Monday, March 21, 2011

Is Smoking Bad for Society?

By Irasema Tirado

Nowadays, people are not allowed to smoke in public places or office buildings. The people who smoke disagree with this new law. But the people who don’t smoke are happy about it. Is this fair for people who smoke? Are we being discriminatory? Are we right allowing this law? I personally don’t smoke and I think there are several reasons why people should not smoke in public places: health, pollution, and fire hazards.

Many people know that smoking is the cause of many diseases but even knowing the consequences they still do it. I don’t disrespect the people that smoke, but I don’t agree with them making the decision for us. They don’t have the right to smoke in front of people that don’t want to smoke. They put our health at risk, even when they are the ones smoking; we are the second hand smokers.

People who smoke do not imagine how bad the smoke is for the environment: the smoke that they produce affects the air that everybody breathes, the land by littering the cigarette butts on the ground. The remaining butts left on the ground will take approximately take 25-26 years to decompose. The same butts end up in rivers or lakes and fishes and other water animals eat these butts by mistake, resulting in their death.

During dry seasons, cigarette butts can even cause major fire. A small cigarette butt seems pretty harmless, but it can start a huge fire under the right conditions. The people that throw the butts from the car windows or on the streets should know that by doing this they are not just littering but they may be the cause of many fires affecting environment.

Smoking is harmful not only to smokers but also to those who live or work with them. I think the law about not allowing them to smoke in public places is the best law for them. I wish they accept the law and respect it too. I live in Canada and for me is the cleanest and nicest place I have ever been starting because I can be free of smoke in every public place. I don’t discriminate against smokers but I don’t think is fear for other people to be affected by them. Smoking is not the best after all.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

A High School Trip

By Keiko Oshima

The high school trip was one of the fun days of my life. I went to Okinawa. There was the beautiful sea and good food.

First, I went to an aquarium. It is a very famous place in Japan. There are many fish. I saw a shark and a dolphin. The dolphin was very cute. Next, I visited Shuri Castle. It is a big red castle. After I arrived at the castle, I ate lunch.

I spent an enjoyable time in Okinawa. I weill never forget this memory.

The Most Exciting Sport

By Dicky Lai

In my opinion, soccer is the most exciting sport. I think most people like soccer because soccer games make people feel excited. When the World Cup starts, many people watch the games at night. They invite their friends to watch together, or they go to the pub. Thjey can watch the games with different poeple, and they can make new friends.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

How to Make New Friends

By Austin Ao

There are several ways to make new friends. If you want to make new friends, you should follow these steps.

First, you should smile at everyone. It makes you seem friendly. Second, you should greet everyone. Thirdly, you help somebody when you can. Finally, you can try to get someone to hang out with you.

If you follow these steps, I believe you might have many new frends as soon as possible.

Two Heads are Better than One

By Anna Kim

The expression, "Two heads are better than one" is usually true. When I have hardship, I ask a friend, family, or somebody. Sometimes they give me some good ideas, and I solve a problem easily. If I decide by myself, it will be laborious. Maybe I think everybody is the same. Since it is so, we live in harmony.

About Me

By Kingsley Chan

I was born in Shenzhen, China, on September 4, 1990. I went to an elementary school on September 1, 1997. I went to a junior high school in Shanghai on September 1, 2003. I went to a junior high school in Shenzhen on September 1, 2006. I went to a high school on September 1, 2008. I went to a college in Fort St. John, Canada, on January 4, 2011. I was a college student in 2011.

Monday, March 7, 2011

The Qualities of a Good Friend

By Maki Wakabayashi

There are several qualities of a good friend. First of all, I can rely on friends. Second, I can make them happy, and they make me happy. Third, we can laugh a lot together. Fourth, I feel easy to talk a lot. Fifth, I always feel funny. Finally, I alway feel comfortable.

My Bedroom Reflects My Personality

By Marino Tomie

My bedroom reflects my personality. I live in my room so my lifestyle can be seen.

My room has four characteristics. First, my room isn't messy. Before going out, I always clean my room. I don't like a mess. Second, my room has white walls. I like white. Most of my miscellaneous goods and clothes are white. Third, my furniture color is the same. I like the unification. Fourth, a flower vase is in my room. I like flowers. It changes the atmosphere. I'm happy to live in my favorite room. My favorite things reflect me.

A Busy Day

By Shiho Furuyone

February 6, 2011 was one of the busiest days of my life. First, I drove to Kansai airport at 10:30 after I ate breakfast. Second, the plane took off to Tokyo at 14:00 after I ate lunch. I arrived at Tokyo at 16:00. Next the plane took off to Vancouver at 19:00 after I ate supper. I arrived at Vancouver the next day at 14:00. Finally, the plane took off to Fort St. John at 19:00. I arrived there at 20:30 , and I met my host family.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

The Qualities of Good Neighbors

By Sayaka Tanaka

There are four qualities of good neighbors. First, they should be funny. Secondly, they should be kindness. Next, they should be considerate. Most importantly, they should be friendly.

My Favourite Season

By Mutsumi Ishimizu

Summer is my favourite season because there are many things which can be done only in the summer season. First of all, there is saimen and re-men which are cool noodles. And I eat lots of ice cream and cold drinks. They cool me down. Second, I can see many sunflowers in a field and sumer vegetables are very rich: tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines, corn, okra, and moroheias. Finally, I can swim in a river or see a fireworks festival and go camping. We can enjoy summer.

My Family and My Future

By Yuka Nakagawa

I have my father, mother, and brother in my family. My father is strict and when he gets angry, I feel so scared. He likes cars so he is familiar with them. He knows a lot of kinds of cars. My mother is kind. She likes reading books. She always borrows books from a library. My brother is not kind to me because when he goes back to our house, he always bullies me.

My father is a civil servant and works in Osaka. He cleans rivers. He goes to his work on Monday to Friday. Saturday and Sunday are his holidays. My mother is a housewife. She is a very good cook. She always makes us delicious food. She also makes sweets. I am happy that I can eat delicious food every day. My brother is a sales person in a bike shop. He lives in Toyama, so he is independent of his parents.

I don’t have detailed plans for my future. However, I like talking with people and taking care of children. So I want to work with children. For example, I want to teach children English. I’m also interested in work concerned with service because I worked at an ice cream shop in Japan. Working there was very fun. I enjoyed talking with customers. When customers said “Thank you” to me, I felt happy. What should I say? Whatever happened, when customers said “Thank you,” I always could be happy. I think service fits me.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Summary: A Whale of a Wheel

By Irasema Tirado

In “A Whale of a Wheel.” the author talks about the World’s Fair and the invention of the Ferris wheel. He tells us that in 1889 France hosted the first exotic and glamorous world’s Fair. Years later Chicago, Illinois, did the same. The architect Daniel Burnham was in charge of the World’s Fair in Chicago. The author talks about how the engineer Gale Ferris gave to Daniel a proposal to build a gigantic wheel, which consisted of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, by gravity, the same one that architect Daniel Burnham said no to at the beginning because he thought it was unsafe and would defy the laws of physics. Ferris found a way to convince Daniel, by revising with other engineers the drafts of the proposal, and demonstrating to Daniel that the gigantic wheel was possible, and that it would be amazing to have one in his World’s Fair. Daniel finally accepted the proposal and by December 1892, the construction began on a successful Ferris Wheel constructed by Gale Ferris, same one that after many years is still the principal entertainment in fairs all over the world.

