FIFA World Cup Predictions Group B

Sorry for my late predictions… The games have already started!!  Please allow me to predict from next games.

There are Portugal, Spain, Iran and Morocco in Group B.  I think Portugal will be top in the group and must go to next stage.  The other team should be Spain, but I am not really sure about that.  It is because that the coach was replaced with new one just 2 days out from the 1^st game.  It may affect the team, but it would not be serious.  I think Spain will probably go to next stage with Portugal.

On June 20^th, Portugal and Spain will have the games with Morocco and Iran respectively.  Portugal will beat Morocco 5 to 0.  Christiano Ronald may turn the hat trick again.  Spain will beat Iran 3 to 1.  I hope Andres Iniesta who is traded to Vissel Kobe recently might score at least 1.

On June 25^th, both countries will have the last game in the group.  Portugal will probably beat Iran 3 to 1 and Spain will beat Morocco 2 to 1.

Portugal might have the game with Russia which is host country at round of 16, beat and then go to Quarter-final.

Happy time in the center of Shinshu

Aeon Mall Matsumoto was opened as the largest shopping center in Matsumoto city last
year.  The concept is “Happy time in the center of “Shinsyu (Nagano)”.  It means the　
Aeon Mall serves the comfortable and exciting place to customers.  Even if you are with
children, you can spend time comfortably and do shopping reasonably by using the
services.  We are going to introduce you main three services.

Firstly, there are many places that kids can play safety.  If kids are tired of shopping, you can let them play in the spaces.  In that case, please do not forget to keep a close watch on your kids.

Secondly, several events for kids or family are available periodically.  You can participate most of events with your kids without reservation and for free.

Lastly, if you show courtesy passport for child-rearing family when you buy anything, many stores make a discount or provide you small gifts.

Have a happy time with your family in Aeon Mall by using these services!

Famous ships

Famous shipsWrite about another ship with an interesting story

Speaking of famous ship, British Luxury Liner Titanic comes to my mind.  It was filmized many times all over the world, but I watched “Titanic” only which was released in 1997 and got the Academy Award for Best Picture.  At that time, I focused on the love story and did not remember the ship itself well.  This is a good chance to investigate the ship.

Titanic was the largest and fastest passenger ship at that time.  It left England to New York on April 10^th, 1912.  There were more than 2,200 passengers and crews on the ship.  It struck an iceberg in North Atlantic 5 days later and sank.  About 1,500 people died due to the accident.

After reading The Black Pearl

In the meantime, about 700 people were saved.  Millvina Dean from England was 9 months old and the youngest among the passengers.  She boarded the ship with her parents and brother.  Her father died, but she, her mother and brother survived and got back to England after the accident.  She did not remember the accident and had not been known that she was the passenger of Titanic until her mother told her when she was 7 years old.  

In her later years, she lived in a nursing home, but she auctioned off the items related to Titanic to make a payment.  Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet who played the leading role in “Titanic” supported her on the payment.  She died in 2009 and was the last survivor of Titanic passengers.

After reading – King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table

Evil women: Which is the worst woman in the story? Why?

I think that Morgan le Fay is the worst woman in the story.  I felt fear when we knew that she could do magic, but she only used her magic for bad things.

Morgan le Fay pretended to be King Arthur’s kind friend, but actually she hated him and she wanted him to die.  He and his wife Queen Guinevere believed her, so did not realize her evil plans.  She used an evil knight Sir Damas and King Arthur’s knights to try to kill him.  His knights could not realize that they fought their king because of their helmets.  What is worse, King Arthur’s Excalibur was replaced with a sword from Morgan le Fay’s magic.  Therefore, King Arthur could not hurt the knights and was hurt badly by his Excalibur which the knights had.

King Arthur, however, was very brave and did not stop fighting.  Fortunately, King Arthur was safe although he was wounded badly.  I think it is not expected by Morgan le Fay.

However, Morgan le Fay knew that King Arthur was staying with the nuns to get the treatment.  She visited the nuns and stole his magic scabbard from the end of his bed.  King Arthur realized that and followed her, but the scabbard was thrown into the black lake and he never found it.

I was afraid of Morgan le Fay’s implacableness at the end of Chapter 4.

After reading – Return to Earth

Drewitt’s Project X
Sometimes people do not know what is best for them.  The government should just do things like Project X without telling anybody.  Do you agree, or disagree?

I agree that the government is responsible to tell people about the project like Project X.  I think people should have the right to check and review whether the project is really needed or not for them as it must cost a lot of money for the researches and studies.  The government will come up with the finances from their taxes.

