FRIENDS

　I have many friends, not only in Japan, but also in Canada, America, Brazil and so on. All my friends are kind to me. Today, I’ll introduce my friends in my high school.

 I have three best friends in my high school days. They are Shoko, Reiko, and Galiah. We belonged to the same dance club. Although we belonged to different classes, we were always together. Shoko is a funny girl. I am always laughing when I talk with her. I like not only her humor, but also I like her fashion. She dresses well. She is my model of how to wear well. Actually, I didn’t like her at first, but now, we are so close that I told her it. Reiko is cute and she has a good figure. However, she likes to make funny face. It is unbelievable face! And she eats so much. I can’t understand why she keeps her good figure. I am envious! Galiah’s real name is Ayaka. Though she is a pure Japanese, she looks like a Bulgarian, so she is called Galiah. I don’t know why its spell is “Galiah.” I think she is a perfect girl. She is beautiful, kind, and wise. She was like a Madonna in my high school. 

These three girls are my best friends. Once we start to talk, no one can stop us. When I am tired or sad, I talk with them on a chat, and I come to feel good. They are my vitamin! Last month, we went to Tokyo Disney Land wearing school uniform. I had wanted to do so for long time. It was so exciting! We go to different universities, so we don’t have much time to see. But we are best friends forever!

I have also friends eating Korean foods, and listening to and talking about Korean music together. The members include Shoko and Reiko. The members are Shoko, Reiko, Yasuko, Nagashigi, Yurina, Chika, and Ayaka (She is not Galiah, but another Ayaka). We like K-pop, and we copy dances of K-pop. We went to Korea for sightseeing two months ago. It was my first trip abroad with my friends. It was so wonderful trip! We had good Korean foods and talked with people in Korea. Before we arrived at Korea, I had uneasiness, but I enjoyed so much in Korea thanks to my friends. Someday, I want to go back to Korea again! We gather about once a month now. I can’t wait for next meeting them. 

　
　I also made friends in Sophia University. Because my friends in high school are not in Sophia University, I worried about making friends. However, all in Sophia University is so nice. They are friendly, so they talk to me. It is good for me because I am a little shy. Especially, I got good friends in the department of English literature, and dance circle G-splash. Though only about a month has passed since we met for the first time, we talk about various things together. I am really happy to be a student of Sophia University. And, I am also happy to communicate in English. Yesterday, I visited my teacher of speaking class, Professor Richard Wilson’s house to listen to his Bible talk. He has two daughters, and there was his American friend. They talked with me in English. I was so nervous at first, but gradually I came to be relaxed and I found it fun. I really enjoyed there. I want more friends talking together in English, and I want to sophisticate my English skills. 

MY HOMETOWN

I have lived in a small town since I was born. The town is Samukawa town. It is not famous, but I think it is a nice town. I’ll introduce it today.

Samukawa town is a center part of Kanagawa prefecture. It has a population of about 47,450. In Japan, every town and city has its symbols. Samukawa town has trees, flowers, and birds of the town. Trees of it are fragrant olives, flowers are narcissuses, and birds are great white egret. I have seen a great white egret once. It was really great and beautiful. Samukawa town is relatively country. There are large fields and rice fields around my house, so there are many frogs and bugs. By the way, I hate them! At the time of every rainy season, frogs are even on a door of my house. I can’t enter my house! At such time, I open the door softly not so as to be noticed by them, and enter my house quickly. It is hard work.

Samukawa town is famous for Samukawa shrine. The time of its erection is unknown, but it is said to be built in 725 or 765. It is the only shrine which deifies gods of Happoyoke in Japan. Happoyoke is a prayer against various disasters come from geographical features, aspects of a house, points of compasses, and so on. There are many plants in the precincts of the shrine. We can enjoy Japanese four seasons there. After a coming of a new year, there are many stalls there every year. During three days of every new year, January 1, 2, and 3, a total of 400,000 people visit it to prey fortunes of a new year. Recently, from January 1 to February 3, a Nebuta is decorated on a gate of it. A Nebuta is a decoration of animals in Chinese astrology of the year. In Japan, animals of this year are dragons. The Nebuta is illuminated during the period. It is so beautiful.

