We Were In South West!

I went to the South West trip for one week. It was the first time to visit South West, and I couldn't imagine how the south west is, even I studied about the South West a lot.

At first, I was impressed by their structure. In the South West, almost all structure are adobe style and the sky was large, so it was very beautiful!

Second, I was well impressed by nature. The weather was warm at that time, so there are a lot of trees. I especially like the plase where I went to were the Painted Desert and the Grand Canyon. The Painted Desert was wilderness where the color is changing. Becouse of the sunshine. When I visited there, I couldn't see the changing, but the color was beautiful. In the South West, they said the earth color is pink. I've never heard that, so I wondered about that. However, I could understand why the earth color is pink finally. The boundary between the sky and land were completely pink! I was amasing when I saw it, and I think that I can't see in Japan. I can't see it even in Spokane where are more green than Japan.

The Grand Canyon was tremendous! I sometime saw it on TV, but the fact wasn't to be compared with TV. I coudn't find the word to explain the Grand Canyon. I was very glad to see it. In this trip, I could a lot of experiences and I touched nature and history and so on. I can't forget these experience. Never! I want to see another countries and culture more. Therefore, I'll study English hard!

My Southwest Trip

I had lots of fun in the Southwest trip. I have been impressed by delicious food, people that spoke to me in a friendly way everywhere, grandeur of nature in Southwest, for example, Grad Canyon, a variety of Pueblo, the painted desert, and some museums etc. during the trip. I could realize that "How big America is!" through this trip, so some day, I'm going to visit Southwest again with someone, maybe my family.

I was also surprised at many languages that I heard people speaking! There were so many languages in SW, for instance Spanish, of course English, French, Korean, and Japanese. One reason about so many languages in SW is that SW must be famous as sightseeing, so a lot of people from everywhere in the world visit W, but its reason also comes from the history of America. In the other words, almost all of Americans have come form other countries, especially, in regions of Europe, so it is easier for people to go to America than the other regions, but it is just my opinion, so I'm not sure...

By the way, I was absolutely shocked at that one country has many languages. We also learn English in Japan, but we are limited to the place that we can practice English, so we can't use it anywhere in Japan. We have to go to specific places to speak English, for example, a kind of urban city(Umeda, Sannomiya etc.) and English conversation schools and so on. However, America is different from Japan. They can practice a various languages commonly.

On the sixth day, my group ate dinner with Jill in the cafeteria. Then a member of the French group that lined up to buy food tried to take Megumi's French fries in secret. It might have been an opportunity to talk with them. Jill looked so happy when she spoke to them, so I asked her the reason, and she said,"I'm happy to be able to have opportunities to speak French. ". In America, people can have opportunities to speak other languages excepting English. It's a good point of American diversity.

AWESOME!

When I arrived at Grand Canyon, I noticed the excellence of human eyes. Grand Canyon was so beautiful that I forgot to take animation there. My memory of it is better by far than my pictures. It was very wide and magnificent. When all of us kept quiet, I felt that I was in the another world. One of my friends said, "I want to be swallowed up in Grand Canyon." I was surprised, because her words might give expression to our feelings. If people keep quiet, it is so calm there. Some people say we can hear the sound of earth. It was pity that I couldn't. I wanted to stay there all day long. I thought the view always changed. It depends on time, weather, spot and every factor.

On the next day, we went anywhere freely. We were extremely excited. We saw a lot of travelers at Grand Canyon. They were interested in talking to us. We probably looked like just children for them. I saw at least French and Korean tour group. Grand Canyon fascinates people all over the world. My teacher said to me, "When you see Grand Canyon, you will cry. You will notice human is very very small in front of nature." My mother said, "I really envy you. If I were healthy, I would go there someday." I want to go back to Grand Canyon with my family if I can, but it may be impossible, so I bought a lot of souvenirs.

This trip was greatly educational. I really think I was so lucky to go South West Trip my friends and teachers.

South West Trip

Hello.Last week I went South West with my friend and teachers. I enjoyed traveling South West very much.It was my first time to travel there. The view of South west was fantastic. I especially like Painted Desert and Grand Canyon.

When I saw the Painted Desert,I was moved by the beauty of the scenery.I was surprised because it had many kinds of beautiful colors,and I heard the colors vary with the weather and seasons. I thought I really wanted to go and see different colors.

I also enjoyed looking at the view of Grand Canyon. I couldn't express my feeling with my words. I saw billions of stars at night. In Japan, there were no places to look at stars near my house. I have never seen such a beautiful sky.It was surprising view. I also liked the view in the afternoon. When I was looking at the view, I always felt freedom.

The South West Trip became one of my special memories in my life. I was glad to special memories and to spend time with my friends. I will never forget this trip!

My South West Trip!

I went to the South West Trip for one week with Extension Students and Teachers. It was my first time to go to South West in U.S.A. It was amazing!

I went to many places during trip. I went to Acoma Pueblo, Elementaly School, Pueblo Cultural Center, Old Town, University of New Mexico, Chapel, some museum, Wupatki and Grand Canyon! I can't write everyting. These places were very different from Spokane or Japan. Buildings were Adobe style, not high buildings. Most of the colors were blown.