My City, Osaka, Japan

By Miyuki Nakamura

I live in Osaka, Japan. Osaka is one of the main cities in Japan, so there are many shopping centers, amusement parks, and delicious foods. I enjoy spending my time in Osaka.


There is a beautiful castle in Osaka, which is called the Osaka Castle. I think it is the most famous in Osaka. It was built by Hideyoshi Toyotomi in 1583. Hideyoshi Toyotomi was the most powerful person in those days. He spent a lot of money to build the castle, so it is so gorgeous. Especially, Osaka Castle looks like shining in sunny day because of the sunlight. Many people would be overwhelmed by the castle. Moreover, now there is a large park around the castle, so many people play sports, take a walk, and so on in the park. Even now, Osaka Castle is loved by many people. It was a symbol of Hideyoshi Toyotomi’s power in the past, but it is a symbol of Osaka now.

Osaka is a wonderful city, so I recommend to you to go to Osaka. I want many people to visit Osaka nad realize how great the city is.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Summary of "Politics as Susual"

By Irasema Tirado

In “Politics As Usual” by Diana Childress, the author talks about the politician Franklin Roosevelt. She tells us that in 1921, when Roosevelt was just thirty-nine-years old, he got the disease of polio. She mentions how optimistic he was through this disease and how the family and friends tried to help him during his time in politics. When he was recovering, Childress said that he thought of avoiding everything that had to do with politics, just because he thought that he would never be able to recover and even when he didn’t recover fully he never quit. Thanks to that, he was a major triumph for himself and for disabled people in the world.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

TOEFL Topic 97: Paying Teachers According to How Much Students Learn

By Jaisung Yoon

Topic 97: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Teachers should be paid according to how much their students learn. Give specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.


February 8, 2011

A teacher plays a very important role in a student’s life. This is because a teacher teaches students not only school subjects but also valuable lessons for their lives. The question is whether or not teachers should be paid according to how much their students learn. In my opinion, teachers should not be paid based on how much their students learn because students’ understanding depends on their effort and such a system can possibly inhibit (stand in the way of) teacher development.

To begin with, although a good teacher and a good lecture are essential to improving students’ understanding, how much students learn depends on how hard students study. A competent teacher can help his students understand well and get good grades. However, even though a teacher may teach well, if some students are not interested in his class, they will get low grades. From my personal experience of taking a lot of classes, I can say that my efforts were more important than what teacher said. My high school was famous for mathematics, and there were a number of good math teachers. Although the math teachers gave excellent math classes, the subject was not my liking. As a result, I did not study hard and my math grades were always bad. On the other hand, I liked studying Korean, and was always eager to learn more. Consequently, my understanding of Korean has continued to improve regardless of my teachers.

Next, in order to foster good teachers, all teachers need to help each other and be treated equally. Often, a new teacher learns how to teach from other practiced teachers. However, if teachers get paid by how much their students learn, the teachers will be reluctant to share their teaching skills and some teachers who are not able to teach well will be less likely to get good advice. When my father became math teacher, he was in a lot of troubles because of his poor teaching skills. One day, he talked about his problems with a veteran teacher, and the veteran teacher gave him valuable advice and showed him how to teach better. After that, my father spent some time and money improving his teaching skills and he was able to be well-prepared for his classes. In the end, he became a trustworthy and respected teacher.

In conclusion, paying teachers according to how much students learn is counterproductive. This is because how much students learn is not fully dependent on teachers’ teaching skills, and in order to foster good teachers, all teachers need equal opportunity.

TOEFL Topic 68: Daily Homework is Necessary

By Jaisung Yoon

Topic 68: Many teachers assign homework to students every day. Do you think that daily homework is necessary for students? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

February 1, 2011

Homework plays a very important role in a student’s life. This is because homework forces a student to review his schoolwork, and makes him understand them deeply, so he has a lasting impression. The question is whether or not homework needs to be done on a daily basis. In my opinion, doing daily homework is important since it helps students get good grades and build a sense of responsibility.

To begin with, doing homework is a crucial activity to improve students’ understanding. If a student does not do his homework many times, he will not be able to keep up with his classes. By doing daily homework, students are able to go over their school subjects, understand what was covered and master it. From my personal experience of doing homework everyday, I can say that it was a huge help in improving my school grades. Doing daily homework was not easy for me at first because it took away my leisure and social time. However, when I got accustomed to doing homework everyday, I enjoyed my classes more and my grades improved.

Next, doing daily homework provides students an opportunity to become more responsible. In this competitive society, finishing work on time can be essential to holding a job, and doing homework every day can be the first step in terms of learning how to meet deadlines. When my older sister entered high school, she did not like to do her homework because that was a lot and it was too much for her. Consequently, she was not interested in her classes and could not keep up with her classmates. One day, my father found out about it, and told her that if she wanted to enjoy her classes, she should not ever skip her homework. After that, she always turned in her homework on time. Now, she is a trustworthy and successful business person, and credits doing her homework help her become successful.

In conclusion, doing daily homework is really beneficial for students. This is because it helps students get good grades at school, understand the information and ideas, and develop a sense of responsibility.

TOEFL Topic 57: The Kind of Movies I Prefer

By Jaisung Yoon

Topic 57: Some movies are serious, designed to make the audience think. Other movies are designed primarily to amuse and entertain. Which type of movie do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Some people prefer watching movies which are serious and designed to make the audience think; others like watching movies which are designed to amuse and entertain. Both movies designed to make the audience think and movies designed to amuse and entertain can be beneficial; however, I prefer watching amusing and entertaining movies because they provide more chances to help me improve the efficiency of my work and give me thoughts.

To begin with, watching movies that are designed to amuse is beneficial because it improves my efficiency. Often, when I watch the movies designed to encourage me think about a serious topic, such as a family trouble or a social issue, it will make me consider the topics of the movies as if they were my problems. As a result, I will be under stress. On the contrary, by watching the movies that are made to amuse me, I can have fun and laugh a lot. Consequently, I am able to get rid of stress and work more efficiently. From my personal experience of watching a comedy movie, The Simpsons, I can say that the film helped me relieve my stress and focus more on my work. Last summer, I was under a lot of burden from school work so I decided to watch The Simpsons to relieve the stress. While watching, I laughed a lot, and I got rid of my stress so I felt refreshed. This enabled me to get through with everything I had to do and get good grades.

