Do they know it's Christmas? They do now!

Already a week since our wonderful Christmas Party over at the kominkan!? Far too many excited little Lunanauts for us to host the party at the school, and our go to venue being renovated meant a return to our local roots but sorry mums, no space for you - we did our best to catch as much of the action as we could...but we were really busy because Jim got the wrong songs on the CD!

You'll find Father Christmas (aka Santa) meeting most if not all of the children on Flickr here Please help yourself to downloads - we are very happy to share the smiles! (More upload to follow tomorrow btw)

Of course we have to thank the man with the beard for making such an enormous detour to visit Matsumoto prematurely, and to:

• Head Elf Yukari for sorting everything out and having yummy food ready - and for taking Ceilidh to hospital when the TV landed on his foot tidying up :(
• Elves Matt & Naomi for running teams & minding minions energetically
• Elves Chihiro & Chiyo for stepping in when required & being heroes
• Catering Elves - nothing left over = mission accomplished! 
• Major Elf Damian for prepping & organising lovely things to do, and for knowing what to do

Wishing everyone a holiday season full of family fun, a chance to relax & take (turkey) stock...and spend time with loved ones together or in spirit. to those of us on the road/in the air these hols, travel safely - and remember to come back?!

A treasure map - Takahiro (JH3)

A treasure map - Taiki (JH1)

A treasure map - Masato (JH2)

My Cooking Blog

I went to Chino-city with my friend, because I had a cooking class. I go to a cooking class once a month. We make a lot of kind of dishes.Japanese food, Chinese, Italian and French...Yesterday, I cooked Chinese Osechi and ate that in lunch. That was very good. I'm thinking about whether to make the which of cooking Japanese Osechi and Chinese Osechi for New year. After lunch, We stopped by to a cafe in the way back and enjoyed chatting. We talked so that we got tired. After that, I went to home. Then I had a bath and cooked dinner. But I couldn't have dinner, because I ate too much and did't get hungry. I was enjoyed and It was a good holiday！

A treasure map - Kaito (JH1)

My Junior High School boys class can be a bit of a handful at times, can it can be tough keeping them motivated and engaged especially last thing on a Friday evening!

English Time 3 offers an opportunity to use CLIL, which these boys lapped up at the end of U9. The project - making a treasure map, with a dexcription using language we had studied in previous units. A chance to let the creative juices flow and be a bit crazy and bizarre.

Look out for the other treasure mpas coming up on the blog in the coming week!

A holiday postcard - Nanako (10)

A holiday postcard - Eleanor (10)

Northanger Abbey - A famous Japanese writer

Seichou Matsumoto is a famous mystery author. He was established ``social mystery``. He didn`t much write about character`s emotion. But he described about character`s family, company, society. I can imagine character`s life. He described ``why did she commit the crime?`` Sometimes that reason was sad or foolish. I like his 1950`s novels.The women didn't have social privilege in 1950`s. But they were very tough.They thought and thought, committed the crime. After, they covered the crime, they lived usual life every day. He described those women very charming. His novels are dramatized for TV and cinema. I like ``Suna no utsuwa`` very much. It was dramatized 4 or 5 times. But my best dram is first dramatized cinema. My best scene of that cinema is father and son walked winter beach. That is sad and beautiful.

Posted for Misuzu

A postcard from...Rock Falls, Illinois - USA

Opened in 1921

Hi Jim-sensei,

I'm in Rock Falls, Illinois. I'm staying at the new hotel by the river.

It's a beautiful day and the sunrise changes the colour of the sky, which is really wonderful!

Tomoko

Melbourne Early Summer

  I went to Melbourne, Australia in late November. Currently, Melbourne has a population of more than 5 million. There are a lot of immigrants from England, which is increasing by 30,000 every year. It seems to exceed the population of Sydney within a few years.In the streets of Melbourne, the balance between traditional buildings and modern buildings was very beautiful. Also, it was a nice climate in the early summer.Beef and seafood were very tasty. Also, the wine of Yana Valley was famous and it was delicious at its best. Espresso was also very famous and tasty.The finance was rich, saying that trams, highways, medical expenses etc are free. Prices are a bit high. However, bank deposit interest rate is 5.2%. I can not think of it in Japan.The people in the town were kind and kind. However, I was really sad and miserable that I could not speak English.

Picture Puzzle - Well Done!!

Young girl solved a mystery!! She is Amy Bates. It was Friday in a large shopping mall. Amy ran throught the crowd of people in the mall. She ran towards the boy, Pete. Amy pushed a film cassette into his hand. and she ran away. A minute later a big man was looking for her. Photo was a picture of two men. One of them was a big man, Wallace. One of them was Zetter`s lawyer, Ronald Thurber. He was giving to Wallace a thick brown envelope. Zetter was a bad person in prison. It was well-known in this town.

