Movie Theater

Today, I went downtown to watch a movie with my friends. First, we were planning to go to North town, but we missed the bus to Northtown so we changed our plan. We saw many people wearing a yukata. They were MFWI students. I heard that they were planning to dance the Bon dance downtown. They were very cute! When we arrived downtown, we had free time until the movie started, so we shopped. I bought two T-shirts. They weren't expensive but cute. I watched a movie in this afternoon with my friends. The title is "17 again." This was a story about a man who has returned to the age of 17. It was a very exciting and impressive story so everyone said, "I want to watch this movie again." "I want to buy this DVD." I'll watch this movie again when I return to Japan. I recommended this movie to everyone. I like watching a movie in movie theaters so I had a good time!

My Host Family

I went to my host families house this weekend. I had a great time with them. The most interesting thing was to go to party. They invited me to a party. I had never been to American party, so I was very nervous. I had a lot of delicious food until my stomach was full. I was so happy. I am afraid of putting on weight, but I couldn't help eating!! It was a my host children's cousin birthday party. I had never seen him, before I met him at his birthday party. I could'nt say him "congratulation on your birthday", because I am very shy. I don't like my character. It is very difficult for me to speak to people who I don't know. I hate myself for being timid. If I were active, I could make me grow up more and more. I felt regret for having been rude to him, so I decided to change myself more for the good. Now, I try to do it as much as I possibly I can. I think it was a good experience for me. I appreciate my host family. I would like to introduce my host family to you. There are seven people in my host family. The dad is very kind to everyone. He is good at playing the guitar. I listened to his performance. I was very impressed. When I was junior high school student, I played the guitar a little, so we talked about it. I could tell him everything I wanted to say, but he listened until I'm finished. His gentleness made me happy all the time . My host mom is a very nice person, and she is loved by everyone. She cooks very well. She cooked delicious pancakes for us. I have never eaten such delicious pancake. I would like to cook very well like her. Sometimes, she is strict with her children, but I think it is her love. If she didn't love her children, she wouldn't scold them. I love her very much. My host children are very cheerful. I learned many things from them, and they please me all the time. I am a very lucky girl because they are my host sisters and brothers. If I can be a extension student. I will be able to meet them more and more!! I think it is wonderfil to visit here again, so I am studying English very hard in order to be an extension student. My host family is like my family. I will never forget them. After I go back home. I will miss them very much. I found a new dream thanks to them. Someday. I would like to visit them again with higher English skills and suprise them by how changed I am.

The Smithsonian Institution

I went to the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian Instution was many kinds of museum are there. I like the Smithsonian Institution because I like museums. First, I went to Air and Space museum. There were many models. It was so big. For example, airplane models, a spacesuit, and a spaceship are there. When I looked the models, I was impressed. I learned about space. I want to go to space. If I can go to space, i want to feel my body rise into the air for a moment. Second, I went to the Museum of Natural History. There were a lot of people. I threaded my way through the crowd. I was ery tired but It was ery fun. I ate lunch in Macdonalds. I choosed chiken nugget. It was delicious. Finally, I really enjoyed visiting in the Smithsonian Institution. I had a nice time. I want to go to the Smithsonian Institution again.

Dead or Alive...or Shopping

I went downtown with my friends. I wanted to buy a music score of classical music. First, we went to a book store which I visited for Reading class. It is a very big store but they didn't have any music scores, so I was disappointed. After that, we went to the shopping mall. We bought many souvenirs for our friends and we ate Chinese food there. Chinese food is popular in Japan. We ate ice cream. I like chocolate ice cream very much. If I go to Walmart, I want to buy ice cream. I have seen many earrings for sale in shops, so I want to have my ears pierced. I have a space on the Internet, Mixi. I used to write a diary in Japan but I don't write a diary at MFWI. Maybe my friends are worried about me and they may think I am dead! It means death that I don't write a diary in Mixi, because I often wrote diaries in Japan. I'll try to write it tomorrow. In my room, I can't use a computer because my room is too far from the network.

My East Coast Trip!

My group, TG3, took a trip to east coast from April 8th to 13th. I had a wonderful time! My favorite place is the White House and Air and Space Museum of Smithsonian. I went to the White House on April 12th. Fortunately, Obama was in the House, but naturally I could not see him. I am happy to see the White House with my eyes because I always watch it on T.V. Then our guide told us about Easter Day. She said Children who are between 8 and 12 can be in yard of the White House." When I heard that, I envied them. I really wanted to see Obama even once. According to her, children seem to race on Easter. It is a race that they carry an egg on a spoon. Next, we went to the Air and Space Museum. I think it is a really great museum. There are few museums like that in Japan. All Smithsonian museums are free. I can't believe it. I'm sure that Japanese museums take our money by all means because Japan has little money. In my opinion, Japanese representatives are not good. They always think of their property, and they do bad things, for example they play golf by the money the Japanese people paid for pension, and they are arrested, but I think Mr. Koizumi was the best president I have seen.

Covington!!

I live on the third floor of Covington. There are a lot of people in Covington. I make a lot of friends. I enjoyed every day with my friends, because they are very active and funny. My RA called us "stupid girls" because we are excited during every tutorial and every day. When I lived in Japan, I was not excited every day. I noticed how much I love Covington when I had homestay because there were no person who were my friends in my host family's house. I love my friends. I need a lot of friends and I am sad when I am alone. I can't live alone. In Japan, I live with my family. My group goes to Commons together for bleakfast and dinner every day. Other groups don't go together, but my group stays together every day. If there is free time on a weekend, we plan lots of things to do. For example, we will be playing tennis, and going downtown or North town. I enjoy doing something with my group members every day. There are many good points about Covington, but there are many problems, too. First, there is the problem of using the laundry. On the third floor, there are three groups. On other floors, there are only two groups. On the third floor we separate the day into three parts for using the laundry. We can use the laundry in the afternoons on Wednesday and in the morning on Saturday. We can't sleep until noon on Saturday, so I'm very sad. My group members are sometimes so tired because they can't sleep until noon, but getting early is good for our health. sleeping until late is a bad things because I couldn't eat breakfast if I wake up late. It's good for my life style. Finally, there is the problem of taking showers. Fifteen people in Covington use only three showers. At shower time, we are very busy.

A Birthday Party!

We had my friend's birthday party in our house. My friend turned 20 years old! She is very funny, so we are always laughing with her. The people who live in my house are very friendly.
First, we decided to make her a gift. I made a message card and a memorie book. We wrote about a lot of things that we had done together in our house. Next, my roommate and I went to the supermarket and bought a birthday cake and snacks. We decorated the cake when we arrived to our house. We made the cake very cute!! We were very excited because today's plan was a secret from our friend. We cooperated with each other to do it, and we wore interesting costumes. we looked like comedians, so it was very fun!! Then we waited for her after school. We shouted, "Happy Birthday!!" when she returned home. She was really surprised, so the birthday plan was a success, and we were very glad to see her smiling face, and we sang a song and danced in front of her. She was delighted, as were we all. We took a picture with her. We have made good memories together. I think that I am enjoying my study abroad because I have made important friends and have had a lot of good experiences. Finally, I feel happy that I can study in this good environment in Spokane, so I should study more and speak English every day!

Gonzaga University

Last week my conversation class and I went to Gonzaga University. While we were there, we made a group with four Gonzaga students. We talked about ourselves. I was the most interested in a Russian woman who lives in America now. I asked her why she moved here from Russia. She said "to find religious freedom." That was very interesting. "In Russia, we can't believe in God, but I want to believe in God, so I moved here to escape religous persecution", she said, so I asked her, "Don't you like Russia?" and then she said "Yes!" I wondered why she wanted to leave Russia!!, so I thought maybe she had wanted to escape religous persecution in Russia more than she loves Russia. We talked deeply!! I was glad to be able to have a deep talk with other foreigners!! Another thing that was surprised to me about this visit was that there were various generations of people who are students at Gonzaga University!! In Japan this is very rare, so I respect them. Some of them have six children!! It was amazing!! I was glad to experience the rare opportunity to communicate with people who are studying English as a second language. Today's conversation class is the best so far!! I want to go to Universities!!! By the way, there was a buffet!! I love this buffet style!!

