Speech Contest

Last Sunday I had to wake up early because I had to pick up Kane Feaver, who is one of the judges from New Zealand, at Musashi Urawa station. It was so cold that when I arrived at the station he was freezing. And then, our Eigo no Ie Speech contest was held.

There are 3 parts in this speech contest; grade 7 and 9 in the morning, grade 4-6 at 17:30, and grade 8 at 19:30. So we were really busy on this day.

Through watching and listening to all the performances, I reminds my experiences of speech contests. When I was 11 years old, it was the very first time for me to make a speech in English. The title was "I am a tree" like this.


I am a tree. I have a great family.
Look! Your earth is green and beautiful.
My leaves make your air.
My roots hold water for your river.

You kill many trees. That's all right.
You need us for houses, for boxes, for chopsticks.

But remember.
You need us for your air and water, too.
Keep us on your mountains.
Enjoy us in your gardens and parks.
Let us live together.
Then your earth, our earth, will always be green and beautiful.


I really felt nervous at that time. And I was really happy when Ms. Araki called me as a first winner and Mr. Ogura gave me a prize with a great smile. I'll never forget that experience.

Luckily it is easier for me to copy the [r] sound than any other students. So now I have a typical American (North part) English or Canadian English.
Anyway I want you to practice pronouncing the English words, phrases, sentenses, and passages with a beautiful intonation and stress. What is important is to use English!! Don't be deceived the evil English around you.

STRONG WORLD

All the cinemas have been panicked since last Saturday, Dec. 12th. Can you guess why?

Some of you might get to know that if you're a fun of the most famous comic named 'One Piece'.





Through the two day as soon as it released, every seat was sold out in most of all the cinemas. But especially, in fact, people really want to get 'One Piece volume 0', which is including a story of the 20 years past world before Luffy's birth. First 1.5 million people can get the special comic, and this event heated our hearts. During the last holiday, the number of people who went to the cinemas to watch 'One Piece' were over 820,000!!

Fantastic!!

And fortunately, I can get that special comic. I'm sooooooooo excited.
Thank you God!! (T∀T)



Anyway, why does this comic become popular? If I answer the question, I must need a whole day or week to explain..........ok, this time I tell you in short.

Eiichiro Oda, an author of 'One Piece', is often called present-day Murasaki Shikibu because of his talent.
He always hides some mysteries, traces, signs, and the others which will lead to the truth of the story, and readers pick them up, collect them, and connect all the information. We can enjoy the searching and surprises beyond our imagination.
This comic is including the exciting battle, emotive talking, hollow friendship, and joking as well. Each elements has accepted by from kids to adults.

This comic is also including a kind of philosophical issues, racial issues, social structual issues, and so on. So 'One Piece' can be rated in many aspects.


Therefore, in my opinion, stupid ones cannot enjoy reading 'One Piece'.

Hidden Illumination

Last night I went to Shinjuku with one of my old friends, who I haven't seen for several years. Walking around Shinjuku reminded me of my precious high school days; after school my friend and I often used to go some downtown such as Ikebukuro, Shibuya, Takadanobaba, of course Shinjuku, and so on.

Now in Shinjuku, there are a lot of illuminated trees and the twinkle has been grasping our Japanese hearts. Here is the photo of Shinjuku Southern Terrace.

And then, we went to Takasimaya to look around and find something interesting. Never having gone up the top floor ever before, we tried to do it. You might think we're foolish, but I love to do such a ridiculous thing. A lot of things we found were so fascinating, but especially, my surprise was appeared on the 13th floor. A terrace with no people!! Mainly the 13th floor is for restaurants so nobody came this illuminated terrace. How nice here is for date! We can also have wonderful dinner beside the terrace. Have a look at the photos below I took.

If you want to date with your girlfriend and when you have enough money to spend on tasteful dishes, I recommend you to use this place. I hope I will. (#^.^#)

Santa Fun Run

We'll soon be immersed in Christmas time. I'm not sure why we Japanese make our hearts leap so long before Christmas and calm down on the very day of December 25th.


Anyway, do you know "Santa Fun Run" in Australia?
I never suppose that you'll know it unless I tell you.

"Santa Fun Run" is a kind of charity activity taken place in Australia. More than 1,000 santas, those who entered the race, run or jog or walk or hop or......anyhow they go in for the race in santa costume. The main sponsor Variety raises all the money for sick and disadvantaged children. Here is the photo in Sydney today.


In Australia there are three parts where Santa Fun Run is held, South Australia, New South Wales, and Victoria. The date and the distance are different each areas but it is impressive that the runners in every part are filled with smile and love. That scene is really ideal for the Christmas, I think.


And amazingly in Shibuya, Japan, about sixty santas paraded down Omotesando today, but it was not a charity. Who and why?

The answer lies in the Japanese Christmas trend. In Japan, a lot of people become Santa on December and they have to play really santa to advertise. Today's parade in Shibuya was a practice for the people who will become santa. Some of them are nursery school teachers, some of them are toy shop clerks, and the others are something like that. That's really funny!!(*^ω^*)

Probably I'll have to work this Christmas...oops!! I really want lovely one. Hope you enjoy your Christmas.