My favorite place is Wupatki National Monument because it is mysterious place. I always wondered that "How did people live here?" Also, I thought that I wanted to study about this building and Wupatki people. I like a plece which has mystic atmospehere. It makes me exciting! If I have a time to study about the place and people, I will do it.

Grand Canyon was also one of my special places. It was fabulous! I was very impressed when I arrived there. A teacher said to us "Please be quiet for 4 minutes.You can feel wind, voice of the earth or something." Then, we did it. During this time, I came to naught. I couldn't think anything. It was very good time to be in vain.

The extension program is very hard to study English. I always be pressed for time so, I have my overcrowded mind. I could relax during this trip and Grand Canyon made me clean. I think that I can take a step forward.

SWT is very good memory for me. I will never forget this memories.

Southwest Trip

October 25, 2009


Southwest Trip




Hi. I was very excited and interested and happy during the Southwest trip. I learned a lot of American history, culture, art, etc. Above all, the most impressive memory was the sun set at Grand Canyon.


When I looked at the sun set at Grand Canyon, I couldn't say anything. I only felt the wonders of nature. I thought that human beings are very smaller than nature, so we should respect it. The view made me calm. Then I deeply thought about my parents, friends, life, etc. It was a good opportunity for me.


The experience will be the one of the important event in my life. I can't forget this trip. I thought that I must thank people around me through the Southwest trip. And I studied many things about America, so I want to put these things to good account. I had a really wonderful time!

Fantastic SouthWest trip!

I went to South West trip from October 12th to 18th. We went to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Arizona. I had been looking forward to travelling this trip so much. I had the valuable experience with my friends and teachers. I could see very beautiful views, eat delicious food a lot, and learn each history.

There are many favorite places.
First, it is a Georgia O'Keeffe museum. I was impressed her paintings because it was written beautifully, artistic, and individually. She was written flowers and skulls. Her paintings made me stir.

Second, it is Grand Canyon. It is very beautiful and enormous, so I was very fascinated.
When I saw it, I couldn't nothing to say because I have never seen like this fabulous view, so I was just looking at the time. When I arrived at the hotel near Grand Canyon, I walked and to see sunset. I was moved so much and took pictures a lot. When we return to the our room, we saw a number of stars and milky way. They made us happy more. Unfortunately, I couldn't see shooting stars. Some students and teachers said saw them, so I envied them. I also could see sunrise because I got up early about five o'clock. It was also wonderful. Next day, we had free time, so we had gone to see Grand Canyon deeply. What we surprised at there, we saw Caravan.We are very excited because of it.
I bought souvenirs a lot such as post cards, calender, glass, and T-shirt related Grand Canyon.

Third, it is Acom school. I had looking forward to visiting there and talking with the students.
We ate lunch with them. They were so cute! I talked a few students. They seemed interested in us. After lunch, we could take each grade's class. I took four grade class. I had five students. What I surprised so much, they were written a letter and read it for me. I was so happy. We talked each other a lot about hobby, food, event, and so on. After that, I taught how to fold the crane with origami. They seemed difficult to make it, but when we completed it, they were pleased. I had wonderful time. When I had to return, they seemed very sad. Of course, I also was very sad.

I will never forget this fantastic trip. I want to show many pictures to my friends and family.

Great Trip

Friday, October 23, 2009
Great Trip

I had been to Southwest from October 12 to 18.It was my first time to visit there. I saw mamy different views in there from Spokane. We really enjyoed them. Then I had wonderful time. Especially, I enjoyed seeing a sunrise.

We got up early to see a sunrise on Grand Canyon. Since we wake up early, I could see shooting stars and a beautiful sunrise. In spkane, I often look up night sky and there are a lot of stars, but I had never seen a shooting star. I was looking forward to seeing them. We also saw a sunset, but sadly I could not see them. That's way then I could see it, I was so impressed and yelled. It was also my first time to see them. They are bigger than I expected. I had no time to pray my wish. I will never forget these shooting stars as long as I live. I wanted to show them for my families and friends. However I could not explain them in my few words. Seeing them are so lucky.

Before the rise of the sun, there were cold and I didn't bring my breakfast. Therefore I was hungry but my friends and teacher gave me some foods. It was delicious, especially the foods that I ate on the Grand Canyon. The rise of the sun is amazing and very beautiful. It is quick to rise. Suddenly, tere were became bright and warm because it rose. It is fantastic. I am so glad to see such a nice view.

The World Scenery !!

We took a trip to New Mexico and Arizona for one week and we had a lot of new experiences. Everything I saw was fresh and I took time to perceive those places were also in America, and I could not help feeling the spread of the world.

The first thing that I was surprised by was every building was Adobe style, so I learned the traditional culture immediately. I was surprised that they have to use adobe to build the house or shops under the law, but I realized that they protect the native culture and they are proud of them.

