Monday, December 14, 2009

The Effects of Natural Disasters

By Vincent Chan

People everywhere understand that the effects of disasters are formidable. That’s not just pecuniary loss; indeed, an intense natural disaster always involves countless sufferers and casualties. Common natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons, tornados and tsunamis are disasters which human beings have to struggle with. Environmental scientists concentrate on searching for all the data and signs to forecast disasters. Nevertheless, even though nowadays the science and technology have been improving a lot, some disasters are still unpredictable. There are three common effects from natural disasters: the collapse of buildings, pecuniary loss, and human suffering.

An earthquake or a tornado can destroy buildings. Too many people have lost their houses because those disasters happened abruptly. When a place becomes a disaster area, can you imagine what will happen afterwards? Sufferers don’t have houses to live in. They live in some temporary tents and wait for the rescue. Otherwise, rebuilding housing and buildings or even the whole disaster area will give an extremely heavy load to sufferers and the government.

Pecuniary loss is another important effect after a disaster happens. For sufferers and residents in a disaster area, they may struggle with losing their property. It is unbearable. Moreover, the national economics in that country will become a serious problem to deal with. An actual example was the earthquake that happened in Sichuan, China, in 2008. After the earthquake, many people died, roads were blocked by rock slides, no electricity and drinking water, manufactories, schools and other companies all stopped working. Those above-mentioned instances are rationales why disasters would stop the movement of a country.

Nothing can compare with the importance of casualties. While a person is covered up in building fragments but luckily he/she is still alive, there are several disadvantages that he/she is facing. That person may probably face no water, fresh air and food. Moreover, he/she may get severely injured in a building collapse; therefore, his/her life all depends on the rescue team. So now we comprehend that in a vital crisis, the faster the rescue, the higher the living rate.

In conclusion, Nature is just like a wild animal. It doesn’t have humanity. There is no cue to stop disasters from happening. If we can exactly forecast disasters in advance, or people are aware of the intense effect, the casualties from disasters will be declined to a minimum rate. We are not able to struggle with the environment. Anyhow, human lives are fragile. For this reason, knowing how to protect yourself is essential for saving your life.

Effects of Earthquakes on a City

By Yurie Ikegami

When earthquakes occurred in a city, people around the city suffer from a lot of disasters that are effects of earthquakes. For example, we had problems of stopping of traffic, lack of food and water, stopping of supply of energy when Hanshin Awaji Earthquake occurred in Japan. Due to the earthquake, numberless people suffered and died, and it was a terrible memory for Japanese, so we have to recognize what will happen as the effects of earthquakes and know the way to prepare for such a situation. Therefore, I’ll talk about the effects of earthquakes: ruin of traffic, lack of food and water, stopping of supplying of energy.

For the first effect, almost all of the traffic in the city that is influenced by the earthquake will stop. People can’t use cars and buses because the roads and highways will be broken. Trains will be stopped because the supply of electricity will be stopped. Because of the same reason, we also can’t use planes. All of them are because of the shock of the earthquake. If all transportation is stopped, we can’t go to work, school, and see our family and friends who are worrying about our safety. Therefore, we have to remember we can’t use any transportation when an earthquake occurs around our city.

For the second effect, people will lack food and water that they need. As I mentioned for the first effect, traffic and transportation will be stopped because of the shock of the earthquake, so the city will be isolated from any other cities around it. People can’t order any food from other cities. In other words, they will not have the way to carry food from other places. People will also lack water. The water department will not work when an earthquake occurs because we will have no electricity. Water pipes might be broken. People will be forced to save water as much as they can. However, even if people save a lot of water, they will lack water to live. If people lack food and water, they will suffer from starvation. Therefore, we should know that we will lack food and water when we face a big earthquake.

For the third reason, earthquakes may cause the stopping of every energy supply. Earthquakes destroy not only the road but also gas pipes under the road. It may be a cause of fire accidents because gas in the air easily catches fire. Earthquakes also make electricity stop because people can’t work when earthquakes occur, so the electricity company doesn’t work. People will lack oil, too. We can’t use any transportation, so oil tractor can’t come to supply oil. When all the oil in the oil container in the city is gone, we will lack oil. If we lack such energy, we won’t able to warm up the room and cook food. Actually, when Hanshin- Awaji earthquake occurred, it was in winter and people suffered from the cold. Therefore, we should know when earthquakes occur, we will lack all kinds of energy.

In conclusion, we can prepare some things for the effects of earthquakes. For example, we can prepare some nonperishable food that we can eat without cooking and lots of bottled water. For the other idea, we can have a portable gas ring to cook without the supply of gas or electricity. We can also prepare a few tanks of kerosene to avoid suffering from cold. You can think of your own idea to save yourself when earthquakes occur. For thinking how to save yourself from these problems, you should remember that we have problems of the stopping of traffic, lack of food and water, stopping of supply of energy as the effects of earthquakes.

Friday, December 11, 2009

The Effects of Climate on Lifestyle

By Sanae Fukuda

Today is 13° C in Tokyo. When I lived in Tokyo, I thought that it’s cold today, so I protect against cold goodly such as I worn many clothes, a mitten and a hat. However, today is -20° C in Fort St. John. This temperature is the coldest I had ever experienced, so I’m scared of this temperature. This temperature gives me many experiences. These also are not only good things, but also bad things. There are both bad and good effects of cold weather on our life style.

One is cold temperature gives me bad things. First, this temperature makes me lazy. I can’t get up in the morning because outside is still dark even at 8:00 a.m. In the summer, it was bright almost all the time. It was called Night under the midnight sun. I couldn’t sleep early due to that. In the winter, I also don’t want to go to outside. Second, when I first arrived, I hadn’t adjusted to the cold temperature yet, so I can get a cold easily. Therefore, I have to keep my body warmer than when I lived in Tokyo. Third, I have to buy special clothes that I have never worn in Japan. These clothes are expensive, so I have to spend a lot of money or else I will be freeze. Fourth, when I went to grocery stores, I thought that some vegetables are expensive. I think it has a close relation to climate because growing vegetables is very hard in this temperature. Therefore, almost all products are imported from other places. Fifth, the ground is covered with heavy snow. Therefore, transportations effect from snow. Sometimes I used a bus, but I always waited for a bus. When I was waiting for a bus in the outside, I was almost dead. Finally, this temperature destroys our environment because we always have to turn on a heater.

Another is cold temperature gives me good things. However, good things are less than bad things. First, this temperature makes strong body because when I lived in Tokyo, I always felt cold and then I had a cold easily. However, now that I have adjusted to this temperature, I have hardly had a cold since I have been staying in here. Second, I can enjoy with snow such as make a snowman, a snow angel, snow fight and so on. I want to make a house which is made of snow in this year. The best thing is that we can see the northern lights. About 2 weeks ago, I saw the northern lights. It was amazing. I think the northern lights are one of the most beautiful phenomenons of nature.

Today is December 8th. I’m still reacting to Fort St. John’s cold temperature even now. Therefore, I’m worrying about temperatures that will be colder than now. However, after I pass the winter time here, I will get a tough body. When I go back to Japan, I will wear a T-shirt even in winter time because I won’t feel cold.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

The Effects of Natural Disasters

By Gayane Ambaryan

Natural disasters, such as an earthquake, hurricane and others can have many unpredictable effects on a society, including economic, structural and even mental. Many people can be killed and lose their property. Many houses, schools and hospitals can collapse and many factories, roads and railways destroy. So there are various possible effects due to natural disasters. This essay is going to describe some of them.

The first effect of a natural disaster is economical. Earthquakes, hurricanes and other disasters strike suddenly and lead to loss of property and businesses and that can have severe long-term economic consequences. Thousands of people lose their financial resources and jobs which significantly slows down economic growth. Usually, rebuilding an economy that has been destroyed by a natural disaster takes a lot of time, resources and international financial assistance. It takes more money and time than originally expected. In some cases, especially in countries with an already poor economy, it can take more than ten years to get the economy back on track.