I Had A Great Time At An Elementary School

I went to an elementary school last Friday. It was very fun. I had wanted to go an elementary school for a long time, so when I heard that I could go, I was very happy. I want to be an elementary school teacher, so I wanted to visit an elementary school in the U.S. First, when I went to the elementary school, I read some books for a six years old student. Her name is Oli. She is very cute. She and I read the books together. She was interested in the books, so I was relieved that she enjoyed the books. Second, We made a crane and a plane origami. she looks like a lot of fun! I was very happy that she liked the crane. Finally, I taught her Japanese numbers. She remembered it immediately, so I was surprised. I guess she is very smart. I had a very good time at the elementary school. When I left there, I was a little sad, but I'll always remember meeting her. I like her so much.

Softball

I have played softball for six years. When I was a junior high school student, I was not a good player, but I practiced very hard, and I became a very good pitcher. When I was a high school student, my softball team was very strict. I practiced every day. My coach was very stern, but he became more fun coach when practice finished. I like having a fun coach, but I don't like having a stern coach. He often was angry and hit our cheek. Everyone practiced more because it was really mortifying. I thought, "I don't like softball. I want to retire soon,"but now, I think it was a very good experience for me. Now, I like softball. I want to play softball again, and I want to play it with Kathy. I love sports.

My Great Trip

I went to Seattle for three days with travel group 1. We always toured by bus. I went to Pike Place Market. As soon as I arrived there, I went to the Starbucks store to buy a lot of tumblers for my family. This is the first starbucks store in the world. I was excited, but that is a very small store. Many people bought tumblers, so they were sold out soon. I was surprised because there were many tumblers when I arrived there. I felt really sorry that a few people couldn't buy tumblers. As soon as we finished shopping, we went back to MFWI. The bus was supposed to be back at MFWI at six, but we didn't arrived there until nine. We spent seven hours on the bus because the traffic over the pass was srow because of snow. I was so tired. The bus wasn't very big, so I was uncomfortable. My back and leg hurt. I thought that I don't want to take the bus any more!!! I enjoyed traveling, but I was so tired.

I Love MFWI!

MFWI is an exciting school. I like it better than MWU in Japan. First, I like the teachers at MFWI. They are very ardent, so I don't need incentive every day. I sometimes feel tired because I have a lot of assignments, but I can enjoy doing them. It is good for me to do assignments because I am apt to cut a class in Japan. Second, I'm happy to live my nice friends. I sometimes want to go back Japan, but my friends are very funny, so I often forget the feeling of wanting to go home. My roommate and I make meals, cookies and cakes together. We always fail to make something good, but I'm very happy to be cooking with her. She is a good friend. The people who live at Helen Keller House with me are very friendly. I am going to introduce them to you a little. They love clothes, so we often talk about fashion. We often go downtown or to Northtown on the weekend. They are very kind, so I rely on them. Finally, I like the nature you can find at MFWI. I like hanging out in the snow, but there is no snow here now. When there was snow, I made a snowman with my friends. It hardly snows in my town, so I really enjoyed the snow. I think Spokane is similar to my hometown because I can see a lot of stars in both places. They are very bright and beautiful. I want to learn about here, and I want to enjoy my American life more.

Aladdin, Interesting Differences

There are three different things from Disney I want you to know about Aladdin. First of all, there are the characters. For example, Aladdin in this book is a lazy boy. He does not like work and he plays all day with his friends in the market. Jasmine in this book is named Badr-a-Budur. She is free, in other words, she can go anywhere freely. I like Aladdin's character, he is a pure and brave. He always believes in himself and isn't afraid of anything! Jasmine is also so beautiful and tough. She always longs for going out of her castle. She has her own opinions. I think this book does not have much fantasy and isn't for children, but this little difference may be interesting for some people. The second difference is their appearance. Aladdin looks old and untidy in this book. Disney's Aladdin is that although he is poor, he is so cute. Especially, I was shocked at Jinnee because he is NOT cute. He is just a monster in this book. If children saw this Jinnee, they may dislike him, I think. If you have a chance to see Aladdin, Jasmine and Jinnee, please be careful!!! Finally, there is the plot. You know, Aladdin doesn't have his mother and his house, but somehow, he has both in this book. In addition, he doesn't have one important thing- a monkey! This monkey is the best friend of Aladdin. Yet again, Jinnee is NOT funny. Although these differences may not be interesting to some people, I think the book itself is NOT interesting.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

The book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer has many scenes which are very exciting. First, Tom and his friend Huck Finn see an incident in the graveyard where night, Tom and Huck go to try and see ghosts. I thought they are brave boys. There they witnessed Injun Joe killing the doctor, but, he was not arrested then, and evaded his crime. Instead of Injun Joe, Muff Potter was arrested. This scene made me feel uneasy. The second exciting scene was, Tom and Huck witnessed Injun Joe burying some treasure. They go hunting for it and see Injun Joe and his partner finding a buried box. Tom and Huck wriggle with delight, but Injun Joe noticed immediately that someone found his hiding place. This scene makes me be disappointed. Because I want Tom to find a buried box quickly. The other exciting scene was, Tom found the treasure that Injun Joe hid. Huck sees Injun Joe making off with a box of treasure, and Tom sees Injun Joe using a cave as a hide out and he eventually starves to death. Then, Tom and Huck found the box of gold again. This scene made me very happy! Though Tom's and Huck's adventures are dangerous, they were successful in finding the treasure. I think that The Adventure of Tom Sawyer must be exciting to American children.

Pocahontas

This book is a very interesting story for people who like adventures and love stories. I was very excited when I finished reading it, because it is different from the Disney movie. The first reason that this is a really interesting story is because Pocahontas and John Smith loved each other even though their countries were mutual enemies. John went back to England and left Pocahontas in Virginia. She married another Englishman but not John Smith. The second reason is that characters are very good. Pocahontas gradually became strong even though she had a fear of Englishman. John Smith had a strong love for Pocahontas and loved her purely. Englishmen and people are Virginia scrambled for weapons and foods and they had desires just lke are human being. Finally, there were many good scenes in this book. For example, the pure love between two young people and learning about England and Virginia. This is a true story based on real life. I think that readers are able to enjoy it more than the Disney film.

Pocahontas

Pocahontas is a good and interesting book. First, I could easily understand it. This book's author wrote the character's positions and feelings very well, both American and English. Because of that I could imagine the situation and know when they weren't friendly and why they weren't friendly. Second, I like the characters, especially Pocahontas. She was very kind and friendly and was friendly when Americans and English weren't friendly with each other. I know why she became a famous woman, because she was the first woman who married a English man and went to England. Finally, the story is fun. This story is written about an American and English battle and the story of Pocahontas's love. I like Pocahontas's love story. She is cute with her single-mind for John Smith. At first, I thought she should marry him and would want to marry him, but my prediction proved wrong. Because I couldn't predict the end, it was fun story.

Interesting Book

The prince and the pauper is an interesting book. First, there are two main characters who are born on the same day, and their faces are so similar that they look like twins. However, their lives are very different! One is a prince named Edward and he will be a king someday. The other is a pauper named Tom and he begs money on the streets of London. Their characters are so kind and loyal from the point of helping people. They are so similar expect for their different lives. Secondly, the phrases are interesting. There are a few phrases that are used for a king and a prince. The phrases are used to express respect toward the king and the prince, because people believe that the king and the prince are so great. For example, there are the phrases " Long live!" and " Your Majesty." The former is used when people want the king and the prince to live for a long time. People don't just say " Long live!" they shout " Long live!" They really hope for a long life of the king and the prince. The latter is used when people talk to a king. They say to the king " Your Majesty," after they bowed. It is so surprising that they really respect the king. Finally, the plot of this book is interesting. One day, Tom and Edward meet and they change places because Edward wants to make friends. They enjoy it for a short time, and they learn the differences between the life of the rich and the poor from each other. Tom learn that there are too many servants in the house of the prince, so he says that he doesn't need so many servants. Also especially, Edward learns the life of the poor. They live in one room and don't have enough food. Edward becomes a king, not Tom, and he is a very good and nice king, because he has learned about the life and problems of the poor. The rich can't understand the place of the poor until the rich experience the life of the poor. The Prince and the Pauper is a exciting book.