In the evening, we tried to watch a sunset on Grand Canyon. I really liked the color of the sky! In the afternoon, there are no clouds and a very clear sky blue, but it became orange gradually. We can see sunsets in Japan, but I've never stared at the sunset and I wasn't moved very much even if I saw it. That's why I was shocked and impressed by the magnificent scenery. The sunset was beautiful but it had a little desolate landscape for the end of the day. One of the reasons I felt happy was that I watched the sunset on the Grand Canyon. The orange color spread over a vast open space! Before Iwent on this trip,I didn't make a plan to watch the sunrise, but I had no hesitation in going to see the sunrise.

Therefore, I woke up at 4 A.M and I had one more lucky thing. I could see a lot of shooting stars. It's the first time for me to seeing shooting stars and the Milky Way. How romantic they were! I wanted to look at the amazing clear stars forever.
It was too beautiful that I sometime looked up the sky even if I was walking.
My home town is the country and I also can watch beautiful stars, but I was surprised the difference of scale. I learned how important to protect the global environment and I really wish we can watch such a romantic stars in Japan.

I imagined that the sunset and the sunrise looked similar. However it's totaly different. Sunrise was light and shiny color and I watched the contrast. They had pink,yellow,and light blue. In addition the sky has energy and it gave us power!

On this trip, I feel real nature and I could see the scenery which we can't feel in Japan. Everything was my precious experience and I never forget the impression I felt.

!!!Marvelous Southwest Trip!!!

I went to The Southwest from October 12 to 18.

I went to New Mexico and Arizona. There were a lot of differences from Washington State and Southwest . For example, temperature, house style, pronunciation, foods. During the trip, it was very good weather and high temperature. I wonder when does this area become cold. I thought it was still summer season. I regreted not bringing a T-shirt and suntan lotion.

The house style was very very different. It was called Adobe style. I think it looks like cookies. There were a lot of cute houses. I like Adobe style!!

The pronunciation was so different!! It was hard for me to listen to the people's pronunciation, so I was shocked! I think it is a bad thing to listen to the only one 's area pronunciation. I thought I have to listen to many area's English.

The foods is so good. I love spicy and hot food. I like food of southwest! I ate taco, tortilla . I also like beans, so this area's food fit me!!

Then, best place is the Grand Canyon! Before I went on this trip, I'm really looking forward to going to Grand Canyon! It was so so so beautiful! When I saw the sight for the first time, I was so moved that I got goose bumps. I wasn't bored when I saw the sight. I also enjoyed the different Grand Canyon sights that changed time to time. In the morning, I can see red and brown colors. In the afternoon, I can see green and blue and white colors. In the evening, I can see pink and purple colors. It was an interesting thing! Especially, I like the evening sights the best!!! The starry sky was also beautuful! I can see a lot of stars and shooting stars!

In this way, I really really enjoyed this trip!! If I can go to the southwest, I want to go again! So, probably, I have to save money from now on!!;*)

FABULOUS SOUTH WEST TRIP!!☆

Our first trip in this semester was the SOUTH WEST! Actually, at first, I didn't have idea about the South West. I didn't know where the Southwest is and what kinds of things are favorite in Southwest. However when I visited the South West, I could understand about the South West and learned a lot of things about it.

We met Native American children ,visited some museums, visited famous churches, visited world Heritage Sites, and ate poular food in the south west, like tacos, beans, corns, tortilla, and kabob. Most days, I ate at least 1 tacos during this trip!

One of greatest memories of this trip is visiting Santa Fe. We could see adobe style houses. Those are cute. At the Plaza, there are many street stalls at the museum which was used as a city hall. We could try to lower the prices. It was a great experience and good opportunity to speak with Native Americans.

Another greatest memory is the Grand Canyon! We stayed there for 2 days, and experienced a lot of things! the first day at the Grand Canyon, we saw the sunset at the cliff of the Grand Canyon. It was so beautiful. We noticed that colors on the surface of the Grand Canyon was changing gradually. It shows a lot of colors. one of the colors, pink is considered "Earth Color " by Native Americans. In Japan, we never think about pink is "earth color," because we can't see pink covered Earth surface. However at the Grand Canyon, we understood pink is Earth color, because Grand Canyon changed pink during sunset. Also, when we visited the Painted Desert, we saw pink covered Earth! We thought pink is important for Native Americans.

Also, we could see very beautiful stars at the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon's altitude is very high. It means we could see stars nearer. We could see lots and lots of stars, and lots of the beautiful Milky Way and lots of shooting stars! I have never seen such very beautiful stars!! I

felt as if I were in the planetarium!! I think Grand Canyon is the best place to see stars in the world!

In order to see the beautiful sky, I got out my room with my roomie and lied down at the front of our cottage at almost midnight with some friends. When we saw the shooting star, we were very excited!! We talk a lot, and were enjoying our youth. Also next morning I woke up at 4:45 and got out of my room again, in order to see shooting stars. I could see many more shooting stars than the last night! The face of sky wasn't the same as the last night. Both of skies were absolutely gorgeous!

I will never forget this sky and stars and the Grand Canyon!!!!
I think this trip was very massive. I remember every single day!!!

What a Great Trip !

