2012年11月26日月曜日

Opinion Piece (Free Choice)

   
    There many things in this world that I like and dislike. Out of these I want to write about fishing. Fishing is one of my hobbies that I just cherish. I usually go to Enoshima with my friends or family and enjoy fishing there. Today I want to talk about why I love to go fishing and other facts about fishing.

    First of all, fishing can be divided in three different types. They are sea fishing, river fishing, and manmade pond fishing. Sea fishing is a great hobby because I can enjoy the tug of fish and can eat the fish if I can catch it. I feel the adrenaline in my body when the edge of fishing rod starts to shake little by little and my mother usually makes tempura with the fish I catch. I also love fishing at manmade ponds because there are a lot of fish living in a small space so first of all it is easy to catch fish, and you can get points for how many fish you catch and the size of the fish. If you collect a certain amount of points, then you are able to fish there for 4 hours free! There are also fish that are bigger than 50 cm so you can enjoy the tugging of fish. The manmade ponds near my house keep carps, which are known to be great tugging fish. I can enjoy the tugging of carps even if they are only 20 cm big. We give back the fish we catch to the manmade pond at the end of our time limit, but if the fish is bigger than 80 cm we got to take a picture with it. My family actually caught this fish, so we have a picture on the "Wall of Fame" at my nearby manmade pond. I still don't have a chance to go river fishing, and my father says I shouldn't go because we can't eat the fish because it might have parasites living in it since it lives in dirty river water. My family also doesn't own a fishing rod for river fishing so I think I won't experience river fishing, at least while I'm a teenager.

    In conclusion, I cherish fishing because there are three options to choose from. I also like the idea that if you try and catch a lot of fish, prizes are waiting for you during dinnertime. Next time I go sea fishing I hope that I will have a rich haul of various fish.

2012年11月18日日曜日

A Beginner's Guide to the Bunkasai


A Beginner’s Guide to the Bunkasai

 

In Japan, there is one type of event that is held annually in most schools. It is called “Bunkasai” otherwise known as the Cultural Festival. In this essay, I will describe the “Bunkasai” with two different perspectives. Firstly, the general idea of a “Bunkasai” and secondly the description of the “Bunkasai” that takes place in SFC every year.

First, the general idea of a “Bunkasai” is a fun and jolly event. Not only does it display students’ projects and achievements, but there is an array of food you can eat. Usually, a classroom or the gymnasium is temporarily made into a restaurant or café where one can comfortably eat a meal. There are also some plays, dances, and concerts performed by the drama club, the dance club, the orchestra club, and the band club. In many schools, the “Bunkasai” is traditionally held around November 3rd which is holiday a called Culture Day in Japan. The “Bunkasai” normally lasts for about 2 days, Saturday and Sunday. The visitors to this kind of event are usually people who are interested in the school’s atmosphere, people who want to enter the school, friends of the students attending the school, and parents of the students attending the school.

Next, the “Bunkasai” that takes place in SFC annually is very exciting. Firstly, a theme is chosen for each “Bunkasai” and each class has to make something that has to do with that theme. First grade classes make a big piece of art and put it up somewhere in the school. Grades two to five make an attraction in their class to entertain the visitors. The sixth graders make a 30 minute skit and play it around three times a day. Other than that, the members of the culture club activity are each given a space to promote their clubs’ activities. Since SFC has many kinds of clubs, it is very interesting to see what kind of things they make or do to make their club look interesting. I especially like the cooking club because they make delicious and tasty treats for only 300 yen.

 In conclusion, “Bunkasai” is an event that not only shows the projects and achievements of students but it is also the only opportunity each year for students to see what life is like in other schools. It also helps enrich people's lives by increasing social interaction with people outside of the school.