California fires (Journal #22)

I have never seen the fire for real, so I do not know a fear of it. However the news of California fire made me scared. I feel a nutural threat. Human can not conquer the power of nature, so I afraid natural disasters more than crimes of human. Disaster strikes when it is least expected. The california fire made me sick. I could not breath well and I had a slight headache. I did not like the sandy wind because of it. I saw some sands on my hair, cloths, and face. It was very uncomfortable. My damage because of the fire is tiny thing though. I wish that the damage to everybody in San Diego or the place near the fire will not go worse any more.

Time Management (Journal #21)

Time management is very difficult thing especially for students because we have many fun things. If we have a party on Saturday, can you do your homework on that day? I cannot do it. Here is three steps to manage time well. First, we have to think the order of priority. It is the most important thing. When we have many things to do at same time, it is easy to be confused and give up some of them. However if we knew the priority sequence, we can do the thing which we need to do at just that time. For example, when I clean up my room, I am often diverted by another things like pictures, comics. As a result, I give up to clean up my room and put off it. If I knew that cleaning is the thing which I need more than reading comics or watching pictures, I could finish it. To think priority is very important. Second, we can write down things to do as a list on the paper. It can help to manage time well. We can know what we need easily from it and do things quickly to manage next things in the list. Writing down something is effectively for this. Finally, we have to wake up early even if it is holiday. As the proverb goes, “The early bird catches the worm.” We cannot do things efficiently without waking up early. If you remember these three techniques, you will manage time well.

Journal # 20

The New Year is the one of the happiest occasions for three reasons. We call the New Year’s Day “Oshougatsu.” We can spend time with our families the first three days of Oshougatsu. In Japan, we have special things at that time ; Otoshidama, Osechiryouri, and Hatsumoude. I like those three special occasions very much.
First, for children, Oshougatsu is very happy time because we can get money from adults as a celebration for a New Year. We usually go to our relatives to greet and say “Happy New Year.”, so we can get a lot of money from them. Though I do not know that adults like this traditional custom or not. But i love it because I am still the side of people can get money because I am still a student. I think to give money to children is also happy thing because children look very happy and excited. I like to see it very much.

Second, we have special food called Osechiryouri for Oshougatsu. Usually we make it the New Year’s Eve. We stew many kinds of vegetables, fishes, and seafood. And pack them in the box called Zyuubako with kamaboko(steamed fish paste), and sashimi (sliced raw fishes). Originally, it is made for that women can relax and take a rest without any cooking on Oshougatsu, so Osechiryouri will keep for about a week. I like to cook it and eat it!! They are very delicious.

Finally, the most interesting thing is to pay a visit to a shrine on New Year’s Day. It is called “Hatsumoude.” I like this function very much. I am not a believer in Buddhism, but I visit a shrine every year to pray for our happiness, health and something for me. It is very fun to go there in a traditional costume. I can feel Japanese tradition very much at this time. We usually draw a fortune slip and tell our new year’s fortune with it. If we got bad one, we tie it to the tree to make it up. If we got good one, we could keep it as a good luck charm. It is my biggest event on Oshougatsu.

In conclusion, I like The New Year very much even better than The Christmas because I can spend time with my family and eat delicious special foods and get money (I can get it only one more time though). I like Japanese tradition, but it is difficult to feel it in ordinary life. However I can feel it at that time with Otoshidama, Osechiryouri and Hatsumoude. I am always looking forward to the next New Year Day even the day after New Year’s Day. I love this occasion so much!!

Those are Japanese traditional costumes

"Kimono"

Halloween (Journal # 19)

In Japan, we do not do anything for Halloween, so I am really exited about it. We will go camping in San Diego with my host mom and some of her friends. My host mom will be a girl pirate, and her boyfriend will be a Jack Sparou. It sounds so fun!!! I can not go to the Halloween party at TSU. I am sorry about that, but I am looking forward to the day very much! On last friday, my host mon took me to The Party America, and I bought a costume of the candy corn witch and blond wig. My friend bought a costume of a sexy Indian girl. My host mom also excited about it, and she decoreted our house with a lot of Halloween stuff. We have some wicthes, ghosts, pumpkins, rats, and skeletons in the house. It is very fun!! I am also looking forward to seeing many children in a variety of costumes. My host mom said that about hundred children will come to our house to get candies. I want to hear "Trick or treat" for real. I saw it only in the TV. I will take many photos in the day and want to show them to my parents and friends in Japan.