Today, I would like to talk about the South West trip. I went to New Mexico and Arizona on the trip. It was absolutely fabulous!! I will never forget this nice trip, and it make me notice the differences from Japan and South West. First, the sky of South West was absolutely fabulous. I had never seen such a deep blue sky when I was in Japan. It was magnificent and beautiful, and there were no clouds. We can't see it in Japan because many building and bad weather prevent us from looking up at the sky. Japanese people look busy all the time because they are pushed for time and their job filled every minute of every days, so they have no time to look up at the sky. Second, people in South West look like they enjoy their life, because they can use their time very well. For example, I saw many people enjoy individual activities. They don't get confused about different things from others. But Japanese really hate it because they like to do same things as everyone. People in the South West were very active, talkative and free. It is one of my favorite things in America. The best memory of this trip is to hike the Grand Canyon. I walked whole of Grand Canyon with my teacher and friend. It took us about six hours to finish walking to the end, so after that, my face turned red because of sunburn. I was embarrassed, but now I think it is a good memory for me. And I can get many beautiful views. It reminded me of how tiny I am, and it made me forget a constant worry. Japanese care about many thing all the time, so Grand Canyon is very popular place to visit for Japanese. If you had a long vacation, you should go to South West. It will make you notice how tiny your worry is.

My Wonderful Time:D

I enjoyed the Southwest trip very much^^
Everything was new for me because it's New Mexico!
I know it is one of the parts of America but it seemed so
different from America especially food and buildings
I will talk about some of my favorite places.

First, I liked the Plaza. Because I could see many kinds of street stalls. It was the first time to see them. I had seen them only on the TV before. That's why I was really interested in them.

Second, I enjoyed the visit to the Acoma school. My class was 1st grade students. They were so cute^^ They didn't know anything about Japan before I went to there, so it seemed they were very interested in us. One of them said to me " I want to learn Japanese when I became older and I want to go to Japan to meet you!" This made me very happy. I had a great time there with them.

Third, my favorite place is of course the Grand Canyon!!! It was so beautiful!!!
I had seen it on TV many times in Japan, so I couldn't believe I were there at first.
It was bigger than my expectation. I was surprised at the size because people
who walked the bottom of the Grand Canyon looked like the size of ants!! I was overwhelmed
by the giant rocks. When I saw the sunset and sunrise, I felt the beauty of them.
I had never seen such a beautiful view before, so I was impressed.
What's more, I could see shooting stars for the first time. It was so awsome!!!
I can't explain my feeling only a few words. I want to show them to my family and friends.

Finally, I found some differences between Southwest and Northwest. When I went to
Acoma school, there were many students who has tan skin. I didn't see the students who
has white color skin. And sometimes they spoke spanish, so I was very surprised!!
Another different things that I found is buildings. Most buildings were Adobe style.
Before I went there, I thought some buildings are Adobe style, so not all buildings.
I was amazed when I saw them. But I was very happy that I could see different style of
buildings from North west.

I had many precious experiences there with all extension students and my teachers.
Everything that I did is my great memories. I think it was really good for me to join this
program. And I really appreciate that I can meet all extension students and my sweet
teachers. I will never forget these memories. Thank you for everything. I love all Extension
students and teachers^^

Exquisite Memory in My Life

I had a wonderful 7 days with extension program members on the South West Trip. First of all, I enjoyed eating Mexican food very much!! I love tacos, so I ate them, many times. However, I’m not tired of it still now. I miss it.

My best memory of SWT is the Grand Canyon. When we saw it for the first time, I was astonished because of majestic and spectacular views. Then, I shed a tear instinctively as if it was spellbinding to me. I saw 2 sunrises and sunsets. When we saw the first sunrise, we got up at around 4 o’clock a.m. and left for a bus stop with 2 teachers, a bus driver, and 12 students. The sun rise was glorious and spiritual, so I was moved so much. After that, two of them and I hiked all the trail about 12km for 5 to 6 hours. On the way, we had to walk very carefully because of walking near the edge of cliffs. It was a kind of adventure. We stayed many places a few minutes and gazed at the magical views, then, we were surprised every time, and hiked again. After hiking, we went to a good hotel to eat lunch and tasty deserts, an art museum, and a supermarket. Then, it was the time to go to see the sunset, so I went to a bus stop without taking a rest. The sunset was the second time to see it, but it was dazzling to me again. The following day was the last day of SWT. I got up early again and went to see the sunset with some people. It was also pretty. I will never forget these magnificent memories forever. I really appreciate my parents giving those opportunities.
Thank you for everything and everyone!!!!

Southwest Culture

Pueblo Native Americans have 19 tribes, and they speak some different languages like Tiwa, Tewa, Zuni and so on. For example, people in Acoma, where I visited, speak Zuni. I think it's kind of like Japanese prefecture and dialects, but each of Native Americans and Japanese people have a main language, English and Japanese. However, there are not any clans in Japan although people in Acoma have clans like eagle, corn and so on in the tribe. I was surprised to know that people who are from the same clan are like a family, so they can't marry each other. Japanese people can marry anyone who they love. If people love someone who is from the same clan in Acoma, what will they do? Will they give up him or her? It sounds sad to me. I want to marry the person who I love, and I want everyone to marry the person who they love. I think that people should or even must marry the person who they love, but it's one of the cultures of Native Americans.