It is Amy`s story 「On Tuesday I saw Wallace talking to Ronald Thurber in churchyard. Wallace works at that prison. She heard "Bring the money here at nine o`clock on Friday morning. After that, I`ll help Zetter" I took a picture of the two men this time. But Wallace saw me. and I ran away .」

In the end, the police officers found £50000 in Wallace`s flat.

Posted for Yoko

The Last Leaf and Other Stories - Thoughts of a detective

Jimmy is Burglar. Before nine months, I had arrested Jimmy. But Jimmy was working again. I knew all about Jimmy. I decided to catch Jimmy next time. And I found Jimmy, the owner of the shoe store, Mr. Spencer, in Elmore. People liked Mr. Spencer and they respected him. It was unexpected for me. And Mr. Spencer was going to marry the banker’s daughter. That was very interesting for me. Because I thought Jimmy steals money from the bank. I had seen the banker’s family enter the bank with Jimmy. I was waiting to catch Jimmy. The trouble happened. The child was shut in the strong-room. Jimmy had cracked the strong-room’s door with Jimmy’s special tools. Mr. Spencer became Jimmy, the safe-cracker. Jimmy knew that he might be arrested by helping the child. And Jimmy decided to part from beloved Annabel. But he helped the child. Jimmy was a good burglar. I decided not to arrest Jimmy this time.

Posted for Reiko

The Phantom of the Opera - A father's letter

Christine

I will die soon. I don’t want to die but I know death is approaching. I have to say to you the important things. You have a gift for music. Your voice move people. We travelled through all the countries of Europe. Everywhere the audiences were pleased enthusiastically for your songs. You will be a wonderful singer. You will be a famous singer. That’s no doubt sure.

Until now I was always with you but from now you would be alone. You need a new teacher of music. Don’t worry about that. I will send a wonderful teacher to you, I will send you the Angel of Music. Instead me he will teach you much. He will make you better. Trust him and a brilliant future will be waiting ahead.

Please remember my soul will be always with you.

Love.

Posted for Misako

The Railway Children - Moving House

I don’t have any experiences about moving house in my childhood. When we moved to Yokohama, I was only four, so I don’t remember it. Next we moved when I was eighteen. But a lot of my friends left our town. Sometimes I envied them. Because they would have the new life, new house, new friends, and new experiences.

One day,a new student came to our class in my elementary school. Maybe I was nine or ten years old. She is elegant. We were surprised because she moved from London. Her Japanese was a little bit strange, but her manners were very beautiful. We were so surprised when she ate a piece of apple at the school lunch. We have never seen a person who ate the apple hiding around her mouth by her hand , especially did by a child . Of course some boys teased her. Because nobody ever imagined someone eats a piece of apple carefully with a beautiful manner. Actually I think she was surprised more than us.

After a while, she became my best friend. When we went to her house, her mother welcomed me and our friends. She and her mother sometimes spoke in English. We gradually got a hard friendship. It is the good old days.

After several years, she had moved to Singapore. We missed each other, so wrote many letters until she came back to Tokyo. Of course she is still one of my best friend.

Posted for Naoko

The Brontë Story - A book review

Jane Eyre 

This is the story of a little girl called Jane Eyre. Her parents die, so she lives with an aunt and her children. Then Jane goes away to a school called Lowood. Jane ‘s best friend is Helen. Helen falls ill at the school and dies. Then Jane works as a governess in Thornfield Hall. She meets Rochester and falls in love. But she knows his terrible secret. Jane leaves Thornfield Hall. Then she meets Sant John. Sant wants her to go India with him as a wife.

What kind of decision dose she make? What kind of action does she take finally?

Most of readers will notice that Jane is a new type of woman who has an iron will. She isn’t so beautiful but is full of deep culture with wisdom. She gives decision based on a keen sense of morals. She has a job. She makes money by herself not by a husband.

This book’s author is Currer Bell. He is one of the man who understand women’s thought. He wants to tell us the importance of women’s independence. Ladies, stand your own feet even if it is men’s society.

This is a wonderful and beautiful book. This is the best book in 1847. I think this book will get the sympathy of many women even in 100years.

Olga Urakawa

The editor of ‘English Life’

Martin Luther King - A newspaper article

Martin Luther King was shot dead. 

On 4 April, King was shot in Memphis. When he stayed in the hotel in Memphis with his friends, after 6 o'clock in the evening, he went out of his hotel room to get some fresh air. Suddenly there was the sound of a gun. His friends ran outside and found King lying on the ground. One of his young supporter, Jesse Jackson, held him in his arms. An hour later Martin Luther King died in a Memphis hospital. He was thirty-nine years old, a leader of Black American.