This shrine is famous for Yabusame. Do you know it? It is a Japanese traditional training and ceremony. It started in the 9th century. It is done to pray for peace and a bumper harvest in autumn. A man on a running horse aims three arrows one after another at three targets. When the arrows hit the targets, confetti dances in the air. Many people visit to watch it.

In order to write this post, I searched the Internet for Samukawa shrine. When searching, I got interesting information. I heard that it is said to be a shrine of prayer of audience ratings and many people in TV stations visit before starting a new program. I didn’t know it. It is funny!

I have many memories in my hometown. I went an elementary school and a junior high school in Samukawa town, so I have many friends there. Because I and most of my friends went a high school out of Samukawa town, we don’t have much time to see, but I have dinner with my friends in a brass band club in my junior high school  about once in a year. Though my high school is in Yokohama, my high school friends visited my house many times. For them, such country as Samukawa town is interesting. Samukawa town don’t have shops we can go shopping, so I feel that it is inconvenient. But there are many plants and parks. The biggest reason I love Samukawa town is that people there are so kind. When I see them, they greet me even if they don’t know me. Especially, my neighbors are so kind to my family. We share foods and plants each other, and they care us. I appreciate them. I want to live in Samukawa town forever!

ABOUT ME

 It’s my first post. I’ll introduce myself today.

 First, I’ll write about myself. I was born on July 17. My name Natsume means jujubes. It was named by my brother. I like my name because it’s not common. My favorite thing is hedgehogs. I want to have one someday. Do you know they have so cute faces? When I saw them for the first time in a zoo, I fell in love with them. I also like rabbits, puppies, hamsters, and little animals. By the way, we have two turtles in the house, but they grew up and became big, so I’m afraid to touch them. 

And, I love dance so much. I started ballet when I was four, and I started hiphop dance when I was about seven. I don’t dance ballet now, but I continue hiphop, and I’m challenging some kinds of dance. I joined a dance club when I was a high school student. I made many many good and unforgettable memories. I made a lot of friends, and I enjoyed dancing with them. I am always with members of the club. We got a prize at a dance contest in winter last year. We cried out with joy. I love them so much!  I’m going to join G-splash, a big dance club in Sophia University. I want my friends to watch my dance, so I have to practice hard. 

Second, I’ll tell you about my treasure. It’s my family. I have a father, a mother, and two older brothers. My father is so gentle, and my mother is so cheerful. They’re my ideal husband and wife. My brothers are both dancers. One brother Kazuma is 10 years older, and the other Kazuki is 7 years older than me. I’m happy to be a member of this family!  

My another treasure is my cute niece. Kazuma has a wife and a daughter, so I have a sister in law and a niece. I’m already aunt! She is two years and six months old. Her name is Ricca. She likes dancing, singing, and making funny face. She always makes me laugh. I think she is so clever because she can talk with me and other adult very well. She started to talk earlier than average. She can also remember songs, dances, and lines of TV dramas and TV commercial. She must be a genius! Do I think that because she is my lovely niece? 

I’m a Sophia University student now. It was one of my dreams. My dream came true! I want to be able to speak English fluently, and I want to go abroad to study English. Two years ago, I stayed with a family in Canada for two weeks with my friend. It was an event of my high school. My host’s name is Amanda. She has a father, a mother, a younger brother, and two dogs. Her father is so funny, and her mother is beautiful. Her brother Devan is naughty and cute. Amanda is charming. She loves shopping, and she took us to a big shopping mall every day. The last day, my host mother made us chocolate cookies. She remembered that I said to her, “I love your cookies!” I was so happy. Only two weeks, but it was great experience for me. Since then, I have wanted to have good English skills. I’m going to study English hard in Sophia University, and to go to Canada to visit my host family again. And, there is one more person I want to see again. I took a dance lesson in L.A. when I was 15. I talked with the dance instructor in my poor English. I couldn’t understand his English, but it was so fun. I think if I could have spoken English well, it had been more fun. It’s nice to see you him again and to talk with him. I also want to take his lesson again.

 I have many “want” and dreams. I’m happy if I can find ways to realize these dreams in Sophia University. I have uneasiness but I’m so excited.