WRITING

Since I was little, I have touched English. My mother taught English to children, so there were many foreign friends of hers and they talked to baby me in English. I started to study English when I was elementary school student, which was earlier than my friends. For these reasons, I did not have any resistance to study Engｌish deeply, and I really wanted to know about it much more. I had good opportunities to study English in both junior high school and high school. Especially, in my high school, English education is encouraged. I was taught native English and I could feel that my English skil was improved. I had a little pride of my English.

However, when I took classes in Sophia University, I noticed that my English level is very low. When I took writing class of Professor Leyda for the first time, I felt much uneasiness because I could not understand what she said. "Why am I in this class? Can I get along this class for a year?" I was about to cry. And I also suffered homework. In fact, I had no experience of writing long works such as an essay. I had written only something like a diary about my summer vacation. Writing a 600 words blog was hard work for me at first. All my friends attending this writing class have very good skills of writing, so I felt inferior to them. Even now, the posts on my blog are like diaries about my summer vacations. But I feel less pain to write 600 words than before. When I write about my favorite things, for example, dance, my friends, my family, and so on, I had many things I wanted to write, so I even felt 600 words were little for me! I came to enjoy writing posts. I think by writing casually about my favorite topics, my writing are improved a little. At least, I came to like to write in English.

The biggest problem of mine in English was writing an essay. I did not know and hear MLA style and I had no knowledge on writing it. I did not know what should I do firstly in writing an essay. What is the most difficult for me is a word "academic." I can feel free when I write a blog post, but I have to follow academic style of writing when I write an essay. Maybe my first essay in this class was terrible. When it was returned by Professor Leyda, many comments by her on it. In this class, I could learn about how to write little by little. The lectures were understandable for students who have no knowledge about writing like me. I had an opportunity to write a term paper in 1000 words at other class. It was very very hard work, but if I had not attended this writing class, it would have been much harder. I already know academic form because I learned in this writing class. To my joy, score of the term paper was not bad! I was grad! I'm not good at writing an essay and a paper even now, I wonder if my skills became a little better.

Now, I have a thing that I want to get in writing. This is a sense of putting a title. On the term paper, I got a comment on the title. I always have difficulty in putting a title on my work. A title should convey the contents of the paper, but it should not be long, so I have to make a title which expresses exactly and briefly. It is difficult for me. Being able to put a good title is one of my aims next semester.

My writing skill is still bad, but maybe it became better than before. Thank you, Professor Leyda!

THINGS I LOVE

I like the time when I’m talking about my favorite things. Do you know a song “My Favorite Thing”? This song appears in a musical movie “The Sound of Music”. This is televised before I was born, and I really like it. In this movie, when children are afraid of thunder, a woman as a main character, Maria lists her favorite things with melody. For example, “raindrops on roses,” “cream-colored ponies,” “snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes,” and so on. And there are following lyrics.

When the dog bites,

When the bee stings,

When I'm feeling sad,

I simply remember my favorite things,

And then I don't feel so bad.

I have the same feeling as these lyrics. My face when I’m talking about my favorite things is best, I think!

Firstly, I like to learn foreign languages. In fact, I don’t like “study” something, so I don’t like “study” foreign languages. However, I’m interested in them, so I want to know them. I chose Spanish as my second foreign language. The reason I chose it is that I have Spanish friends. They have been kind to me and my family and made a lot of Spanish food. With them, I have known some Spanish culture, so I chose it. I study it in class so sometimes I don’t like it. lol And I know some Korean words because my friends can speak Korean. I also know only a few French words. I was taught by a friend who is in the department of French and by a friend who have returned from France. I like to know this way to know foreign languages. I also teach them Spanish words I know!

Secondly, I’ll talk about my favorite food. I have almost no food I dislike. I eat everything! I especially like cheesecakes! Why is this so yummy? It has unbelievable taste! There are some kinds of cheesecakes in the world. My best is baked cheesecakes. I sometimes make it. Not only cheesecakes, I like whole sweets. I started part time job at a Hawaiian restaurant last month as an opening staff. This restaurant is famous for pancakes. Whipped cream like a tower (about 15cm high!) on five pancakes with fruits and macadamia nuts. I ate it a little, and it was really good! Please go to the restaurant and try one! Like a Hawaiian food, I also like foreign food, for example, Chinese, Spanish, Korean, and of course I love Japanese food too! I think Japanese food is great and popular because it is healthy and delicious. We Japanese should be proud of our country’s food.

Next my favorite thing is colors. I like pink and purple. Colors I like are not vivid pink and purple but light and pale ones. These are called pastel colors. Small shelves in my room have pink and purple colors and a television on these shelves also is pink and purple. Curtains and my computer are pink, and some items decorating my room are purple. Now nails of my feet are painted with pink and purple manicure. People may think pink and purple are flamboyant and may have an image that people who with these colors are strong-willed. In fact I think like that if these colors are vivid. However, pastel colors express gentle and girly image I think. Maybe it is only me that talks about pink and purple enthusiastically! haha

If you feel afraid, lonely, sad, and angry, try thinking about your favorite things. You will be happy like the children in the Sound of Music!