King was born on 15 January 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. His father was a minister in Atlanta church. After he graduated Morehouse college in Atlanta, he went Crozier, a college for ministers in Pennsylvania. He became a minister in Montgomery.

He married to Coretta Scott, and they worked together to fight segregation in South. He became famous by the bus boycott in Montgomery and the sit-in at an Atlanta restaurant. He believed that non-violence was the only way to win the fights for black rights. On 28 August 1963, he made a remarkable speech " I have a dream" in Washington D.C.. In 1964 he won the Nobel Prize for his civil rights work, he was only thirty-five years old. He had been working on his job for 12 years, and still in the middle of the way to his dream. But people in the world will never forget him.

Police said there was no witness and evidence, so it will take time to find the criminal, but they do their best to catch the criminal.

Posted for Yasumi

Rob Roy

A fan mail to Diana.

 (Ask her a few questions as well as telling her why you admire her.)

Dear Diana,

I’m your big fan. I love you because you are a good horse rider. I love to see horse running on a green field. I’ve never seen you are riding on a horse, but I can imagine you manage your horse like you dance and run a big beautiful field in Scotland.

If possible, could you tell me the name of your lovely horse? It must be a good looking horse. There is another reason why I’m your fan. I think you are mentally strong woman.

You believed and supported your father. You are proud of him that he did what he believed. Your family’s situation became difficult because of him, but you didn’t blame on him. Were you afraid while you had kept the secret of your father? I wish I could be a listener of your lonely heart. Please do not think you are alone. Things will be better.

I always pray for you that your situation will be better.

Sincerely,

Yumi

Goldfish - A police Report

The old man Sype was at Westport. He was a train-robber who had stolen the Learnder pearls. He had got a nice home, a wife and lots of goldfish to sell, and money for both of them. I offered the deal. Insurance will give Twenty-five grand reward to get the Learnder pearls. Five grand to the girls who gave me the lead. Ten grand for me. Ten grand for Sype. But Sype turned down my deal and pointed a gun at me.

At that time, Mrs Sype and the nasty people Carol Donovan, Rush Madder came into Sype's house with guns. So Sype put down his gun. While I grinned at Carol, Mrs Sype was moving across the floor in order to get her husband's gun, which was near the middle of the room. As I hit Carol's head, Mrs Sype shot her back. She was dead. Madder shot Sype twice, so he was falling to the floor. I didn't want to kill Madder so I shot him in the back of the knee. I took the gun away from Mrs Sype. Then I heard Sype's voice. Although he was dying, he smiled at his wife and told her to remember the Moors.

At last I found The Learnder pearls from the black Moors body. I held them- each of them was two centimeters across heavy, round, milky white and shining. Mrs Sype said hiding the pearls in the fish was a way of remembering and the best way of punishing himself. But that idea was too hard to me.

Posted for Hiroko

What's St. Patrick's Day?

Every March 17 is a death anniversary of St. Patrick (original name: Maewyn) who spread Christianity in Ireland and now many countries celebrate that date to take credit for his activity.

When he was sixteen years old, he was abducted as a slave and during he was slave in Ireland, he strongly believed Christianity and thought his task was to spread Christianity to people.

People usually celebrate this date with green items and shamrock because Ireland where St. Patrick spread Christianity, is sometimes called “The Emerald Isle” because a lot of the country is a beautiful green, like the color of emeralds and St. Patrick used a shamrock like clover to explain the Christian message of Trinity (Tri+Unity) simply and shamrock becomes a symbol of Christianity.

Also, people usually drink Guinness, which was originally made in Ireland.

You can see the Chicago River colored in green in Chicago and the tower lighted up in green in New Zealand. Also, you can see many big parades in the U.K, the U.S., Canada, Australia etc where many immigrants from Ireland live.

After the Aliens - yoga

After reading: Alien Alert in Seattle

My hobby is doing Yoga.

It is the most interesting hobbies for me to doing Yoga in my life now. I have started Yoga since 2013. I had wanted to try doing Yoga for long time but I didn’t start as there was no attracted place. Several years later, I found the place to do Yoga. It was really excited to do Yoga and I was fascinated.

In addition, it is interesting not only poses but also Yoga’s history. I studied a history and think human would like to emancipate in any age. Yoga teach me a lot of things. Through Yoga, I learn it is important to live a moment. Especially, it is good when I’m very busy!! Now, my daughter causes my stress sometimes, so I try to doing Yoga as much as possible.

Recently, I would like to add a trampoline my hobby but I don’t do it. I want to bounce!