The next effect of a natural disaster is mental. Because disasters always happen unexpectedly, people lose not only their homes and jobs, but first of all they lose their relatives and that leaves them with psychological trauma. Emotional pain is usually hidden at the outset, but it often lingers, to emerge long after. People usually make adjustments, but for some of them it will never be the same. They will never again have what they had. Even those who try hard to put the disaster in the past and forget about it don’t usually live in quite the same way. They usually live with emotional scars the rest of their lives.

In conclusion, any kind of natural disasters can be really tremendous. They mostly occur suddenly, and people usually aren’t expecting them. Large numbers of people can become homeless and unemployed, and they can lose everything that they had. The natural disasters can have many other effects but we highlight only the two most significant ones: economical and mental. Earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, forest fires, and tornados are happening more often than ever before, and have great effects on our life.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Kinds of Dreams I Have

by Ryuka Sagawa

My mother often asks me, “What is your dream?” It’s her habit. I usually answer, “I haven’t decided yet.” Since I was a child, I have various kinds of dreams which I want to be. As I grew up, it’s hard to decide my dream because it’s not a reality but an ideal. Now, I’m 20 years old. I have to look for my regular job and I must decide which jobs match me. I still haven’t decided about a job. Below are three of my ideal dreams.

The first one is working overseas. This is the best ideal dream for me. When I was in elementary school, I went to Hawaii with my family. At the hotel desk, a Japanese woman was working there. She looked bright and her life seemed to have a sense of fulfillment there. I thought I really wanted to be like her. Now, I’m studying in Canada and I strongly suppose I want to work in foreign countries more than before. I can’t speak English well, so it’s not easy for me, but I have a possibility to do this.

The second one is working as a career woman. I have longed for this work since I was a junior-high school student because my aunt’s job is like this. This work needs a lot of intelligence and a lot of time. If I have this work, I have to sacrifice myself for the work, for example, I can’t meet with my friend or family frequently or it’s hard to have a family. However, I feel pride in this job. All my staff must respect me and I will become a necessary person for the company. Also, if I get this job, my mother may be really happy and she will be very proud of me. I want to be a dutiful person to my parents, so this work is a kind of my filial piety.

The third one is being like my mother. She is a beautician and my house is a beauty salon. When she was 20 years old, I was born. She did housework and her work at the same time. When I heard her life story so far, I really have respected her. It’s not easy to have kids for such a young lady. I can’t do like her. On the other hand, I want to spend my life like her. She looks very happy now though she had a difficult time in her twenties. She really enjoys her life. For example, buying fashionable clothes because she is young, obtaining some qualifications like a massage therapist, and falling in love with a young guy because my parents already divorced. She is getting more active as she gets older and older.

That’s why I have three types of dreams now. Anyway, I really like my mother, so I want her to be happy. I would like to live with her in the future. I don’t want to regret my decision about my future. However, I can challenge anything that I want to do because I’m young now. Therefore, the most important thing is don’t be afraid of failing. I can plan my dreams step by step and not be in a hurry.

Friends I Have Had

by jimin lee

What kinds of friends do you have? In my opinion, a friend is the most important person in our life except family. In addition, what kinds of friends you have are also important because people can change their personality by friends. I think male friends also influence female friends. Some people say men and women can’t be friends but I don’t think so. I have many male friends and I get along with them as friends. So I’d like to divide friends into gender. Of course I have male and female friends. Maybe you also have both, and like them. Sometimes we need female friends and we also need male friends. I think we need both and they make us happy. So I’ll talk about my male and female friends.

First, I have female friends. Actually I have more female friends than male friends, and my best friends are also female, because I went to girls middle and high school. When I need to chat with someone, I usually call them, and chat with them or go to a cafe. We talk about school, a boyfriend, and worries. After chatting, I can feel pleasure. Sometimes girls have some worry that they can’t tell male friends. When I need some advice about it, I tell female friends, and I can solve the problem. I have a friend with whom I have had a friendship for 16 years. As I have some worry, I always tell her. In addition, I go shopping with my female friends and I can refresh myself. However, I don’t like to go shopping with male friends. Actually it’s very uncomfortable to go shopping with male friends, because usually men don’t like to go shopping for a long time. When I go shopping with male friends, they always press me for sitting somewhere. On the other hand, as I go shopping with female friends, I can browse and compare many stores and ask them about clothes. If I ask male friends about clothes, they answer, “Good,” because they just want to go back home. So as I want to do something usually girls like, or I want to talk about girl’s problems, I usually meet female friends.

Second, I also have male friends. If you have male friends, you might know men are so cool. Even though I am a woman, I think women are so sensitive, and we have too much jealousy. If some girls are loved more or have good things like clothes, others are jealous them. However, men are not jealous of women. So as I meet male friends, I don’t need to worry about it. In addition, they are kind to women, and they don’t care about many things. So, sometimes male friends are more comfortable than female friends. I can do whatever I want. Moreover, as I have a boyfriend, I can get advice from male friends. I usually get advice from female friends, but as I have problems about a boyfriend, male friends are better than female friends because men know men. They might understand my boyfriend, but female friends can’t understand him; they just understand me. Moreover, sometimes I need help from men. In this situation, of course I call my male friends. They don’t hesitate, and help me. Sometimes just friends become a boyfriend but it’s not usual, and I think if he is a really nice guy, just friend is better than boyfriend, because we can meet for a long time.

Actually gender is not important. Personality and match with me are the most
important things, even though we need female or male friends in different cases. I have good friends who I can call or meet whenever I want, so I don’t need anything anymore. If you don’t have really good friends, first, make an effort to be a good friend to them. Maybe they will also become good friends. Don’t separate female and male; anyone can be good friends. As you have good friends, you can be happy, like me.

Monday, November 23, 2009

How to Get a Boyfriend

by Yumi Toshima


Nowadays people generally have had a boyfriend. A lot of people have good memories especially about school days. Why does everyone want a boyfriend? I think they want ease. If you find a good partner, you will have a good time. He will be a precious person. If you can keep that relationship, you may marry him. Then you can enjoy your life. By the way, what do you do to find a boy friend? Do you know how to make a good approach? If you follow these simple steps, it will help you to get a boyfriend.

First, there are many places to meet him. For example, at school, belong to the club or a part time job and so on. You can meet him at school. It will be the most popular place where people meet. Almost all students have had the boyfriend of the same school. If they are the same school students, they can be together for a long time. Some people meet the boy at the same club. If you belong to the club, you have more chances to meet him. Also many people meet him at the part time job. I heard well this case. Each person has many ways to meet him.
Next, it is important how to contact with him. The best way is meeting him directly. If you meet him directly, you can talk with him face to face and can know his feeling. It will be a great good time. But everyone is busy so it is difficult to have time for each other. Then you can contact with him easily if you send an e-mail to him. You can contact him anytime. The other way is to call him. You can’t talk with him face to face but you can hear his voice. I think that you are glad to hear his voice. There are many ways to contact him. You should contact him aggressively.

Finally, you should date him when you have a good friendship. It is good to talk at the café, park or somewhere at first. You should talk with him a lot, and will be more close to him. In addition, it is good to ask him to have lunch or dinner. It will help you to talk with him a lot. It will become a longer time to be with him. Also it is good to go theme parks. They have a lot of interesting rides. It will make you have fun. If you go there with him, you will be close to him. You will have a good time. You should go to a lot of places with him. So you can have a good relationship with him.

In conclusion, it isn’t difficult to get a boyfriend if you follow these steps. If you can get a boyfriend, you can enjoy your life more. But you don’t need to hurry. You should have a relationship slowly. Then you can have a good relationship with him. You don’t give up when you aren’t in good with him. You should talk more and keep the relationship. Then you tell him your feeling. I wish for your happiness.