However, I think that the report timing about the project from the government to people is important.  It should not be too early but too late.  The project should be checked and reviewed very well by the experts and the relevant people before the report in order to gain the sufficient evidence about the efficiency and safety of the project.  It is generally difficult for people to judge whether the project is really needed or not without the supporting evidence.

I am not sure if the Japanese or any other countries’ governments may consider or have already proceeded with some projects without telling people or not, but I hope the projects should be helpful and safe for people and the future all over the world.

Stories from the Five Towns; meet the parents

How did you tell your parents/family about your engagement?  How did they react?

Telling my father about my engagement was difficult and a challenge for me.  My parents and husband met first time six months after  I started going out with him.  I took him to my house and introduced him to my parents.  My mother very much welcomed him, but my father didn’t as he was the eldest son.  I am  an only child, so my father wanted me to take a husband.

One year had passed since then, my husband proposed me.  I was very glad, but I hesitated to tell my father about it.  I asked my mother to help me, but she told me I should say to him by myself.  I couldn’t tell my father about the marriage proposal straight, so I told him that my husband wanted to see and talk to him, then asked him when he would be available.  It seemed that he was a little bit uncomfortable and got my message soon.

When my husband came to my house and told about the marriage, my father didn’t accept and asked my husband and me to consider the marriage again.  Consequently, my husband came to the house to have the discussions with my father three times in total and then my father was reluctant to accept the marriage.  I couldn’t say thank you to my father straightforwardly at that time, but I could say that in the speech on the wedding.

Overcoming challenges - Hirotada Ototake

Write about someone you know who looks 'different', and the challenges they had to overcome.

When I read the above sentence, I recalled Mr. Hirotada Ototake. He is a writer and a commentator. He is a person born without legs and arms and uses an automatic wheelchair to move around.

His most famous book is Gotai Fumanzoku (No one's Perfect – English title) that was published in 1998 and his experiences as the physically challenged are positively described. In the book, he says that “Handicap is inconvenient, but not unhappy”. He considers that his handicap is one of his personalities. When I read the book, I was surprised and moved by his positive message and life style.

After his graduation from Waseda University, he entered Meisei University to get elementary school teacher’s license and worked for a school. He also became an educational board member in Tokyo.

He got married in 2001 and has three children. When the first child was born, he took paternity leave. In the meantime, he is a member of rock band “Cowperking” and vocalist.

He entered a graduate school in April 2015 to study social issues. I expect he plays an important role in various fields regardless handicap.

An after reading task from Anne of Green Gables

Postcard from: Hawaii, USA

Hello, Jim-sensei

I enjoy Honeymoon with my husband in Hawaii!

It is the first time to visit Hawaii, but I love it.

We went to hy's Steak House last night. He was so excited to see and eat T-bone steak as he loves steak.

We don't want to go back to Japan!

Chinasa

After reading - Amelia Earhart

Inspiring woman

I write about Malala Yousafzai as a woman who is the one I was inspired.  She was ranked second as woman who was respected in the world following Angelina Jolie.

She was born in Pakistan in 1997.  Her father ran a women’s school and she studied there to become a doctor.  In the meantime, Taliban started conducting a region of terror in 2007.  They deprived women of their right to take education and sought the life of women who tried to take education or pushed ahead with the action.  Malala criticized those activities by Taliban and continued to emphasize the need of women’s education and the peace.  When she was a junior high school student, she was attacked by Taliban and seriously injured.  She miraculously recovered and was released from a hospital after two and a half months.

Six months later, she made a speech at the United Nations headquarters and insisted on the importance of education.  In 2014, she got Nobel Peace Prize.  At that time, she was seventeen and the youngest person who got the prize.  She said that it was start, not end.

I am very inspired by her extraordinary bravery and hope the chance of taking education is given to everyone in the world.

After reading – The Prince and the Pauper

Philanthropist
Write about a person you know about, who is doing good things for other people.


I think Tetsuko Kuroyanagi is one of famous philanthropist. She is well known as actress, voice actress, chairperson, and writer in Japan. The most famous her book is “Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window” that is based on her childhood experience. Besides these activities, she has been a goodwill ambassador of UNICEF since 1984. She is the first person who is the position in Asia. James Grant who was the executive officer of UNICEF at the time read her book and he suggested her to be in the position. She visits the developing countries in South Africa and Asia every year. Her activities were reported on a massive scale and helped to accumulate a fund for many children and the mothers. She personally has run a fund drive and the total amount reached at more than 50 billion yen as of 2014. All of them were sent to UNICEF and used for the children.