My Favorite Character In The COUNT of MONTE CRISTO

Dantes is an interesting man. First, he was respected by every one, because he had good skill in crewing and he had good personality. For example, he was young, but he was recommended to be the next captain when the ship's captain died. In addition he had a fiance. He had spent a perfect life so far. The second reason, he is interesting man is the he never gave up! It was difficult to continue having hope, but he had hope for fourteen years. When he was taken to prison, he escaped fourteen years later. I was surprised. If I encounter his situation, I will give up. He got a lot of knowledge when he was in the prison. And he made a good friend, but the friend died. He could escape from the person, by pretend into be his dead friend. I think he was very smart, and very lucky person. Lastly, he succeeded in his revenge. After he escaped the person, he got his revenge. He killed Telnan, because Telnan framed him in had robed his fiance, after he killed Telnan, he regained his fiance. I think he was cool. he revenged the people that framed him. I respect him very much and I want to be like him. Please read the book and you probably became like him too.

Checkered Life of Edmond Dantes

If you read The COUNT of MONTE CRISTO, you can know the checkered life of Edmond Dantes and how interesting it is. First, he came to the city of Marseilles as a seaman and was elected to become the next captain when the captain of the ship died because he was very clever young seaman. He wanted to marry his fiance and went to his father's house because he wanted to tell him about his marriage. He met his father and he hugged him is and his life was good at that time. Second, he was thrown into prison by the soldiers and he lost hope and cried. He was innocent but the soldiers took him by mistake. The soldiers thought that he was one of the Napoleon's spies. His life became bad and poor. In prison he met an old man and the man told him about the island of Monte Cristo. The island had a lot of money buried in it and the man had a map of the treasure in the island. He wanted to escape the prison so he was digging a hole and that was how he was connected to be the old man and other part of the prison. They talked a lot. The old man had a illness and he died and the man's body was thrown out by the soldiers but actually it wasn't the old man's body, it was Edmond Dantes because he had made a promise to the old man that he was escape from the prison. He was able to escape from the prison and he was helped by the men of the ship, "The Young Amelia." They were very kind and they went to the island but Edmond Dantes didn't say anything about the treasure. He found a lot of treasure and he gave them some as a token of his gratitude. Finally, he became a very rich man. This book is very popular and I thought it was very interesting. I want to watch the movie of this story someday.

For Children

The book "Alice's Adventure in Wonderland' is a good book for children. First, this book helps children to extend their imaginations, because this book is far from reality. For example Alice becomes very big or very small. Sometimes, she becomes as big as a house, and the other time she becomes as small as a key. Other examples are Alice meets some strange characters and she uses hedgehogs and flamingoes to play croquet. Definitely if children read this book, I think they can extend their imaginations. Next, I think the book will be enjoyable for children because there are a lot of interesting scenes. My favorite scene is that her tears make a lake and in the lake she drown. Children will also enjoy curious Alice. Even if she is in a strange place or she meets a strange person, she is curious all the time. It may be interesting not to have to worry about the future. Finally, in the book the author teaches a healthy respect for taking medicine to children. At the time the book was published, taking medicine was in fashion. This is my opinion, but I think the fashion is related to becoming too big or small if she eats cake. Some people say this is not related, but I think this author wants to teach a lesson. This is why this book is good for children.

My Pets

I really like animals. I especially likes cats. I have three cats now. My cats' names are Gonchan U-chan and Chibi. Gonchan is very fat and looks like a racoon dog but he is very cute. He weighs 8 kilograms. I think should put him on a diet . He is like a friend to me. U-chan is a loner and is old. She likes my mother best. Chibi is very small and powerful. She has different colored eyes. Her right eye is green and her light eye is blue. Her eyes are very beautiful. I'm with Chibi at all times. I want to have many more cats in the future. I really love cats. I want to be a cat and I want to play with my cats. Before I had a dog, a lot of fish, rabbit, three turtles, and two hamsters. My family are really really likes animals.

Aladdin

The book Aladdin and the Disney movie Aladdin have different stories. First in the book, the main character is Aladdin. He is a lazy boy because he doesn't like work and he plays all day with his friends in the market. He and his mother are very poor, and live in a small house. They are often hungry, but Aladdin never works, and never helps his mother. Second, the general plot is that one day a man named Abanazar arrives in the city and claims to be Aladdin's uncle. He tells Aladdin and his mother "that he is a rich man." He gives them gold, buys Aladdin a beautiful new coat, buys them a very good dinner and wants to help them. Aladdin is very happy and it was a wonderful day for him. But actualy Abanazar is not Aladdin's uncle. He is a magician from Morocco and wants to find an enchanted lamp. He knows the lamp is in a magician garden under the ground, near a city in Arabia. Only a poor boy from the city can get into the garden and find the lamp, and that boy's name is Aladdin. One day, Aladdin saw Princess Badr-al-Budur. She was beautiful, with big darkeyes, the most beautiful woman in Arabia! He falls in loves with her! Third, this story is a little boring because it change so quickly. I think that Disney's Aladdin is much more interesting than this story. Disney's Aladdin has dreams and fantasies, but this book is a realistic story, so I like Disney's story better. In the last scene, Aladdin and Badr-al-Budur killed Abanazar by a sword. I don't recommend this story to you.

I Love My Basketball Team!

I love my basketball team. When I started college, I joined the basketball team. There are a lot of teams. For example, there are teams for tennis, baseball, basketball, soccer, football, and dance. It is very exciting. My team's name is "Fabreeze." It has about 60 people. Every month we have about 8 practices. We always play basketball, and then we go to eat dinner, and we talk to a lot of friends. We had a pizza party, went to UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN, had a Christmas party, and went cerebrate Hatsumode. When I went coming here to Spokane, they held a party for me, and they gave me a present. I was very happy. My best friends Yui and Takumi came to the airport to see me and they gave me a photo album and chocolate cake. I was very happy, but I was very sad, because I was left Japan. I have a lot of friends in Japan, but I want to study English. My friends in Spokane often say they want to come back early in Japan. I'm looking forward to meeting my friends, and play basketball game together again.

I Love Japanese Food!!!

I went shopping with my friends. We wanted to go downtown, but we got on the wrong bus, so we ended up at Northtown instead. Then we had take a different bus to go downtown. We didn't arrive downtown on time, but we enjoyed lunch!!! As soon as we arrived downtown, we went to "Sushi.com". That is a place we have wanted to go. I felt happy when I arrived there. I ate tempura-udon, salmon, and inari. They were so delicious!! I was happy. I felt homesick for Japanese food. I want to eat more Japanese food!!! I want to cook Japanese food in my dormitory. I always feel happy then. I love Japanese food!! Today, my dormitory friends cooked curry. The smell was so good. Though I didn't eat, I felt homesick for Japanese food again. I decided to cook Japanese food next weekend.

An American House!!

I went to my RA's house. My RA is Melissa. Melissa has parents, an older sister, and a younger brother. Melissa's brother is very, very kind and handsome. When we left Melissa's house, we hugged her family. We were very excited!! Melissa has two dogs. One dog is a little small, and the other dog is very, very big. My friends were scared because they don't like dogs. We ate a hamburger and pasta and chips. They were very delicious!! There is a lot of food in Melissa's house. In Japan, we don't eat so many things. Here in America, her mother gave us a lot of things to eat. We couldn't eat so many things because we got full. We played a game called "Wink Killer ". I was killed by Melissa's brother. We enjoyed playing it. Today was Melissa's birthday. Melissa's family gave her a lot of presents. She was glad to get those presents. Melissa said, "Thank you" to her family, and gave her family a kiss. Everyone gave her a birthday card. In Japan, my parents have never given me a birthday card, and I have never given my parents a card to celebrate. I think that I will give my family a birthday card to celebrate their birthday after I go back to Japan. Melissa's family is very friendly!! Her family all stayed in the same room, and did things together. When we left her home, her family said to us, "Come again". I enjoyed going to Melissa's house. I hope we do go again.

