Dhaka - postcard from Bangladesh

Dir Jim,

How are you? I'm in Dhaka, Bangladesh. I came here on Monday morning 1:00am and I 'm going to leave tonight, Tuesday 11:00 pm to go to Jakarta, Indonesia. Can you believe that? I have no time to take photos.

See you next week.
Best wishes, Koa

Toronto - postcard from Yuji

I'm in Toronto, Canada. This is first time to visit Canada. Weather is good. My job will start now. I want to enjoy Toronto. By the way, from Matsumoto it is very far! I was exhausted. See you next class.

Yuji T from Canada

Sense and Sensibility

I took long to read and do exercise of this book. This story was a little bit difficult for me. Many persons turn up in the story and it is inconstant lover’s story. I don’t like that kind of story and I’m unaccustomed to it. I prefer Elinor with sense rather than Marianne with sensibility. However, please cross between Elinor and Marianne realistically.
Ikaros,

Meet Me in Istanbul

After Reading 5-(a)Write a postcard from Tom to a friend in England.

--------------------

Dear my friend.

I arrived at Istanbul just now. It had a long time journey from London. I was little tired. I'm waiting my fiancee at the bar. Maybe she'll come soon. From here, I can see beautiful blue sea and a lot of big ships. I'll enjoy this journey. When I return back to London, I'll tell you more details about Istanbul.

See you. Tom

Touching the void

Good evening. I drank German beer today. It was good.

7a) Write a letter to Joe’s parents explaining what happened and why you cut the rope.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Simpson,

I was Simon. I had climbed Siula Grande with Joe.
I’m very sorry, I killed Joe when we were getting down the Siula Grande.
We were exhausted and Joe had injured his leg.
To survive, I had cut the rope which tied us each other.
I am going to do my best to pay for the crime for your son.
Once again, I am so sorry for what I have done.

Simon

7b)
Q1) Did Simon make the right decision to cut the rope?
A1) Yes he did. If he didn’t do so, they would be dead.
Q2) Would you have done the same?
A2) No l wouldn’t. I would select to die together.
Q3) If you were Joe, would you forgive Simon?
A3) Of course, I would forgive him.

Yoichi

Oral Examiner training - September

Teachers in Tohoku
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4534 (YLE) 13/9/09

Teachers in Hokkaido/northern Japan
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4531 (KET) 18/9/09
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4532 (PET) 19/9/09
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/4533 (YLE) 19/9/09

Event cancelled

Urgent news for anyone intending to join tomorrow's workshop at Luna (Early Learning/Language Acquisition).

This event has been cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control.

Love Actually

My favorite scene was that Sam, Daniel’s son was kissed by Joanna at the airport. It was one of heartwarming scene. I like the scene that at the end of the Christmas concert, the curtain opened to show a painted Christmas scene, the Prime Minister and Natalie were found by all of the people at the school at the end of Chapter 8. It was very funny.

39 Which of these couples do you think have the best chance of staying together happily? Give reasons for your opinion.

I think Jamie and Aurelia have the best chance of staying together happily. Because I think Jamie is a good character and maybe Aurelia is, too. The first part of this book, Jamie was shocked by his fiancée and his brother. He didn't recognize that her fiancée and his brother were in love before Jamie and Katya's wedding. I think he is too good nature. After that, Jamie left for his farmhouse in France and met Aurelia. When Jamie's paper was flown by winds and they dived into a lake to get them, though Jamie said that she didn't need to get his papers. I think the event shows that Aurelia is good character. After diving Aurelia, Jamie did, too. He is also good character, I guess.

At first, they didn't understand each language because Jamie couldn't speak Portuguese and Aurelia couldn't speak English. But the last part of this book, Jamie learned Portuguese and Aurelia learned English. They have strong will to understand another word. So I believe it is not difficult to understand each other by their language difference.

I like Jamie's action that he went to Aurelia's house to meet her parents and made a marriage proposal. That scene was very funny.

