The Monster Party

150 years ago, Mr Frankenstein lived in the small house in Switzerland. But he was very boring in this town. He couldn’t go outside in daytime. He could only walk at night time. One night he saw a strange black coat man. He was Mr Dracura. He was tired of Switzerland too!
So they decided to move another country. They went to Holland.

Ride a ship, they thought it will go to England. But they go to East Island Japan. They didn’t know that, they got off the ship midnight, and went to the mountain. They saw some red monsters. They were very surprised and went down the mountain, hiding in the forest daytime. The red monster called Oni were surprised too. They talked about last night monsters with Hitotsumekazo and drunk sake. They fell asleep.

Midnight, Mr Stein and Mr Dracura went to mountain again. They saw many sleeping monsters. They had many bottles with their hands. Mr Frankenstein and Mr Dracura were scared but a nice smell came from the bottles. They couldn’t stand, they drunk sake. That’s wonderful, excellent! Suddenly Oni and Hitotsumekozou got up. Both monsters surprised each other, but Mr Dracura and Mr Frankenstein gave them their beer an wine. Both could not understand their language, but they didn’t need worlds they love alcohol! Alcohol make friends all over the monsters that night, people heard strange voices from the mountains.

Posted for Misuzu.

Museums in Matsumoto

There is a Matsumoto City Museum in Matsumoto city. There is a big green statue in front of it, you can find it easy. It was made by Yayoi Kusama. She was famous modern artist.

There are many her`s artifacts, statue, objects,and pictuers. She likes pumpkin motive and dots. Many years ago, I went to the museum, and watched them. I felt her arts were very strange. It was not so beautiful. But many people like her art. About 8 years ago, our family went to Paris, and we looked her art at Louis Vuitton`s window. It collaborated with her. It wasn`t beautiful, but very modern. Her exhbition is very popular all over the world. There are red dots bus in Matsumoto city, it was her idea.

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Meeting my pen pal for the first time - Misuzu

An informal e-mail to a family member, describing your internet pen friend after meeting them for the first time. Can you guess which pen pal each student has written about?

From Misuzu
To Honoka

Internet pen pal

I met her last Sunday. She was a nice woman. She has an oval face, black curly shoulder length hair big nose full lips and round brown eyes. She and I talked about books for a long time. She knows many books especialy mysteries. We didn't have enough time to talk.
I think we're going to get on.

A student draws Madame La Knife

She was tall and slim, but you could see she was very strong. Her blonde hair was very short. Her thin eyebrows sat over small, snake-like eyes. Her nose was straight and her lips thin, and her smile was always cold and cruel. She wore high heels, a straight skirt and a black jacket that had ten large metal buttons. Her right hand held the famous knife/ It was long, sharp and dripping with blood.

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Picture Puzzle - Gangsters in Japan

My town is very peaceful. I`ve never locked the door of my house in day time. When I was young, I lived near Nagaya city. There were rice fields. It looks like peaceful, but that town was more dangerous than my town. I lived girls dormitory, there was a gangster`s boss`s house near the dormitory. It looks like common Japanese house, but Young gangsters came his house night time. His car changed every month, that was always imported car.

One day there were many police officers near my dormitory. We didn`t know what happened. That night, we watched TV news, we knew the reason. A murder run away near my town. He killed a man by a gun and robbed his car. We locked every doors and windows, checked again and again. We never walked outside night time till he was arrested. Two or three days after, the murder was arrested, we got ordinary life.

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Story telling in the future tense - Predicting Josh's future

As a final writing task after practising using 'will' & 'going to' for future predictions, I set up a creative writing task to make predictions about the futures of 4 high school friends, using the visual prompts on the worksheet to help them generate ideas. Do you agree with the examples of 'will' & 'going to' in these texts?

Josh's future:

Josh is going to drop out of high school because he deside to become musician. Soon, he is going to become a street musician and work part time job. But his song won't popular, he will be depressed.

3 years later he is going to work in a music shop. He is going to work hard and hard, he is going to the top of the music shop.

He is going to be a little rich man, so he is going to try to be a musician again. He is going to compose and play by YouTube.