Next, there is no doubt that serious movies give me a lot of things to think about; however the movies which are designed to amuse and entertain also provide me with many valuable ideas to mull over. Although comedy movies are primarily produced to entertain and to be enjoyed, they have their own messages and important lessons. I cannot remember the title of the movie; however the story was about a woman who wanted to get a job in South Korea. Even though mood of the film was very light and made me laugh a lot, in the end of the movie, I was able to get a valuable lesson: there is no gain without pain. Actually, I was also worried about my future job at that time. After watching the movie, I decided to study harder than before, and eventually, I was able to get good grades at university and get a good job.

In conclusion, I do not argue that a serious movie which is designed to make the audience think has some advantages; however, in my opinion, movies which make me smile and entertain me are much more beneficial. This is because they provide more opportunities to improve the efficiency of my work and get valuable life lessons.

The Important Things in my Life

By Irasema Tirado

Since I was a little girl, my parents taught me how important my life has to be. They told me that I should do what I like to do because the most important thing in life is happiness. Being around people that you love and that love you is a big reason for what you are going to become in your future. That’s why family is one of the important things in my life in addition, doing things that make me happy and equally important my future.

My family is the most important thing in life, because if good or bad things happened to me they are always going to be there. I like to be in touch with them, even when I’m so far from them. I like to phone them at least four times a week. Every time I’m with them I am the happiest person on earth. My husband is also my family. I love to be with him because he makes me feel secure and happy. I will love to have children with him some time.

Since I was little I have been able to do all activities I wanted. Doing things that make me really excited and happy are: school because I can be really good at it, by being responsible and dedicated. I always got the highest marks. I also love to look good which makes me a fan of makeup, clothes and beauty stuff. I like to do styles on my friends; I help my friends because I want them to look good always. They know that they can ask me for anything mostly when it’s about style. Being with my friends make me really happy. Sports are another thing that I enjoy, so I try to do them with my family and friends as often as I can.

Thinking about your future could be stressful mostly when you don’t know what you want for it, but when it is decided, you will always want to think about it, and just by thinking of it, your life will have sense and you will become really excited about it; then when you are not expecting it, you are already in it doing your goals that you thought in the past.

I can say that these are the most important things in my whole life. I am sure that for other people there are other important things. Every person is different but I think that you should always think about your future. I mean what would your life be without thinking about your future? Do you know how your future is going to be? Are you planning your future? Are you happy right now? I don’t know, but I think you should.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Learning Styles

By Quinton Chan

Did you ever study hard but still didn’t get a high score? Sometimes it is because your learning style may just not suit you at all. The way you learn and the result of your study is directly connected. However, there is no way which is good for every person. The learning style that suits your friend might not work for you. Teachers recognize that while there are many learning styles, most students are one of these three types: visual learners, auditory learners, or kinesthetic learners.

Students who belong to visual learners get the most benefit from learning by absorbing written information and taking notes because usually they are good at reading and remembering the word’s spelling. In addition, this kind of learner requires a quiet place for them to study. They need to focus so much on their problem they need to solve. Even in a lecture they have to think a while to understand it.

Unlike the visual learners, auditory learners learn mainly through listening. These students receive information mostly from listening to lectures and participating in discussions. In a group, they enjoy sharing their ideas with other people because during the process, they can review their thoughts in their mind. Furthermore, they are good at using word association to remember fact and lines. When they close their eyes, things that they’re remembering keep repeating in their mind.

The last learning style is kinesthetic learning, which refers to learning better by doing it. Students in this group need a hands-on approach because they always learn better when they are moving their bodies. According to this, many of them like sports. On the other hand, they can’t sit still for long. Studies with loud music on will be their choice always. Moreover, they are interested in lab science and role playing.

Choosing the best learning style for yourself makes study easier and more efficient. It will increase your interest in study and be a big help for you to accomplish your goal.

Monday, February 7, 2011

A Chance

By Janice Chan

If I have a chance that I could choose any time to live, I will choose the present. There are three reasons.

In the ancient time, the social status of women is low. There are many things that women cannot do. There are a lot of rules to control women. We cannot live without men. If your husband treated you badly, you could not fight for your human rights. We could not follow our thoughts. We did not have freedom and we could do nothing. We lived without our own dreams. It was more horrible than death.

The future is something that we cannot know. I think we cannot live in the future because we are the ones who build up the future. Humans must live in the moment.

The major reason is that I am very satisfied with my life. I love my family and friends. I cannot live without them and they cannot live without me. I love today’s world although there are still some problems. I am very thankful for the place where I live. It is time for me to do something for the world. I must live in the present and build our future---a peaceful, friendly world.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Planning a Weekend Trip

By Janice Chan

There are two theme parks in Hong Kong – Ocean Park and Disney. If I have spare time, I would like to go to Hong Kong and visit these theme parks on a weekend.

On the first day, I would like to spend all day in Ocean Park. I prefer to visit the lovely pandas first. At noon, after I finish my lunch, I will go to the aquarium because outside it is too hot. After that it is time to watch the sea creatures acrobatics show-dolphins, sea lions and fur seals. They are very cute. After that I would like to try some rides if I have free time.

The next day, I would like to go to the Hong Kong Disney Land-the smallest Disney in the world. I prefer to take some photos with Disney characters in the morning. At noon, there is a parade. I will go to watch a 3D movie and buy some souvenirs. There are fireworks every night and I would be glad to see that. It is a beautiful ending for my weekend trip.

Book Review: The House on the Hill

By Olga Juchnik

I’ll tell you something about his book. The name of the book is The House on the Hill. The name of the author is Elizabeth Laird. The issue date is 1986.
In a beautiful summer, Paul was finished the college and wanted to be a writer and work for a newspaper. But first he needed to rest.

One day he went down to the river and saw a young and very beautiful girl with long dark hair and she was wearing a pretty dress. Paul went up to her. Her name is Maria and she lived in the big white house on the hill.

Paul and Maria talked for a long time until it was nearly dark. And she had to go. Paul knew she was a rich girl, and he was poor. He lived in a little brown house, alone with his mother because his father was dead.

After that, Paul and Maria often met near the river and they fell in love.
On day, everything was changing after he asked her to marry him. She didn’t answer. She turned and ran away. But there were tears in her eyes. And Paul did not understand Maria.

The mistress from the big and important house was a rich old woman. She was ugly and her eyes were small and cold. She sent her servant to pick Paul up to make conversation about her daughter Maria. Paul hoped that Maria changed her mind and wanted to marry him.

But he learned Maria was going to be married soon to another man who was rich.
Maria said only, “I’m sorry. My mother is right. I don’t want to be poor. I want money, clothes, and a big car. Goodbye, Paul.”

Paul was very sad. All the time he thought about Maria. One day he saw a headline in the newspaper. “Rich man’s beautiful bride” with a picture of Maria and her husband. Paul wrote a story, “Paul and Maria,” and sent it to the newspaper for a story competition. He won first prize, and hoped Maria will see his story because he still loved her.

At the time when Paul got an envelope with the prize money at the newspaper office, the manager offered him to work for his newspaper. Paul was very surprised and agreed.