The Age of Innocence

This is housewives story in 1870s in New York society. People believe that men have free of love and women have to keep her faithful before mariage. I think the worst person in this story is Newland. If he broke his engagement when he was in love with Ellen, everyone would be happier than the end of this story. Although May had children and lived as she expected, she would have been felt lonely whenever she was with her husband. I think the most important thing for love is to be honest for their own feeling.

posted for Tomoko

Ghost Stories

This book consists of six horror stories. These stories don't make me feel frightened or shocked during reading, but when I went back to my home in the night, darkness reminded me of these stories and made me scared, espacialy Smee.

posted for Tomoko

Naomi's flying colours

Big congratulations to Naomi, who took the time to take her Cambridge ESOL PET exam in Tokyo back in June. It was a long way to go, but worked out very worthwhile as she passed first time!

We are are all very pleased for her, as she is also doing fab work with our pre-school children. Naomi's warm, gentle touch has helped all our very small ones get used to a new environment without mummy; they are becoming self-reliant to brush teeth, wash hands, and have lunch together - and lots of other little things that mark a child's very early development. As for the English the children are picking, I am staggered by the amount they are picking up and retaining.

As it is Naomi's birthday tomorrow, the children have been secretly practicing the Happy Birthday song - and we had a real reason to do it today as well, because Hina is two. A busy singing week for all! Congratulations Hinata today (hope you get lots of cool pressies!) and Naomi tomorrow.

xxx from all of us

Love Actually

My favorite scene was that Sam Daniel’s son was kissed by Joanna at the airport. It was one of heartwarming scene. I also like the scene that at the end of the Christmas concert, the curtain opened to show a painted Christmas scene, the Prime Minister and Natalie were found by all of the people at the school at the end of Chapter 8. It was very funny.

39 Which of these couples do you think have the best chance of staying together happily? Give reasons for your opinion.

I think Jamie and Aurelia have the best chance of staying together happily. Because I think Jamie is a good character and maybe Aurelia is, too. The first part of this book, Jamie was shocked by his fiancée and his brother. He didn't recognize that her fiancée and his brother were in love before Jamie and Katya's wedding. I think he is too good nature. After that, Jamie left for his farmhouse in France and met Aurelia. When Jamie's paper was flown by winds and they dived into a lake to get them, though Jamie said that she didn't need to get his papers. I think the event shows that Aurelia is good character. After diving Aurelia, Jamie did, too. He is also good character, I guess. At first, they didn't understand each language because Jamie couldn't speak Portuguese and Aurelia couldn't speak English. But the last part of this book, Jamie learned Portuguese and Aurelia learned English. They have strong will to understand each other. So I believe it is not difficult to understand each other by their language difference. I like Jamie's action that he went to Aurelia's house to meet her parents and made a marriage proposal. I like Aurelia's parents and her neighborbood. That scene was very funny.

Masao Kuroda

It’s an interesting and thrilling SF story. There are some contradictions, but the story is better than any other story I have ever read in this class. And also it reminded me very important point of life, which is to make decision.
As same as Max, the killer, I want to know and see another myself who made a different decision. I image whether he is happy or not. But anyway, a decision always has bilateral character, such as better and worse side. I think the most necessary point is whether one can accept worse staff accompanied by decision. In other word, before important decision which effects strongly to future, we must consider sufficiently all possibility and opportunity as much as we can. In addition, we must prepare our mind we can accept all incidents. That's because "Hindsight is 20/20…".

The Space Invaders

This story is very legible. I enjoyed with thinking that world might exist in the corner of space. Most answers of Activities caused me to change sentences of the text from the direct speech into the indirect speech. In addition, they caused me to match the tense. This activities are optimal in the training for such purpose.
I recommend this book for a change.

The Stranger

I read The Stranger.

This book is the most interesting for 6 books I read in English class.

Dave Strain have a strage power.His power is used murder and violence. He used a photograph and a doll, a toy of plane when he did murder and violence by his storange power.

I couldn't understand how to kill by them in detail. Maybe he must image murder and violence when he had them.

I couldn't understand why Dave Strain die finally. He loved Anna but Anna knew his confidence. He told her that he can get much money by his storange power. Although she escaped him. He was angry for her. So he killed her by his storange power and he killed himself.

