Picture 1

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

Please explain in your next post about what is happening in a photo, and what were the causes that created this effect. If you can only write a small amount on one photo, choose two or three.

Resolutions

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


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

How about you? Do you have any regrets about 2011? What would you like to change for 2012?

Something new

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

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

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

Foreign places

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

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

Yoyogi

Last weekend I went to Tokyo for a teacher's conference. There were many interesting talks about teaching ideas etc, and I caught up with several people I've worked with before at other universities (+ Paul from KGU, and his wife). It was good to see everyone after a long time. On Saturday night some of us went out in Shinjuku, and ended up at a karaoke place. It's a long time since I last went to karaoke, as I'm a fairly poor singer. My throat was sore on Sunday, but it was fun. When was the last time you visited Tokyo?

The conference was held at the old Olympic venue in Yoyogi. I didn't have time to walk around much this time, although when I used to live in Tokyo I'd sometimes see sights like this in Yoyogi Park. What do you think of this fashion? I can't explain it or imagine what they are thinking when they wear these clothes. Do you have any idea?

Autumn

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

Do you have any plans to go and check out the autumn leaves? I'm going to for a walk with my family on the 26th, although I expect next weekend (the 19th and 20th) to be the best time (I have to go to Tokyo for a teacher's conference). If you want to see some good autumn scenes, one of my favorite places is Tofuku-ji temple in Kyoto. I'd recommend you see it sometime. This photo is one of the most famous views. Have you been there?

J-universities

Academics, both Japanese and foreign, often complain about the overall standard of Japanese universities. They describe the situation as one where students are not motivated to study because they know that future employers will judge them by the name of the university they graduate from, not the grades they get.

For a long time there has been an acceptance in Japan that university is a time for students to relax after "exam hell", and that everyone will graduate regardless of how much study they do, or how poor their results.

One foreign professor recently suggested that students who perform badly should fail/ not be allowed to graduate (the same as everywhere else in the world).
What do you think of this idea? How do you feel about the Japanese university system as it is now?

Scary stories

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

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

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

My favorite season

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

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

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

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

How about you?  What is your favorite season, and why?  Give at least three reasons, and explain them (maybe with examples).

Research essay schedule

This is the plan for how I expect the semester to work out. There may be small adjustments along the way, if necessary.

Print out all Internet sources you use, make photocopies of relevant pages from books you use, and keep all your notes together. They must be submitted with your first draft.

Essay outline due:10/31 (or bring to my office at lunch time or Period 3 on 11/7)
First draft (including sources and notes) due: 11/21
Second draft due: 12/12 (700 words)
Short oral presentation to the class about your topic: 12/19 (speak for 5-6 minutes)

Essay: 40% Presentation: 10% (Total 50%)

My favorite subject

My favorite subject at elementary and high school was history. For example, I was fascinated to hear of the journeys of discovery made by explorers many hundreds of years ago. In the 1400s people still believed the world was flat, so that if you sailed far enough you would sail over the edge (and die). There were also stories about horrible giant creatures that lived under the sea and could destroy ships. Sailing through storms in the small ships of those days was extremely dangerous as well. However, some European men were determined to face any risks in order to find a sea route to India. Do you know why (it would be a good research question)?

Vasco da Gama, of Portugal, was the first to achieve this in 1497. It was the dawning of an era of massive changes. I like history because it explains why the world is the way it is today. As the saying goes, "Those who don't know about the mistakes of history are bound to repeat them".

Anyway, what was your favourite subject at high school, and why? Try to give examples.

Summer

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

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

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

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

Summer Vacation

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

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

Differences of Opinion

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

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

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

(Story 1) A Strange Dream

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

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

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

(Story 2) Not a Normal Zoo Day

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

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

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

(Story 3) My First Sailing Trip Ever

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

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

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

These Days

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

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

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

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

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

Next Essay

You are in groups for the planning stage. Just to be sure you understand what to do, here is the "plan" again:

1. Group members should agree on their opinion about their topic, and what you what to say (this will become the thesis statement). After you've decided a thesis statement, work together to think of good ideas for the hook, the 3 main ideas for paragraphs (including topic sentences), and an idea for the counter argument and refutation. In other words, you make an essay outline together.

2. After making the outline, students have to write the rest of the essay themselves. No essays should be exactly the same!!

3. You need to find material on the Internet that supports your ideas. Group members can share useful information, websites etc with each other as they find them.

Pace of Life

In your OC class you have recently seen (or will soon see) a lecture about the pace of life. Japan is classed as a country which generally has a fast pace of life. Many people here often have to be in a hurry, and have many commitments (things they have to do). How do you feel about the pace of your life now? Do you feel too busy, or just about right?

Depending on the type of work, many people with jobs may feel their lives are busier than those of students. That may sound scary, but luckily humans are very adaptable (we can change ourselves to fit in with our situation). What kind of lifestyle do you think will suit you after you graduate from university?

No matter how adaptable we are, everyone feels stress sometimes. What do you do to relax if you feel stressed? Write about it, in detail, please.

Golden Week

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

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

Death penalty

Although I can understand the feelings of a family who, for example, have suffered the murder of a child, I'm not in favour of the death penalty. First of all, there have been many cases of innocent people being executed by mistake. Many years after the execution, the real criminal was found. There is a moral issue as well. If we are in favour of killing people, even if they are criminals, doesn't that make us killers too? Also, the legal system allows many appeals for re-trial by the criminal, so the death penalty is more expensive for tax payers than life imprisonment (in the U.S., at least).

What I like about Japan

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

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