However, in other parts of America, mostly people don't have any clans as Japanese people don't have. Even in the same "America", there are some different cultures although it seems kind of like clan that a Christian has to marry another Christian. Anyway, how interesting it is!

I learned a lot of new things on this Southwest trip. I noticed that there are many different cultures, languages and people in the world. This finding makes my view wider and myself more mature.

My Dream

I have a dream. In high school, I wanted to be a flight attendant, an interpreter and a secretary, but now I have decided my dream: I want to be a wedding planner, but I don't have enough information, so I will search when I go back to Japan. First of all, I want to work at a wedding company. Next, why do I want to be a wedding planner? I like to plan things. I always plan my friends' surprise parties. When my friends are surprised and happy, it makes me happy, so I want to plan another person's happiness. Finally, I want to serve foreign couples, so I need English. If I can speak English, I can give happiness to many people. Therefore I want to study communication in English. However, my friends always say, "You will be a housewife. We can predict your future." I agree with them, but I will try to be a wedding planner.

A Birthday Party

When I went to homestay for the second time, I had a birthday party for my host granddaughter. At 2:00 I went to a nail salon with my host mother. It was my first time to go to a nail salon and my nails were painted very prettily. At first Lisa made my nails clean and next she painted my nails. They were light purple flowers on each third finger. I liked it very much. Every host family member also did their toenails. After everyone finished, we had a small party for my host granddaughter. We ate chocolate cupcakes. My host granddaughter and her friends played with dolls. They gave her presents. One hour later it was finished.

After this, my host mother and I went back home and until 7:oo, we stayed home and prepared for a second party. At 7:00 we went to my host daughter's house. There were a lot of host family members. My host granddaughter got a lot of presents and she opened them in front of us. She was very happy and excited everytime she opened one. After this we sang happy birthday and the birthday girl blew out her candles. We ate a piece of cake and ice cream. I was very happy to eat them. They were very good. My host family members talked with each other. I didn't have a conversation with some family members but I had a great time with them. I thought how little by little I could talk with them. Now I can't talk with them much, but someday I want to talk with all of my host family members.

This birthday party was very good for me to know how American people celebrate their family's birthday.

How to Improve My TOEIC Score?

I want to improve my TOEIC Score. Therefore I am considering this topic:

"How do I improve my TOEIC score?

First of all, I want to improve my reading score because I'm not good at speed reading. So I have decided to "read a lot", and "practice reading the form of the TOEIC". These are good ideas, I think. If I want to improve my reading score, I must do something for the reading form of the TOEIC test. I'll try to do these things this semester and I'll do them everyday if possible.

Secondly, I want to improve my listening score because I want to get a higher score. I decided to "do dictation", "talk with my RA", and "practice writing the form of the TOEIC". It'll be an advance for me because it'll be good for listening to English. Also, I'll do it as much as possible everyday.

I want to reach a high score which I've never gotten! I'll do my best.

American Customs

There are many countries in the world, and each country has different customs. They are very interesting. When I came to America for the first time, I was surprised at three American customs.


First, I was surprised that almost all Americans don't take off shoes in their houses. When I went on homestay, I didn't take off my shoes. It was uncomfortable because my feeling was strange, but I had a good experience.


Next, I was surprised that I can use a doggy bag. When I went to a restaurant, I wasn't able to eat everything. Then a server asked me, "Do you need a doggy bag?" At first, I didn't understand "doggy bag". Then the server told me about it. When I knew, I was impressed because it is very useful, so I think Japan should use the system.


Finally, I was surprised that I can refill glasses many times for only one payment. When I went to a fast food shop with my host family, she said "You can refill." However, I worried about paying, so I asked her, "Do I have to pay again?" and she said "No." I was very surprised and impressed. It is very good for me because I drink a lot of water and juice.


I have many cultural observations of America. They are really interesting for me, so I want to look for more cultural observations now.

Heavenly Trip!

The South West Trip was a perfect time for me to know cultures, nature, and histories. I not only learned them, but also I could come in contact with Extension members. The long trip brought me a lot of happiness and energy.

First, I was quite intrigued by the magnificent nature around the South West. I had never seen such a fascinating scene. It was vast and terrific! I especially want to tell about the Grand Canyon. It was sometimes brilliant because of the sun, but I noticed it showed us colorful and mysterious reactions when the sun set. When I saw the Grand Canyon for the first time, I couldn’t say anything. A couple of minutes, we were immersed in our world. I thought people were very tiny, but nature is profound, majestic, and dazzling! The Colorado River was also grand! I was so excited and moved. When I see the pictures which were painted by famous artists, I thought people feel different even if they see the same thing. In the night, I went outside, and I gazed at stars. I could watch so many stars. I felt I was in the planetarium because there were a lot of stars. I thought as if I could catch the stars. The best memory of me was shooting stars★ I had been keen to see shooting stars since I was an preschool student. I desired a lot of things, but they were too fast to wish. I was so sad, but I enjoyed talking to my friends about our desires for about 1 hour! Compared with my hometown, we can’t see such a lot of shooting stars because of the lights and smoke. I was satisfied with the whole day.