How to Get a Boyfriend

By Carrie Yun

Consider the fact that November 11 is Remembrance Day in Canada, and that is Pepero day in Korea, on which Pepero cookies (in Canada, it is called Pocky) are exchanged between lovers. People who are single don’t like this season, from November to December, because when Pepero day is finished, that means that Christmas and New Year’s Day are coming. Nobody wants to spend time with just their friends in these special times. There are many people, especially girls, who want to get their sweetheart, but girls usually think it is too difficult to get a boyfriend because if a boy doesn’t ask for a date first, they don’t want to ask no matter how good he is. However, getting boyfriend is so easy if you follow three major steps.

First of all, before you try to meet a nice boy, it is important how you appear. Boys like a gorgeous lady as girls like a handsome and cute boy. Lose your weight if you think you need to and dress up clearly. In addition, before you go out to meet someone, practice a tender smile although you feel somewhat awkward. If you smile sweetly and dress up stylishly, people will pay attention to your beautiful looks. However, if you make up your face too much, boys will think it would be difficult to ask you. Also, make your own sweet smell instead of a perfume which makes people hesitant to approach to you. Even if you are not prettier than others, you don’t need to get a plastic operation and buy expensive clothes. You need to show your own charm.

Second, just staying home, you will never get a boyfriend. If you have done the first step, you should try to meet and make many friends. Meeting people is not as difficult as you think. These are places that you can meet many people: schools especially in the class, part time jobs, hobby clubs, and online. Class mates or job friends could be people who spend a long time with you. As you are with them, you can have a lot of talk and help each other when it is needed. Taking part in a hobby club is also good for meeting people because there are many people who have the same hobby as you. Make as many friends as you can, and show your great personality and gorgeous appearance. Lots of good boys would fall in love with you. Moreover, even if a friend would not be your sweet heart, he can introduce his good friend to you, like a blind date.

Finally, if you meet the perfect person who you really wanted to meet, things you do when you are with him are very important. Don’t be afraid to ask for a date or phone number before he does. Even though you feel little shy, the man will be very happy if you ask for those first. When you have supper with him, don’t eat too much, but try not to have an unbalanced diet. In addition, you had better listen to his chat than talk continuously and brag about what you have. Let him feel comfortable while he is talking. When you talk, speak kindly and clearly, and you must not say bad words. Sometimes, drinking with him would be a good way if you are stuck for words because drinking helps people feel relaxed. However, don’t forget you should not drink too much if you don’t want to look a heavy drinker.

These three steps are useful suggestions when you want to meet a boyfriend. Before showing your attraction, you should realize you are really a gorgeous person. If you have thought that you are not, there would be one more step that suggests “love yourself first.” From this Christmas, I wish all people of the world would fall in love and love each other. If they do, the world would be full of a rosy color.

Friday, November 20, 2009

How to Get a Boyfriend

By Sanae Fukuda

In Japan, the population is aging and the birthrate declining. The Japanese government tries to counteract the falling birthrate, but I think that young Japanese are not interested in marriage. One of the big reasons is they can’t find a good partner. If they can find a good partner who loves them a lot, they will think about marriage and having a child. First, the most important thing is that we have to find a good partner. Therefore, I will tell about how to get a good boyfriend. If you refer to this essay, you may find a good boyfriend.

The first thing is that when and where you have opportunities that you can find a boyfriend. First of all, you have to go to many places where there are many men, such as cafés, parties, shops, or part time jobs. You will be able to choose a good man among many men. Especially, at part time jobs it is easy to get a boyfriend because we have to cooperate with each other, so we will talk a lot. Then you will feel that he is nice if he helps you, or he is kind.

The next thing is getting close to him. First, you may already have information about him, such as his name or where he always stays. Next, you have to research about him, such as profile, hobby, and what kinds of girls he likes. You can ask his friends, or you look at him very carefully, such as his behavior, his meal, his stuff, or what kinds of talk topics he talks. Third, you have to make the most of that information, so you will be able to find common topics, and then you have to sit closely and talk with him a lot. However, if you only talk about topics that he likes a lot of time, he will be scared of you.

Even though you don’t talk with him, you can do many things such as send e-mail, go into his view, and study about how you look beautiful that is how to make up, or lose weight. Finally, you have to ask him out. When you date, you have to make up, but don’t make up too much. You also wear clothes which are pretty and cute. You can go to his favorite place or your favorite place. After you finish the date, you have to e-mail and say thanks for your kindness, enjoyed my time and so on. If he was not nice on this date, you don’t need to send e-mail.

The most important thing is that you have to say your mind. I recommend you have to meet with him, and then you have to say exact words which are like “I love you.” You also can wait for the time that he says to you, “I love you.” Either one is okay!

Christmas is coming soon, so if you don’t have a boyfriend, you had better find one. Then, you can enjoy Christmas. I hope that everyone can have a good Christmas. After you enjoy Christmas with your boyfriend for several years, you have to think about marriage. If you guys really love each other, you want to marry to him. Then, you have kids if you like kids. Can you imagine your good future?

Thursday, November 19, 2009

How to Lose a Boyfriend

By Ji Min Lee

Christmas is less than two months away so many girls want to get a boyfriend for a happy Christmas. People hope to be with someone they love during Christmas, like family, friends or boyfriend. Usually young people want to be with their boyfriend. However some people don’t want to be with them because some people may cool off love for their boyfriend or some people want to be with their family or friends. In addition, some people are sick of their boyfriend. Maybe they want to know how to lose a boyfriend so now I’ll provide information about it. Actually it’s very easy, if you follow these steps.

First of all, lie to him. The most important thing of a relationship is reliance so if you always lie to him, and he knows it, he can’t believe you anymore. Usually many people don’t like a lie and if someone lies to them, their relationship may be broken. If you slowly decrease connection and you lie to him about why you don’t contact him, he will be disappointed in you. Sometimes you can meet another boyfriend. If your current boyfriend finds out about it, maybe he wants to break up with you. So if you break reliance, you can lose your boyfriend.

Second of all, behave badly. You have to do everything he doesn’t like. Many men don’t like to be ignored because men have strong pride. If you ignore him, he will be really angry at you. In addition, if you express boredom whenever you meet him, he will also be bored and he will be not interested in having a date. Finally he will be sick of you. Moreover, as your boyfriend asks something or suggests a date, you should say “No.” He has to know you don’t like him anymore. If your boyfriend doesn’t like that you drink too much, you can drink too much and call him. You can annoy your boyfriend and you can say bad words so you can make him angry.

Third of all, get ugly and fat. Most men like pretty and slim girls. You have to eat too much every day and don’t move, so you can get fat. It’s very easy and you can enjoy just eating and sleeping but after breaking up with your boyfriend, you should go on a diet. In addition, as you meet your boyfriend, don’t wash your face, don’t comb your hair and wear messy clothes. You can get ugly and your boyfriend won’t like you anymore.

Now did you get all the information about how to lose your boyfriend? If you have all the information, just do it. Your boyfriend is falling in love with you more each day. You don’t have time to hesitate. Hurry up! If you succeed, it you can get freedom, and you can do what you want. Even if you are lonely, you have to bear it. Instead of being lonely, you can meet many boyfriends, drink a lot and do many things. Now it’s time to start!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

How to Make Up after Arguing

by Gayane Ambaryan

We are not always perfect. We can’t be patient and control our emotions. Sometimes arguments just happen. It’s always hard to understand why they start and find ways to make up. Some people can do that easier, maybe just after arguing, but others need more time to cool off because of pride issues. So it depends on a person. What do you have to do if you’ve argued with your friend, or someone close to you? What should you undertake in situations like that? Maybe just call and apologize or do something else. We’ll find out it in this essay.

First of all, calm down and take a deep breath. Relax. It’s not so easy and sometimes takes a little time. After you calmed down, think about what led up to this argument and the reasons behind your reaction. If you did something wrong, make sure to point to your mistakes. In a different situation could your reaction be different? Give the other person time to cool off; he /she needs time to think over the situation too.

