After reading - England

Dear mother,

How are you?
I’m writing this in the U.K.! I’m going to stay for a week there.

I will stay in Liverpool today. I’m going to take a walk Mathew Street tomorrow. It is known the home of the Beatles. I want to take a walk there while listening to their songs and go to The cavern club, where they played music at that time. Now, it is a fun place for us to enjoy the Beatles and rock lovers.

On the third day, I’ll go to Chester to see the Rows and Chester cathedral. After that, I’ll ride a narrow boat on the Pontekasaste aqueduct

I’ll stay in London for the remaining four days. I’ll visit the British Museum, the world heritage site, Westminster Abbey and Cath Kidston store in Piccadilly Circus. The store is one of the largest in the U.K.

I’ll buy souvenirs which I can only do there, so please tell me if you want me to buy something.
I’m looking forward to seeing you in Japan again.

Lots of love,

Momoko

My first journey with my first passport

Picture of Foro Romano 

My first journey with my first passport was a trip to Italy with my friend Kaori three years ago. We stayed in Rome for three days. We could not find where to eat on the first day, but eventually we ate dinner at restaurant run by Japanese. I felt relieved when I heard Japanese language.

On the second day we went to the Colosseum and Foro Romano, which is an ancient Roman ruin near the Colosseum. It is a place where you can feel the civilization which was established about 2,000 years ago.

In the evening we went to the Trevi Fountain which is famous for the movie “Roman Holiday”. There is a legend that you can return to Rome by throwing a coin in the fountain. We threw a coin with a wish.

On the third day we visited the Vatican Museum in the Vatican City. Among the many works of art, I was mostly impressed with the sculptures. They are made of stone, but they seem alive.

Momoko

Letter for Mr. and Mrs. Walsh

Matty Doolin

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Walsh,

It has been 6 months since our son, Matty started working on your farm. Hope he works hard and to be a good farmer.

When we allow him to go camping with his friends, it’s because we felt sorry for him due to death of his dearest dog. We thought we could forget his painful memory after spending holiday for camping in the field and he would work in the town like his father.
When you called us that Matty was rescued on the mountain while storming and raining heavily, we rushed to go to your house. On the way to your house, we decided one thing, that we would allow him everything he want to do if he was fine.

Now we think it was the goods decision for him to work on the farm. We much appreciate for both of your love for our sun from the bottom of our heart.

Sincerely yours,

Frank and Jenny Doolin

Toyota Motor Company & Toyota City

Yuto's Powerpoint homework project

C. W. Nicol - After reading of England

A famous English person is living in Nagano. He is Clive William Nicol and is called as “C.W.Nicol” in Japan. In the nineteen-eighties, he loved beautiful woodland of Japan, but was despaired the cutting of old growth forests in Japan to make golf courses and ski slopes etc.
With a shocked eye at Afan Argoed Forest Park in Glamorganshire, South Wales, he started his activity to come back the woodland to life with healthy diversity. Light reaches the ground, trees are good bearer, flowers blooms, insects come, bird species increase, 29 endangered species are kept in his owned “Afan forest”. He doesn’t do this activity to earn money, and he is showing natural life forms and eco-tourism which is income-producing sightseeing without destroying any woodland. By repeating this successful activity, we can keep woodland in the future.
From now, I will tell you what he saw at Afan Argoed Forest Park. In 1985, he got a notice from a scientist of employ of the Welsh country and he asked what species of Japanese trees would flourish in the ground and climate of South Wales to make a Japanese woodland park inside his employed park. Nicol surprised that request because he knew in his early experience that that area was covered with slag and the river was black with coal dust and pollutants. When he returned to Wales, he was very shocked that the valley was green with trees and the river flowed clear water by big efforts of the local people and some organizations.
By this good shock, he decided to come back the woodland in Japan to life with healthy diversity. He loves the beautiful woodland in Wales and United Kingdom and Afan Argoed Forest Park in Wales and Afan Forest in Nagano are sharing their experiences and challenges each other to keep forest.

My best friend!

Hana

My best friend’s name is Hana.

She is 1m 29cm tall. 

She has short dark straight hair and brown eyes.

She likes tennis and chasing boys.