If you are interested in Santa Fun Run, click here and check it out!
Variety→http://www.varietysantafunrun.com.au/
ABC News→http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/29/2756556.htm

Love Basketball

Apologise to be late for telling you about my last Saturday, when I went to my high school to take part in the OB and OG festival.

On the afternoon of November 7th, our basketball club OB and OG festival was held. It is the annual event taken place in November. For me this time is the third to join.

First, my friend and I arrived at high school we found our coach getting down the steps. We had some chats and while talking we changed our clothes and shoes in the staff room. We also had a chance to talk with some teachers there because we were so familiar in this high school and a lot of teachers talked to us friendly.

Let's move on to the gym. When we arrived at the gym, there are about 100 people; some were practicing basketball, and some were doing stretching, and the other were chatting. Here is the photo of the scene when we gathered to start the festival. I was in the black long-sleeve shirt and dark brown pants with a little orange design. And the man next to me in the orange pants is my friend Maru.

We had about 10 games till five in the evening, and I played on three games. I really enjoyed and I was admired my quickness and defence by my juniors.

And this is the photo after all the games. Could you find me?? I'm sitting in the forth line and almost in the middle of the line.

After the game, of course, we had a drinking party. I can't show th photos because I think they were so terrible we had done. (laughing)

I'm looking forward to the next time.

￥990

Yesterday I played basketball at my high school; to attend the annual OB and OG festival. But my acquaintance doesn't send me photos yet... so after recieving them I'm quite sure to write about this day on my blog.
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Today I had NOT to wake up late this morning. It was inevitable for me to go Urawa CORSO around its opening hours today. Can you guess what??

UNIQLO HEATTECH Sale today!!
Only for ￥990!!

I've waited...... I've waited...... I've waited for almost one year!!
And the time had come at long last.

I respect UNIQLO products because of the price and quality, and in particular, HEATTECH, which is used seven technologies; Heat Generation, Heat Retention, Soft Texture, Odor Control, Stretchable Comfort, Anti-static, and Non-deforming.
Especially the second one, Heat Retention, "Air pockets between the fibers retain both body warmth and the warmth generated by HEATTECH's moisture absorption." UNIQLO describes, is really attractive for me. Present-day fashion has been getting us to wear really slender-designed clothings such as Skinny Fit Denim Jeans to accentuate our shapely legs, but most of all including me must think that we feel a little colder in the recent clothings than before.

"To be a fashionable, put up with the warmth or coolness" is a slogan through my generation. Thanks to the appearing HEATTECH, however, we can enjoy our fashion freely without caring the temperature.
Incredible!!（≧ν≦）/

I bought black and red long johns (tights). Seems it really nice!


Please try to buy one during the sale and enjoy the frozen winter!!

Talk With People From Many Countries

Last Sunday we went to Tokyo Imperial Palace to talk with a lot of tourists from other countries. My group members, all girls in the seventh grade, looked a little nervous before arriving at the Tokyo Yurakucho station, and it seemed they relieved their worries with a chat all the time in the train.


Fortunately the weather was fine but a little windy on that day, so it was a brilliant day to do interviews, but unfortunately there were less people who could speak English than last year. My students were eager to find some foreigners with a gleam of hope. At first I talked to some foreigners and led my students into conversation. They looked so awkward with asking some questions but it reminded me of my young age. I also participated in this event when I was an elementary student, and I was really not good at talking to strangers. Comparing with that time, I'm so surprised that I spoke to in English actively not passively. Anyhow my English perhaps improved better than before.


After coming back to Urawa, teachers went to a soba(buckweat) shop "Yabu."
All we were hungry at that time so we felt heavenly. (*^。^*)

Free Day Today

I had nothing to work today so I could do anything all day long.

First I got up late this morning, and after having breakfast I went to Urawa Parco to buy a CD and DVD, because now in Tower Record they took place to an online double point campaign during the last 2 days. Looking around in the shop, I found a CD and DVD I really had wanted; "JIGSAW" by Lady Sovereign (mostly you don't know her...) and foreign drama "ALF".

Afternoon from 3 p.m. our Urawa Reds had a match against Omiya Ardija and I of course went there with my brother to watch it.

But.........

We were defeated 3-0.........Inconceivable!!<(｀^´)>

To win the game, players should run and shoot more and more. And I couldn't understand why they never use the side spaces. Today's crushing defeat must be made the head coach Finke resign, I think. Reds have been losing themselves...omg

Renew My Blog

Hello, all the vewers.
I used to make a blog on this "Blogger", but this time I renewed one. If you have some time and a little effort to build up your English ability more, please read my blog and comment me! Or to make your own blog (of course not in Japanese) is also a good idea. I hope you'll enjoy using this blog.


Now I introduce one serious incident in my house. My brother caught new swine flu on last Sunday. In addition, unfortunately, I'm in danger of contagion because I spent all that day with him at home. How could I be inevitable to get disease?? I have no fever in these days since that virus got my brother to be struk down. Never forget to wash my hands and gargle, and I'd better take much vitamin C to build my immunity.

Watch out around you!!