After you analyzed the incident, try to do something to fix the situation. First, call him/her up and try to talk it out and point to your mistakes. It’s always hard to find words in such situations but you can find some for sure. Be sure to ask the other person how he/she feels. If the person is still angry, ask what you can do to make it up. Be patient, control your emotions and don’t argue again, and try to find ways to fix the problem.

Then you can suggest a meeting and try to apologize. It may be the best way to make up and fix the situation. Sometimes it’s best to apologize as soon as you make a mistake, but there are times when you need to wait until you and the other person are no longer angry or in the middle of the argument. Only you are able to evaluate the situation. However, the sooner you apologize, the better. If you are apologizing, make sure to take responsibility for what you did wrong.

So, we tried to find the ways how to make up after arguing: analyzing the situation, calling up and talking and/or maybe trying to meet and apologize. It all depends on your personality and can take a long time, sometimes a few months or maybe longer. Be patient and always careful with your words. After apologizing for something, try to do your best never to do it again.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day in Ottawa.
November 11, 2009.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

The Causes of Illiteracy

by Sanae

There are many people who don’t have literacy in the world. For example, Benin has the highest illiteracy. Illiteracy is at 39.8%; next to Benin is Senegal at 41.0%. By way of comparison, Canada’s illiteracy is 8.0%, and Japan's is 0.3%. I think this problem isn’t only in these countries where people don’t have literacy, but also all over the world. Therefore, we have to help these countries. If we go there and teach, that is very difficult for us, but we can raise money or think about this problem, and then we look for cure for this problem. Some countries’ people don’t have opportunities to study. In fact, there are a lot of causes of illiteracy.

One of the reasons is that they suffer from poverty. First, they don’t have a job. Even if they have a job, they can’t earn enough money. Therefore, some families think that children are labor force, especially boys. Employers also think that because kids’ wage is cheaper than adults', they can hire them. Girls marry young because in some countries, if a daughter marries, the girl’s family can get money from the husband or husband’s family. Therefore, their parents think that girls don’t need to go to school. Girls have to do house works instead. Some girls also have a baby when they are young, so they don’t have time to they go to school. In addition, they can’t buy school supplies. They can’t even eat enough food.

The next reason is war. First, a war makes poverty. Next, children can’t go to school safely. Third, some people think that the most important thing is to win the war, so they also think children are military strength. In my opinion, if they fight in the war, they will lose their dream because they can’t see their good future. Therefore, they think they don’t need to study.

The biggest reason is government systems. First, the government doesn’t make much of education. If there are some schools, these are only in cities, so children who live in the countryside have to walk a lot. That is very difficult and dangerous for children, especially grade 1 to 4.

The most important thing is that the education system must change. First, a government has to make a law that obliges citizens to study until middle school. Second, the government especially has to solve the problem for children who live in the countryside. For example, make transportation or send a teacher who can get money more than a city teacher.

Finally, everyone who lives in poverty has to change their thinking, especially parents. I hope that every child can study and have a dream because children have great possibilities and a great future. We have to support them and give them a great future.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

The Impact of Earthquakes

By Satomi Yanagi

In recent years, earthquakes have happened in Japan more than any other country, including China, Australia and so on. If earthquakes happen, people can’t avoid them. Because the destructive power is terrible, unfortunately, nature, structures and people suffer from earthquakes.

About two years ago, in China, a big earthquake happened. The most impressive scene was the mountain range that totally disappeared. The cliffs slid down and the trees were broken after that. It was terrible. We couldn’t see the beautiful mountain like before. We could only see rocks and earth. Many people got buried under the earth and died. In the case of Sumatra, a big wave called “Tsunami” came after the earthquake. People ran trying to escape that. However the speed of a tsunami was faster than they had imagined. Unfortunately the tsunami took away houses, cars, and human lives.

Second of all, structures are damaged from earthquakes. On January 17th, 1995, the Hanshin Awaji earthquake happened in Kansai region. During the earthquake, the air was very dry; as a result, fires happened in many places. Fire trucks tried to go there; however, roads were covered with debris. Moreover, many media vehicles disturbed fire trucks and people who ran away. Even if houses weren’t burned, they were seriously damaged. The roofs fell down, and furniture was destroyed.
The influence of earthquakes on people’s minds is the most important problem. People who lost their houses have to live at evacuation sites. At evacuation sites, they can’t sleep well because a lot of people live there so it is noisy and unsanitary; moreover, they don’t have enough space to take in a lot of casualties. After they live at there, someone goes to makeshift housing. Unfortunately, the majority of them to go there are elders. They have to live by themselves without enough money. In addition, dying alone becomes a social problem. Sometimes, they aren’t found until few weeks after they die.

Earthquakes take away everything. Even if people are saved, they might lose their family, house, or precious items. In Japan, houses which can change the power of earthquakes into heat energy have been invented. However the power of earthquakes is incalculable. If a big earthquake happens, we have no way to avoid it.

Monday, November 2, 2009

The Benefits of Learning English

By Ryuka Sagawa

My parents can’t speak English. My mother said, “A foreigner came to my salon the
other day, but I can’t communicate with him.” She couldn’t understand what he said. Some people can speak English very well, and others can’t understand it. Nowadays, many young people have been learning English since they were in junior high school. English is one of the most important means of communication in our life.

First, English is the international language in the world. In Japan, English is a compulsory subject. All junior-high school students must study English at school. In addition, some kids learn English at cram school from early childhood. If you know some English words, you can communicate with most people all over the world.

Second, if you have a high skill of English, you can work all over the world. Some big companies have a foreign business. It’s a big chance for you to rise to managerial posts. However, this work needs English skill. If you have high qualifications, you may choose as a delegate of the company to go abroad. It’s your success at work.

Third, English helps you to make a lot of friends in various countries. Recently, many students went to some foreign countries and studied there. They make friends in various countries at the university. The friends show you their world view. Your friends tell you about some cultures of their own countries and you also tell them about that. Making friends is good for you to know various cultures and traditions. It’s the biggest benefit of learning English.

Consequently, English leads you to a new way that you have never seen before. Though it’s not easy to learn English, you may get many chances to broaden your horizons.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

The Effects of an Earthquake

By Keisuke Nakagawa

The impact of an earthquake is very serious for our life. Whenever earthquakes occur, we suffer from the damage. The damage affects economy, social organization, and nature. In this essay, I’m going to talk about the effects.

First, an earthquake gives us economic effects. Of course, the earthquake can break buildings. Therefore, offices and factories would be destroyed. If so, economic activities of the firm must be stopped. Such problems will be one more. The problems will come at the time of coming of an earthquake. It will affect not only each company but also the national economy. The efficiency of the national economy will get worse. An earthquake can destroy the economic activities.

The second effect is for social organization. The cruelest trouble is death of people. Every time a strong earthquake comes, many people are killed. Not to mention, that brings intense sorrow for survivors. Reduction of victims is a challenge for the nations. The worst situation is the outbreak in the biggest city. The victims will be more. And the headquarters of the nation will get damaged too. The collapse of the core will bring stronger chaos for the disaster area, because rescue and aid won’t work properly.

The third is effects for nature. An earthquake makes bad problems for the environment. The soil will be cracked. It causes landslides and liquefaction. The landslides are seen in forests and mountains. Sometimes, fallen trees and sand block the road and the railways. On the other hand, liquefaction is seen at coasts. Because of that, the land subsidence also occurs.

These impacts are very horrible for us. It is difficult to escape from the effects. However, we have to strive to reduce the damage. To keep our peaceful life, we need to find the way.

The Benefits of Learning English

By Gayane Ambaryan

From the ancient times people of different cultures tried to communicate with each other. That’s why they studied new languages. At present English is becoming the global language and many people around the world study it. According to statistics, more than one billion people speak English now. There are a lot of benefits of studying it: communication with people, getting a good job, and maybe traveling to different countries and learning more about them.

The first benefit of learning English is communication. People always try to find ways to communicate with each other. Learning English is a good way to communicate with people, because English is a language of international communication and many people around the world speak English. So, knowlege of English helps people feel more comfortable, especially now when English is becoming the global language and every year more and more people are studying it.