An American High School

I noticed some differences between American high schools and Japanese high school. First, a American high schools students don't wear uniforms. At my high school in Japan, students have to wear uniforms every day. Second, I was surprised that American students have a lot of opinions, and opportunities to think about things. In Japan, we don't have opportunities to think! In Japan I think, only teachers speak and students only listen so there is only one way! This is not only high school, but in college and university too. There are not group discussions. We are only writing, listening, reading, and so on. Lastly, I was surprised to see a couple kissing in school too!! so I asked an American girl who was sitting in my group if that was normal. She said, "Usually couples aren't kissing in school, but some people do, but I don't like them." When I heart that it made me feel relieved . I didn't know whether or not it was normal before.

I Love The Lockwood Family

This weekend I went to home stay. They are four people in my host family. Bill, Nikki, Ellary and Risa. Ellary is eight years old and Risa is six years old. They are very cute. We went snowboarding on Saturday morning, but Nikki and Risa did not go snowboarding with us, because Risa can not ski and they had to go shopping to buy Risa a rain coat, but Bill and Ellary like skiing. It was very interesting.
Next, we went back home at four o'clock, then Risa was drawing a picture for us. It was very cute. We went hot tub, ate dinner and we went to a hotel and Jazz concert with Bill and Nikki. We ate very big sweets in the hotel, and listened to the music. Bill and Nikki like Jazz. They often go to concerts. I was not interested, but Jazz concert was very wonderful! Now, I like Jazz, too.
The next day, we went rock climbing. It was my first time. I was very scared, but it was very interesting. Nikki said to me, " I like rock climbing because when I climb, I don't think anything, so I love rock climbing." I was satistied. I like rock climbing, too. And then, we went on a merry-go-round, and we tried to get a gold coin, but we could not get a coin. It was very, very interesting. I had a very wonderful time. I love this family.

My Seattle Trip!!

I went to Seattle last weekend. I really enjoyed it. Last Friday, I went to Safeco Field and the Burke Museum. Honestly, I'm not interested in baseball, so I didn't expect to enjoy myself, but the visit to Safeco Field made me happier than I expected. I bought many souvenirs in the shop. For example, I bought a tumbler and mug, and a necklace, etc. There was a tour guide in the Burke Museum, so it was a little easier for me to understand it. It was very interesting for me!! I was surprised that the University of Washington has a museum on campus. Last Saturday, it was raining but I couldn't use my umbrella because the wind was too strong. I went to the Pacific Center. There were many brand shops. For example, Coach, Tiffany, and so on. Many Japanese students bought a lot of big-name brands, but I didn't buy it because the money I have now is not mine. It is my parent's. I think there is no use buying it with my parent's money. The big-name brands will be valuable to me when I buy them with the money I have earned, so I don't want to buy it until I become a member of society.

In The Future!

In the future, I want to speak English more fluently, and I want to be a tour conductor because I love traveling. I had never been to a foreign country before I came to Spokane, but I have often traveled in Japan. My favorite places are Hokkaido and Tokyo. Hokkaido is one of the largest cities in Japan. I have been there twice. On the first trip, I went there with my family. There are many high mountains in Hokkaido. I was really moved because the mountains were very great. I think maybe Hokkaido is as cold as Spokane, so I don't want to live there. I hate cold places because it is too cold to wear a miniskirt or shorts.

On the second trip to Hokkaido, I went there with my school. We went snowboarding then. It is very exciting! I couldn't snowboard very well, but I love snowboarding ;->

Tokyo is the capital city of Japan, so it is very large. There are many people who live there. Tokyo is the center of everything, clothes, buildings, theme parks, brand name goods, and so on! My sister lives in Tokyo, and I said to her, "I want to live here too!!" However, she said to me, "I want to go back home because I love Kobe." I was surprised because before she yearned to live in Tokyo. I think that I want to live in Kobe, but maybe some day I will have to live there. I want to introduce many people to many places as a tour conductor :-)

I Had A Good Time With My Host Mother

Last weekend, I was on home stay. I had never been to home stay, so I was very excited. My host family's house is very big and cute. My host mother lives by herself. When I heard that, I was a little sad because if I lived by myself, maybe I would feel lonely, but she is such a funny person. She is an older woman, but she has four children. They are all married and don't live in her house anymore. We did many things with her. First, she cooked for us. She cooked meatloaf which was very delicious, so I liked it. Second, we watched a DVD at night. I forget the title of the DVD, but it was very funny. The main character is very cute. Finally, we went to church on Sunday. We sang some songs in the church. I had never been to church before; I had fun when I went to church. After that we went to a restaurant. I was so surprised at the rib steak I ate because it was very big , but it was delicious. However I like my host mother's cooking better than the restaurant's food. When my host mother left, I was very sad. I love her. I want to meet her again.

The Seattle Trip

I went on the Seattle trip last weekend. My favorite place is SAFECO FIELD because I like baseball very much, so I was very happy! We could go onto the field and sit down on the bench. I was very excited! I could sit down on the seat which ICHIRO always sits on, and we took a lot of pictures there. For example, we have pictures of the locker room, shower room, and the interview room. I bought many Mariners things, like post cards, pens, shirts, and so on. I will give my friends or family these things When I go back to Japan. Second, we went to a cafe to eat dinner. There, my order, pizza, was very late, and the waitress gave me a cheesecake and soup for a free! I felt happy, and when we left the cafe, a waitress gave us her business card. That waitress was very nice. I like her.

Mead High School Is Great!

I got up early at 6:00 am because we were going to Mead high school. The high school was very beautiful. We took a class with high school students. I was surprised when the group discussion was very vigorous. They had different opinions and ideas and I was surprised to find that they were full of confidence. They were positive and friendly. It was fun! American classes are different from Japan. They had announcements anytime, including during class today. They listened carefully, and their teacher asked them questions about the announcements.

Japanese students should be more positive and give your opinions. We shouldn't be afraid of making mistakes! This was the first time I had had an experience like this. I think that today was a very important today. I'll try to speak English and I want to give my opinion about things.

At Mead high school, there were 6 people in my group. I became friendly with one of the girls who is 16 years old. A very young girl! She is very kind. We talked about Japan. I was glad. I also received a cookie from her. It was a surprise. It was very delicious, so I would like to make a cookie for her. I want to see her again. I took a picture with her when I was leaving to go back to school. I think that I was able to experience the different culture in the U.S at Mead high school today.

The student made my day!!

My Special Spot

I went to Seattle last week. This was my second time. I had a great time there. I will never forget that trip. Seattle is my special spot. When I was fifteen years old, I stayed at a hostfamily's house in Seattle for a month. It made me grow up and change considerably. I was a special lucky girl then, because I got the chance to study English in America and I was chosen to be an exchange student. I was so happy, but I constantly worried about many things. For example, I worried about money, souvenirs, and my hostfamily!! However, the biggest problem was living away from my parents for a month. I was unused to traveling alone. I didn't worry about my English skill because I was full of confidence in English then. Now I think it was a silly confidence. I learned a lot of thing from Americans. I almost couldn't make myself understood in English. My English skill shocked me. I was miserable, but I gained experience by practice. This experience showed me the need to keep studying English. I couldn't accept the truth then, but now I can accept it, So I know I have to study English so hard every day. My hostfamily was especially kind all the time, so I love them. I wanted to meet them during Seattle trip, so I asked my adviser if I could meet them, but I couldn't because their house is so far from where we were sightseeing and they had no time to see me. I was very sad, but I would like to visit their house again someday. I made a promise to return to see them, so I have to return in order to keep my promise. I am looking forward to seeing them.
I went to Safeco Field in this trip. My host family took me there many times when I stayed at their house. My hostfather and hostbrother love baseball. Of course, I love baseball too!! They were fans of Ichiro Suzuki. My hostbrother's deram is to be a baseball player. I encourage his dream. I believe in him. This place reminded me of my host family and my American friends. It is my precious memory forever. I could't help but cry there because my English development has impressed me. When I visited there the first time, I couldn't understand anything. But now I can understand a little. I want my hostfamily to see my English development. My despair makes me stronger all the time.