One day his music video is going to popular. He will be happy. He is going to quit the music shop. He will have ambition to become famous musician.

Posted for Misuzu

The Phantom of the Opera - A letter from the Phantom

I loved flowers, trees, birds, and all beautiful things in the world.But I couldn`t see them under the sun. People was afraid me, pointed me, and said.``He is a monster``I hated all of people. But Christine was different. She wasn`t afraid me. I wanted to stay with her. When taught her songs, I was very happy. I wanted to walk with her under the sun if I can. But I couldn`t, so I never leave her. I decided to live under the Opera House with her. Her voice was too beautiful. She is a singer. She is a great singer. I wanted to popularize her voice. That was a mistake. I love her. I love her.

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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.

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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"

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The Three Musketeers - England vs France

There were many wars England and France in the middle age. I`m interested in many queens battle. Eleanor of Aquitaine divorced from Louis VII, after she was married with Henry II. That was of the war, England against France. She had huge land in France. Her sons and France fought each other. Isabel of France killed her husband, Edward II with her lover. But her lover was killed and she was confined by her son, Edwad III. Then he demanded the claim of French King. It was the beginning of one hundred war. The end of one hundred war, there was rose war in England. Margaret Anjou fought against York family. She was very strong woman. She run away with mad husband and children, but they were killed by York. There were no strong woman in the middle age of Japan.Why so many powerful queens appeared? I want to read many England history books.

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After-reading - A famous kidnapping story

The famous kidnapping case is Guriko Morinaga case. It was happened 18th March 1984. The boss of Ezakiguriko company was kidnapped in his house. He was with his children in the bathroom,but they kidnapped only him. They demanded 10billion yen and 10kg gold bars to his family. But 3 days after, he was released. He had no damages.

After that, they threaterned the Guriko company. They send confection with patassium cyanide, they demanded much money. They changed the target. They threaterned many food companies, Morinaga, House, Marudai, over one year. They made themselves Known Kaijin 21 mensou. A lot of things were left behind. But it was unsolved. No one arrested.

Another story, the photo was showed us. It was alike suspect. It was similar my high school history teacher.

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Musically inspired postcards - Misuzu

Dear Damian

I am holiday now. I am staying Hawaii. I am lying on the sea side and looking the festival. Everyone's dancing.  girl is running to a boy with flowers.

I am very happy when I watch them.

See you soon

Misuzu

After-reading - Eastern Europe in the 1950s

In the 1950's in Eastern Europe was dark age. It was communism government. There was a secret police. There were spies all over the country. If someone said "communism was not good" we were arrested by secret police. The seacret police and spies were our neighbor, our friends, our teacher. They didn't have free in the 1950's.

Western Europe and American culture were bad culture. Jazz, rock, they were tipical of rotten Western culture. They couldn't listen Western music. If they want to listen to Jazz. They dealed at black marcket and listen very quietly sound.

They couldn't talk by telephone freely. The secret police listened their conversation. It was bugging! If they send letter to Westrns, it would be opened by secret police. It was terrible age. There was no freedom. It is just like North Korea now.

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After reading - a short history of religion in Japan

There are 8 million gods in Japan long long ago. For example, there is a god in the river, forest, and

mountain. The ancient people believed those natural gods in Japan.

The middle of six century, the buddhism came from Korea. The religion war happened with Mononobe and the Imperial Court. It was the first religion war of the Japanese history.

Mononobe supported traditional Japanese gods, the Imperial Court supported the Buddhism. At the end the Imperial Court won. But Japanese traditional gods never died out. The Imperial Court supported Buddhism and Japanese gods.

After that, Buddhism had many religion. They never had big troble with each Buddhism religion.

But 19 century, revolution happened in Japan, new government commanded Buddhism change to godist. After that, Japanese emperor is living god till the world II war finished.

Now, Japanese family have a 'Kamidana' and a 'Butsudan'. Kamidana is godist, Butsudan is Buddhism.

Both religion have been staying in Japanese people now. It is very rare case all over the world. Japanese love ambiguity. I think that both religion suit Japanese.

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After reading - a trip to England

I visited England about 20 years old with my husband. First we went to London, next day we went to lake district.