The second advantage of learning English is getting a good employment. Studying language helps to reach the goal to get a good job. It also can open new opportunities in our career. If we are looking for a prospective and interesting job, learning English is a good idea. After we get a job we can share our experience with other people, to get more knowledge in our area of expertise, and advance in our career.

The last benefit of learning English is traveling and learning. If we are planning to travel, visit different countries, and learn more about them, first of all, we have to learn English. It helps get more information about different cultures, and make new friends from other countries. One of the advantages of learning English is that we will be able to discover the world.

In conclusion, English has become the language of international communication. There are, of course, lots of advantages of learning it: communication with people, getting employment, traveling and learning. More and more people around the world are learning English every year. Knowledge of English helps us to become an international person, to feel more comfortable and maybe to get all these benefits.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

A Trip to West Edmonton Mall

By Gayane

A few weeks ago I was in Edmonton with my husband and two kids. The weather was so nice and we decided to drive. It’s about a seven-hour drive from Fort St. John to Edmonton.

The first day, we went to West Edmonton Mall and spent maybe about 6 hours in Galaxyland, the largest indoor amusement park in the world. There are so many rides and attractions that my kids were excited. They like it very much. They played and rode all day and didn’t want to go from there.


The next day we went to West Edmonton Mall’s Waterpark. We were surprised with my husband that it was really big. I have never seen a waterpark like that before. I think it’s the largest one. There are different water slides for adults and children.
We had lots of fun there, and I hope we will go there soon.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Differences Between My Home and Canada

Pamela writes: I asked the students to write about some of the differences they've noticed between their own home and culture and what they've seen so far of Canadian homes and customs. Most of the students have been here only for a few weeks--since the beginning of September.

Yui

When I came to Canada, I saw huge lands. It was cool in Canada, so I felt good. I was surprised that Canadians eat moose because Japanese people don’t eat it. Whenever it is cold, Canadian wear scanty clothing. If Canadians wear scanty clothing, Japanese wear much clothing, so I think Japanese are extremely sensitive to the cold. Canadian don’t take a bath every day, that surprised me. It’s usual for Japanese to take a bath every day.

Reika

When I moved to Canada from Japan, I’m surprised at many things. If Japanese go shopping, Japanese certainly lock the door, but Canadians don’t lock the door. I also always take a bath in Japan, but Canadians take a shower. Besides, it’s a short time for the shower.

I noticed food and times for eating. Canadians eat dinner very early and just a main dish. When I was in Japan, I often ate dinner at 8 p.m., and I have many foods, such as vegetable, fish, and main dish.

Ai

I had many surprising things after I came to Canada. There are a lot of differencesand cultures about foods, life style, habits and shipping and so on between Japan and Canada.

First, about foods. In Canada, they eat only one dish at supper and sometimes bread with it. That’s all. I was really surprised. Also, they sometimes eat some sweets like pudding and cookies for lunch. I feel Canadian people eat all day. These things are very surprising things for me.

Second, life style and habits. My host family never take off their shoes at house. In Japan, we take our shoes off all the time. And they drink only water from a tap. I think Canadian water is more safe than Japanese water. Additionally, they hardly watch TV. They don’t have a TV.

Third, shopping. They were drinking cola before buying. It was really surprising for me. The other day at the supermarket, I noticed a big difference. Canadian people take a shopping cart and put many things they will buy in it. Then they put all things on the counter and pay for them.

Differences from Japan and Canada – Yumi

When I came to Canada, I found some differences from Japan and Canada. First a jmajor difference is supper time. In Japan, supper time is about 7 p.m., but in Canada, we have supper at 5:30 p.m. I was surprised.

Next, Canadian people go to bed early. Everyone goes to bed about 9 p.m. I always go to bed about 12 a.m.

Then Canadian people bring snack (for example, cookies, pudding and so on) for lunch. Also Canadian people drink a cup of juice at supper. Japanese drink water or tea.

Next, at the supermarket, things are bigger than in Japan. For example, when I want a PET bottle, I can buy a PET bottle in Japan. But in Canada, I must buy a six-bottle set. There are many differences from Japan to Canada.

Sanae

There are a lot of different customs between Japan and Canada. First, Japanese always eat rice and some dishes, but Canadians usually eat a potato or bread and one dish. I was also surprised about clothes. In summer time, some Canadians wear only a bathing suit. Some men were naked to the waist. In addition, Canadian houses have small gardens which are like a farm.

However, we also have a similar custom. For example, we always worry about family or friends.

Yoko

I was surprised by many differences between Japan and Canada. First, in Japan, I take a bath in a bath tub every day, but my host family’s house doesn’t have bathtub. I’m sad, and I’m very cold. Second, there are differences of foods. Although Japanese eat rice every day, Canadians don’t eat rice, mainly they eat bread. I sometimes feel to eat rice.

Third, I find some differences at supermarket. In Japan, we had a basket to cashier, but in Canada, we must put goods on conveyor. I feel Canada’s good, for example, bread, ice cream, joice and so on, are so big compared to Japanese ones.
Fourth, many Japanese stay up to midnight, but many Canadians sleep very early.
Finally, I think there are m any differences of climate. In Japan, it is moist and hot. In Canada, it is dry and very cold. I worry this weather. I like nature, but my hometown doesn’t have it. Fort St. John has a lot of nature. I like it here.

Different Culture – Hitomi

Before I came to Canada, I thought that there are some differences between Canada and Japan, but there are more differences than I thought. I will tell you four things that I noticed.

First, Canadian people eat supper at 5 or 6 o’clock. Japanese people eat supper at 7 or 8 o’clock because some Japanese work until night. So I feel a little discomfort about supper time.

Next, Japanese people take a bath almost every day but Canadians, for example, my host family often only take a shower. I like taking a bath so I want to take a bath!

Third, I was surprised when I went to the supermarket. A clerk and a guest often talk a lot in Canada. If I talk with a clerk in Japan, other guests maybe become angry.

Finally, in Canada, a bus is usually late. I take a bus every day and the bus is always late! In inconceivable so I was very surprised.

There are many amazing differences but I enjoy Canadian life.

Vincent

When I moved to Canada from Macao, I experienced and enderwent many differences because two places have too many customs that are different. First, a major difference is the language. I’m not able to speak Cantonese or Chinese wherever I go. At the first time, I was so confused that I’ve never seen too many English words on billboards, sign boards, ads and anywhere.

Second, I saw too many individuals, stylish dudes who were walking on the street. I was surprised at a guy with punk hair but he still can go to school and kids don’t have to wear school uniforms. Then, now I comprehend how uncomfortable it is to take a bus and also how unbearable to tolerate the inclement climate.

Ryuka

When I came toFort St. John from Japan, there are many differences! First, it is early for me to eat and sleep. In Japan, I eat supper at 10 p.m. and sleep at 1 a.m. because I work till 9 p.m. Second, In Japan, I take a bath every day but Canadian people don’t do that. Third, at the supermarket, people don’t pay goods first although they take and eat first!!! It is unbelievable for me!!!!! That’s why there are many differences between Canada and Japan.

Hideki

When I move from Japan to Canada, these counties are very far so I’m having a different culture. At first, Canadian people greet everybody even though almost all Japanese people greet only friends.