My city, Matsumoto's Information

Local customs
   There is no special dress code outside of worship places, but you should take off your shoes and hat inside of a temple or shrine. You should avoid wearing skirts and shorts which are too short. You shouldn't talk about good points of Nagano city if you talk with Matsumoto citizens, especially with the old people. It is because the relationship between Matumoto and Nagano cities had been bad for a long time. Now I think it is getting better. You don't need to tip anyone in Japan.

Food & drink
   The local tap water is drinkable and tastes good. Moreover there are many places where you can drink fresh spring water in Matsumoto. Because of the beautiful nature, water is clear and delicious here. You must try Japanese noodle, soba. It is one of the famous foods in Matsumoto. It is also good for your health. You must try Japanese alcohol, sake, too. Thanks to the clear water, local sake tastes really good. You should be careful with Japanese pickles, tsukemono. Some of them might be too salty for you.

Haruka

Crime Scene Investigation

CSI: Miami is an American police drama television series.

It was performed on September 23, 2002 for the first time. Starring David Caruso as Lieutenant Horatio Caine, Emily Procter as Detective Calleigh Duquesne, and Kim Delaney as Lieutenant Megan Donner. The series is the first spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

 Miami is the famous resort place in USA, beautiful beach, white sand and people enjoy the vacation. The tricky and gory crimes are hided in these luxury resort. The team of Miami is the group of expert for investigation with scientific method. They can identify the finger print of criminals by using UV light, and find out who he/she is with the special data base. They are not only stay at the science lab but also going out in order to arrest the criminal with their guns.

Horatio Caine who is the leader of this group is very smart and having a keen sense. He can find out a lot of things with a few clues at the scene. The team member respect him and co-working very well. His team looks perfect but sometimes shows humane side.

 If you are looking for any police drama, you should watch CSI: Miami!

Sightseeing and shopping in Ina

Sightseeing

There is a famous cherry blossom park in Ina city. You can enjoy many beautiful pink-red cherry blossoms in Spring. During the season, there are lots of traffic jams…especially weekends and daytime. So, you should go to there at night or weekday. There are many limited-time-only food stands.You will be satisfied with the flowers and foods at the same time.

In autumn, the park is also famous for the beautiful colored leaves.You should visit there each season. 

Please enjoy the beautiful view!

Shopping

Ina city is famous for Kanten(agar),Sake and Gohei-mocha. If you have no idea for souvenir, please remember these things. For example, you can take a tour of Kanten factory and Sake factory. These tours are very interesting and factories are so nice. So you will enjoy yourselves and get some special souvenirs there!

And...please don't forget to eat Gohei-mochi in the city! It's tasty!

Enjoy your stay in Ina!

Matsumoto city: Safety and Getting around

Safety 

Basically, you don’t need to worry much about safety in the city. Matsumoto is a peaceful calm city. There are no homeless people, any vandalism and beggars. You don’t need to be careful too much even at night. You can walk around alone without worrying. 

Night time in this city is very quiet. It must be really rare but just in case you have an accident or some trouble, go to the police station which is located just besides of the Chitose bridge. 

Getting around.

Matsumoto is a not big city so you can reach most of the sightseeing places. Is it a just right size for walking around. For example, getting to the Matsumoto castle, one of the main sightseeing spots, takes about 15 minutes on foot from the JR Matsumoto station. 

However if you go around the city more actively, you can rent a bicycle. You may feel clean fresh air during the cycling and get the Agata no Mori which is consisting of quaint old-style school and park easily. The rental bicycles station is in front of the Clock Museum, Metoba riverside. It is free! Enjoy explore Matsumoto.

Teruki

The Fisherman and his Soul - an epitaph

I would like to build one nice grave for the fisherman and the mermaid. Hope visitors would grasp their way of life and learn something.

Here lies,

The Fisherman with a monkey soul and the Mermaid with no soul. One fisherman once lost his soul before getting buried here. Mermaid with beautiful voice tried this fisherman to love her and he let the soul go.

Soul with no heart learn good and bad while it's away from the master through the journey. Mermaid gave an ultimate ordeal, as if she is the master monk. Soul of the fisherman experienced greed, anger, and finally understood good, as if it is a monkey. People need heart to love people and to know the good.

If the soul is a monkey, a monkey needs heart to understand minds of people. However, the master monk cannot do anything to help a monkey get enlightened. Fisherman had a heart so the soul learned good. Yet the fisherman was unenlightened.

What happened to the fisherman and how he lived?

He was just no one but broke precious teachings and promised not to go to heaven. Poor fisherman, stay close to your beloved mermaid with the purified soul and a heart fulfilled you.