Paul learned that ugly old woman, Maria’s mother, died last week and Maria ran away from her husband. Now he should go to the funeral because they needed a report about it for the paper. It was a big funeral he wrote about it. He saw Maria standing along because everybody thought she’s a bad woman, she left her husband and killed her mother. Poor Maria, he thought.

He wanted to see Maria again, and went to her house. It was “For Sale” and looked empty. He went into the house through the window. There was nobody there and the rooms were all empty. Suddenly he heard a noise from another room. it was Maria. She answered Paul’s questions about her husband and wanted to be with Paul again. But he saw her look like her mother, hard and cold. He just said, “I don’t love you anymore. Goodbye, Maria.”

Paul left the house on the hill and walked home. He was free. Finally he met a pretty girl, Elsa. It was his cousin.

I would recommend this book because it is a nice story, easy to read and understand.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Korean Red Peppers

By Jay Lee

Most Korean food is made with red pepper powder. Korean people enjoy its taste, which is somewhat hot.

The historical root of Korean red pepper is not clear; some say it is from India or China or Japan. Korean red peppers are harvested as a vegetable in summer. During winter and spring, it is sprouted in greenhouses before being planted in fields in summer.

Unripe red peppers are green, and as time goes by, they turn red. It is not easy to gather red peppers in summer because, as the taste is very spicy, its smell is also very spicy, and it makes farmers’ hands feel very hot, too. Even if they wear work gloves, they have to struggle with fevers.

Red peppers are dried by a big drying machine; otherwise, green ones are eaten at home. Dried peppers, which turn deep red, are sent to a mill to be turned into powder. The flour can be eaten for a long time because it hardly ever spoils.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Poor Tom Higgins!

By Irasema Tirado

Tom Higgins opened a new restaurant. Unfortunately the restaurant is not doing that great as he was expecting. One of the big reasons was because he didn’t do publicity. Another reason is that he didn’t hire professional cooks. He hired two servers without a temporary contract, so one of them quit after two months. To solve these problems there are some solutions, like do advertisement, hire a professional cook, and find employees with contracts no less than six months.

Do advertisements is the most important way to attract people to your business. They should be in places where people can see them, like television or big signs outdoors, newspapers, magazines, radio, websites. These should say: what kind the food is, how great the restaurant is, where the place is, and what the good deals are, etc…

Having a professional cook says a lot. After going to the restaurant because of the advertisement, people want to know if the food is good. If the food is good, people will like to come back, and will even do more advertisement by telling other people how great it was. But if the food is not good, people won’t give any good advertisement. Instead they will tell at least 10 people that the food is bad. That’s why it is important to have a great cook with experience, because they know what they are doing.

When you are hiring somebody for a job like this, we forget how much we will need them in the future. We should be sure of who we are hiring, and for how long. It is always best to do a contract and ask them to sign at least for six months. So you have secure employees for a reasonable period of time. To receive a good service when you are in a restaurant is really important.

There is no doubt that to open a restaurant is not easy, but if you want to, you have to be prepared. If you are not ready, ask for help, or just don’t start a business because the end is going to be a disaster, and you will lose money. Remember to use the solutions offered on the points that I mentioned before and good luck in your new restaurant.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

How to Relax after a Stressful Day at Work or School

By Ayaka Tanifuji

Do you feel stress at your work or school? There is a lot of stress at my work and school. For example, at my restaurant, I have to cook many dishes beautifully and fast. If I make a mistake, I should be scolded by my boss. All the while, the orrders keep increasing. It makes me so upset. After my work, I usually feel stressed, so I need to relax. I'll introduce three ways of mine to relax.

My favorite way is exercise. I love sports. I usually go swimming after work on Sunday. Swimming is the best sport to exercise all the muscles of the body. After swimming, I can feel so comfortable. The other sport is dancing. I belong to the dance club in our university. The genre is hip-hop. I like hip-hop music; it is so much more fun for me.

The secon way to relax is taking a bath. When I soak shoulder-deep in the bath, the stiffness in my nect disappears. Sometimes I use the spa powder. It smells good and makes me so relaxed. There are so many kinds of spa powders, so you can choose your favorite flavor.

The other way is listening to music. Of course I like hip-hop music, but I also like jazz, rock, classical, and any other music. Especially classical music is relaxing. I like the beautiful sounds of the wind instruments.

As you can see, these are my ways to relax. Why don't you try them? You should try them. I hope you can feel good after trying them.

Book Report - The Black Tulip

By Shota

I introduce The Black Tulip. This book was written by Alexandre Dumas.

In 1672, the Netherlands is a dangerous place. It is a dangerous time. People are fighting in the streets.

Cornelius is a rich young man. Cornelius loves two things. He loves tulips and he loves beautiful Rosa. Rosa is the jailer.

Cornelius wants to win the prize. The prize is for the first black tulip flower in the Netherlands. But Cornelius has enemies. His enemies put him in prison. He is going to die.

However, Cornelius has some bulbs of the black tulip. Cornelius gives Rosa a bulb of the black tulip. She grows this tulip in her room. But a blooming tulip was stolen by enemies.

Finally, he was released from prison. Cornelius and Rosa got married. They got the prize money (100,000 guilders).

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

New experiences

By Saori Kaita

I had a precious time and valuable experiences in Fort St. John, Canada.
First of all, I’ll tale about college life. I thought English grammar wasn’t difficult to study for me because I’ve been studying it hard before I came here but it wasn’t true. It was very difficult to learn it in English. For example, I can explain it in Japanese. On the other hand, I can’t do it in English. So I mean that it was hard to come up with English words.

Next, Michael and Pamela are good teachers. I learned many important things from them, especially in pronunciation. It is difficult to pronounce R and L for Japanese people. I practiced it very hard.

Then, I’ll talk about my host family. My host mother’s name is Misty and her daughter’s name is Brianna. They are always kind to me at any time. Misty really likes cooking and Bri really likes playing gymnastics. I think they are busy on weekdays because Misty leaves home at 7a.m. and comes back home at 4 or 5p.m. Bri plays gymnastics from after school to 8p.m. However, they always have a smile on their face when they are talking with me.

I enjoyed playing board games, sliding, watching TV and movies, going shopping and so on. And it was a great time for me on December 6th. My friends gave me a cake, birthday card and song. Also, my host family gave me another cake. They were hiding that. I was so happy, so I shed tears. It was the greatest birthday in my life. I deeply appreciate their kindness.

Finally, I’ll talk about Fort St. John, Canada. It was too cold for me. I had never experienced over -20 degrees before I came here. My hair and eyelashes were frozen. I was so surprised and I couldn’t believe it, but I think I could experience it fortunately because I can’t do it in Japan.

Let me add a few words in conclusion. I had many great experiences her, so I want to say “Thank you very much” to my host family, teachers, friends and parents. I’ll never forget it. Many thanks.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

My Hometown

By Jin

My hometown name is WuYi Shan of FuJian, China. It is 2798 square kilometres. There are many small mountains. There are many interesting stories and historical facts, such as XiunGuang DaHongPao, the famous city XiaMen is south of my hometown and 500 kilometers from my hometown.