Next, some cultural and holy places we visited gave me impressions. For example, Acoma Pueblo was very sacred place. When I knew the history, I was surprised because I found the cultural differences between this area and Japan. In Japan, male supremacy was common in the past age, I sometimes feel that even now. In Acoma, they obey women. I couldn’t believe it because I thought men in most countries have absolute power. In the afternoon, we visited the elementary school which Acoma Pueblo students go to. I was little nervous because I couldn’t figure out the English which the children spoke. It’s too fast! At first, Kindergarten’s kids and I enjoyed playing with paper balloons. Maybe it was first time to play with it, and they looked glad. I was also glad to see their faces. I had a wonderful time with them. I heard that they can't marry people who are same tribes. I was amazed because I felt gap between America. In Spokane, I learned American people are diverse, so I thought it depends on the area!

Finally, one of my favorite place is Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. I was enthralled by her work and I became a fan! I sent a letter in Writing Class, and I researched about her. Since then I was looking forward to going there! I love especially flowers which were drawn by her. Her work was interesting and beautiful. Her own way painting was very fascinating! If she was alive, I would see her!

I’m grateful for teachers, an advisor, and Extension members, a bus driver, tour guide, and so on. I had a nice memory with them. Thank you very much ;-)

What are Differences between America and Japan?

There are a lot of differences between America and Japan. First, American people tell their opinion directly. They are very active and powerful. Japanese people are very shy, so they tell their opinion indirectly. It sometimes makes for misunderstanding, so I think it is important to tell our own opinion accurately.

Second, American people wear their shoes at home. Japanese people don't. I think no shoes is very comfortable. I recommend it to everyone. I also have noticed differences about eating habits. American foods are very oily and high calorie. I should be careful about eating them. Japanese food is healthier. I miss Japanese food very much.:<

Next, American classes and Japanese classes have differences. The American class is more active. For example, in conversation class, we discuss some topics with classmates. But, in a Japanese class, our teacher only explains. It is very boring for me. American class suits me.

Finally, I want to know about America and Japan more. I'm excited to know and to live here. I enjoy studying American culture.

The South West Trip

I went a lot of places, but my strongest impression was of the SKY!!! I love New Mexico's blue sky and sunset. It was really great! I had never seen such a beautiful sky. The clouds were close to the ground and the sky's colors were very bright. I wanted to watch them for a long time. Probably I'm never sick of the sky.

Of course, I also enjoyed visiting some places. I visited Acoma school where Acoma Pueblo children go. Actually I don't like children so much. I don't know how to communicate with them very well, so I didn't want to meet them so much. However, my children who I met in the classroom were very nice. They were cheerful, pure and have a lot of curiosity. I gave them some paper-balls and Haichu (soft candy). They were very excited. I think that children love present usually:) I was really glad. Then we were friends. Yeah! It was easier than I thought. I still miss them. It was one nice memory on the trip.

Finally, I want to say that the South West is warmth. It means that people are very friendly and always smiling. Although Seattle and the East Coast people rarely talked to me, the South West people often talked to me. Probably the reason is they live in part of the south and there are lots of nature. (I believe that people who live in the south are cheerful and easy-going.) That's why I think New Mexico is warmth!! It means the climate is hot, too! Anyway, I enjoyed the trip. Thank you, my family, teachers and friends!

Why Is Pecking-Order Important for Japanese?

In Japan, there are honorific expressions used to show respect to the person addressed. It's very important for Japanese to use them. We call those expressions "keigo". However, I think it's less important to use them in the U.S. Why do Japanese use keigo?

Japanese people often have to use keigo. Actually, there are expressions like keigo in the U.S. For example, when I talk to the president of a company, I shouldn't talk to him as I talk to my friends. It's the same as Japan, but there are specific kinds of terms and expressions and it's kind of complicated. Even if my mother talks to her mother-in- law, she uses keigo, which are polite terms to show respect to her. It's usual and courteous. Also, if I talk to people who are one year older than me, I should use keigo. The reason why Japanese people often use keigo is that they regard pecking-order as important. In society, like our places of work or schools, it's important who is older. We often judge who we should respect from their age. This is because many Japanese systems are seniority systems. There is a custom that we respect elder people in Japan.

I think people in the U.S. also respect elder people, but Japanese people express that by terms, so it's easy to find out the custom. When I'm in the U.S., I often think about it. It's one of the most interesting cultural differences between Japan and America.

Awesome 7 Days

I'm home!!! Welcome to Spokane!!!