This story reminds me of the extremely long and complicated Chinese novel, the Journey to the West. There are lots to learn from this book and interesting to read.

Dinner with Ghost

If I can have dinner with a ghost, I would like to have it with my grand father who passed away eight years ago.  He was good at cooking.  I loved the simmered dish cooked by him.  He looked forward I got married while he was alive, but I got married two years ago and could not invite him to my wedding party.  If he knows that I got married and had a baby, he must be very glad.

Imaging I have dinner with him, we go to a super market to get foodstuff and cook hot pot together.  I would like to ask him how the life is in heaven.  I think he would say that people live in zero gravity and watch the world.  The things that they can do is very limited, but there are no wars and people live peacefully because they were polite to other people while they were alive.  He must advise me that I should care for other people and do everything that I would like to do as much as possible.  I will follow his advice to meet him again in heaven.

Kazumi's local (Matsumoto) restaurant reviews

Aburaya

You won't find Chinese food as good as this in town. It's always busy, so the service isn't as quick as some people would like. However, every dish is tasty. I recommend going there late lunch time, as it won't be too busy. You won't be able to have some options (coffee, dessert) but it's as cheap as anywhere else in town.

Reviewed by Kazumi

Find it on Trip Advisor

Maruyasu

Nowhere serves as much salad, rice & miso soup as Maruyasu. You can take advantage of the 'all you can eat' option. This tiny restaurant is always full. You can't book, so I recommend going as early as you can before the restaurant opens. It isn't as expensive as you'd expect.

Reviewed by Kazumi

Find it in Google maps: 7-43 Takamiyaminami, Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture 390-0843

Miyuki's local (Matsumoto) restaurant reviews

Reizan

I've never had Chinese food as tasty as this. Everything on the menu is cooked to perfection. This long-established restaurant is popular with families. If you prefer quicker service, try it on a weekday or week-night, when it isn't as busy as the weekend. It's a little expensive, but you get what you pay for.

Reviewed by Miyuki

More info at Tabelog

Misato

I don't eat at soba restaurants as often as at French and Italian ones. This soba restaurant has a beautiful Japanese garden, so you can enjoy your meal and a romantic view. The house is historic and peaceful, and has a nostalgic atmosphere. The staff are friendly and do everything to make your meal as pleasant as possible.

Reviewed by Miyuki

More info at Tabelog

Would you like to stay in Japanese garden house in Matsumoto?

It's walking distance from Nakamachi Street. It's spacious, with four Japanese-style rooms, a living room, a large garden, two bathrooms and a balcony. The garden has a pond, a river, a lot of "toro" - which are Japanese stone lanterns. For example, the "Yukimi Toro" was built near the pond, because Yukimi is in the fisherman's style - to get fish.

The neighbourhood is friendly and fun. We always join the festival of Fukashi Jinja (shrine). It's perfectly situated for galleries, museums, and the performing arts.

The house is ideal for a family. It's a no-smoking house and sorry, no pets,

("yuki' is snow - "Yukimi Toro" is snow view lantern)

Posted for Kaoru

NB Not actually for rent :)

The letter from Tristan to Rual & his wife

Dear my father and mother,

I know I am not your real son, but please dare let me call you father and mother now.

Thank you very much for your growing me up by now.

And also thank you for your teaching me a lot of things like using a sword, a spear and riding a horse. I was also taught speaking other language and playing the harp.

I grew up and I am a man now. I would like to leave Lyoness and visit my uncle, King Mark in Cornwall. I will try to be a brave knight there. Please pray my success.

Finally, I will never forget your kindness in future. I will return the favor of you.

Best regards,

Tristan

My favorite things to do when it rains

In October, it rained every weekend.  Two big typhoons came to Japan and I couldn’t spend my family time outside.  When it rains, I usually make something by origami paper at home.

Origami is an art of folding paper.  When I was a little child, my grandmother taught me how to fold papers to make bird, box, boat, flowers, etc.  It looked like a magic and I loved the time with my grandmother.

The traditional origami paper is in standard colors with no patterns, but recently there are a lot of origami papers in different types of patterns, like Japanese traditional patterns or modern stylish patterns. 

I also learned there are many blogs introducing ideas how to fold papers to make fancy home decorations.  Then, I started making stars and put them on walls or string them down from the ceiling.  I pick up blue and green papers for summer and replace them to red, green and white for coming winter season.

Now I am preparing a Christmas wreath.  I am going to fold over a hundred origami papers to make flowers, and then put them in a hoop.

A postcard from Italy.

Dear Luna Friends & Teachers!

I'm having a wonderful time in Italy. After appreciated marvelous Renaissance arts in Firenze, visited small charming villages in Tuscany, enjoyed fantastic wine, especially in Montepulciano.
Today I am going to the Riviera. I'm expecting see the lovely small villages 'Cinque Terre'.