There are some colleges and universities in my hometown. There are many shops in the city. It's a World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site.

There are many interesting things to do and see, such as by the bamboo boat, climb mountains, Qinglong waterfall, nature park, and so on. The people of my hometown are all friendly. It is warm and humid and it seldom snows. Its average temperature is 17 degrees so it is very cool.

Book Review: The Nightmare Game

By Austin Au

I’m going to talk about a sad story, The Nightmare Game. This story talks about a sad time in Canada in 1970. In that year, the Quebec residents wanted to run their province themselves. They wanted to kick the other people out of the province. For a long time, the English Canadians ran Quebec. They ran many factories. They ran the banks. Some of the people in Quebec got angry. A few people in Quebec formed the FLQ. They wanted to make the government sit up and listen. The FLQ wanted to free Quebec.

On October 5, 1970, the FLQ kidnapped James Cross. James Cross was the British Trade Commissioner in Montreal. They demanded from the Government many things. They wanted the government to free 23 prisoners. They wanted a lot of money, and they wanted a plane to Cuba or Algeria. For sure, the government would not deal with them.

Then on October 10, Pierre Laporte was kidnapped. Pierre Laporte was a member of the Quebec government. The FLQ kidnappers made the government know again. The government might be ready to talk about freeing the 23 prisoners, but only if it was sure that James Cross and Pierre Laporte would be set free. Unfortunately, the talks broke down.

On October 16, the federal government put the Emergency War Measures Act into force. The police could now pick up anybody who might have had anything to do with the FLQ. It was the worst time for Canadians.

In the end, Pierre Laporte lost his life. James Cross lost his freedom, and the government lost a lot of support. Finally, the police closed in on the kidnappers. The FLQ knew they were cornered.

Everybody lost something in the Game. The FLQ got only one of their demands granted: the plane to Cuba.

Why did I choose this book? Because I don’t think in Canada, this peaceful place, also has some bad things that would happen at any time.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Stabalization of Nuclear Power.

By Peter Bae

Nuclear Power is so safe. I had worked at a manufacturing company for three years. This company makes Nuclear Power Plant’s equipment – auxiliary generator system, debris filter, condensate tube cleaning system, strainers and filter of variety , hangers and supports for pipe. I want to talk to you from purchasing of materials to set up of the products. I show you how to manage the products. So, I’ll introduce manufacturing, testing, and arranging of Nuclear Power Plant’s equipment.

Manufacturing is started by contracting with a customer. If we pass the price tendered from the customer, we’re starting to work on a project. First, I receive the Job Order from the business part of my company, which includes the price of the contract, the term of the contract, who my customer is, what my customer’s requirements are, what equipment I make, and so on. After the technical team draws the equipment by Computer Aided Design(CAD), and the drawing is followed by Nuclear Power Codes(NPC), the team gives the list of materials to the Purchase Team. The Purchase Team also buys all materials following by the NPC. When the materials come into the company, the Quality Assurance(QA) Team inspects that by the NPC. And then the materials are moved to the Manufacturing Team. This Team checks quality and quantity of the materials, then these are moved to the workplace for manufacturing. Workers make the equipment following by the NPC and the drawing. The QA team inspects the equipment everyday. Even if workers make mistakes on something, I don’t need to worry about it. We can find some problems when the QA Team inspects the equipment. Although we can’t find some mistakes, we will find some problems in the process of tests.

Testing is most important for identification of performance. We test differently for importance of the equipment. Tests are divided into visual, pressure, pneumatic, magnetic, ultrasonic inspection, and final tests are painting and visual inspection. When we do the test, almost all my customer’s inspectors attend to the testing place. We also do the test following by the NPC. We set the maximum value of pressure by the NPC. If we didn’t success the test, we must check specifically the equipment until we find problems. If we find some problems quickly, we test it again. If we need a lot of time to find the problems, we make an appointment with my customer when we’re going to meet. After a few days, we meet and test again. If we will pass some kinds of tests, we can move to the equipment to the next process. The next process is Painting. First, workers remove the rust by sand blasting. Second, they paint on the equipment by the NPC. We should wait for the equipment until it’s completely dried. And we will pack the product following by customer’s requirements. We ship the product to the place of shipment.

If our scope is manufacturing and testing, Arranging is the customer’s scope. So we can’t involve the equipment’s arranging, but we check the construction field day after day. Sometimes we visit the construction field to check that they’re arranging the equipment correctly and following by the NPC.

The government makes a decision to establish a Nuclear Power Plant(NPP) for increasing electric power. Many companies are involved to in manufacturing each other’s equipment for the NPP. My company is one of the companies to be able to make Nuclear Power equipment. We need a month to make equipment or sometimes we need over a year. It depends on the equipment’s importance. We should spend more lots of money and time to inspect the NPP’s equipment to compare with the other Power Plant. Because of the stabilization is connected by to people’s lives.

I explained the process of the NPP. We do inspect and test to the equipment step by step and very carefully. So, I am convinced of the stabilization of the NPP.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Causes of Heart Disease

By Irasema Tirado

Heart diseases affect so many people that it has become a serious concern for medical science. The heart is a complex organ that is vulnerable to hereditary as well as environment risks. Cardiologists think of these risk factors as either major or minor causes of heart disease. There are 5 major causes and 3 minor causes.

The first major cause of heart disease is the family history; you are at a higher risk for developing heart disease if your parent or your grandparents have had it. The second major cause is high blood pressure; this one causes the heart to work too hard and can damage arteries. The third major cause is high cholesterol levels; this is dangerous because fatty deposits build up in blood vessels. The fourth major cause is Diabetes; this one can lead to hardening of the arteries and heart attack. The last major cause of heart disease is smoking cigarettes; smokers are two or three times more likely to have a heart attack than nonsmokers.

The first minor cause of heart disease is being a type “A” personality, which means that you are easy stressed, competitive, aggressive, and intense. The second cause is having a sedentary lifestyle; this is when you don’t do enough exercise. The third and last minor cause is obesity. Obesity is a person who is extremely overweight and doesn’t have a good diet.

After knowing the major and minor causes of heart diseases the only thing we can do is avoid the facts that put in risk you heart. To lessen the risks of heart disease are: Don’t smoke. Nicotine raises your blood pressure because it causes your body to release adrenaline, which makes your blood vessels constrict and your heart beat faster. Control your blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, your doctor can suggest ways to lower it. If you're taking medicine for high blood pressure, be sure to take it just the way your doctor tells you to. Do exercise. Regular exercise can make your heart stronger and reduce your risk of heart disease. Eat a healthy diet. Add foods to your diet that are low in cholesterol and saturated fats, because your body turns saturated fats into cholesterol. Try to keep in clam. Remember that if you are aggressive, intense, stressful and competitive help to have a heart diseases.