In the meantime, she has researched Panda more than 70 years and worked as an honorary chairperson of Panda Protection Institute of Japan. She introduced Panda in TV and thanks to her effort, two pandas “Kankan” and “Ranran” were sent to Japan from China in 1972.

Postcard from New York, USA

Jim-sensei,

It's my last night in New York City. I'm writing this at hotel lobby. I walked around NYC this time. It was sunny & good for walking.

Tomoko

Jim-sensei,

I will transfer to Chicago to have our meeting with a new customer. This trip is the longest stay (10 days) in U.S. for me. I'm getting tired, but I'd like to enjoy the stay!

Chinasa

After reading - The Piano Man: Angels

Write about a person eg a nurse who helped you recover from an injury or illness

My angel was my mother when I was badly injured in my right hand last year. She assisted me in many aspects of daily life as I was right-handed.

The accident happened during the trip with my family in the golden week holiday. We also took my three dogs for the trip. We stayed in a pension that dog was also acceptable to stay. The other guests also took their dogs. Some dogs were excited and barked in the midnight. Two of my dogs were also excited to hear the bark and started fighting. I was awake and picked up one of the dogs to stop it. Then, she bit my right hand and it was bleeding a lot. It was too painful for me to move the hand. My father calmed down my dog and my mother helped me to stop bleeding and cool down my hand by a cool towel. She exchanged it in order to keep my hand cool overnight. I was very glad for her care although I kept feeling pain on my hand.

I got treatment in a hospital next day, but it was very difficult to do many things by myself as my right hand was wrapped in bandages. My mother cleaned the cut, wrapped the hand in new bandage, helped to exchange my clothes, took me to and from company by car and so on. I really appreciated her assistance!!

The Witches of Pendle – after reading

Pendle Hill is well known, even now, as a “powerful” place. Write about a similar kind of place in your country.

I think Kanazawa city in Ishikawa prefecture is the most powerful place in Japan recently. It is because that Hokuriku-Shinkansen which is connected between Tokyo and Kanazawa was opened on March 14. Kanazawa city is the biggest city in Hokuriku area and one of the famous tourist sites, but it had taken about five hours to go there by trains from Tokyo so far. After Hokuriku-Shinkansen was opened, it takes only two and a half hours to go to Kanazawa from Tokyo at fastest. The most of the visitors to Kanazawa was from Hokuriku area or western Japan, but it is expected that the visitors from eastern Japan will also be increased.

Lantern in the Kenroku-en garden, Kanazawa (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Kanazawa city has been famous as a feudal Japanese castle town. The most famous spot is a garden called “Kenrokuen” which is one of the three major gardens in Japan. It is often touted as the Maeda clan’s greatest accomplishment in the seventeenth century. There are many other traditional spots related to Maeda clan in the city.

My parents said that they visited Kanazawa city when I was baby, but I don’t remember about it at all. I want to visit the city to see the beautiful scenery and eat the delicious sea food in near future.

My old collection - baseball cards

I was a big fan of Giants that was one of Japanese professional baseball team when I was a high school student. I enjoyed watching the game on TV and bought a magazine that featured Giants every month. I was also a collector of the player’s card that belonged to a potato chip. I couldn’t check the card until I opened the package. Whenever I opened the package, I wished I could get the cards of the players from Giants. Especially, I liked Koji Uehara who was a pitcher. He is now the pitcher of Red Socks and plays an important role as ace relief pitcher. I was so excited when I got his card. I collected and filed the cards of the players from Giants.

Koji Uehara, Baltimore Orioles (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When I was a university student, I didn’t have a TV in my room and the chance to watch the baseball game. Therefore, my interest in baseball was getting low and I stopped collecting the cards.
I’m not sure where I kept the file of the cards. I guess it was housed somewhere in my room. I’m not interested in baseball at all now, so if I find the file, I may throw it out.


Posted for Chinasa

Postcard from...Chicago

Hello Jim-sensei,

I just finished the meeting with our customer!

I was very happy as I could have a productive meeting and delicious steak!!

Chinasa

A school project about Shinano no Kuni

When I was a high school student, I belonged to a broadcasting committee. We participated in the broadcasting competitions outside of the school.

There were two competitions for high school students every year and the bigger one was NHK broadcasting competition. If we win at local convention, we can go to the national convention.