I encountered many differences in the Southwest. I met a wider and larger blue sky. I couldn't believe it at first. I could look at only the vast sky, when I looked around 360 degrees. In the blue sky, only one bright sun was watching the area proudly, which was surely like the flag of Zia. The sun also warmed not only the area but also the people, so they were cheerful and thoughtful. I could feel I can fly anywhere as if I were an eagle under the blue sky. I could feel much wind which held me gently and warmly. I could smell earth by which there were many adobe buildings made. These buildings are brown color that shows kindness. When I watched many small trees growing, I felt they want rain hard. They wish only the sun to rain. In the Grand Canyon, I had the awestricken time. There are no buildings. Only nature expanded. The Grand Canyon that was held by wind and sun brightened iridescently. The sight told the importance of nature. The sunset and sunrise surrounded by nature were absolutely fabulous. I felt the nature made the earth. I was so impressed, and I noticed that I was very small in the world by nature. I would like to become bigger and brighter in the world.

I am here in the world, the Earth!!!

It is my dream now. This dream comes true completely.

Shooting★Star

Every night I fall down to a secret place.

I may look beautiful,

but it's just fun for me,

I move your heart,

but its just play for me,

I like quiet places,

but people always make noise,

people and I are so different,

but I love you, so...

I will meet you every night ;)

Mother Earth

Mother Earth

It is fabulous and amazing.

Blue sky, colorful rocks,

The sunrise makes cliffs marvelous colors,

Feeling the wonders of nature,

Touching rocks, breathing fresh air,

Tasting bitter pinenuts,

Quiet, solemn nature.

The Grand Canyon is glorious.

Home Stay Weekend

I spent a great time with my host family. Actually, they are not our host family now; they were our host family last term, but they invited us to their house today.

First, we went to beautiful gardens in Spokane. One of them had lots of Japanese plants, and the other one had lots of colorful and cute flowers. I had been there once, but there had been no flowers. It was the first time for me to see such a beautiful garden. There was a green-house around the garden. Around Christmas, we would see illuminated plants there. I want to see them, so I asked them to take us there. They will take us again before we leave Spokane.

Second, we went to church to have lunch. The church held a Japanese food bazaar. We ate teriyaki there. It tasted stronger than Japanese teriyaki, but I really enjoyed it. My host family also said it was nice.

Next, we went back to their house and baked a lot of cookies. We usually bake cookies when we visit their house. They are easy to make and taste so nice. I like them, and my friends also love them. We often bring them to my dormmates as souvenirs. Today we also did it. They were really pleased. When I saw their happy faces, I felt warm.

Finally, we had a great dinner. Today's dinner was pizza. We really enjoyed eating pizzas and talking about a lot of things. They always try to understand us, so we can enjoy chatting. The enjoyable time passed so quickly. We had to go back to our dorm. We really spent a special time with them. I am already looking forward to seeing them again.

Nature

Sit on the end of the cliff,


There are a lot of colors,


Sunshine is warm,


Wind surrounds me,


A bit of earth smell such as rock, dirt and tree


Dry air in my mouth,


I am with nature.

The Grand Canyon

This is America!
How huge it is,
It stands magnificently,
Looking down on us,
Birds are flying freely,
Changing colors of the sky,
Fresh air makes me relax,
I feel the dry smell,
How small humans are.

Nothing to Think

I just feel nature.

Huge rocks last forever,

The wind is very fresh to breathe deeply,

My hand feels the power of nature's greatness,

The soft orange wind touches my cheek softly,

Tasting the sunshine and sounds,

While feeling nature, I have nothing to think.

Waiting for The Sun

Waiting for the sunrise was special.

The huge Grand Canyon began to change its colors from black to blue, to purple, to pink, to orange, to yellow, and finally, the beautiful sunlight came;

Fresh air brought the smell of nature: trees, flowers and the Earth;

I felt the warmth of the sun, heard birds' chirping;

That was the moment I felt I am living on the Earth.

The beginning of the day at the Grand Canyon was amazing.

Life at WSU

It was our long trip. We took the van for one hour. We gathered in front of Commons at 7:45. It was really early, so we were very sleepy. After breakfast, we got into the bus. We slept on the bus while we went to WSU, but Christopher woke us up suddenly. We could see a very beautiful view. It was strange but really cool. He explained the hills and the history. We were surprised. We got into the bus again and went to WSU. It was a really huge university.

First, we took a class with WSU students. There were many Kansai Gakuin University students because WSU accepts them. I envy them. We talked with them about English. We did origami that was difficult for them. Next, they taught each student how to make a T-shirt with origami. They were really cute. It is my treasure, so I put the T-shirt into my wallet. We were given a ticket to eat food from our teacher during the class.

After class, two of us went around WSU with Yoko and Chiang. They were my partners. Then we went to the cafeteria. There were a lot of differences between the WSU cafeteria and Commons. We were really shocked because there were many kinds of food. In addition, those foods were awesome, and we could eat everything. I had a great time with the WSU students, and the food made us happy and smile.

Life of the Earth

I can feel the life of the earth.

Sitting on the cliff, closing my eyes, listening carefully and quietly.

Hearing voices of birds, the wind and murmuring of trees.

Feeling nature, force, colors of the earth, and warmth.

Imagining the history of the earth, dimension, height.

Tasting earth's life and love.

Life of the earth is our life; the earth is our mother.

Try to Stop Thinking

I am sitting on the cliff, and feeling the earth,

the sun is going to hide behind the hill,

the air is fresh, trying to breathe deeply

the rock is getting cold, my body is, too

closing my eyes, listening to the sounds

tasting fresh wind from the earth

the earth gives wisdom to us.