Journal # 18 Free

I am often asked "Is the cost of living very expensive in Japan?" when I say that I am from Japan. My answer is not so different from here. We have more expensive things compare with here like cars, houses. However I am a student in Japan, so for me, it is not so different. On weekdays, I go to school by bus. It costs around $1.75 for one way. At the lunch time, I spend around $4 on average. It is enough to feel full. We have STARBUCKS in the school, so I buy a coffee everyday. I can buy a medium café late (it is my favorite) for $3.5. I think they are less expensive than here. I often go to the Izakaya bar (Japanese bar) with my friends on Friday or Saturday night, it costs around $25 on average, so it is also same things with here. I sometimes go to the dance clubs, and the entrance fee is around $25. The cloths are more expensive than here, but most of things are same as here. We have many interesting things in Japan, so everybody should come!! I will be a tour guide.

That's Entertainment (Journal #16)

　　　　My favorite movie is “The Devil Wears Prada.” I have three reasons why I like this movie the best. First of all, I like the cheerful and happy movie because I can be positive and get a power for tomorrow from it. Sometimes it is difficult for me to think positive and have a hope for the future especially when I have some big problems which seem I cannot solve by myself. Same as me, the main character has many difficult problems that her boss gives her. However, she always tries to solve it even it seems very difficult and seems that she cannot do it. She never gives up. Finally she overcomes all of them. She always cheers me up. For this reason, I can open my mind to the problem after I watch this movie. Second reason is that they have many fashionable, cute and fine clothes in this movie. That is because this story is set the office of editorial department of the most famous lady’s fashion magazine. I like watching high sense clothing very much, so it is very enjoyable for me. The last reason is very simple. I really like Ann Hathaway. In conclusion, this is the cheerful and encourage movie with my favorite actress Ann Hathaway. There is no movie better than this for me now.

If You Could Visit Any Place in the World, Where Would You Go?(Journal #17)

If I could visit any place in the world, I would go to Tahiti because when I visit any place as a trip, I want to go to somewhere I can be relax in the good romantic atmosphere. I have three reasons for choosing beauty and hearing paradise Tahiti as a place I want to go. At first, I want to stay at overwater bungalows in there. It is very famous as one of the images of Tahiti. The traditional Tahitian bungalows are placed above the turquoise pure lagoon waters. We can see colorful swimming tropical fishes through the glass floor, and the amazing sunset from the balcony on the horizon. In addition to this, our breakfast is often delivered by canoe. How romantic is it! Second, I want to see the Polynesian culture. In my image, their dance and music are very dramatic and strong. In fact, they are not only beautiful, dramatic, and powerful, but also are linked with people real life. I want to realize all Tahiti keenly. They must heal me and make me an air of romance. Finally, I really want to visit Polynesian spas. They are now one of supreme spas in the world. In the gorgeous surroundings like beauty and floral fragrances, flesh flower baths, herbal rain showers, and banana tree wrap for body. It is like an exact paradise. There is obviously nobodyis not healed in there.

Free thoughts: Journal # 15

Her name is Precious. She is interested in everything. Except when she is really tired or relaxed, or she is worried about something. She is fascinated with eating and running. She likes running very much, and sometime we go to the park to run. When I do not go to run with her, she is very depressed. One time, after going to the park to run, she was so exhausted and took a rest on the sofa. I was bored because there was nobody else in my house. I tried to wake her up, and crept up to her and screamed, so she was surprised and frightened very much, and also disappointed to me. I was confused and embarrassed because I have never seen her so mad to me. She was annoyed for few hours. I was very shocked about it, so I apologized to her and gave her some cookies. In a moment, she became in high humor, and I could know that she was pleased and excited. Because she waggled her tail cheerfully and jumped around me. Yes! She is my lovely dog.

The Legend

These are the pictures of Kasajizo
( stone statues of Jizo with hats)

They are one of gods of Japan