Posted for Nanaha (9)

Postcard from...Mr. & Mrs. Miyazaki

There's nowhere else I want to be...

Dear Luna family,

I hope that you are all keeping well, and looking forward to the weather warming up.

It has been a few weeks since I started my new teaching role in Akasaka, Tokyo. It is an exciting new chapter for myself, and my family. Thank you for all the kindness you showed me before my departure. I will forever cherish the memories I shared with each & every one of you. Which leads me on to some very special news that we would like to share with you all. Rumi, who has been my loving partner for the last 2.5 years, and I got married on March 7th. We are now Mr. & Mrs. Miyazaki. We also have another little bundle of joy to share. Rumi & I are expecting an addition to our family on July 31st. We are not sure whether the baby is a boy or a girl yet, but in the meantime we've given the nickname "Kimi-chan" until we decide on a final name. Any suggestions are welcome of course!

With lots of love, Damian, Rumi & Kimi-chan

My Dream Holiday

I would like to go to Australia. I can go with plane. I want to go to Wollongong in Australia. I can see my cousins. My cousins names are Joe, Louie, Fred and Charlie. I can play football with my best friends.

I want to make snacks with my aunt. Australia is very fun place. Do you want to go to Australia?


Posted for Eleanor.

Where would you like to go with friends?

You must go to Iowa City in America. You can go to America by aeroplane, and you can see American football. You can get to a stadium by car. In Iowa it has a big park!! You can play with friends ♡
In Iowa it has a shopping mall. You can skate and ride on a merry go round, and you can go to library. It has lots of books. It had Japanese books too.

When you come to America you must bring a water or juice. Have fun :-)


Posted for Nanako.

Going to work abroad: an exciting opportunity or a scary one?

I think recently young Japanese people who want to go abroad are decrease from before. They are afraid of something different from their ordinary life and getting in something dangerous. Most of them didn't want to have any big risks or make challenges.

Going abroad and living there has a lot of advantages. The main advantage is that you can see and experience different cultures and some new opinions. For example, they have a different habit to eat food, drink, recipes. Maybe there are many strange or surprising experiences. But, that's the reason why you should have go abroad.

Of course, there are some disadvantages. If you're in a foreign country, it will be hard to get some help from your family or your friends. And hard to give some help for them, of course.

It takes time to understand everything about another countries, but it makes you growing up.


Posted for Naoko.

Being a celebrity: a dream or a nightmare?

A dream of children is to be a celebrity in the future. For example, boys want to be a baseball player or a soccer player, and girls want to be an actress or a pianist. They want to succeed and be celebrities.

The advantages of being a celebrity are they can be self-confident and satisfied. In addition, they can have more possibility to have good friends, a nice house and a good life.

Although there are some disadvantages as well. It would be difficult to have privacy. Because of SNS, it is more difficult than before. They have to think everybody is a spy. In addition, people want to ask them many things. For example, donations, rent money or to introduce friends. Sometimes they are in trouble. However, it is still a dream to be a celebrity. The life is only once. It is a pity to regret not doing the work for a dream, and it is worth it to make an effort to be a celebrity.

To sum up, working hard for the dream is making the life fruitful.


Posted for Yasumi.

Dear,all.

I write about my five-days trip to Scotland.


Days 1, I visited the Stirling Castle. It is a castle stands on beautiful highlands and it is surrounded by eruptive rocks. Therefore, This was built to escape from enemies. It’s a famous historic building. I like historical structures.

Days 2, I visited Loch Ness. The largest freshwater lake in England. A monster that is said to live in Loch Ness is called Nessie. I hope I could see it. But I couldn't on that day.

Days 3 and 5, I stayed on Isle of Skye. An island of northwestern Scotland. It is called “sgiath” in gaelic. This means wing of island.
Isle of Skye has Dunvegan castle and Eilean Donan castle, and even the fairy pool as if it is illustrated in a fairy tale.


I usually drink Suntory whiskey but I enjoyed Scottish whiskey in Talisker distillery on the last day. But I got drunk easily, so I could drink a little bit of that.


Thank you for reading.

Postcard from...Phuket, Thailand

Phuket

Hello Jim-sensei!

I'm in Phuket in Thailand with my family.