When I was the third year, my team made a radio program and won in Nagano’s convention. The title was “The Greatest Hits of Nagano”. We dealt with “Shinano no kuni” that was the song of Nagano prefecture. The song was born one hundred years ago at that time. It was popular in Nagano and elementary and junior high school students sang a lot in the schools. I believed that the other prefectures had also their own prefecture songs, but we found that there were few prefectures that had their own songs or the songs were known and sung by people.

 Nagano prefectural symbol  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We interviewed the experts to research the reason. There were two main reasons. The one was the melody was rhythmical and approachable. The other one was that the people weren't forced to sing, but sang to solve the conflict between north and south of Nagano old days.

For your information, the program was No. 1 in the national convention in 2000!!

posted for Chinasa

Getting lost - trusting my car navigation

This is a kind of lost story on the way to Ueda city although it is not lost in the mist and the completely lost.

I went to a hotel in Ueda city to attend a seminar by my car. It was the first time to get there by myself, so I used the car navigation system to find the route. My plan is to use two toll tunnels, not highway. I set up the car navigation system without using the toll road because I believed it meant highway, but it was wrong. The system showed the route without using not only highway but also toll tunnels. I should have realized it before I left my house.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

I was still confident that I could get to the destination on time as the car navigation system showed that the arriving time was still good for me. I followed the route that the system showed. I drove through the mountain road and it was harder than expected as I wasn’t good at driving such a road. In addition, there were very narrow roads and a few tunnels without lights. I was worried if I could get to the destination. 

Fortunately, I could arrive at the destination on time, but I was exhausted. I learned that I should check the overall route before the departure.

Posted for Chinasa

Lost in the Mist - after reading The Rainbow Girl

This is a kind of lost story on the way to Ueda city although it is not lost in the mist and the completely lost.I went to a hotel in Ueda city to attend a seminar by my car. It was the first time to get there by myself, so I used the car navigation system to find the route. My plan is to use two toll tunnels, not high way. I set up the car navigation system without using the toll road because I believed it meant high way, but it was wrong. The system showed the route without using not only high way but also toll tunnels. I should have realized it before I left my house.

I was still confident that I could get to the destination on time as the car navigation system showed that the arriving time was still good for me. I followed the route that the system showed. I drove through the mountain road and it was harder than expected as I wasn’t good at driving such a road. In addition, there were very narrow roads and a few tunnels without lights. I was worried if I could get to the destination and Fortunately, I could arrive at the destination on time, but I was exhausted. I learned that I should check the overall route before the departure.
Posted for Chinasa

After reading "Gone!" - my first solo journey

I visited one of my friends from university who lived in Okayama prefecture several years ago. She was an elementary school teacher, so it was difficult for her to take days off in weekdays.

It was a long and expensive journey for me, as I needed to take Shinkansen from Nagoya to Okayama station, so I decided to go another near place by myself in a weekday. I went to Kagawa prefecture, as I could go there by local train from Okayama station.

The train crossed the bridge called Seto Ohashi and the scenery was very wide and beautiful from the window on the train. When I arrived at Takamatsu station, I borrowed a rental bicycle to see around the city. I also had very delicious Sanuki Udon. It was very simple, but udon had body and the soup was very tasty.

 After that, I went to the park and walked around for an hour. Then, I went to a park near the port. I sat the stairs and drank coke while seeing very big vessel. I was very excited to see such a big vessel. Then, the vessel suddenly blew a whistle to departure from the port. I was very surprised by big sound, so I spilled coke on my cloth! I could not release my anger on anything…

Posted by Tomoko for Chinasa

My camping experiences in Japan - a student writes

When I was young, I experienced several camps with my family and as a member of school student and Girl Scout. The places were different every time, but I always used dixie to cook rice and had dinner outside.

In the camp with my family, the camp place was sea side. We enjoyed playing fireworks and doing BBQ. The tent was very narrow and a little bit hot. However, I was happy as my mother fanned me until I felt into a sleep.

In the camp as a member of school student, we hiked to Utsukushigahara highland and stayed in a lodge. I was happy, as a boy who I liked and I were in the same group. I could cook and had curry with him. In addition, I danced with him by the camp fire. It was my one-way love, but it was good memory.

The camp as a member of Girl Scout was more complicate than other two camps. Especially, building big tent was analog (physical?) and hard work. I remembered that talking with other members was fun in the tent, but next day, we had to unbuild and fold the tent…

I haven’t done camps for a long time, but they
were good experience for me. If I have children in the future, I want them to experience unusual life like camp.

(Posted for Chinasa, after reading "Stranger Danger")