The Mark of Zorro

I was astonished when I read the book totally, because The Mark of Zorro was Don Diego who have appeared from the beginning in the story.

When I read the story again, I realized fact that never appeared Don Diego and Zorro at the same time.

This is interesting story.

However I have a only matter that don't understand. Why dose Don Diego became Zorro?

Don Diego's hobby? I think Did Don Diego want to become a hero.

Don Diego could get married with Lolita when unmasked Zorro in the story.

I think he want to get married, so he became a hero.

It's cool.

Hello from Tokyo

This holiday Yuya went to Tokyo to visit his family there, and he sent me a beautiful pop-up greeting card. This is what it says:

Ms. Tana
How are you?
Went to Tokyo. On the way to Tokyo we went to a funpark called Fuji Q Hiland. It was really fun.

Yuya K

Thanks Yuya! I love getting things in the post! You really made my day!!

Tana

Longitude 0 - postcard from the Prime Meridian

Hello!

I am in Brighton now.I enjoy meeting with my friend, going to the pub, food, weather, everything!!

I love England, I love Brighton. I want to stay more.

I went to Arundel Castle yesterday. It was very beautiful.

See you on Thursday. Kaoru

One Day

After Reading
Q5:Do you think the cover is good for the story? Say why/why not. Can you think another cover that would be better? Describe it or draw it.

I think the cover has good sense, but it doesn’t match for this story. The cover, which has red post in front of black wall stands out, and it give me mysterious impression. However, this story was not a mystery but a group play. I think that the following cover is suitable. “Four silhouette person are standing in the Moreland Road. All members are doing different things. There is a post at the corner of the street.”

The Phantom Airman

This story is mystery.

The four friends go to the same school. They are all member of their school's archeology. They are going to research a project for their club. The project is going to be about their town in the World War II. They meet with many accidents.

I read a literary work of Alan Frewin Jones last time. The Phantom Airman was more interesting than Unquiet Graves. However, neither was interesting for me.

Meet Me In Istanbul

Here is the answer to question #6 in the work sheet.

"Tom, Angela, Julie and Kemal go out for a meal together the day after the end of Chapter 14. Write a script (a play) of their conversation at the restaurant. "
　

Angela :I'm terribly sorry for this accident.

　

Julie :No, No. It's all my fault. I regretted that I should help Angela earlier.

　

Kemal :Don't worry, I'm so glad no harm was done.

　

Tom :I agree with Kemal. Don't worry. Everything has been sorted out. To be honest, after we captured, I had no idea what was going to happen.

　

All :(laughing)

　

Kemal :Any way, when two of you get married? Please come back here after you get married, and we will give a party!

　

Tom and Angela :Thanks so much. We will be back soon!

　

　

Jun.

One Day

After reading

8.Who is your favourite character in the story?

My favourite character is Sam.He loves his family very much.He renewed the idea when he was not helped his brother. And he decided to make money oneself. "Maybe my brother is right,I do need a job with better money.",he thought.

Naoya

Seven Stories of Mystery and Horror

This book has following seven stories of mystery and horror, written by Edgar Allan Poe.

1. THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM, a prisoner wakes up to find himself in a dark cell with a deep pit.

2. THE GOLD BUG, a golden insect leads to an incredible discovery.

3. THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF MR VALDEMAR, a patient is hypnotised minutes before he dies. Is he really died?

4. THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, a man visits an old friend and finds himself in a house full of horrors.

5. DOWN IN THE MAELSTROM, a sailor describes a terrifying trip through the maelstrom.

6. THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH, prince Prospero has a party in his castle. But no one can scape the red death-not even a prince.

7. THE OBLONG BOX, a traveller boards a ship to New York. What does he carry in the oblong box?

I felt human's death and fear from every stories, especially THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM and THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER. Only THE GOLD BUG is a story of adventure and solution of a riddle, that's why it is the most favorite one in this book.