My Tumbler

I bought a tumbler in Seattle. I use it every day. I like black coffee, so I bring it to class every day. When I feel sleepy in class, I drink coffee. I like it. Recently, coffee has been leaking from my tumbler ! If you know the best solution for this problem, please tell me. I bought two more tumblers. One is for my piano teacher. She taught me to play the piano in her house for 10 years. We still go to dinner about twice a year because we are still close. The other tumbler is for her husband. He is a teacher in my high school. I think teachers like coffee. Their office smells like coffee because they often drink it. Surely, they will like the tumblers. I'm looking forward to giving the tumblers to them.

These days, I play the piano in Covington. I wanted to play the piano, so I asked my mother to send a music score of "A WHOLE NEW WORLD". It is romantic music. I like Disney movies and songs. When I play or listen to this music, I feel happy. I practice the music in the basement because I don't like to play the piano in public.

My RA is Melissa. She is very kind, so we like her. March 9th was her birthday. We planned to hold a surprise party for her. We didn't know what we should give her as a present. We discussed that and we went to Wall Mart and a shopping mall in North Town to buy the present and snacks for the party.

My Dream★

My dream is to be an English teacher at junior high school. I love children and I love English too, so I really want to do that, but I don't have the English ability. I am in America now, so I can have opportunities to speak English in an English speaking environment. I have to study listening, reading, speaking, writing. I also have to get a high score on the TOEIC or I can't become a teacher. I want to help the children who are hit and kicked by their parents or friends. I think Japan and Japanese are in danger. I can't change a country, but I may be able to change their thinking, life, and environment. I would like to affect other people in order to help them not stray from their good ways by working as a teacher, and I would like to learn lots of things from children. That's all. Thank you for reading my blog !!

"ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND"-a Good Book?

To read "ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND" as a book was not very interesting for me. First, the story was disjointed. There were a lot of separate parts that continued until the end. The plot is very simple in that is Alice falls asleep, has lots of adventures, wakes up, in realizes that these adventures actualy occurred in her dream. The scenes of this adventures are too long. Second, Alice's troubles and peaks and valleys of her feelings were unexpectedly persistent and that made me irritated, so I got tired of reading it. However, I think it is interesting to watch "ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND as an animation or a movie, because the story is right long and the images are very beautiful. Also it has a lot of music and the story has a pretty good tempo. Therefore, I recommend that you see this story as an animation or a movie and not read it as a book.

Aladdin Is Funny!

There are three themes in the story Alladin. The first one, it is love because Aladdin falls in love with Princess Badr-al-Budur. She was the most beautiful woman in Arabia and has big dark eyes and he thought of various ways to try to get her to love him. For example, he asked his mother to give Badr-al-budur's father the gold plate with a lot of jewels, but his Vizier also want to marry her. He has more jewels than Aladdin, so her father decided that she would marry the Vizier. Aladdin also thought how to marry her, and he asked the Jinnee to bring her and he married her. But Abanazar who had pretended to be Aladdin's uncle tempted to take her away from Aladdin. Aladdin killed Abanazer to defend her in the end. I like this scene because Aladdin and Badr-al-Budur seem like the happiest couple in Arabia. The second theme is adventure. For example, Aladdin went down stairs under the ground to bring the lamp for Abanazar and Aladdin looked afraid. Abanazar deceived Badr-al-Budur into the belief that she can exchange an old lamp for a new lamp. This scene irritated me. Because she sold it despite Alladin cherished it. I thought "Don't sell it!" The other theme is fantasy. Jinnee grants his master everything. His existence is especially fantastic. Abanazar is a magician so the stone moves easily, when Aladdin put his hand on the ring and says his name. These are unbelievable! When I was reading this story, I was excited to think about what happens next. It is funny story and original not Disney so I recommend to you.

Italian Kitchen

If you want to eat great Italian food, you must go to the Italian Kitchen! I went to this restaurant March 6th with my friend, Nami. There are three characteristics of this restaurant I liked. First, the food and drinks were very delicious. I ordered minestrone, chicken fettuccine and ice tea. I like the minestrone very much because it contained beans, carrots, pork and onions. The pasta was very delicious too, flat and looked like Japanese food, Kishimen. The sauce was creamy and contained a lot of black pepper. I wanted to eat all of it but I couldn't because it was such a big portion. I thought I wanted to take out the pasta. I drank the ice tea and it was delicious, but big also. Second, the restaurant's atmosphere was very nice because the light was a little low and had a bar. I was comfortable. I looked at the pretty pictures on the wall. We went to this restaurant before noon so we could select any seat we wanted to sit down. Finally, I was happy because this restaurant's waiter was very kind. He repeated himself when we couldn't understand what he said. He always smiled so I was relieved. He sometimes came to our table and said "How is the food?" when we were eating. I was happy because everything was good. I recommend Italian Kitchen very much!

PALM COURT

There are three reasons that Palm Court is a good restaurant. First, the food is very delicious! I ordered a cheeseburger with french fries. The burger had tomatoes, onions, cheese, lettuces and ketchup on it and it was very big. There were too many french fries for me. They were thin and crispy. Its was 10 dollars which was reasonable for me. Second, the atmosphere in the restaurant was very restful, because they played classical music. The music was quiet and made me relax. The restaurant was elegant, gorgeous, clean and beautiful. It looked like a castle. Finally, our server was kind, friendly and funny. His service was good, and he often asked us whether our food was OK and we needed anything. He also answered our questions politely with his good smile. We took a picture with him. I had very good time.

WONDERFUL Time

The Palm Court is a restaurant where you can have a nice time. There are a few reasons that will absolutely convince you. First, the atmosphere was so calm and relaxing, because of restful white color of walls. Also music was classical, so it matches the atmospfere that was being made by theme. It was so refreshing and quiet. When you are ushered to your table, you will be surprised, because of the many forks, knives, spoons and glasses of the table setting. Secondly, the food is so delicious and there is so much of it! I ordered a chicken and cheese sandwich. It tasted yummy! I was surprised that it was so big and amount of salad was so much. But the cost was 10 dollars, so it was cheaper than I expected. Also, I was so surprised that the hamburger that my friend ordered was so big. The amount of french fries was so much that were too much for her to eat all of them. If you go there, I recommend the sandwich or the hamburger. You will be surprised at the quantity. Finally, the servers were so kind and plesant, because they were attentive. When I wanted to order, they came quickly, before I said "excuse me." When my friend's water was low, they noticed right away and filled it up. Also, their smiles were so nice and cool, and it makes you want to go there again. I highly recommend the Palm Court restaurant to you!!

The Great European Place In Down Town

"EUROPEAN PIZZERIA" can give a great experience to you. This restaurant has great food, decor and service. First, their food is very good. They have home-made foccaccia. I had a lunch course there. The course has soup or salad, pasta and a foccaccia. At the beginning of the course, foccaccia bread was brought to the table. I was very hungry and it was very good, so I carelessly ate too much. But there was so much pasta that I couldn't eat all of it. I had ordered a pizza, too. I would share it with Yuka, but she was full, too. Eventually, we couldn't eat all of them. However, we forget to give doggybags, so I have regreted that. Second, the atmousphere is very nice. That is European, classical, and stylish. The lighting is a little dark, so you can be relax there. Finally, their service is very good. The server was very polite and kind, so we could choose order without hurry. Also, her recommendation was very pretty! I thought I'd like to go there again. If you go there, it may become your favorite restaurant.

