Computer crap? Not me...VIDEO-tastic!!!

Back on June 8th I posted a blog "I like it". I said I'd try to figure out how to whack video of the lesson up... Well, consider it done! Go have a look and please post a comment telling me how clever I am/what a cool, fun lesson we all had etc?!

Falling Leaves

It's really heartwarming tale of love I think.
I remind that we become independent by going through great tribulation. And the many Japanese people(including me) who has never known serious trouble should go thorugh the tribulation.

From the last sentence "Life had come full circle. Falling leaves return to their roots" , I think the dead may be not the end of all.

As an aside, I think the cover-page illustration should be changed, because the illustation is associated with horror story.　(The illustration has a little girl without her foot)

Jun

It's a girl!

Just a very quick post to announce the birth of Eleanor Christine George, on Saturday August 25th (exactly on schedule - very much in character with Yukari!). Mother & daughter are doing very well after a long labour (47 hours!), and I am looking forward to boring everyone to death with photos soon. I am a very, very proud father and you'll have to forgive me if lessons this week are a bit unplanned; not had a lot of sleep!

PIRATES OF CARIBBEAN - homework

(Q29)
Would you like to be a pirate?
What is good about a pirate's life and what is bad?
Write about it.

Good: The life is free.
The life is adventurous.
Bad: The life is dangerous.
They need to became strong man and they need to fight.
They almoust live on ship.

APOLLO 13

(Q13)
You work for a newspaper. Write a story about Apollo 13. Why didn't astronauts walk on the Moon? How did they get home?

It was Saturday,April the 11th in 1970. Apollo 13 was launched to the Moon with 3 astronauts. But serious problem happened. Oxygen got out to the space. 3 astronauts and many staffs in the control center on the Earth thought, thought and thought. They had to change the plane that to walk on the Moon. They solved some accidents, and lastly, 3 astronauts could return back to the Earth.

Sandwiches - homework!

A Tuesday morning class to discuss sandwich making? Are you sure, Jim?! Well, actually yes. Point being to practice writing instructions of a step by step process; so this morning we shared our favourite sandwich recipes & remembered our countable/uncountable nouns as well. A couple of other things came to light as well, such as not putting a whole pig in sarny - just a chop is plenty! Gentlemen (and ladies too!), your sangers as 'comments' please!

Big Hand Bon Bon

Bon Bon 2007 was a blast; I really hope our "Big Hands" had as much of an impact on the crowd as they did on my arm/shoulder - feel like I played tennis all night! Anybody else sore??

We started off by the back of Parco, looking a bit sheepish & unsure....but that changed as soon as the music started! Eri's buddies jumped into the lead rank and stayed there pretty much for the rest of the evening, giving everyone else something resembling the Bon Bon dance to follow. Thanks guys!

As with every year we had a very young bunch of dancers, who had a blast being the stars of the show. Kayo-chan's niece once again showed us her moves, and again we were stranded for about an hour without moving - this time half-way down Eki Mai dori. Well done all our little ones for staying the pace.

Around about this time one over zealous staff member tried to tell us off for having too much fun & interacting with other groups! As if?! Never heard anything so ridiculous - not allowed to have fun at a matsuri. Anyway, I think she understood English because she didn't come back to bother us ;)...guess she didn't see me getting a bear hug from the Yamaga FC gorrilla

Last year we picked up a Chinese group, this year some home-stayers from the US, here with my old friend Mark Gribsco. Also a few other folks I didn't know, but presumably British, as they didn't mind putting on the Union Jack bandanas. Late arrivals Kouichi, Mark & family, Tsuchida-san padded our ranks welcomely as some tired ones toddled home.

Thanks this year to my parents-in-law for pushing us around - manning the drinks - and to Alex & Martin, Liza, Owen, Michelle for genki-ing up the crew. Big thank you to Maki guarding us, her baptism of fire as we tried to manage without Yuki-chan for the first time since we started joining Bon Bon about 10 years ago (of course she still organised everything!).