Also, foods are very different. Before I came to Canada, I ate mainly rice, but Canadian people are eating bread. Usually Canadian houses hafve a pick-up truck or camping car. Japanese have not too much space. Almost all Japanese cannot get a big car. Therefore, compacts are popular in Japan.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Variety is the Spice of Life

By Sanae Fukuda

I agree with “Variety is the spice of life” because I think that we should experience many things. Even bad things. My life spice is to study abroad. If I only study in Japan, it won’t be too hard for me. However, I also won’t experience great things. There are many great experience for me since I came to Canada. These experiences are not only good but also bad. For example, I could make friends from other countries, and they teach me their own country customs or cultures. Therefore, I could broaden my horizons and gain a lot of knowledge. On the other hand, I would like to go back to Japan some time because I feel homesick. However, after one year, this experience will help my life in the future. I hope so.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Visiting the Philippines

By Hae Sung

I traveled to the Philippines two times. The first time, I traveled to Ce-Bu two years ago with my family. We did the tour for four days. However, we had a lot of entertainment like boating, eating sea food, and scuba diving. The second time, I went to the Bagio with my brother. I thought I would saty two months; nevertheyless, I stayed three months. I visited the Mounseview which we can see the view and I surfed with my friends.

After two months, my brother left; however, my parents came to the Philippines for a trip. We traveled by renting a car and we went around some cities. Although we spent most time in the car, we really enjoyed the trip. I think most times were interesting to me. In addition, those are all good memories. Someday I want to go to the Philippines again.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

My First Overseas Trip

By Carrie Yun

When I was 13 years old, for two weeks I visited Charatting in Malaysia with my aunt's family. Even though my father and mother didn't go, I didn't feel lonely. We didn't need to look for travel such as a hotel, information of the city and flight tickets because we pre-arranged in Club Med. We flew for nine hours from Incheon in Korea to Kuala Lumpur with Air Malaysia.

Most Malaysians believe Islam, so many women were wearing the veil like a nun. It's hard to differentiate between girls and women.

The weather was not too hot but somewhat humid. I played volleyball on the beach. For this reason I got sunburn on my shoulders. In addition, when I played scuba diving, I was bitten by a jellyfish. As a matter of fact, I had to stay in my bed for two days. It was very painful, but I felt happy.

At night, we usually had a party with other visitors. We also enjoyed recreation and campfire. The food was fantastic, so I didn't need to put Korean sauce on food. Mative people were very kind even though I used my body language and little English.

When it was time to go home, I wanted to go back quickly because I was really tired and missed my family. It was a little bit painful, hot, and tiring, but I still remember those days very clearly.

Monday, June 29, 2009

A Friend

By Stephen Wang

There is a friend whom I have known since 1974. He has many hobbies which I liked very much. We played together and enjoyed our hobbies. We often launched a beautiful model plane which was assembled by us. He and I put on the different parts of the plane and finally put them together. It was the nicest thing in my childhood.

I haven't seen him since 1995 after he went to America. But we still keep in touch by e-mail. Every New Year's Day and Christmas, we send e-mail and pictures to each other to share the happiness. Maybe one day when we have enough time or after retirement, we can visit each other and play something which we played in childhood.

My Trip to Indonesia

By Sanae Fukuda

I have been to Indonesia two years ago. Before I went there, I worried about my English. However, some Indonesians can speak Japanese. I was surprised and felt lucky.

I enjoyed shopping, sightseeing, and activities. I really enjoyed my trip, but someone had stolen my friend's money. Therefore, we went to the police office and we explained that happening. We explained in Japanese, but the policeman couldn't understand Japanese. We could not do other than speak English. I know that my English is too bad. Therefore, I thought then, I have to study English.

After I can speak English well, I will go to many overseas countries and enjoy my trip. If I have an accident again, I can tell the policeman . . . maybe . . . I hope so.

A Trip to Dalian, China

By Stephen Wang

In 2006, I took a trip to the famous city, Dalian, in China, with my family. We traveled by sea. This was the first time I traveled by sea. Although I felt a little mausea, it was very interesting.

In Dalian, we saw a famous war field and a sea creature museum. We ate a lot of sea food; however, it gave me allergies.

There were many vendors who sold their souvenirs on the sea shore. We bought many souvenirs even though they were a little bit expensive.

After the trip, we went home by train. It took a long time by train; however, it was very cheap.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Book Review - Le Papillon des Etoiles

By Hae Sung Park

The best book I ever read was Le Papillon Des Etoiles. The author is Bernard Werber who is a famous French writer of science fiction. I like his writing style. I connect the end of the story with the Bible, because not only do the main characters have the same names as in the Bible, but also the result has a similar situation.

I love that the author has an original mind. I thought, “How can he make a story like that?” When I read the book I can think of our future. We can really make a garden in an airtight place and when earth is destroyed, we can go somewhere. I think these things are in the near future.

In the story, Elizabeth Mallory was a world yacht champion navigator but she cannot do the navigation anymore because of an accident. The accident driver is Eve Kramer who is an executive officer of aerospace. This accident changed him. He quit his job and studied his father`s project. Meanwhile, he met a rich man who is Gabriel Meg Namara. He assisted Eve materially. They found two people who help them. One person was Elizabeth, Eve’s secretary. He asked her if she can work spacecraft. Finally she attended to the project. They got some problems while this project was finished. Nevertheless, they left to space. Contrary to the beginning, just three people survived. But two people can go to earth. One of these people was killed by a snake. The other one reproduced to make another person.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

The First Snow

By Brian Wu

When I see the first snowing every year, it reminds me of my first lover. In 2002, I met her. My friend introduced me. We went together for eight months. That time was so happy for me.

That winter I had to go to the army. It is a duty; no Korean man can avoid that. Almost all couples break up because of many reasons. Many girls between 21 and 23 cannot meet boys of the same age friends and boyfriends because the boys must go to the army. So, many girls feel so lonely and find another boyfriend.

I did not believe that but I prepared that we would possibly break up. I made an appointment that if we were breaking up, we would meet at her university
bench when it was snowing.

Finally, we broke up in the summer of 2003 but I could not do anything for her.
When the first snow came, I could not go there. It is a common appointment for couples, but sometimes the first snow reminds me of that time.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Webaholic

By Jaisung Yoon

The Internet offers access to vast amounts of information and is an important tool for many of us in our everyday lives. However, it also offers bad influences to many people. They waste time on the Internet or get bad information from there. Some serious people don’t move and are on the Internet the whole day. Sometimes they lose their sociality so that they can’t adjust themselves to their everyday life; in addition, they lose friends and health. The variety of activities to improve their growing up disappears because of the Internet. We can’t imagine how many things they will lose in their life. The three most commonly proposed solutions to this serious problem are making a plan for using the computer, having good hobbies, and saying and sharing your Internet addiction with people addicted to the Internet.

In the first solution, people addicted to the Internet make a plan for using the Internet. For instance, when they have spare time or even when they are working, studying, they try to work on the Internet, checking e-mail, managing their blogs, and playing Internet games. They seem likely not to control themselves from Internet addiction. Let them make a plan for using the Internet. They need to consider some things before making the plan: ‘Why do I use the Internet?’, ‘How long will I use the Internet?’, and ‘Don’t I have an alternative way instead of the Internet?’. Then they make a plan to temper overusing the Internet. This will help them.

Another solution to Internet addiction is to have good hobbies: exercise, reading, walking, and hanging around with friends. Somebody said, the Internet also is a hobby. That’s the truth; however, overusing the Internet is not. They need a right hobby to reduce their using the Internet more and more. Then finally they can get back their sociality and everyday life. Moreover, by having a good hobby, they can get new experiences or friends to help in their life.

The last solution, then, is to talk and share their problem in an addiction support group. If they want to fix their problem, they need to know that first. Meeting same kinds of people is the best way to know that. In a webaholic support group, you can say and share your problem with group mates. They could know what is good or bad for them; as well, they can give solutions to each other. In addition, they can comfort each other.

Even though overusing Internet has many bad influences, we can’t escape completely from the use of the Internet. So, we should use the Internet effectively and carefully. It is clear that for us to have vast amounts information and fun, it will be necessary to encourage each other not to be slaves to the Internet. We should make a habit of using the Internet wisely.

My Father

By Jaisung Yoon

I think my father is a person who has had a significant influence on me. Even though I can’t remember when I have grasped his hand or hugged him, I can feel he always takes care of me. He is a typical Korean father, like strict, gruff, and unfriendly to his children. So sometimes I was envious of the kind fathers. However, with growing older, I have been able to realize that he gives me many kinds of love.