Teruki

Happy Hallowe'en - if we must!

No, we don't really 'do' Hallowe'en at Luna apart from as a theme for younger learners. Why would we?! The school is British - be just as weird if we started celebrating Yom Kippur or Eid, Diwali or Bastille Day!

Actually, when I first started trying to talk about cultural stuff with students - pre-internet & all that, even Christmas was not really a big deal (with a lot of my friends back in the day expected to work on Dec 25th...maybe still true for some?). One of my students was so freaked out that a group of gaijin were outside her house singing on Dec 24th, she called the police.

So why the recent big deal about Hallowe'en? A shopping invention, and no more. OK, and a chance to dress up? Can't deny everyone likes to do that...

See how we measure up to the Addams Family in this cool ensemble; our remake of the Monster Mash is spooky; Gloria Gaynor's classic "I will Survive" like you've never seen it before; all of these Things that make you go...Mmm

St. Patrick's Day

The St. Patrick’s Day is the anniversary of a Saint of Patrick's death. This ceremony is held on 17th March. Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century. The Saint Patrick’s Day was become public holiday in 1903. Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland.

According to the Confession of Patrick, he was born as a son of landowners in Wales, Britain. He lived in comfort. When he was 16 years old, he was captured by Irish pirates from his home in Britain and taken as a slave to Ireland. He lived there for six years before escaping and returning to his family. After becoming a cleric, he returned to northern and western Ireland. He worked to disseminated Christianity in Ireland. People parade in the cerebration and the wearing of green stuff or shamrocks. On the date, people eating, drinking alcohols to celebrate in around the world.

My hobbies - after reading "Alien Alert in Seattle"

I have 2 hobbies. The one is mountain climbing and the other is going to Yamaga's game for give them a boost.

As for the mountain climbing, I started it to get healthy and become strong in physical. The climbing is always quite hard and is needed patience because it takes 4-5 hours to the top of a mountain. I always wanted to give up the climbing, but the landscapes/supernatural of mountain were very very beautiful even if it's not sunny day and I have never seen similar landscapes depends on weather and climbing time. It's one of my motivation for mountain climbing. A climbing with colleagues and former bosses is my another motivation. Talking with them is fun for me. I usually climb 3-4 times every season.

As for going to Yamaga's game, I firstly watched their game in March 2012. The cheering made me excited and as soon as I went home after seeing 1st game for me, I saw YouTube to know Yamaga's chants and past games and many articles to know the team history. Yamaga's team style which plays very tough and hard, touches me emotionally regardless of game's score. Through the Yamaga's games, I felt happiness, sad, angry, frustration etc, but I learn that it is most important not to give up. I think Yamaga's game would be a good education for children. I usually go to Yamaga's game at homeground "Alwin" every 2 weeks and sometimes cheer for Yamaga's team at opposing team's ground with some friends who became friendly at Alwin.

A sixth grader writes...

My favourite day of the week is Friday. In the afternoons I usually sweep the floor, then I sometimes go to the supermarket in the evening.

We're shopping at AEON Mall. My favourite shop is a speciality tea shop & AEON Style. I bought two sweaters. They're so cute!

I'm walking to school. We always have fun. Yesterday, it was rainy. I hung out with my friends. It was fun.

My brother's birthday is October twenty-ninth. I buy a cake and a present with my mum.

Posted for Akane (12)

My favourite day of the week is...

My favourite day of the week is Friday. I the afternoon I always go to brass band, then I usually play with my friends and watch TV in the evening.

We're shopping at the department store. It's the ice cream shop. My aunt is an insurance woman at the insurance company. I have insurance.

I'm walking to school. We always have fun. Yesterday, it was rainy. We were at the gymnasium. How's the weather today? It's sunny! We can go to school grounds.

Tomorrow is October 27th; it's my father's birthday. My sisters, mother and me make cake. I want to have fun.

Posted for Miki (12)

Postcard from...Hong Hong

 Good weather in HK today. I can’t imagine rainy Cold Japan ☔️

Reiko

This is me - a teen intro

Kotone's selfie

I'm a student. I'm studying at Luna.  I'm studying English with Jim. I go to English class on
Thursdays.

It's seven fifteen in the evening. I ate dinner at six o'clock. I'm not hungry. I ate miso soup and rice.

My desk is next to my bed. My favourite subject is art. I like drawing pictures. I draw pictures at school.

My favourite colour is purple. I'm wearing a yellow t-shirt, blue jeans and black socks.