And of course a very big thank you to all who danced with us, or came along to cheer us through the streets. Take a moment to share your photos please at Lunasafamily@groups.msn.com and remember to book early next year for "Bambino Bon"!

DR STRANGELOVE

I’m sorry for my late reply, but please find my writing homework as follows. I still couldn’t understand why the author chooses “DR STRANGELOVE” as a title.

(Q23)
What do you think is the main message of the book? Do you think it is still important today?

I think what the book wants to say is “don’t rely on the machine too much”, because there is no prefect machine. In the end, our real(not prefect) human are making and using the Machine.
I also think that the message is more important today, because we can do everything by PC and internet. E.g. shopping, cashing drawer, dealings on the stock exchange and etc
The cyber terrorist may be able to control the computer at Pentagon (United States Department of Defense) by hacking.
Finally, I think that “the Doomsday IT” is more appropriate than “the Doomsday Machine” in these modern days.

APOLLO 13 (2)

Hi,Everybody!

I'm going to write about APOLLO 13, which was I read long time ago.
[13]You work for a newspaper. Write a story about Apollo 13. Why didn't the astronauts walk o n the Moon? How did they get home?

APOLLO 13 COME BACK THE EARTH WITH IT'S CREW !

Apollo 13 had an accident through the Moon. The control ship had got an engine trouble. The astronauts, who got on Apollo 13 wouldn't go to the Moon. But Apollo 13 was on the way to the Moon. The Moon landing ship had saved them. They used it for a main rocket. It went about the Moon and round the Moon. They could be back to the Earth.

Airport time

Jim sensei twisting my internet arm to contribute to a bolg...glog...grog..oh yeah! a blog. First time blogger (really) long time friend of Jim. Missing Matsumoto as it was the very best place to live in Japan. Lucky to have had a chance to visit last October and do the onsen tour with your blogger host. Many baths and many beers later...on the train back to Tokyo and a long flight home.

Inside yet another airport today (Tampa, Florida) and trying out blogging for the first time. Will contribute photo if I ever join the 21st century and buy a digital camera. Actually got a new cell phone with camera, but haven't tried the darn thing yet. Don't camera phones steal your soul when they take your picture?

Florida is a beautiful place if you've never been and even if you have. Trying to find a job and move down here. If any of you have Florida contacts, please let me know. If you are Chicago-bound, let me know that too. Time to catch my flight!

The Client

In the middle of the story when Mark met Reggie Love first, he was nervous and he wasn’t ready to talk with her. Reggie said, ”First you have to pay me something.” She took a dollar from him then said, “Okay, now I’m the lawyer and you’re the client. Let’s hear the story.” I like this scene. I feel her considerable experience and tender thought. I like the last scene too. Mark didn’t know that he would never see Reggie again before he asked her “Aren’t you coming Reggie?” Then for once, Mark who is with sound mind was not ashamed to cry in public. Reggie’s last word was “Thank Mark”. This must be an average last scene but that’s what I like.

The Borrowers

Hi Jim sensei,
This is our homework which we were told to write here.
I’ve waited until someone writes first, because I’m too shy to write it.
But at last, I’ll write it so that volcano Jim wouldn’t erupt. :-p

Write about the book for a friend. Tell the story. What did you like about it? What did you not like?

This book is a story of adventure of some small people called “Borrowers”.
Borrowers are very small people living in human being's houses secretly, who often borrows something from the house, but they are very innocent people.
One day, a human being family Lenders, who were living in nice old house, came to have to move to another house because of a plot of a lawyer Mr. Potter.
Arrietty Clock, who was one of Borrowers living in Lender’s house, found that plot and fought against Mr. Potter together with other many Borrowers. Finally, they won and exposed that plot.

It’s happy end.
It’s interesting. I feel glad because bad man was caught.
One strange point,
I couldn't understand why the borrower’s car is faster than human being’s, even though they have special road under the ground.