You can’t believe how much trust he gives me. I am sure I am still not such a good son. Especially before I came to Canada, I just enjoyed drinking or playing with my friends everyday. No dream, no study, and no future. I thought if I have fun today, it is okay, that is it. Whenever I did something like that, his face did not show any sign of disappointment. One day, before I came here, I got a chance to talk with him. It was uncomfortable because I was unused to talking with him especially about my future. At that time, he said, “I don’t know if you are on hte right way now. But I trust you will be there someday.” I was impressed by what he said and that was what made me change to be different.

My father is a seriously busy enterpriser and sometimes he seems to think about something the whole day. In fact I didn’t understand why he is serious all the time. With advancing years, I would be able to understand about why he does that because he feels his responsibility for his business and family. Thus he tries to think about everything deeply and wisely and his thinking is enough to affect my life. Now I know to think and consider carefully is important. I make my effort to follow my father’s good behaviors.

If somebody asks me, “Who is a person who has had a significant influence on you?“ I do not hesitate to answer, “My father.” Until I die, I will remember that he has given me many good lessons. I hope I will be a father like him and give my children good lessons.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Shepherd Boys with Dogs Fighting - My Opinion

By Viviana Rodriguez

Looking at Thomas Gainsborough's art work, Shepherd Boys with Dogs Fighting, two different feelings possessed me. The first one is a feeling of uncertainty and, perhaps, anger against the boy who is stopping the other boy from stopping the dogs fighting. The other feeling is a feeling of helplessness when looking at the boy who is trying to stop the dogs. The expressions on the boys' faces make me think that the first boy is enjoying the dogs' fight and that maybe he feels some kind of pleasure while watching, whereas the second boy's face gives the feeling of suffering for not being able to stop the dogs.

The more I look at the painting, the more I discover details that lead me to relate the painting to evil and good, for instance, the use of the color tones. The boy that is stopping the other boy and the dog that is on top of the other dog, both are painted with dark colors, while the other boy and the dog that seems to be losing the fight are shown with bright colors. In my opinion, the painter did associate evil with the dark colors and good with brighter colors, which in one way could mean that evil is winning against good, between the dogs, as well as between the boys.

It is also easy to relate this painting with a religios subject because it is common to find passages in the Christian Bible that refer to the shepherd and sheep theme. One of the multiple interpretations I could give to this painting is that both the shepherds and the dogs, which are the ones that protect the sheep from the wolf, are fighting bewteen themselves instead of working together to protect the sheep from the wolf. So who is going to take care of the sheep if there are not any guardians?

I think this is a great piece of art, as it presents a well done oil painting technique, and, I imagine, the magnitude and detail characteristic of the 1700s.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Vlaminck's Scene - My Opinion

By Hsin-Ju Fang

When I saw Vlaminck’s Scene for the first time, it attracted to me. Although it doesn't catch everyone's eyes, it really touches my heart because I like its lonely people and houses. Vlaminck didn't use a lot of colors to draw it, and he just used blue, black and white. All of them are very simple but profound. I really like those colors which let me feel heavy and silent. In addition, the lonely people in this painting seem to leave this place and just take a last look at it. I think that he doesn't want to leave but has to. It's very melancholy but I love the power of the deep emotion.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Grunewald's Christ on the Cross - My Opinion

By Ben Ng

Grunewald’s Christ on the Cross makes me feel scared. The background colour is black and the character in this picture is a person who almost died or already died. So it gives people an uncomfortable feeling when people look at it. The imagine of this picture for me is suffering. You can see the Christ’s body is very thin and it was injured seriously. In addition, his expression is very sad and very painful. For those reasons, I feel this is not a good picture for me. I don’t like the sad picture.

Friday, March 20, 2009

A Wreath of Flowers - My Opinion

By Ken

Willian Brymner's A Wreath of Flowers makes me feel very comfortable when I was looking at it. The main color of this painting is green, which is the color that I like the most in my whole life. I like the sea, trees, and grass in the painting because they give me the feeling of relaxation. Also, it makes me want to go to the place that is in the painting. The four little girls are very free on the little hill, but I don't think they have much fun. However, I like that kind of life.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Sleeping Baigneuse - My Opinion


By Alex Mok

Renoir’s Sleeping Baigneuse gives me a free, unrestrained feeling. In the painting, a naked woman is sleeping with a towel that covers her private part. When I see this painting, she is showing me an enjoyable face. I don’t see she has any pressure. Also, she probably doesn’t care about all the things around her, especially other people’s seeing her. She just wants to enjoy and relax in her own world, a dream world that is in her mind. In fact, she is teaching us one thing: if we can put down our dignity or duty to look around the world, we will find that the world is really beautiful.

The Phantom of the Snow - My Opinion

By Rain Wu

William Blair Bruce's The Phantom Of The Snow makes me feel calm. Even though it's sad for the man in the painting, he cannot do anything to stop it. This painting attracts me because it shows how weak our life is. When death is coming, we cannot avoid it. In the painting, a man sits in the snow and he is almost dead. In front of him is his spirit. He tries to catch it back, but he cannot. Human death is natual. It's a part of the life cycle. Although it is sad to hear about that, it is just a proccess.

Friday, March 13, 2009

The History of the Bicycle

By Saori Kimura

The bicycle was not invented by one individual or in one country. It took nearly 100years and many individuals for the modern bicycle to be born.

Bicycles first appeared in Scotland in the early 1800s, and were called velocipedes. These early bicycles had two wheels, but they had no pedals. Soon a French inventor added pedals to the front wheel. However, pedaling was hard because velocipedes were very heavy.

In addition, British engineers and American manufacturers changed wheels. They thought the wheels should be different shapes. So they invented the bicycle which had different wheels.

The British altered the design one last time. They made the two wheels equal in size and created a mechanism that uses a chain to turn the rear wheels. With this final change, the modern bicycle was born, and bicycle riding became very popular. Bicycles revolutionized the way people traveled. Today, millions of people worldwide ride bicycles for transportation, enjoyment, sport, and exercise.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

3 Minutes and 21 Seconds of Fame

American modern artist Andy Warhol gave a photo exhibit in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1968. The catalogue for the exhibit contained the following quote:
In the future everyone will be world-famous for fifteen minutes.


This morning, one of our ESL students used up 3 minutes and 21 seconds of her fame. She was interviewed on CBC Radio's Daybreak North, the morning show usually broadcast from Prince George, BC, but today, from right here in Fort St. John.

Here's the link: Viviana's Interview

By the way, Viviana, do you have any ideas for using up the rest of your "fame" minutes?

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

What We Can Do for the Environment

By Yuko Maekawa

Environmental destruction, global warming, environmental pollution C Today, we have many environmental problems. Now, the earth is dying. If we don't solve these problems, the earth will disappear in the future. We must notice these problems soon and we have to do and change something because of them. Actually, we have already become aware of them, and many people, governments, companies, and institutions around the world have begun to act for the environment. We can do many things for the environment by ourselves. I will introduce some examples we can do easily.

Do you know the word "5Rs"? Nowadays, this word has become popular in many countries. The definition or number of this word is different from country to country; for example, "5Rs" changes to "4Rs" in Korea. In this time, I will tell you "5Rs" in Japan mainly. The definition of "5Rs" in my country is Refuse, Reuse, Recycle, Reduce, and Repair.

1. Refuse: You can refuse to get things which can be garbage after. For example, when you go to a supermarket and buy something there, a person at a register gives you a plastic bag in order to put things you buy in it. But, if you bring your bag from your house, you don't need it. So, you can refuse and reduce garbage. Nowadays, Eco bags are popular in many countries. Thanks to this, the number of people who refuse plastic bags is increasing.