OLIVE GARDEN

I enjoyed visiting OLIVE GARDEN. First, the food was very delicious! I ate seafood pasta, salad, bread and chocolate cake. Everything was good. My favorite food was pasta and bread. The Pasta had white creamy sauce and shrimp. I liked both so It was double very good! The bread was hot from the oven! I didn't know what on the top of it but I liked it. Because I was so hungry I ate it and the salad and felt full before the seafood pasta came. It was very delicious, but I was so full that I took out the chocolate cake and I ate it at home. It was good. Second, the service was good. The waiter was very kind and friendly. When we asked questions and I couldn't speak English well, she tried to understand and replied with a smile. And she often attended to us and spoke to us. Finally, I liked the restaurant's atmosphere. It was very clean and put me in a nice mood. There were many small light bulb that gave off low light. The chairs were soft and comfortable so I could relax. I want to go to there again!!

my mother

My mother and I are not very much alike. First,my mother cooks very well. But I don't cook well. She often bakes cakes or cookies. There are very delicious and healthy. She also cooks pizza that is healthy,and better than pizza that is sell at a pizza shop. Second, she is serious. When she was a high school student, she was a class representative. In a festival of her school, every her classmates follow her, because she was a leader of their program. She talked me boastfully about this story. Third, she is so kind and smart. I sometimes respect her. She likes Eco activities. She is always saying"Don't leave the water too much!"and"Bring your Eco bags!" Also, she likes fund-raising. So,she belongs to UNICEF. When I heard about this,I thought she is great. But,really something I can't understand. And that is that she raises a huge sum of money for UNICEF. Fund raising is a great activity,but I can't understand how she did. One day,I heard her said the reason why she raise such a large sum of money. She replied "I prefer spending money for hungry children or children who are in trouble to spending money for useless things." I was surprised to hear her say that. And,I thought at that time that her activity is very important lesson for me. She has taught me many thing about how to live. Anyhow, I love my mother!

I Love AZTECA!

My visit to the AZTECA Mexican restaurant satisfied me in many ways. The building is made of bricks and is cute. In the restaurant, there are many colors and many paintings of people and landscapes. The decor was very delightful and made me happy. I ordered "The Famous Macho Burrito". It is a very famous Mexican food. It contains Mexican rice, chicken, cheddar cheese, and so on. It was very big, but cost only about $8. I was satisfied. However, it was so big that I wasn't able to eat it all. I took out about a half portion in a doggy bag. Next, the service was very good. Most waiters were smiling and attentive. When we were eating, a waiter asked us "is it good?" When we could not eat any more, a waiter asked us, "do you need a doggy bag?" I felt relieved because they were so kind. Also the restaurant had quick music, probably Mexican, and it cheered me up. The atmosphere was comfortable because it was not too elegant and not too noisy. If this atmosphere was too elegant, I would have felt uncozy because I had to take good care of the atmosphere. On the other hand, if this atmosphere was too noisy, I would have felt uncozy too because I could not settle down. This is why the restaurant was comfortable for me. Finally, I thought that this restaurant looked like a Japanese family restaurant because there was a lot of food, the cost was reasonable, the waiters were friendly, and the atmosphere was comfortable. I want to go again and I recommend this restaurant to everyone.

Italian Kitchen

Italian Kitchen in downtown Spokane is the perfect restaurant for people who like Italian food. First, their service is very good. For example, the staff is kind, funny and friendly. They repeated again and again kindly when I didn't understand their questions. I could relax and order without mistakes. Second, the food is very good. I ordered tomato pasta by the waiter's recommendation. Its topping had many rich ingredients such as tomatoes, cheese, shrimps, vegetables and so on. Finally, it is a place with calm atomosphere, but there is no music. Many violins hang on the wall, they make us comfortable. The restroom is very clean and beautiful like a castle, I like there very much. I have never been to restaurant in downtown except for Italian Kitchen, but I strongly recommend it to everyone. You should go there. I want to go there again and order other meals.

The Seattle Trip

I went to Seattle on the weekend. It was very fun. On the first, day we went to the SAFECO FIeLD, Pike Place Market, and the Columbia River. On the second day, we went to the Washington State History Museum, the State Capitol, and shopping. On the final day, we went the Space Needle. It was very high and we could see a beautiful view from the top. I think I learned a lot about American culture on this trip. It was a very pleasant trip. Sometime I want to go to Seattle again.

Self Introduction

Hi! I'm Nami. First, I would like to introduce myself to you. I was born in Japan. I'm nineteen years old. I'm a student at MFWI in Spokane Washing. I live in Clark House and my RA is Tiffany. She is very cheerful. My hobby is singing songs, I do Karaoke with my friends and we sing songs all the time. My favorite singer is Ai Ootsuka and Mihimaru GT. I sing a song a lot. Karaoke helps me reduce stress. Next, I like sweets, for example, pie, cake, chocolate, ice cream, cokies, custard puddings, bavarian cream, waffles, crapes, and so on. I often go to sweets shops with my friends and my mother. I have many shops that I can recommend to all girls who likes sweets. Second, I would like to introduce my family to you. They are five people in my family, my parents, my little brother, and my pet. My father is very strict, but he is very very kind. He is always thinking about my family and loves my family very much. He helps us all the time and we can rely on him anytime. My mother is a good wife and wise mother, and is good at cooking. She is never cut corners in cooking. She is always thinking about our health. We always appreciate our health because at her. Her hobby is deaning and she keeps our house very beautifully. I want to be like her in the future. I always respect her. My brother is a very interesting boy. He likes soccer and is in a soccer club at his school. He devotes himself to club activities, and he is asportsman. My pet is a dog. His name is Jack. He is naughty, but very clever, I feel happy when I play with Jack. Jack has a daily routine of walking every morning. Someone in my family walks with him every morning and he is loved by my whole family. We make a good family.

American Food!!

There are many sweets in America. I ate cookies while doing my homework duling tutorial. There are many sweets in Japan, but there are many, many sweets in America. What very colorful sweets!! I was surprised when I came to America.
American foods in general taste very strong, and are colorful. Sometimes I can't eat anything. I don't like cheese and there is a lot of food with cheese in America. However, I eat a lot of vegetables in America. I didn't eat many vegetables in Japan. Here I ate more healthy food. I am very happy, but I want to eat Japanese food because I like it. My favorite food is the food my mother makes very well. I worried about living with an American host family. I want to go to my host family's house soon, but I worry about the food. I hope I don't have to eat cheese.

I Was Very Happy On February 22

Today is February 22. I went shopping at Northtown with friends. I like shopping. I bought clothes and body lotion. The body lotion smells so good. My friends bought a lot of clothes and shoes. The clothes and shoes are so cute. Also, I ate a hamburger at Northtown. I think American hamburgers look like Japanese hamburgers. We stayed from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Northtown. We had a good time at Northtown. After we went home, we ate dinner at Commons. I don't like Common's food.

My Extra-Curricular Activities

Today, I would like to talk about my extra-curricular activities. I was in brass band club in junior high school and high school. I love musical instruments. My favorite musical instrument is the horn. My conductor was very strict with the students but fair. He made me strong and I learned a lot of things from him. I was very selfish before I met him, But I learned that it is important to compromise with other musicians in the band. I had a great experienced. My conductor was so strict that I wanted to quit the band. But my friends encouraged me. I am proud of having such good friends.

When I passed the entrance examination for Mukogawa University and decided to go there, I was going to join the brass band, but when I listened to their performance I wasn't attracted by it. Instead, I was attracted by the baton twirling club at this university. I was impressed by their dancing! and I started to be interested in baton and dance. That why I decided to join this club because I wanted to be like them. Now, I respect the other dancers and baton twirlers. I must practice dancing and twirling baton so hard because I would like to get better.

Sometimes I miss playing in the brass band when I listen classic music. I love classic music. I would like to play a musical instrument again. But I don't have an opportunity to do that here. I am so sad, but my college club friends are very precious to me. I thought it would be difficult to continue to participate in the club and study. To be frank with you, I have thought about quitting in order to study more . But now, I don't think I will , thanks to my friends. They make me grow up all the time!! It was just an accident that we met, but I think it has been very necessary for me. I am such a lucky girl !! Thank you.

My Part Time Job!

I work at a cake shop and a bar. The cake shop is very small, but there were many cute cakes, so that's why I decided to work there. It is important for me to learn many things. For example, how to be polite, to have good manners, how to greet people, and so on. I wanted to get a job, so I looked for one in the classifies. Then I researched about part time jobs in a book of jobs. There were many places, but I have wanted to work at a cake shop for a long time because I love cakes. I was hired. This shop is in a department store.

I was very anxious the first time I went there, but the people who worked there showed me what to do quickly. When I couldn't wrap anysthing, I practiced it a number of times. I was very happy. One of the things that was most fun was eating cakes. I love chocolate cake, NY cheesecake, tortes and so on. I went home with cakes every day I worked at this shop.