Junji

Hotel Casanove

Maria telephones her mother in Roccella,


Hi Mam, This is Maria. Are you fine? Yes I'm fine.
I have a good news! I work at Hotel Casanova now, you know?
Yes, that big hotel. Hotel Grand? I quieted such a old and seedy hotel.
By the way, Do you remember Dino? Dino Bracco. Yes,Yes that creepy mummy's boy.
He is the owner of the Hotel Casanova. Ha Ha, That's laugh.
But now he is a rich man. Why? Actually he married a rich woman and got the hotel.
Listen mam. I decide I steal him from that woman! OK,OK no problem. It's a piece of cake.
I 'm younger and cute than that old lady. Also he seems to be disgusted at her jealousy.
So, surely he will be crazy about me with a bit of kindness and miniskirts.
Wait with anticipation. We are going to be rich!
Bye.

-Koichi-

The Canterville Ghost

I read the book "The Canterville Ghost". There are three stories in this book.

I like first story "The Canterville Ghost". This story is sad and funny.

The Canterville Chase live a man ghost. He lives in the Canterville Chase for three hundred years. One day, the Otis family came to the Canterville Chase. This family had father, mother, three sons and a daughter. This family is American and they don't believe "ghost".

The ghost killed his wife and he was strarved his wife's broters three hundred years ago. He never eat anything and has not slept for three hundred years. He is very sad and poor ghost.

The ghost has frightened everyone who came to Canterville Chase. But the Otis family didn't frighten for him. Young twins brothers tease him.

I felt this ghost made some boob, but I have an attachment for him. So, finally, the Otid family's young daughter "Virginia" helped the ghost, I was relieved.

This story is "The ghost story", but it isn't horror story. I felt little sad and funny story.

Noriko

The Great Gatsby

I can not understand that the novel is ranked 2nd in terms of "Modern Library 100 Best Novels".

　

The story depicts the ordinary aspects of the Gatsby's life and his communication with people surrounding him. Gatsby is a man who is upstart, sad, yearning for love, lonely and be killed by an undue resentment.

　

I wanted to read the novel, because I knew the novel contain a lot of luxuriant English expressions. However, I could not find any luxuriance in the book. This shows that my reading comprehension ability must be improved! High reading ability would make the story more attractive.

　

I'd like to read this novel again someday.

Emma

Dear, all.

After I red this book. I was very happy to read three couples weddings.

Emma Woodhouse is beautiful, clever and rich. She arrange marriages between her friend and neighbours in the village of Highbury. She learns about speaking unkindly to people who are not her equal. Mr.Knightley scolds her attitude. She felt angry with herself and ashamed herself.

Emma had not know how to fall in love. She makes a lot of mistakes and casuses more problems than happy marriages.

Then she almost loses her own chance of love. But she does not notice Mr.Knightley love. Finally she felt his love and get married.

This story looks like Jane Austen's　life.

by keiko.

Misaki passes KET with flying colours :)

Congratulations to Misaki who has just passed her Cambridge KET exam with flying colours. We are very very proud of you. Well done!!!!

Summer holidays!

We're all going to be having a holiday next week, so please remember to take your towel to the beach, put on the suncream, and to take an umbrella (it's pouring with rain today - the ducks in the river are having a ball!)

Hijiri and Eleanor made a go-cart out of the Lego cupboard this morning in Pre-School, and my back still hurts from pushing them around, 'again' and 'again'! Big turn out today and we had fun trying to cut things out of our colourful play dough - still plenty to go around. We think Jim enjoyed mixing the food colouring into it rather too much yesterday!

HOpe you all have a great Obon Holiday - read an English book if you've nothing else to do? Send us a postcard if you go somewhere nice - or share a picture here or on our Luna International group on Facebook?!

Dirty Money

I read this book. I thought that this book was a nonfiction novel. Joe is an excellent journalist. It from is "There is a sense of justice", "It is patient", and "There is belief to answer person's help. "　Moreover, I think that it was lucky because the person (Sandy and Ed) in surroundings of Joe is good person, too. Oppositely, Karl, Grady, and Ken are bad. After it had read a book to the end, I was refreshing. I think that this is near the real world. I thought that it was a nonfiction novel because there was an event that looked like the news of every day.