The Macau Tower

By Elise Chan

The Macau Tower was built 9 years ago. The builder is the Gorden Moller team. It is almost 1109 feet in height. And the Macau Tower has many facilities, such as a revolving restaurant with two tiers, and exhibition and meeting facilities, and you can gamble also at machines in the Macau Tower.

Also, the Macau Tower has many recreation facilities, like bungy jumping, sky jumping, mast climb and sky walk. Bungy jumping and sky jumping are my favorite diversions at the Macau Tower.

Book Review: Girl Against the Jungle

By Anna Kim

This book is Girl Against the Jungle. The author is Monica Vincent. This story is about a girl in the jungle. It was Christmas Eve. Suzanne was with her mother at the Lima Airport in Peru. And she was aboard the plane. The plane took off and started to climb up into the sky. She looked out of the window. The sky was very dark. Then the rain started, and there was a flash of lightning. The plane started to spin. A bright yellow flame flashed out of the right wing of the plane.

She was wet and cold. “Where was I?” She could still feel her seat belt and she was still in her seat, but she wasn’t in the plane. She could see the jungle very clearly.

Suzanne’s father waited for his wife and daughter. He looked at his watch. The plane was very late. He sat close to the loudspeaker and listened carefully to the news. He heard a man’s voice: “This is the news. There have been terrible storms today. The 7:30 plane from Lima to Pucallpa took off late this morning. It crashed in the jungle this afternoon. There was 80 passengers on the plane. We are looking for the plane but we don’t know.”

He turned the radio off and he thought about his wife and his daughter. In the end, he went to bed, but he couldn’t sleep.

The rain hit her face. “I must get up and find my mother,” she thought. But she couldn’t get up.

She knows the jungle, so she was not afraid.

“Where is my mother? Where are the other passengers? Where is the plane?”
But her head felt strange and she couldn’t think clearly.
Night came suddenly.

And she woke up early the next morning and got up, but she still felt strange.
“It’s Christmas Day, and I’m in the jungle. The plane crashed, but I’m still alive.”
She thought about her home and her parents. “Dad’s waiting for us at home. I must find the way home.”

She started to walk. She took four or five steps but the world started to spin again.
“What am I going to do? I must find a river. I must not stop,” she thought.
Perhaps there were snakes or poisonous spiders under the leaves. She wasn’t afraid and she didn’t feel any pain, but she was very tired. Sometimes she saw fruit in the bushes and on the trees.

“I was a lucky girl. I am still alive. Now I must find the way home,” she thought.
Then she woke up very late the next morning. The sun was high in the sky, so she got up quickly and started to walk along the bank of the stream. She could smell dead bodies. She was afraid.

“Are all the other passengers dead?” she thought. “A, I alone in the jungle?”
She started to walk along the bank.

Suzanne’s father tried to work. He was alone. His wife and daughter were dead so he only had his work. It was eight days since the crash. Men flew over the jungle for three days but they didn’t find the plane. People can’t live in the jungle after a plane crash.

Suzanne had to lie down, so she looked for a safe place. She saw a boat in the river.

“Some hunters have come here,” she thought. “Perhaps the hunters will come back soon.”

Suddenly she heard men’s voices. “Hello!” a man shouted. “Who’s sitting there? Who are you?”

“Hello,” she said weakly. “I’ve lost my way home. I was in a plane. It crashed on Christmas Eve. I fell from the sky and now I’m trying to find Pucallpa. My father is waiting for me.”

“Come on,” said the hunters. “We must find a doctor.”

They washed her and gave her some food. Then they took her to the boat.
She was very weak and very tired. but she felt happy.

She lay between cool white sheets. Her father came into the room. He cried. And she felt tears in her eyes.

“I know,” he said, “but you’re still alive.”

“My mother really is dead,” she thought and her eyes filled with tears. For the first time sine the crash she started to cry.

A Story about a Plane Crash

By Young Dae Jang

This story is about my host father.

One September 17, 2008, Bob Burdge had a singing group. Group members are Bob, Werner, Esther, Mallory, and Brian. Simetimes, they traveled to other cities. They usually took a car or a bus, but on that day, they took an airplane. That was the third time they took the plane. Werner flew the airplane.

The singing group went to Medicine Hat, Alberta. After they performed in a show, they planned to come home. They got on the plane. The plane stayed up about 8 minutes and suddenly hit the trees and it directly crashed into the South Saskatchewan River because the right hand engine was not working.

After a few minutes, all members in the group were seriously injured by this airplane accident. The pilot, Werner, banged his face against the dash. His nose was broken and his lower lip was bleeding because of his teeth.

Mallory also banged his head against the window of the plane, and he was bleeding from his head.

Bob severely dislocated his left and right foot bones and ankles. He had to stay in the hospital for six days in Calgary, Alberta. Now he still can’t use his legs freely and had to use a wheel chair for two months.

Fortunately, all the members are ok now.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

How to Annoy Your Parents

By Mika Nakasako

Have you ever annoyed your parents? Maybe many children have done and thought how to annoy them. It is not good for you, but it is very interesting and exciting for you to do that. It means you are a bad boy or girl if you annoy your parents, but it is as necessary to do as knowing how to be polite. Trying to annoy them is educational to grow up. There are several steps involved in annoying your parents.

First, you need to break rules. It is important to obey rules, but it is easy to break them and annoy your parents. For example, you need to go to school every day and study, but you skip school or a class without permission. Then teachers worry about you, and they call your parents about your absent. Your parents will be upset that you do not go to school or a class. Moreover, you stay out beyond a closing time every time. It is very important to obey because your parents always think about you whether you are safe or not.

The next step is to behave very rudely. Screaming, shouting, acting up and so on look so crazy and strange, but these are good ways to annoy your parents. It makes them angry because they raise you not to be impolite in a society. Maybe they are disappointed in you and feel somewhat ashamed. For instant, you eat ugly when you have a meal with your parents. It makes your parents open their mouths and breathe quickly. They might think where you learn how to eat finely and who teach you how to eat beautifully. They are confused about you and have headaches. Your parents are so sad, but you are excited to do this.

Then, you should steal money from your parent’s wallet and waste money. Using money uselessly is interesting for you, but your parents feel unhappy. Many children do not often steal money, but devious children may do this. Almost all children want to get money and buy snacks or snacks whenever they want to buy it. The reason is money is important to live, and people need to know how to use it properly. Almost all parents hope their children should spend money well, so they would be distressed if you sink money in toilet.

Finally, coming back home at midnight with a noise gets them irritated more. Sometimes you should continue to have a party at your home from another party. Your friends and you continue to drink, eat and sing at midnight. Your parents would feel crazy, and they will suffer from insomnia. Your parents worry about you, and they hope you go to the right way to behave politely.