When we stayed B and B in the lake district we walked around the lake, town, and country side. There were very beautiful gardens and flowers.

Then we went to York. We went York cathedral. There is a helitage under the cathedral!

I can't forget the pizza!! We ate the pizza in York old street. It was wonderful! It was the best pizza in my life!

We walked around the Roman wall of York. So we came back to London and watched London town shopping Bond Street, and New Bond street is very exciting! Because there are many brand shops! (But I don;t have enough money)

My daughter is going to go to England 2 years later. I want to she enjoy and study many things of England.

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Remember remember, the menu of November

I realize we are already into December, but due to a bi-monthly class I haven't been able to share this work until now. With many festivities and celebrations occurring over the months of November and December, there has been a running theme where we have touched on Halloween, Guy Fawkes Day, Christmas to name but a few.

Japanese people tend to be big on food, so I was expecting great things from my class when I asked them to design a night time menu to go along with while watching fireworks on Bonfire Night. Definitely beats a jacket potato or a greasy burger!

Yoko's selection

Reiko's hearty menu

Misuzu' has her priorities right, hot wine only!

Misako's comfort food

Love or Money - Your favourite characters

Molly Clarkson lived in the country near Cambridge. The Clarkson family had a big old house with a beautiful garden. She was fifty years old and was very rich. But She has some troubles to life. It was her fiftieth birthday.She was having a small party. only four people .Her daughter Jackie and Diana,her sun Roger.and her sister`s hasband Albert. So She ws killd by Jackie. Because Jackie loved Tom Briggs .But she hate him. She thought about Jackie, and she said `No` to marrige. But...I think Molly was very sad. She was difficult to understand for Jackie.

Sergeant Faster aws detective. He was a very tall young man with black hair and a nice smile. He was not very happy this morning because he usually played tennis on Sunday morning. He was one of the best players at Cambridge Tennis Club. The day was Sunday, Molly was killd. Detective Inspector Walsh and he found to killer on Monday. Killer was Molly`s daughter. Next Sunday he wanted to nothing affair.

Posted for Misuzu

Creative writing - "You"

Creative writing exercises provide a scope for thinking outside the box and coming up with some fantastic imagery, as the following poems will demonstrate!
The poems are based on individuals that we either love or hate, titled "You", and the parameters of the poem was to describe them under random topics such as a kind of food, a means of transport, an article of clothing, and so on, combined with a fitting adjective. Let me know what poems/imagery/similes you enjoyed reading!

You are a tough meat.

You are a strong gale.

You are an old fixed big desk.

You are a reckless riding horse.

You are an old moth-eaten shirt.

You are a creaky staircase.

You are sludgy brown.

You are boiling end of June.

Misako

You are like a sweet and milky melon.

You are sometimes typhoon and always the sun.

You are sometimes broken wardrobe.

You are sometimes uncontrollable dumper truck and sometimes slowly turtle.

You are a warm mitten.

You are the bright lamp light.

You are always a soft pink and sometimes dark blue.

You are peaceful and mild May.

Reiko

You are a bad smell blue cheese.

You are heavy lightning.

You are over decorated chair.

You are a big limozin car driving big American road.

You are always thin under wear.

You are a golden lion shape door knocker.

You are too shiny orange.

You are crazy hot August.

Misuzu

You are strong straight wiskey.

You are clear blue sky.

You are a heavy table.

You are a damaged old bicycle.

You are a heavy warm coat.

You are a strong roof.

You are deep green like a turtle.

You are warm the beginning of spring.

Yoko

A time to travel - Palace of Versailles

Palace of Versailles - it's massive!

I have used a magic watch to travel to the Versailles Palace in 1780.
I want to see beautiful dress and if it will be possible, I want to sleep in the Marie Antoinette's bed.
Someone find out me, I turn on magic watch!

Misuzu

Fantasy creatures – a dwarf’s diary

English: dwarf  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today I mined for gems. I got a big diamond, rubies and sapphires. It is maybe 3 carat diamond.

I went Shimosato’s house, there were milk and bread. So I cleaned the house. There were many rubbishes. How dirty house! But I got a big diamond. I was very happy I work very well today.

I wish there will be much more milk and bread Shimosato’s house!