Let me Out

I read this book. I thought that this book was a horror novel. John is a very excellent inventor. However, he thinks that he did one mistake. It's because feelings are given to Nolan. It's thought that that finally caused the tragedy to John and Sam. The same world as this book will actually become it in the future. However, I think that I can't expertly order it because I feel horror in "Nolan". Because the robot with feelings closes to human beings ･･･

Days of the week

A couple of my boys getting into learning their days of the week; if they get stuck in future, they might be able to remind themselves with some chanting/clapping. Weirdly, a lot of students find the clapping part the difficult bit. Why is that? And how come girls learn some amazing clap-chants? It' a genuine mystery to me! Key to this for me is that students keep the beat/don't lengthen syllables; sadly the American CD drops the hard /t/ sound in Saturday (so they get Tuesday & Thursday sounding too much alike) Anyway, well done Yu-kun & "B"Atsuya

Let me out !

This story frightens me.
Because The robot killed the man who made the robot.

In the film "Terminator", the robot(Terminator) comes from the future
and then tries to kill a hero.
I think the robot will resist a person someday,
when it became that the automatic intelligence evolves
and a robot have a feeling.

松本ぼんぼん♪

8月1日（土）私たちはルナ連として松本ぼんぼんに参加しました。
昼間降り続いた雨は、18：00の踊り開始直前に止み、生徒さん、ご家族＆お友達など、いろんな方に参加していただいたおかげで楽しい時間を過ごすことができました。
参加いただいた皆さん、本当にありがとうございました！
来年もルナ連として参加しますので、今年参加できなかった方も是非ご参加ください！

Toucing the Void

[Click on the title to watch the trailer for the film - 2 mins. Jim]

After Reading Question 9
Wrie a short summary for a cinema guide explaining what the film is about and encouraging people to go and see it.

This is a true story about two men who climbed one of the most difficult and dangerous mountains in the world. Joe and Simon were good friend and they had done a lot of climbing together.They were a good team, they know everything that other's thinking. One day, they challenged Cordillera Huayhuash mountain range, a group of mountains in the Andes in Peru.
Could they stand at the summit? They met a lot of problems!How did they do?What did they judge?It would change their fate. In the film, there are beautiful view of mountains in the Andes. This is a first time, the camera had entered in the Andes. Thrill, friendship, hard work of climber and surprise.At last, could they survive?Result is in the film. Go to the cinema soon.

Nightmare journeys

A nightmare journey I remember was fifteen years ago when I was going to the airport. I was returning to Japan from a business trip and I had to be at Hannover airport two hours before the flight.
I left the hotel for Hannover city centre by train. I got off the train at Hannover station and I went sightseeing in the city because I had time to look around there. I tried to go to the airport because it was the time. The airport wasn’t in the city-centre. I didn’t know that it was in the suburbs. I got lost and I was confused. All citizens spoke German. I didn’t understand it at all. I was lucky that a high school student, who spoke English, showed me the coach stop for the airport. I was very happy that the coach driver said to me “Welcome to the coach.” I finally arrived at the airport just forty minutes before the plane was going to leave.
The woman at the check-in desk said "Economy seats are full, so I’ll prepare a business seat for you." In the end I had a comfortable trip.

They came, and they danced!

It rained the whole day through and yet they still came! As the roads were closed around the city centre at 5pm, trolleys, kimonos and umbrellas appeared in place of the cars.

Our group was welcomely boosted this year with Eri's friends, and our pre-school gaggle of little ones and parents, braving the elements. As every year, Jim got a bear hug from a Yamaga gorilla, and we met lots of old friends and students along the way. Obviously the weather had dissuaded a lot of people from coming to watch, crowds along the route noticeably down, and the general mood a bot dampened.

Not our gang though, as you can see from all the photos on out Facebook group - if you have your own photos or videos to share with us, please do so. Tana didn't stop dancing all evening, so the Salsa is paying off! Eri assumed command with Yuki having to go home early. By the end of the evening we'd exhausted ourselves, as well as all the ale, and we said goodnight and thank you in the middle of eki-mai dori...for some the evening continued in a very nearby bar, until we eventually had to haul all the trash back to Jim's place.