The Gentle Canyon

The Grand Canyon has gentle canyons

There are tender colors of nature

The smell of the sun and ground are comfortable

Warm sunshine, slow time, soft wind

The taste is intimate

The Grand Canyon always tucks us up gently

by Honami

Grand Nature

Look around the Grand Canyon

The sun changes colors one after another,

The huge view makes me tiny,

Whisper of trees and wind,

Smell the breath of nature,

Taste cold fresh air,

Lying down on the cliffs, feel the earth on my back.

Feel the amazing power of nature.

Grand Canyon

It is very large there.

The rocks are clear and beautiful.

The air is cool and my feeling is comfortable.

It is quiet, but it is a wild place.

A lot of nature

Natural tasting, sunshine,

It is a dazzling place.

The Southwest

As long as I can remember, I have loved the outdoors.  Perhaps it's because my first memory as a child is at the Grand Canyon.  That's why it was such a pleasure to travel with the 42 Extension students and see the Canyon reflected in their faces.  It was a memorable experience seeing these beautiful women looking at the view from the south rim and knowing that this canyon is also a symbol of their own struggle and success with English.

I looked down on the Colorado river and remembered that it was the constant and patient continuation  of force that allowed the Grand Canyon to form.  Over time, and with determination, anything can be achieved.  I saw this same determination and spirit in the eyes of our students. 

It was a lovely moment to realize that these 42 women were looking down on a scene so representative of thier own language learning.  I was moved.

Christopher Micek

The Fascinating Difference

'Alternative learning' is something different from Japanese culture. I talked and learned about alternative education this afternoon, and I found variety is one of the important things which makes a country more interesting.

I had been thinking that educational systems are almost all the same in a country because it is suppose to be similar and equal in Japan. I was thinking that we had to go to school to get an education because that was what I was told. Also I was taught that I had to learn how to cooperate with others, and I had been believing that that was the purpose of learning at school, until I went to an American high school for a month. So the most important things in Japan were to be reserved, to be obedient, and to keep quiet.

But the students I met in the U.S. (actually here in Spokane!) were so different. They were eager to learn and were very positive, and the classes were not lectures but discussions all the time. This was a great culture shock to me. As I listened to the guests today, I found that students in America go to school to have confidence in themselves. They don't care about education styles very much, and they get an education to get a good job. But most importantly, they go to school to learn how to live in real society. I think I have almost forgotten this most important idea, spending time in Japan.

I always think about how a lot of things that I'm learning through this program are wonderful. This time, I realized the difference between sayings in the U.S. and Japan. In the U.S., people say 'The noisy wheel gets the oil,' but on the other hand, people in Japan say, 'The nail that sticks out gets hammered down'. Finding something through cultural differences is really interesting and meaningful, and the differences that I'm finding are making each country fascinating.

Why are a lot of Americans Overweight?

I think there are a lot of fat people in America. There are fat Japanese, but it is less than American. I think there are a lot of reasons.


First, it is related to American eating habits. When I came to America, I thought American cookies and cakes were too sweet, but I liked them. If we keep eating them everyday, we will get fat. Americans eat a lot of meat, more than fish. Americans like high calorie foods.




Second, all American servings are big. I was surprised when I went to Walmart last semester because very big ice cream was sold. In Japan, ice cream is put in a cup and sold, but in America, it is put in a bucket. It was not sold by the cup. If I have a bucket of ice cream, I will finish eating it faster than a cup of ice cream.




Finally, I think what I can do to keep my weight? I do not want to gain weight. I think it is important for us to exercise. I will try to go to the gym, but I have never been there. I will try to eat a lot of vegetables, and I will not eat a lot of cookies, cakes and ice cream.

I want to care my health.

My Experience in This Summer!

This summer ( August only...), I joined the volunteer "Cub Scouts" in Takaraduka. The children who go to an elementary school can take part in it, so it's similar to Boys Scouts. Its purpose is to make them easy to have many friends from different schools, and to experience a variety of important things to live by doing outdoor activities or camping, but actually, almost all of them don't find out about it.
It's natural for them, because they are still to young to notice that. I think it's enough for them to enjoy joining it by themselves.

I was prejudiced against any volunteers before I took part in it, because I didn' t understand why people volunteer without being given money, and I'm afraid of this expression may be inappropriate, but I thought it's just a waste of time. However, I could change my mind by doing volunteerism.

At first, my friend, who belongs to the department of Education (now, she also takes classes in Spokane!) invited me to the volunteerism that she joins. I thought Boy Scouts always do good things, for example, picking cans up, talking with people who live in other regions etc, so I also thought they make a great contribution to Japan, but my expectation was easily broken into pieces. They were impertinent and selfish and noisy! They were the same to the other children who don't join it. However, after joining it, I was excited all the day, in the end, it was fantastic for me! I love children, so it doesn't matter whether they are good or not, that's why I consider that what way do encourage them to go to good course in their lives.

♪Bold type=was editied by my partner♡