2. Reuse: You can reuse things you or other people use. We can often see flea markets, used shops, and other kinds of these shops. In these shops, we can sell clothes and many things we already used and don't need, and we can get some money by selling something there. And, we can also buy things other people used and sold there. So, by selling things you don't need or buying things other people don't need, you can reuse. For another example, we can send clothes and things you used and don't need to people who need them. In the world, many people don't have enough money to buy clothes or things they need, and you can help them by sending things you don't need. I think that's a good example.

3. Recycle: probably, you know this word. Recycle is the most popular word in the
"5Rs." The resources on the Earth are limited. We can't use them freely for ever. So, we need to recycle the resources we used as much as possible. I think recycling is the most effective and easiest thing we can do for the environment.

4. Reduce: I said before the resources are limited. So, we need to reduce the quantity of the resources we use. To turn off lights, to not use water, oil, electricity and other resources more than you need, you can reduce in many ways. You can also reduce the quantity of garbage. You already know how to reduce them.

5. Repair: Do you throw away broken things soon? If you repair them, you can use them more. It may not be easy, but you should repair for the environment. I found some other words on other countries' sites, like Remake, Renew, and Reform.

Finally, I will introduce two words I found out on another country's site. They're Respect and Rethink. You should respect and thank environment, resources and Earth more. And, you should think about the environment. When you use resources or buy something, you can rethink, "Is it really needed?" We can help the environment in many ways easily. We must notice, know, understand, and do!

Thursday, February 5, 2009

The Effects of a Natural Disaster

By Ben Ng

Disaster is a terrible thing and it also brings many serious effects to humans. Earthquake is a kind of disaster which affects humans most in their life. Earthquake is a common disaster that is all over the world but the difference is its intensity. Some places always have earthquake but although the intensity is not very intense, the effect will also be serious. There are some effects from the earthquake:

Earthquakes will hurt or make people die and destroy their houses. When the earthquake happen, the buildings will destroy and the rocks will slide down from the mountain, and the traffic will become confused so people will be lose their house and be hurt or die buy those things. On the other hand, the hospitals will be become full by the people who were hurt because there are too many people hurt at the same time. Some emergency patients will die because they cannot get the cure at the appropriate time. Also people were hurt and cannot get enough medicine. Furthermore, people lost their house in the house in the earthquake and they need to live in the tents but the supply of tents is limited. Sometimes a few families live in one tent. If there are a lot of people living in one area, the environment will become bad in that area and the virus of diseases will spread quickly. The outbreak of epidemic diseases will happen easily. This is a very dangerous thing for humans.

Pecuniary loss will happen because of the earthquake. First, the government needs to clean the roads after earthquake because there are many rocks, pieces of wood, and the wreckage of the buildings remaining on the roads. So government needs to clean them up. Second, after cleaning the roads, the government needs to repair the roads which were broken. The roads will be rent by the earthquake ant the bridges will be destroyed by the rocks. If the government doesn’t repair them, the traffic will be confused so repair to the roads are very important. Then, the government needs to rebuild the houses. The government needs to use a billion dollars to rebuild the houses for the victims because many houses were destroyed by the earthquake. People haven’t places to live. This is a serious problem. Finally, helping the victims and supply the necessary things. The government will supply the water, food, clothes, tents, medicine, and some necessary things to the victims. Those things will cost a lot of money so I said earthquake is a pecuniary loss.

Earthquake will cause some other disasters to happen such as: tsunami and snow slide. Those are very serious disasters. Do you remember the tsunami in south Asia on Dec, 26, 2004? This tsunami killed almost 300,000 people. It was an under sea earthquake. However, the earthquake is the source of these disasters.

In conclusion, earthquakes are very serious problem for human life. It will destroy everything but nowadays we have science. It can forecast when the earthquake will come. Although we have this kind of technology, we cannot believe it completely. Anyway, the earthquake will give humans profound effects and the effects are very serious.

Monday, January 26, 2009

It's Your Party Time!

By Richard Chan

Did you have this experience of a party? A party can help you relax when you feel so bored with your business, and also you can meet some new friends at a party. Do you know how to organize a successful party whether it is a birthday, New year or Christmas party? There are several things you should know. First off, hold a place, mark a day and time for the celebration. Second, call your friends who you would like to attend. Nowadays, using cell phone, E-mail or MSN are very common and useful ways that you can do it easily. Then, decorating the party place is a very important part of a party. It can make a party romantic! After that, prepare some delicious foods for sharing. Another important thing, if you are all at least 19 years old, alcoholic drinks are a must item for the party. Last but not least, I’m sure if you have done all that, everybody will be in a good mood. Hope you have a great party!

Are you a party animal? Or expert? On the other hand, compared with speed dating, I think a party is more feasible than speed dating. If you are an In person, you should dress very well to attend the party because it is a good choice so that you can show off your fashionable clothes and accessories. Wear your GIORGIO ARMANI suit, DOLCE & GABBANA glasses and ROLEX watch, spray the DIOR HOMME fragrance…… All the hi-end brand products can help you be an enchanting person to pick up a Party Girl easily if you dress right like that. As well, an i-phone 3G is your best partner. It is not just a cell phone. There are so many functions to serve you. When you’re at a party, you’re totally checking a girl out. First things first, try to talk to her: ”May I have your cell number?”,”Could I take a photo with you?” As far as I see, girls might say ”yes.” That means you have already succeeded 50%. But you could continue your conversation. Ask her, “What would you like to drink?” Remember you are an In person; when you drink “cheers!” with her, don’t forget to show your ROLEX watch. Be sure you can give her a nice first feeling. Eventually, if you can catch the chance, she will be your girlfriend!

Monday, January 19, 2009

My Views of New York City

By Hsin-Ju Fang


When people talk about New York, their conversations are always full of the American dream, material, art, fashion , and colorful life. I was so lucky that I found the cheapest ticket so I could fly to New York on vacation . Before I went to New York, I had already searched for the information about the famous views of New York. There is a lot of information about New York. But, after I visited that amazing city, I think there are three kinds of things that are worthy to see: famous views, the people, and the subway.


First of all, there are many famous views in New York, such as Time Square, the Empire State Building, Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, and so on. Although I have seen the pictures of them before, seeing them with my own eyes is totally different from seeing the pictures of them. When you visit them, you can really understand why they are so famous. They are great and I am small. I can feel something special that touches my heart. In my opinion, my favorite is the Statue of Liberty. When I walked into Statue of Liberty, I really felt what the freedom of the American spirit is.

The next interesting thing is the people who are in New York. There are many people from different countries. When you walk on the street, you won’t just hear people speak in English. They may speak in Chinese, French, Italian, Spanish and so on. Some of them are residents and the others are travelers. It’s easy to know who they are. The residents always look busy and in a hurry. They walk quickly and definitely the way that they want to go. People who always look at the map are almost always travelers. They are so excited about what tehy see and take pictures everywhere. It is so interesting to see many different people at the same time. I think that’s why people always say, “New York is an ethnic melting pot.”

Finally, I want to introduce New York’s subway. It’s not only complex but also dirty. Although I had already known it was complex, I never thought it would be so dirty. It’s so disgusting because I could smell pee and poo everywhere. My friend told me that’s because homeless people usually pee and poo in the subway and you have to be careful when you sit down. It’s terrible. And then, you can find many pieces of gum and sputum on the floor, and you have to watch your step. There is a lot of garbage beside the track. Sometimes, you can see some mice running on the track. It’s so weird because I think that New York is clean and advanced. But, unfortunately, New York has an old subway system. Although it’s old and dirty, every station has their own special point. You can see different art on the wall. Sometimes, you can see people perform on the platform. It’s amazing and fascinating.

When I was in New York, I really felt that this city is diverse and energetic. There are many interesting or artistic things. I learned a lot form this amazing city. Although New York isn’t what I imagined, it is still stunning and surprising.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Way to Go, Chiharu!

Chiharu has written an entry on the blog at Jumonji University. Not all of us can read it because it is written in Japanese, but we can all understand the ideas she is talking about because of the photographs that she has included.

Have a look: http://blog.jumonji-u.ac.jp/

Thank you, Chiharu!