MY BEST BUDDIES

July 8, 2012 - It became one of the most memorial days for me. At that day, G-splash, which is the dance circle I belong to, had an event called “G-event.” I made a group with my friends and practiced for this event. The members are composed of Go-chan, Kenta, Yusuke, Yo, Yoko, Maharu, Saori, Minami, and me. I talked about them a little on my last post and Maharu already wrote the details of them so please check this.

First, I’ll begin with talking about the development of making our team. A senior of us had a dance lesson on a holiday to us. The students of this lesson were only five or so. But her lesson became popular among us and the number of students had gradually increased. The senior talked us about G-event, and gave us a chance to make a team and show our dance. We made a team with nine of the students, and named our team “AQUO.” We practiced much with the senior and other two seniors. They teach us politely and merrily at every lesson. As we had practiced, we gradually became close. Honestly, I was not good at talking with boys so I wasn’t comfortable with them at first. But they are so kind and funny that I came to like the time with them. The girls were the very ones I love. They are not only cute but crazy. When I was with them, I’m always laughing. They make me crazy too! These boys and girls became my teammates.

 Next topic is the practice days. At first, we practiced from the basis with the seniors of us every Saturday. One day, the seniors asked us if there is anyone who wants to choreograph. I wanted to, so I stood as a choreographer and they told me to make a little part. Go-chan also did. Most of all are choreographed by the seniors. I had made some choreographed since I was a high school student. Making choreography was hard for me when I did for the first time, and sometimes I feel afraid of if my choreography is loved by friends still now. I had such a feeling too when I show my choreography to members of AQUO. Is this not cool? Doesn’t this fit to the music? How do they think of this? I felt uneasy! But some said to me “I like your choreography.” I was so grad and felt relieved. They asked me about my choreography and I was happy when such time. Go-chan’s choreography was so cool. I like his! The senior’s was so great that I was surprised. I want to be able to make like theirs. We came to practice every day even without the seniors. The everyday practice is not easy, but I didn’t feel pain because of the members. We had lunch together some times. My friends (not AQUO) often told me they envied me because we are so close. It was my pride that we are close and each the members have desire for self-improvement. We made T-shirts as our costume and we became one much more!

 On July 8, finally we showed our dance. When I stand on the stage, many shouts of audiences came to my ears. During our show, shouts didn’t stop. I also heard my name shouted. My feeling was supreme while I was on the stage. I really love dance on a stage in front of audiences nevertheless I’m seen as quiet and shy. This time was especially fun because of lovely AQUO members. I can’t express a lot of thanks of mine for the seniors and my members. Thank you and I love you!

CHALLENGE

I like challenging. It is since I was a child. I think it is my family’s influence.They always challenge, and sometimes get successes. I have learned dance sinceI was 6, and I challenged by taking some dance auditions. I’ll talk about the biggest one of them.

Do you know "a-nation"? It is very big music festival in japan. It is held every summer at some stadiums in Japan. Many famous and popular singers appear, so a lot of people come to see and the tickets are quickly sold out. They give amateur dancers chance to dance at the opening of this festival. The dancers who dance there are called “act dancers.” Many people can be act dancers at one time, but applicants are much over passed ones every year. I took the audition when I was 11 for the first time. We were taught long choreograph by choreographers in only 30 minutes. They taught us politely, but there were so many applicants, not only kids, rather most were adults, so I could not see the choreographer teaching in front of us. We were given an hour to practice, and then showed the dance in front of judges in order. I really got tense, and I could not dance well. I progressed till the final stage, but I was not chosen as a member ofact dancers that year. I was really vexed.

Next year, when I was 12, I challenged the audition again. This time, I took more actively. I kept forward of the applicants when we were taught choreograph.When I was showing my dance, I kept smiling and looking at the judges. When the staff called my number as one of passed applicants, I was surprised and so glad. My two elder brothers also passed. I was an elementary student, so I was chosen as a kid dancer. Actually, kid dancers are more highly competitive than adult dancers because they select only about 20 kids while about over 50 adults. The kid dancers are all elementary students, so we became befriend soon. They dance very well and powerfully, and I was stimulated by their dance. I practiced every day and sometimes my brothers gave me advices. I was really looking forward to the time we show my dance at the stage in the stadium in front of a lot of people.

At the morning of the day we show the dance, I had my hair arranged by my mother. I did not get tense even behind the stage. I was just exited. The music was played in big volume and I run to the stage. I saw much more people than I had expected in front of us. They jumped with our dance. I felt much exciting I cannot experience anymore! It was like a dream! The time finished like a storm. However, the producers gave another surprising present. We could dance with a famous and popular singers group! The time they sing is the last but one, so people got more excited. They waved penlights with the singers and we also waved our hands. I felt as if I had controlled them because they behaved in the same way as me. The time was night, so the view from the stage was so beautiful. I cannot forget it.

I experienced great thing. I was also grad to dance with my brothers on the same stage. I think challenging is more important than you think. Sometimes you may feel repentance if you challenged and failed, but it is also good experience. I’ll continue to challenge actively!!!