Before I came to MFWI, I told the owner of the cake shop that I had to quit work, but she said to me, "If you want to continue when you come back, you can." I was so happy ;-)!

"Ruuuuuuuun!!"

I want to run! In Japan, I run long distances, about 5~6 kilometers with my friend named Ayumi. Ayumi is one of my best friends. My house is near Ayumi's house. We live in the same condo block. We have been friends for fourteen years. We were on the same basketball team in the same junior high school, so we are good at sports. Here, no friends can ran 5~6 kilometers with me. Only Ayumi. In Spokane, it's snowy now, so I can't run because it's too dangerous and it's too cold to run about three days ago I ran around MFWI with my friends. However, they got tired fast, so I think I want to be able to run long distances. I'm looking forward to running a marathon in Spokane. I want to keep running. I don't want to walk during the marathon, but I don't know whether I can reach the goal by running. Basically I like sports; I love to exercise!! Yesterday, I exercised in my room while I skyped with my boyfriend. Maybe if my friends saw me doing this, they would think we are crazy!! By the way, I haven't seen any Americans running yet. Do Americans hate to exercise?

Shopping!!! (uvuo)/'

I went shopping with my friend Misae on Suturday. I bought cosmetics, body cream, and souvenirs! After I bought souvenirs, we had lunch. We ate a big pizza!! We ate a pizza last weekend, too. The price of the pizza was 3 dollars. It was very cheap. It has became our favorite food. I try to eat various kinds of pizza, but I worry about how fattening pizza is. If I eat high calorie foods, I have to exercise! I have to forget about eating high calorie food. Later we took a picture in front of the restaurant because it was very fashionable. I like the restaurant atmosphere very much. It was very exciting. I'm going downtown again next weekend!! I can't wait until Saturday.
On Saturday I want to buy a teddy bear because my friend bought a teddy bear for 70 cents! Wow! It was very cheap!! Before when I went to the shop, I found a teddy bear for 3 dollars which is expensive. but afterwards they lowered the price to 70 cents. It was cheap! I'll give it to my friend. My friend likes a doll which has many kinds of dolls. Her room is full of dolls, so I want to give a teddy bear to her soon. I want to see her happy face when I give her the teddy bear.

My Twin Sister

I have a twin sister! Her name is Yuki. She was the first born, by c-section. Yuki and I are very similar, because we are identical twins, but we each have our different character. Her character differs from my character very much. For example, she is selfish like younger sister and she often depends on me. Sometimes I feel hate, but I like her. She is a Mukogawa university student, too. She is an elementary education major and is a sophomore. On campus, we are mistaken for each other by our friends many times. She likes beef, but I don't like beef. I like pasta, but She doesn't like pasta. We really don't resemble each other character, but We have some at the same feelings and ideas. We can tacitly understand each other!

Valentine's Day

Today was Valentine's day. I looked forward to this day coming! I was very happy. In Japan women usually give men chocolate or a present, but American people don't have those customs. I was surprised. My RA said that it is a custom at Valentine's to exchange gifts with each other, so I wrote a letter to my roommate and my RA. We exchanged them. I baked cookies with my RA and friends. I enjoy cooking, so I was happy. Then we had pizzas delivered. The pizzas were very big!!! I have never seen such a big pizza in Japan. We were very excited when we saw those very big pizzas. We took a lot of pictures. It was fun! I shared them with my housemates. We live peacefully with 24 people in Cather house. I like them. I enjoy every day. I am happy now.

I Hate Green!

I took a nap after school because I was very tired. I slept for one hour in my room. I hate Monday and Friday, but I like Wednesday because P.E class is on Wednesday. I like basketball, but I'm not good at it, so I want to practice basketball and enjoy playing basketball. I will do kendo at JCC. I love kendo so much. I'm looking forward doing kendo very much. I like kendo, volleyball, basketball and tennis. A few days ago, I saw a lot of green things for sale in shops. Why are all green things for sele ? I hate green! I like pink and yellow. But now, I know about St.Patrick's Day. I know the Americans wear green clothes.

American Schools

Today, I went to an American high school during conversation class. At first, I was scared but I got used to being there soon. I learned many things there though we were only there for a short time. The American students were all active, so I was very surprised. If a teacher asked the students a question, they responded quickly. They raised their hand, and answered. They aren't shy. Almost all Japanese students are shy in class. I respect the American students for being active. First, we talked to each other, but I couldn't understand what they were saying. They and I had a lot of trouble, but they were very kind and smart. They tried to speak English so we could understand. Another surprising thing was they were constantly drinking water in class even when a teacher was speaking, but in America, this is normal. American classes are freer. It is very nice! Second, I was surprised because American students were late for the class, but it seems to be a normal thing too. Today, I felt nervous but happy at last. I felt a lot of culture shock, but I had a wonderful experience. I am a lucky girl.

My Recent Favorite Thing

How fast the time passes! It has been over a month since we came to the U.S. I'm finally getting accustomed to living here. Recently, there is something that has become my favorite thing to do. It is watching a DVD with my roommate in our room every Friday night. It is very exciting! Most of all, I like that we can stay up on Friday night. Because it is a weekend. Yeah!! That showing generally starts at about 10 or 11 o'clock. We watch a DVD with only a table lamp and that is pretty cool. The last Friday, we saw the movie"A Good Year". I brought this DVD to the U.S. with me from Japan. I like this movie very much. The story is set in Provence,France and the leading actor is Russell Crowe. The scenery in Provence is very beautiful. I pass the time enjoyably watching this wonderful movie. How about a great time with a movie to start at your weekend!? However, I recommend to do things you have to do like homework as much as possible before you watch a movie to have a nice weekend. I'm looking forward to coming Friday! TGIF (Thank God It's Friday)! Have a nice weekend!!!

Three favorite hometown foods

Hi! There are three foods of my hometown in Fukuoka Japan that I really like. The first food is Mentai. It is a spicy food and is made of Salmon's eggs. I think that it is the most famous food in Fukuoka, because it is only sold there. Many tourists buy it as souvenirs when They visit my hometown. Next, I think that the second best food is noodles. There are many noodles stands at Hakata in Fukuoka. There are all kinds of noodle. For example, Tonkotsu, Sio, Miso, and so on. The noodles stands the river for a few kilometers. Finally, I think that the third best food is fish. The fish is very fresh, because Fukuoka is a seaside City . We can always get fresh fish there. There are many delicious foods in Fukuoka. I'm very proud of my hometown in its foods, because I'm a gourmand. I hope to live in Fukuoka all my life and I want to eat the foods that I've not tasted yet.

Clark House

I enjoy living in Clark House very much because of the friendships I haves there. First, I like have everyone is friendly there. I didn't know before because my group is B class and group8 is D class in Japan, so I worried about live in together in friendship. But when we arrived at Clark House, they said some greetings to me and they spoke to us. I was very glad. Second, I like how we gather without notice. For example, when someone eat food, the other people come to eat, and we eat together and talk a lot. After call, we often stay in not go back to room very quickly. Third, I like their character. Everyone is funny and kind. They often mimic other people, because everyone go their way and I go my way, I am comfortable with them. I love Clark House!

My Home Town

I love my home town Awaji island Japan! It is the very wonderful place and there have many beautiful things! First There is the beautiful sea. I would go there after the school with my friend. And we used to talk on the beach. Last summer I took my university friends there and they said "This is beautiful!" It was very pleasurable. Second There are many delicious foods. The island is famous for onion. Also There is shore dinners and vegetables very nice! I like there foods very much. Last the people very kind are friendly. And helpful to each other. Always whenever I need help, people help me. I love my hometown,but I don't think I want to live there in the future, because there are not enough relationships for me. But I think that this is the best place as a hometown for me. Please come to my home town!