These are easy to take action. You do not need to lead a loose life, but if you are interested in annoying your parents, you should try to do these. If you follow these suggestions, you will succeed in annoying your parents. You should behave nicely and show that you are not a crazy and strange child when you succeed to do it. Then your parents will be happy about you.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Customs That Canada Needs

By: Irasema Tirado

I am a woman from Mexico and I love my customs. I moved to Canada a long time ago and I think it needs some customs from Mexico because Mexico has so many interesting and fun customs. I think those customs should be in the whole world. These are the three customs that I found most interesting: kiss on the cheek, day of the dead, and carnival.

The kiss on the cheek is one of the most beautiful customs that we can have. We use the kiss on the cheek to say hello and good bye. Most of the time people who do that are especially younger than 35 years old. This custom is in many countries already but so many people in Canada don’t have it and I think could be really interesting if we all try it.

The day of the dead is on November 2nd. It is a celebration for all the people that had died. All the families go to cemeteries and bring to dead familiars flowers, food and the favorite things that they used to like. The people pray for the family members who have died. Most of the people stay at the cemetery all day and all night. They bring their own food and music and stay there having a big party.

Carnival is a festive season which occurs right before Lent. This event comes from Roma. The best celebration is in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil but there are in other cities like Mazatlan, Mexico or Veracruz, Mexico. This event is usually during February or the beginning of March. The length of the event is about 7 days. Carnival involves a public celebration or parade with some elements of a circus, mask and public street party. We select a Queen for that day and we call her “the Queen of the Carnival.”

These are personally my favorite customs and I would like everybody to try them. I guess I have to start this with my closest friends. I would like these customs everywhere in Canada. But do Canadians want these customs? We don’t know but if we try maybe in some years it will be normal for Canadians.

The Pressures of Being a Student

By Kazuo Kawaoka

When you enter a university, how do you feel? Happy or excited? There are also some people who feel nervous, uneasy, and so on. They will have the pressure against them after they entered, and it has some influences on them. They can’t ignore what depends on their circumstances of life, some new things, and their future.

Your life condition decides your motivation for your campus life. For example, if your family were rich and let you go to university without any special purposes, you won’t feel pressure. If you were poor, your attitude to studying will be great. Your motivation and pressure are really connected to each other. Sometimes the pressure makes you a good person. In other words, you can study hard, or do your best with it.

In addition, you may feel pressure when you are compared with your brother or sister by your parents. Some parents want you to get high grades, to be intelligent the same as your brother or sister, or to study hard to hand over your father’s great job. Family situations frequently affect how much their children feel nervous, or not.

While you are going to the university, some new things to you to handle by yourself will often come to you. It’s because you have to be independent from your parents gradually. First, you should do a part-time job and earn enough money to buy almost everything you want. As you become more adult, you need more money, so it’s difficult to take care of you for your parents. Moreover, in university, you have to decide what courses or classes you take to make you way sure. You have to spend time carefully not to waste it, so you should feel pressured about it.

You also have the pressure for your future to get the job you want after the graduation. As I said above, the campus life is the most important time to decide your future way. With studying, experiences in social situations, and new challenges, finally you can find a job you want. However, today, it’s terribly difficult to get a job in Japan because many companies don’t want to hire any more freshmen for economic decline. Therefore, it really depends on your effort in university. For example, getting some kinds of license, high score in come examination, and so on. If you didn’t have anything special, it verifies that you wasted time in the campus life. The pressure will help you get a job.

Pressure sometimes makes you nervous, but, on the other hand, it makes you a better person. You can surely try or challenge better with it in your studying field.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Traveling is Fun, Educational, and Fun

By Mika Nakasako

Traveling is lots of fun, and there are some ways to be economical and educational. If you can do the things below, you can enjoy traveling more.

First, it is important to save money when you travel. Traveling needs a lot of money, so to search a cheap hotel at a safe area is necessary to enjoy. Moreover, almost all hotels do not have a breakfast, so it is a good idea to bring some meals. Especially, Japanese do not have a habit to give tips, so to escape from paying tips is the easiest way to save money. You can know which restaurant needs tips by the atmosphere.

Second, traveling is an educational experience for everyone and makes you grow up. Trying to use public transportation is interesting to know local people hapbits and systems. It is very educational for everyone to do it, and you can learn local specialities to eat local food. It is very fun to eat it, and at the same time you can communicate with local people. That is a good chance to learn about that place.

Finally, there are many fun tings in the world. An amusement park is the best place to enjoy in particular. When you go on a Ferris wheel, you can see a good view. If you ride on a roller coaster, it is difficult to enjoy seeing views, but it is very joyful to scream. In addition to tak photos makes you enjoy it more, and later you can remember that time with photos. That is a nice idea!!

These points make you trip greater, and these are not difficult for you to do. If you can do it, you will be happier.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Music

By Lin Lin

Music is really important in our life and I could not imagine our life without music. Music makes our life full of colours, such as listening to the music, playing music, and dancing with music. For me, I like to listen to the music every day, especially classic music. I downloaded a lot of classic music in my mp3 and I listen to them when I have spare time. Music makes me feel relaxed and full of emotion in my heart.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

How to Make New Japanese Friends

By Mai Shiiba

I think how to make new friends is difficult for foreigners in Japan. First, Japanese are shier than people in other countries. Second, most Japanese cannot speak English or other languages. Then, Japanese become nervous when they meet foreigners because they rarely have a chance talk to foreigners. Finally, most Japanese do not talk to foreigners. So, how to make new Japanese friends is difficult for foriegners, but most Japanese are polite and kind. So, foreigners try to talk to Japanese!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

How to Make New Friends

By Eri Takashita

I think if you want to make new friends, you should do three things. First, you should make a good impression. It is very easy. You just smile every day. Second, you should introduce yourself. For example, your name, hobby, hometown, and things you like and so on. Then you should ask about someone’s e-mail address or telephone number. Finally, you should communicate with new friends. You ask someone’s facebook ID, send e-mail or talk by telephone. If you do these three things, you can make many friends.

Monday, October 4, 2010

If I Could Live in Any Time

By Erika Tanaka

If I could live in any time, I would choose the end of the Edo era. Because I watch a Japanese drama “Ryomaden,” and I’m interested in the times. Japan has started to exchange among many countries since the times. It makes to mix other cultures into Japanese culture. I want to experience the moment. Also I would like to meet Ryoma Sakamoto, one of the revolutionaries in the times. He had foresight. Also he tried to unify Japan. That’s why I want to go the times.

How to Make New Friends

By Mika Nakasako

There are some necessities to make new friends. To make new friends makes you more energetic to live. First, you need positive characteristics. For example, these are talkative, happy, outgoing, cheerful, thoughtful and so on. It makes you fast to make new friends. If you have these personalities, people will come around you naturally. Second, you should go to new places where people gather. A party is a very good place to meet because there are many people who want to meet new people or to enjoy the time. Moreover, school is a good place, too. Through a class, you can talk with new friends, share the time and enjoy with them. It is an easy way to make new friends. Finally, you need to understand about new friends. To go into the feeling of people makes the time briefer to make new friends. When you respect one another, you are able to get special things. It is very good for you. Your new friends would be irreplaceable for your life. These things are very important to make new friends.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

My Trip to Vancouver

By Yuka Funatsu

I went to Vancouver with my friends from last Friday to this Monday. We had looked forward to going there for a long time.