The weather is very nice everyday, so we can enjoy the pool, sea, and beer!

I do not want to be back to Japan!

Best regards,

Ai

Japanese mums work too much - After reading of JAPAN

Japanese working mum is very busy every day, especially mum with kindergarten or elementary school age children is. Japanese women desire to share of child rearing and housework with their husband. But, their husbands do not go back home early and Japanese women need to all tasks by herself.
Japanese men are not fully aware that they should do all the child rearing and housework.
I personally think that it was caused that old Japanese family divided wife/husband or mother/father’s responsibility. Thus, a lot of older people and their son may become dependent on young mums. And young mums may think that mums should do everything right/perfectly as her mother did though young mums work.
Now Japan government proceeds with the Realization of Work Style Reform. I already realized my work style reform and changed my mind to taking care of my nephew and usually leave at the fixing time after finish my tasks. I strongly suggest all workers to prioritize and control the tasks efficiently before ever with aim of leaving at the fixed time and to take paid holiday more. The people can enjoy hobby and relax, and can do the child rearing and housework after the hours and during paid holiday. Please give Japanese mums rest more.

The place where I can most concentrate

When I was a child, I used to study in living room while my family was watching TV or talking. After growing up, when I was university student, I used to go to casual restaurant like a Gusto, Denny’s and do homework and study assignments with my friend or alone. Now I am an officer but still go to casual restaurant and do homework when I have it. My favorite place is Komeda coffee. I can concentrate to study while listening people talking or BGM of the restaurant. And it is also necessary to have some drinks when I concentrate doing something. If I have to think about something difficult or complicated, I always prepare a cup of coffee and start thinking. Sometimes I have some sweets if I felt tired. The best time of working is after 5pm when most people went home because anyone don’t ask or talk to me.

Postcard from Fukuoka

Dear Laura, Yukari and Hirokatsu

I'm on my holiday in Fukuoka and Nagasaki Prefecture, it's fine weather.

Today, I went to "Gunkanjima" in Nagasaki Prefecture. Known as Gunkanjima, Hashima is an island that once flourished in the coal industry. It was registered as a World Heritage site in 2015. It's a shame that what used to prosper is going away.

I can't say in a word, I felt I can't say anything. It's a place I want you to go to everyone. I'm enjoying everyday.

See you next week,

Chikako

My important days

The important three days for me are March 26^th, September 20^th and November 28^th.

March 26^th is my birthday.  It is coming soon!  Recently, my daughter is good at singing “Happy Birthday”, so I am looking forward to hearing her song.  In the meantime, I present my mother with a bouquet to give thanks to her on the date every year.  I am going to do that this year.

September 20^th is my daughter’s birthday.  The due date was October 8th, but she was born 18 days earlier than the due date.  She was smaller than other babies, but she is now bigger (heavier, not taller) than other kids!

November 28^th is my wedding anniversary.  My husband and I got married 3 years ago, but we have not done the special thing on the date.  We went to Hawaii for our honeymoon, so our dream is go to Hawaii again when our daughter became 20 years old.

Good evening to Jim sensei from Bangkok.
I wore a  coat yesterday and I am now wearing short sleeve shirt.
People serve me hot tea with lots of sugar, and feed me extraordinary spicy food!
My stomach burns and feel so hot outside, that’s for sure.
But weirdly I stop sweating while and little after having a hot cup of tea!!

Anyways, I arrived Bangkok at 5:30 and I am still working.
Nice cute reserved seat for people in need relaxes me. Hot but warm country.

Will send you another from Manila next week.

Manabu

The Shinano River

Japanese Crested Ibis

The River Shinano is in Japan.

It's the longest river in Japan. It's about 367 kilometers long. It has more than 1,100 species of plant and fifty-five fish. Ducks, Cranes and Ibis live on the River Shinano.

People need the river because it produces 2,618 megawatts of hydroelectric power.

By Ayumi

Postcard from Hong Kong

Dear Laura, Yukari, Chikako,

I'm coming to Hong Kong now. It's a bit cold in the rain today. I will go to Shenzhen in China now!

I am looking forward to see you next week.

PS. I did my homework!! :)

Hirokatsu