Posted for Kotone, on starting Everybody Up 3

Last summer vacation

Last summer vacation I went to Matsumoto bonbon. I went with my best friend Maki. We ate a lot of foods and met friends. We danced with Luna's dance team. It was really amazing fun and exciting! I thought I want to go next year.

Posted for Karen

Last summer vacation was very interesting. I went to Ogaki to play basketball with my teammates from school. After we practised basketball, we headed to the hotel. We had a good time there. Because we played UNO. If we lost we did a forfeit. For example we call to stranger. It was scary but great fun!!

Posted for Yuta

The Wind in the Willows - A thank you letter

Dear Mrs. Keeper's daughter,

Sorry l haven't written for a while but I've been spent very tough days. I hope you're well. I have no words to express my gratitude. I am writing this letter in my Hall now. I think I was saved by the grace of you.

In prison you heard my rubbish story. At that time, I thought I hadn't been silly at all. Although I was in prison, I had such a foolish thinking. How foolish I was! Now I know I was silly, dangerous and boastful. I want you to know the reason of changing my thinking. Please read my story about escape.

I wore an old washer woman's dress which you bought and I passed the guards of the castle entrance easily. Then I got on the train. In the morning I met a barge -woman who said I was a fat lazy little toad. I stole her horse which I sold to a man later. At that time, I said to myself. What a cleverToad I am! I am ashamed of me in that time. I was just a criminal and an escaped prisoner. How silly I was!

I came to a road and began to walk. Then a terrible thing happened. The person whose car I had stolen recognized me. They chased me through a wood. I dropped into the deep water. When I was too tired to pull myself out of water, the Rat helped me.

The Rat told me about my Hall. The Stoats and the Weasles and the Ferrets - they had taken my Hall. They had been living there.They had got guns knives and sticks. They kept guard round the house night and days.They said they were going to stay there for ever. At first I couldn't believe it. But my good friends, the Rat, the Mole, the Badger and I made a plan to get the Hall back.

When they held a big birthday-party we run into dining hall. W could go there because there was an underground tunnel. They didn't have any guns or sticks with them at the party. So we could chase them and beat them and hit them with our weapons. What a battle it was! But we won the battle. Our attempt was a great success.

I have fortunate to have good friends. I changed my ways and became a sensitive animal. Still now I love to talk. But it isn't only about myself. It is about my likable friends. I am a very different Toad. I'm going to talk if you will visit our river under the Willows. Of course you had better come here in spring. It will be very peaceful and beautiful. Maybe you will like here.

See you again next spring!

Toad

Posted for Hiroko

The Last Sherlock Story - Doyle Sherlock vs Dibdin Sherlock

Sherlock Holmes in this story is very different from the one in Conan Doyle's story.

Sherlock Holmes by Conan Doyle was one of my favorite books when I was a child. He was very smart, brave, intelligent, and logical, a kind of perfect man. He could find any kind of criminals and he was a hero. He did not take cocaine at all, of course.

Also, he did not get bored by himself. With his intelligence and observational talent, his brain always worked busy. So, he did not need to take cocaine to amuse himself. And he knew how dangerous it was to take drugs. It could destroy a human. He was smart enough to know nobody could be an exception. Also, he never killed innocent women and cut their bodies in pieces. 

Sherlock Holmes in this story takes cocaine and he thinks he can control it, but he can not. He is a criminal, really. He kills women to entertain himself. He looks down poor people. I do not believe it. Sherlock Holmes in this story is also smart, logical and intelligent. But on the other hand, he is selfish, weak and immature. And he can not be a hero.

Posted for Yasumi

Rabbit-Proof Fence - The Long Walk

The Long Walk. This is the true story of Slawomir Rawicz, a Polish Army lieutenant who was arrested by Soviet Army during World War II. He and six others escaped from a Siberian camp. They walked 6500km, Mongolia, Gobi Desert, Tibet, the Himalayas from Siberia for one year.

Rawicz was prisoned and was sent to Siberia although he hadn’t done anything crime. He had to work there for twenty-five years. The weather of Siberia was severe, the labor was tight and the prisoners died one after another. So Rawicz and the others escaped from the camp. They began a long journey to India on foot.

At the time of escape, they had only some bread, an axe and a knife. One died in the severe nature. But the kindness of Mongolian who appeared occasionally helped them. They met the girl who ran away from Kolkhoz on way and calm time came. But a happy time was moment.

They had to cross the Gobi Desert on foot. It was the most terrible time in this trip. They walked in the extreme state. They were robbed of the physical strength and two of them died. But they continued to walk. Finally, they arrived at India.

I was deeply impressed that they had helped each other without losing hope to live even if it had been long severer trip. This story taught me the importance of what I didn’t give up till the last.