First, we left from Fort St. John to Vancouver after school on Friday. We arrived there at about 6:00. So we just ate supper in an Italian restaurant, and the restaurant was very good. Because two men played the piano and drums, we could eat supper comfortably. Then we went back to the hotel and went to bed.

On the second day and the third day, we enjoyed shopping. I bought some clothes for myself, and I bought many souvenirs for my friends, my family, and my relatives. Because I bought many souvienirs, it was very hard to carry them to the hotel. We also enjoyed sightseeing by the Big Bus. There were many high buildings and a beautiful sea. A very big church was so beautiful. We also saw the Olymopic flameholder.

I didn’t know details about Vancouver until I went there. So Vancouver has many Japanese, more than FSJ. I was surprised. Moreover Vancouver was more urban than I thought.

A four day trip was too short. I have many things I wanted to do in Vancouver. I wanted to go to the sea, Stanley Park, and the church. Therefore I want to go to Vancouver with my friends again. Also, I want to take my family there.

But I could really enjoy this trip!

I Love Vancouver!

By Arisa Tsujimoto

I went to Vancouver with my friends. We went to Vancouver for the first time.

The first day, we left FSJ at 4:20 p.m. and we arrived at 5:49 p.m. After we received our luggage, we took a train to Yaletown Roundhouse station.We road a train for the first time in Canada. After we arrived at Yaletown, we searched for our hotel. We found the hotel easily. But something was happening at the front desk! We reserved a room for two, but we were five. We can't speak English very well, so we were confused. We asked my host mother for help. She was very helpful. We went to our room a long time. The hotel man brought a cot for us. We were sleeping soon, after we came to the hotel, because we were tired.

The second day, we walked to the bus stop. But we are weak in map, and we have no sense of direction. So we took so long to look for the bus stop. We rode the bus, and we went to "GASTOWN." GASTOWN has many Canadian stores. Next, we went "ROBSON ST." ROBSON ST has a lot of stores for young people and few Canadian souvenir stores. This day is just window-shopping.We also went around "Stanley Park." It has a very beautiful English Bay, a Vancouver Symbol and a wonderful garden. In the evening, we came back the hotel, we had a happening again. In our room the bathroom was broken. We called a hotel man and we repaired our bathroom.

The third day, first we went to "GASTOWN." We bought a lot of souvenirs for my family and friends. For example, I bought maple syrup, maple cookies, mitts, a muffler, moose dolls, and so on. Then we also went to "Pacific Center Mall" and "ROBSON ST." We were satisfied! In the evening, we went to a hamburger restaurant. After we came back to the hotel, I packed my clothes and souvenirs and so on in my luggage.

The final day, we left Vancouver at 10:50a.m. Our Vancouver trip was such fun!!!! I will come back again sometime :)

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Vancouver

By Mami Yoshida

Vancouver is a very nice place, but I was surprised by many things.

First of all, we needed to catch the Sky Train. We bought the tickets, and got off at the nearest hotel. We took the tickets out of our pocket. We thought we must go through the ticket gate, but we didn’t use the tickets. We were surprised because we didn’t need the tickets!

Second, we arrived at the Ramada Hotel and checked into the hotel. The desk clerk said, “You booked two people, but you’re five people, so you must give me $45 per person and each day. OK?” We just nodded our heads. I didn’t know why we booked just two people! We took a lot of time to enter the room. I leave out writing about between what the clerk said and when we entered the room because I need to have a lot of time.

In addition, the next day, we had to find the Big Bus stop, but we didn’t know where the bus stop was. So we asked many people, but everybody said different things. We must have walked a lot of time in the beating sun. I was very tired.

Next, we went shopping on Robson Street and in Gastown. There were many shops. I bought clothes and souvenirs for my friends. I bought maple syrup and maple tea, cookies, coffees, etc., a lot of maple things. Moreover, there are many Japanese people and Japanese restaurants, so I heard a lot of Japanese. In addition, I saw many, many Seven-Elevens (convenient!)—long time, no see! Japan has many Seven Elevens, too; in fact, there are many Seven Elevens around my house.

We had a lot happening, but I enjoyed Vancouver. I could see beautiful beaches, parks, and towns, and I could go shopping. If I can go to Vancouver again, I want to stay more than one week.

Monday, June 21, 2010

My Trip to Vancouver

By Rikako Yanagawa

I traveled to Vancouver on June 11th to 14th. I went there with my friends-Asuka, Arisa, Mami, and Yuka. We made a plan in April. I was looking forward to go there all along!

We went to the airport after school on the 11th. But I'm afraid of planes. I didn't want to get on the airplane. We arrived in Vancouver. After we went to the hotel, we looked for the restaurants. The next day, we rode to the Big bus. It is very big and confortable. We went around the downtown. The bus passed near English Bay, so we could watch it. The Bay is very beautiful. Many people spend wonderful time there. The view made us happy.

We got off at Gastown. It has many Canadian shops. I bought a lot of souvenirs for my friends and my family. For example, maple syrup, maple cookies, maple coffee, maple tea, and so on. It has many things of maple. I hope they will like it! And we went Robson St. It has a lot of shpos too. Yuka and I chose good ones and bought the same clothes. I want to wear them this summer! Shopping made us so happy and fun!

Besides buying the clothes, I also purchased earrings. We were very tired because we walked a long time, but we had the same feelings that were so happy. When we stayed at the hotel, we talked all the time. I love my friends. I was really happy to go to Vancouver with may friends. We had trouble the second day, but it was even fun!

I will never forget this memory of Vancouver. It is a very good experience for me. I want to go to Vancouver again one day. I will study English hard so that I will go there and enjoy more!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Why I Love Music

By Asuka Nagaura

I love listening to music very much. First of all, when I'm listening to music, I feel happy, fun, sad, and sleepy. Also, I'm reminded of my memories. In addition, most of the people love music. Probably, everybody has listened to music. Most importantly, music helps people in many ways. For example, if people are sick, music therapy can help people. Another example, when Michael Jackson made music for
Africa, people paid attention to African problems. I think that music can save the whole world. For these reasons, I love music vrey much.

Monday, June 7, 2010

If You Could Live in Any Time Period, What Would You Choose?

By Yuka Nakada

If you could live in any time period (past, present, or future),which one would you pick?

If I could live in any time period,I would pick the present. I have some reasons why I would choose the present.

First,I'm satisfied with my life now. I'm enjoying learning new things and I study English. Besides,I can know about other countries from class mates.

Second,I wouldn't be the person I am today if I didn't get through my experiences even though it was rough. I regret what I did sometimes, but I learned from my mistakes.

The most important reason is my friends. I have made great friends since I was a child. They always helped me when I had a hard time and they had great influence over me. That's why I choose the present.