gave good talks. Please write in today's class about how you felt while you were doing your talk. What was the most difficult part? Did it get easier the second time?

What do you remember about other speakers? What were some interesting things you learned (e.g. some Korean drums are made with dog skin) or funny things (Mana wants to be a vampire). Please write as many things as you can remember.

Differences of Opinion

Most of you have been having a good time recently, I think, even though you have many reports etc. One of the Class 8 members wrote about a party she enjoyed with some classmates:

"We told about some complaints of our boyfriends till midnight :)haha"

I wonder what they said...It's hard to understand the behaviour of others sometimes (and good fun to complain about them). Has everyone had the experience of feeling fed up with their partner's behavior/attitude? Surely, the answer is "Yes!!". For your next post, please share your story of male/female behavior you find hard to understand or tolerate.

(Story 1) A Strange Dream

It was getting late, and the kids were ready for bed. They kissed their parents goodnight and curled in their beds under the covers. It was a bit chilly, but Molly kept herself covered so that her little feet wouldn't get cold. After a while, her and her little brother Steve were asleep.

Molly started dreaming of a beautiful green park with lots of big trees and berry bushes. She saw herself walking around with her little brother. Then she saw a pair of red shiny boots in the bushes. They looked sparkly new and she thought they were just the size of her cold little feet. "These boots will keep my feet warm" she thought, and when she didn't find anyone in the park she guessed that they didn't belong to anyone.

Molly tried the boots on and they fit perfectly! Her brother thought they looked beautiful on her. Molly stood up and started walking, but all of a sudden...

(Story 2) Not a Normal Zoo Day

It all started on a nice sunny day last April. All the kids in school were excited to be going to the zoo, but I was especially excited. I love animals and picnics, and going to the zoo is having both at the same time.

At the zoo, we got to see different animals in their cages and some of them were getting fed by their guards. Each of us had a favorite animal, and mine was the elephant.

It was all going well, until Sam decided to mess around with the lock on the monkeys' cage and then...

(Story 3) My First Sailing Trip Ever

Have you ever sailed before? I have, and you won't believe what happened. Well I guess I should start at the beginning, when Uncle Johnny first arrived at our door. We had heard a lot about Uncle Johnny from both Mom and Dad, but we had never met him. He was always away, having adventures somewhere.

It seemed amazing that all of those things could happen to just one man. I mean, how many people do you know that have been chased by lions in the African jungles, lived with the Eskimos at the North Pole, and flown a hot air balloon across the Atlantic? We loved all the stories, and were delighted when he actually came to our house.

The first words he said were "Let's go sailing!" My mom and dad tried to get out of going, but Uncle Johnny had an answer for every excuse they came up with. Within an hour we were all packed into the car and driving towards the marina, where his yacht was. As you can imagine, what started out as a simple sailing trip ended up as a great adventure. Let me tell you all about it....

These Days

How are you doing these days? I know you're very busy with reports, homework etc (I am too), but what else have you been doing/ thinking about etc?

As usual, my little girl has been taking up a lot of my time. She eats a lot (maybe more than my wife), but is always active. She loves to be outside, either walking or being pushed in the stroller. She's really interested in dogs and bicycles. She often stops during walks and tries to touch other people's bicycles. Maybe she will be able to ride one from an early age.

She still doesn't use a lot of words (but of course Japanese will be her main language when she starts speaking properly. Now her favourite words are "maaa", which means "Give me some food!" in her language, and "kuku" (shoes), which means "I want to go outside".

On recent weekends we've had barbecues on the terrace at the front of our house, overlooking the pond. I enjoy starting the fire, and cooking the meat, sausages etc which taste wonderful (even though they're bad for our health), and "having a cold one" or two.

On Saturday I sprayed chemicals in our yard to protect against the hungry little caterpillars that hatch from butterfly eggs and try to eat all our shrubs and trees. After that we rode our bicyles to Takatsuki city (Sophie was on my back) to have lunch at our favourite Indian restaurant. No curry, no life!

Where I Live

I will never forget my surprise the first time I turned off the bustling shopping street lined with drab shopfronts which runs east from Tonda station, and strode towards the Showa-era house my wife and I were considering buying. Suddenly in the space of a few minutes, I had emerged from urban wastelands into a tranquil oasis.

Coated in vivid pink lotuses, a huge pond sprawled in front of me. In its centre stood a lush willow tree, its leaves undulating gently in the breeze. To the right of that, two fountains gushed water tirelessly, filling the air with their soothing sound. In moments I found myself at the front gate of the house, still gazing in awe at the ducks, egrets, and other birds that called this place home. A feeling that I might soon be doing the same started to fill me.

Golden Week

Did you do anything over Golden Week? I know it was short, but I guess you did something. I went to "Takatsuki Jazz Street", even though I had a cold, because it's the only time during the year that anything remarkable happens in Takatsuki (where I live). It's two days & nights (May 3 & 4) of fine music (not only jazz) in 40 or more venues, indoors and outdoors in a small, central area of town. There was a party atmosphere in the streets, which were full of people walking around drinking and laughing.

I met some friends from Kyoto, and we visited many bars and clubs and listened to various bands. Often we just stood outside, because one friend uses a wheelchair. That wasn't a problem though, because it was often very crowded inside, and we could hear the music from outside anyway.

Afternoon tea

When I was about 5 years old, my family had a farm in a very remote part of Queensland. We could not see our nearest neighbour's houses from where we lived.

One afternoon, as I was playing outside by myself, I saw a car belonging to a one of the neighbouring families (Mr & Mrs Lacey) pass by at the top of the closest hill, headed in the direction of their farm. We had visited the Lacey farm a few times, and I remembered that Mrs Lacey gave us some really tasty cake each time. Suddenly, without telling my mother my plans, I decided to walk over to the Lacey place and have some cake with them. This seemed like a normal idea to me.

As I was only small, and their place was several kilometers away, it took me a long time to reach it. Meanwhile, my mother was going sick with worry, thinking I'd drowned in the river or something. When I finally got there, Mrs Lacey was surprised to see me, but she gave me a piece of cake, as I had hoped. After that, she drove me home. My mother was glad I'd returned, but also quite upset with me.

What I like about Japan

Students sometimes ask me what I like about Japan. The photo partly answers this question. I'm fond of old temples and Japanese gardens. My wife and I enjoy going to quiet, traditional inns in hot spring areas, and enjoying good meals there. Of course the restaurants in major cities are terrific too, even the cheaper ones. I like the convenience of Japan, especially the ease with which we can get around here. Although I can drive, I don't feel the need to have a car here because the train and subway system is so good. I rent a car a few times a year maybe.

I used this blog with another class last year, and have just changed the class number and student names, so you'll be able find several older posts in which I write about myself. If you're interested in any of them, feel free to ask me about something I wrote.

Anyway, how about you? What do you like about Japan? What are your favorite things, places, characteristics of the Japanese etc?