Posted for Olga

A Christmal Carol - Bob Cartchit's diary

Today was a Christmas Eve. It was cold and quiet day as past years. Mr. Scrooge looked unhappy and crosses. So it was too cold to work in office as every past year.

His nephew Fred came to the office today to say Merry Christmas to his uncle. But Mr. Scrooge answered to him, “Bah! Humbug! “ Fred said “You are too rich to be unhappy.” But he was not hurt. He said “Christmas is just a time when you spend too much, when you found yourself a year older and not an hour richer, when you have to pay your bills.”

I really hope Mr. Scrooge will be changed. But it would never happen for him. Even if such a thing happens all over the world it will not happen to him. Fred invited Mr. Scrooge to his house in Christmas dinner. He said that he wanted and asked nothing of Mr. Scrooge. But Mr. Scrooge didn’t answer to his nephew, I thought sorry for both of them.

Our little son Tiny Tim looked badly. I am so worried about him. But today, our sweet daughter Martha comes back. We are so happy to see her. We had a happiest time tonight. And we really appreciate God and Mr. Scrooge. My wife wants to say something different, but I think we have to say thank you for Mr. Scrooge. Anyway his money paid for today’s dinner. God bless Mr. Scrooge too.

Posted for Naoko

The Long Tunnel - A holiday with friends

When I was highschool student, my friend asked some of friends to working in Tugaike. My friend's relative ran a guest-house in Tugaike. Tugaike was famous ski earea. They wanted to working students during winter holiday. I imagined we could enjoy in winter after working. My friends thought so. We had pleasure to go there.

But we guessed wrong. We had been swamped with all day long. We were very tired. After working we could not out freely. We were under age. Resort area had many temptations. My friend's relative had a sense of responsibility to us. So during working in Tugaike we could not enjoy. Of course no skiing. But it was important experience for us. "Life isn't as easy as you think"

Posted for Misuzu

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - A letter to your teacher

To Mrs. Douglas

I’m sorry to run away from home without saying. My father locked me in a cabin. But I escaped from the cabin. And I went Jackson’s island on canoe. I met Jim there. I was frightened. Please don’t scold Jim. Jim wanted to be free. Our adventure started from there.

We found a strong raft. And we intended to go to the Free State on the raft. The great Mississippi River was taking us away from St Petersburg. We prepared meals and had a long talk. We were very happy.

Various things happened. Two white men running away to us. They were the Confidence Tricksters. In a small town they pretended to be another person, and cheated the money out of the girls. But I took the money and hided it. So the money was safe. The white man sold Jim. But I could meet Jim again. Surprisingly, I met Tom Sawyer there. The adventures were splendid for me.

Huckleberry Finn

Posted for Yoko

Jane Eyre - A female writer from the Meiji era

Ichiyo Higuchi is a first female author in Meiji era in Japan. Her portrait is printed on 5000 yen bill.

She was born in March in 1872 in Tokyo Uchisaiwaicho—now Chiyoda-ku. She had two sisters and two brothers, and she was the second daughter. When she was a girl her father was rich. She loved reading. When she was seven she finished reading old long stories. Her father educated her to school and other private cram school. But her mother thought girls did not need education. She stopped school.

In 1888 the eldest brother died, next year her father died. She became a head of householder. Her father left a big debt, her family lived poverty. She did some jobs, cram school assistant, needle works, small shop master and so on.

Around in 1890 she tried to be a novelist. To earn a living as a novelist she apprenticed to Tosui Nakarai famous novelist.

In 1895 she published “Takekurabe”. It received high praise. She continued to publish “Nigorie” “Juusanya”. She became a popular writer. She suffered from tuberculosis. She died in November in 1896. She was 24.

Posted for Misako

The Three Musketeers - The true hero

I think D’Artagnan is the hero of the story. In 1625, a young man called D’Artagnan comes to Paris.

D’Artagnan wants to be special soldiers, a King’s musketeer. D’Artagnan is brave and handsome and a man of many loves. I think he is charming.

D’Artagnan is in love with Constance and he loves Milady too in this story. Milady’s maid, Kitty like D’Artagnan . And by a request of Constance, D’Artagnan has to go to England for the Queen’s diamonds. D’Artagnan solves various troubles with his friends, three of the King’s musketeers, Athos, Aramis and Porthos. And D’Artagnan is recognized by Cardinal Richelieu.

Finally D’Artagnan is able to become a lieutenant in the King’s musketeers. D’Artagnan from country fight by a sword bravely and he is in full activity. And D’Artagnan became a lieutenant in the King’s musketeers. I think this story is D’Artagnan’s success story, and D’Artagnan and his friend’s great friendship story.

Posted for Reiko