My Hometown

I have three favorite things about my hometown of Kobe Japan. First, there is the Akashi channel bridge. This bridge connects Kobe and Awaji island. It started in 1998 when I was 9 years old. Before it was completely built, my mother, my grandmother and I could walk on the bridge. We were lucky women, because we received a postcard and it said you are able to walk on the bridge! We were one of very first people who were able to walk on the bridge! We could walk the whole bridge, but I became tired, so we didn't go all the way Awaji island. The bridge has neon light, so it shines at night. It's very beautiful! There is a small park near the bridge. When I was child, I often go there with my father. I like it there. Second, there are many stores in Sannomiya, a big town in the city of Kobe. I often buy clothes, cosmetics, accessories and so on there. Also, in Sannomiya there are good restaurants. Finally, there is Rokko mountain. The night view from the top of this mountain is very beautiful but it's cold in the winter time, and so cool in the summer time. From the top of mountain Rokko we can see all of Kobe city. Also on the mountain we can do various activities, such as making cheese, making caramel and petting sheep. The mountain looks like the Alps. It is fun!

My Parents.

My mother's name is Asayo and she is forty-four years old. She is very kind to us for family and to people in our neighborhoods. My father's name is Makoto and he is about fifty years old. I like my mother and father but I like my mother more than my father because I can talk to her about everything. For example, about university's life, friends, part-time job, and my boy friend. She always listens carefully and give me very important advice. I sometime worry about my life, then I always talk to my mother. After talking to her somehow I feel relief. She is my only mother, I know. But sometime I irritate at my mother, because she meddle with my business. When I feel down, my mother asks me "Why do you feel down?" I be irritated at my mother when I don't want to her asks me such things. Contrary to my mother, my father doesn't ask me about every things. My father is always calm. If we face big problems, he will solve this problems, maybe. My mother and father have different characters!! I think that both characters are good and important. I love my parents!!

Interesting Things In My Hometown :-)

I would like to introduce Osaka to you!! I love Osaka, because it is my hometown, and there are many interesting and impressive things that you will always remember. First, there is the interesting word, "maido." It is word that exists only in Osaka. You can hear "maido" at shopping arcades. It means 'Hello.' or 'thank you,' but there is a more profound meaning. When maido is written by Chinese character, it means thanks for coming again and again. So if you hear this word, it will be interesting to you, and you will feel warm. Secondly, there is a wonderful and interesting firework display. It is the PL firework display, and takes place every August first, and shoots off about 120,000 firewoks, but in 2008 it shot off only about 20,000 fireworks. The PL firework display last shot off about 8,000 fireworks at a stretch, which is called "the atmic bumb firework." The number of sightseers is about 300,000 people, and the PL firework display is recognized around the world. Also the awesome sound reverberate through the sky, and fireworks turn the dark sky into light in an instant, and it is interesting and impressive!! Finally, there is a festival that takes place every autumn and represents Japan. It is colled the danjiri festival. It has been taking place since 1703, and it has prided the very long history and tradition for over 300 years. Danjiri has a few drums, bells and flutes. They are very interesting sounds. Also danjiri festival has two ropes that are 100 meters, and about 500 people have it in your hands and run yelling "sorya sorya." This attracts many visitors from all over the world. The danjiri festival takes place for two days. On the first day, it starts at 6:00 a.m.. It is very beautiful and impressive, especially, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00p.m., there are many Japanese lanterns all around the danjiri. On the second day, the danjiri goes in the shrine and the festival ends. The festival is really interesting and moving and will live in your memory!!

Self Introduction

Hi! My name is Yumi. I'm 19 years old and my birthday is April 24th, so I will turn 20 soon and I will still be in America. I live in Clark House and my RA is Tiffany. She is very kind and I very like her! My hobby is listening to music and I also like watching baseball, but I can't play it very well. I often watch baseball at the Kyosera Dome with my friends. I especially like the Hawks. There are 5 people in my family, my father, mother and two older sisters. My two older sisters are age 25 and age 22. I like them !! I sometimes quarrel over trifles with my family, but I live at peace with them.

Hi! I'm Sae.

Hi! My name is Sae. I'll Introduce myself to you.There are four people in my family. It is my father, mother, and elder sister. I love my family. I have two dogs and one cat. But I am allergic to the dog and the cat. However, they are very cute. I love them. My favorite things are watching movies, listening to music, sushi and Italy. I like sushi as it is impossible to live without sushi. I also like Italy very much. I like many towns, foods, cultures and language of Italy.
I am taken with them. I learn Italian, French and English. Actually, I like to learn Italian and French more than English (It is a really great secret!!!!!!!!!!!). Of course, I like English, too. So I must study English hard! I love English, English, English, English, and English....

Ayaka

Hi! My name is Ayaka. I would like to introduce myself to you. In my family is my mother, my brother and my dog. My mother works as interpreter. Because she is Korean she can speak Korean, Japanese, and in English. I am respect my mother. My brother is 21 years old and is a student at Tokyo science university.He studies pharmacy. So he is very smart. My dog is very cute.Iwant to see her !!! Finally, my father is Yoshimasa. He died of cancer 2 years ago . Although Iwas very very very sad, Iam OK! I have my family and manyfriends!!! My hobbies are shopping and eating . Especially, I love collecting a lot of hair treatment. Because I colored my hair, my hair is very dry and damaged. Although I like Japanese black hair, I have wanted variety of colors in my hair. By the way, I like to eating Japanese -style confectionery. For exanple, do you know these? Ohagi, Youkan ,Dorayaki or things like that. As I brought some ingreadient , I will make it for you. their name is Siratama-dango.

I love Japan.

Hi! I am Miho!

Hello! My name is Miho. I live in Spokane WA to study English harder. I am from Takarazuka city Hyogo, Japan. Takarazuka is a very beautiful and rural town. Here,my family live there. My father is very kind and he loves me very much. My mother cooks very well and she sometimes makes pizza. She also likes volunteer. My sister and I are not very close. But,I and she laugh together when we watch comedy programs. In Takaraduka,I have many friends that I like very much.
They are very fun people.I love spending time with them.















My part time job is working in a barbecue restaurant. I like working there. I am always smiling when I am work. And,I like my coworkers of this job. Thank you.

Hello! My Name is Chihiro.

Hi! My name is Chihiro. I am nineteen years old. There are four people in my family. There are my Dad, Mom and my dog. I am an only child. I have lived in Osaka since I was born. Mom is an elementary school teacher. She is very cute and kind. She and I often go shopping in Umeda and Kyoto. We are very friendly! I really love Mom. Dad is very kind, too. I love my family. My dog's name is Coco. She is very cute and little. My hobbies are shopping and listening to music. My favorite things are cookies and puppy. I especially like puooy and eat chocolate cookies . Finally, my dream is to speak fluent English, and I want to enjoy talking to Americans in English.

My Favorite Things

Hi!! My name is Yuka. I would like to introduce myself to you. My major is English. I love English and America and Spokane. I enjoy talking to my teachers in English and reading books written in English . I am interested in Disney movies and music!! My favorite Disney movie is HSM(high school musical). It makes me happy all the time. I listen to HSM music when I am sad. My favorite American TV program is Full House. It is very popular in America. isn't it?? It is so useful for studying English. I practiced l listening and writing English while watching it. It is such an important movie for me. Also, I am Cheer Leader now. I am good at dancing and twirling the baton. Now,I pracrice dancing and twirling baton at MFWI sometimes. I appreciate thier kindness . I also like to play musical instruments. I can play the Trumpets, tronbones,Horns and piano. I love music so I take the ensemble class. It is a fantatic class!! It is one of my favorite class. I would like to introduce my family to you. There are six people in my family; My father, mother, brother, grand mother, and pretty dog. My father is so shy,but he is kind. He has scolded me for being rude in mychildhood. I was very angry then. But now I think it is his love.My mother is a good friend for me. I can talk about everything with her. I like to go shopping with her. She is my best adviser for me!! My brother is so kind. When we were young,we didn't get along with each other. but we have gradually become nice friends. Now,He is studying so hard because he hopes to enter a famous university. I encourage him.I believe in his. Grandmother is so cute.she is good at cooking. I was looking forward to eating her food when I was young. I would like to learn her recipes. I have a dog.Her name is kuu. She is loved by everyone. Of course,I love her!! we slept together when I was home. she makes me happy.I would like to see her.. Thank1 you for reading . Bye.




Yuka Nishiyama