homework #2

1. death and funerals;

a. Do you have any international friends or a host family? If so, how would you express your condolences to them if a family member died? If not, then how would you express consolences to an American host family if their Grandmother died?

Yes, I have internatinal friedns and host familys, but I never have had like situation yet. so if I have this situation, I say ' I'm sorry. ' I can't say any more, I think. It is difficult to say sorrwful in English, even though I could say it in Japanese.

b. have you ever been to a foreign funeral?

No, I haven't. I have never been to Japanese funeral, too.





2.the language of clothes

a. why are Japanese designer label crazy?why is what you wear so important?

It is not important for me to wear designer's clothes. I wear nomal label rather than designer label. I don't care about brand name. I just care what material is used to make clothes and how clothes sew or tailor. so I like some brand, becuse tailoring is great!!

b. what dose "don't judge a book by it's cover." mean to you?

I think it look at outside of people, so people judge about your character or knowledge by your clothes what you are wearing.

Homework #1

1. Reflecting about today's class;

Do you agree with hte web site's description? what do you do that can be called 'wrapping'? Give examples and reasons for your actions.

yes, I agree with some parts in the web site. when Japanese people say something to someone, we wrap some word by something kind of sugar-coating. I think 'wrapping' has 2 reasons Japanese are done. One of the reasons is Japanese people are important to be community, so they avoid arguing with someone. The another is Japanese people like to keep secrets or hide ourselves?? it is difficult to explain, but make sense??

However, I don't agree with Kimono is not 'wapping' !! This is one of our traditional costume, so this comment is rude. I feel it makes a fool of us.

2.Preparation for the next class "Death and Funerals"
a. where do you go when you die?

I don't know. BUT I THINK, ...
when I die my soul goes to heaven or hell or somewhere. when I die, I think that only a soul remains in somewhere. then, a soul can be back in the real world only after a person's death like 1 month, 1 year, 3 years, 7 years....

b. Explain why do Japanese have death memorial services 1 month, 1 year, 3 years, 7 years, etc. after a person's death?

I explained the above, we hold memorial services and greet the dead because we don't forget the dead.

Politics and International Relations

Today, we heard about politics in Japan. I was not interested in Politics in Japan, because I didn't know who should be trusted. They made a noice when they had campaign, and some politicians did bad things or said something to bad. I had a bad image of politics. However, I talked with foreign friends and they asked some questions. One of question was 'What did you talk with friend in a bar? ' and I said, 'Almost Japanese talked about boyfriend's matter or it had happend by personal appearance. ' Then, foreign friends asked 'Have you ever talked about politics with your friends in bar?' I said, 'Never!!' They were surprised at us and they saied, ' our country, if we go to a bar with friends, we talk about politics and always fight with friends. ' When I heard this comment, I was ashamed me by myself. Then, I began to get interested in politics little by little.

If I had a chance to work at UN, I would want to be a WFT(World Food Programme) staff, becasue I love eating, I enjoy eating food and I can eat something enough, but in the world, many children cannot eat food enough. It is too sad and terrible things, don't you think? Why so many children can't eat food?? There are many reason, one of the natural disaster. It is hard to solve this problem, but we can try reducing carbon dioxide or keeping forest. And the other reason is conflict. It is harder than the disaster. However, why are children caught up in that problem? That is not children's business. Then, they just born which there are conflics many times. We can not change childrend's fate, but we can help them, so I would like to help like that childrend, if I had a chance to work at the UN. Then, I will use my English skills and I make a new rule of the world. If you leave a dish half eaten, you should pay a penalty, so I will make like rules. We should think more like problems even if you think it just little bit, I think it is better than you thought before.

Thank you very much Meiki sense!! In the class, I could lean and realize a lot of things I never have thought. I had a nice time with my classmate, Rolf, Alison, and you!! Thank you so much!!

June 25th Dating

A man of the ideal which I consider is people with the following categories.

Looks, character, humor, sense, hobby

I think characeter is the most important than others. Second, humor and sense is more important, becasue I like a person who is good at conversation and I want him to amuse myself. And also, the hobby is one of information in conversation, and I think if he and I have same hobby, we can enjoy doing it and undersatand each other.

Lesson 7 textbook

textbook page 14 section 4 a-f

a. when do children usually leave home?
Some children leave home when they are university student. But almost all children leave when they start working, I think. I think it depends on family, my father doesn't leave us, so my sister works now but she staies at home.


b. how many people live in your home?
I live with my father, mother, elder sister, elder brother, and me. I told you the above, my father doesn't leave us, because he knows how lonely family split out. When he was a child, he split out his family during the war, so he doesn't want to be again, I guess.


c. do you have a head of the family?
Yes, I have my mother is a head of my family. My mother is very strong woman. When I was a kid, I felt my mother was so scary because she always hit me, but I understood why she hit me and it is kind of child discipline.


d. who does the housework?
My mother does the housework and my father never. I think Japanese men don't do the housework, but it is change little by little. My uncle does the dishes and washes clothes. I think Japanese men should do like other country. When I went to China, I went to big city, then, almost all husbands does the housework. I ate Chinese food at one family house, but thier wife didn't cook. she was just talking with us, then, thier husband cooked dinner. It is delicious and better than many restaurant.


e. who runs the family?
I think my mother runs my family. My father works and passes money to my mother, so my mother manages for money. And also, the power of decision has my mother. but we ask my father, too.


f. how many rooms do you have to sleep in?
I just have one room. My family have each own room, so we sleep separately, but when I was a kid, we sleep same room. My sister just slept on her room, but my father, mother, brother and I slept on same room. After that, my mother, sister andI moved another room which had an air conditioner. My sister and brother shared the studing room, but I didn't have my room yet. When I was an elementary school student at 4 or 5 grade, I got my room, but my mother slept with me, becuse there is an air conditioner. We changed the grade, then, gradually we separated own room.

Lesson 5 text page

textbook on page 9, number 1,3 and 7

1. How do you choose a child's given name in your family?

My father chose each child's given name. I have an elder sister and an elder brother. My sister's name is come from flower, because my father is a florist so he wanted to give her name to connect a flower, I guess. Then, my brother's name is come from my father's uncle who was a great person, so he wanted my brother to be uncle. However, my name is come from famous drama' s character when I was born. She was so beautiful woman, so he wanted me to be a beautiful lady!! I cannot believe that, he watched the TV drama then he decided my name!! I wanted to be more serious to choose a child's given name, don' t you think?


3. Does your given name or your family name mean anything?

I told you my name meaning the above, so I want to tell you about my family name. but I have no idea about it, because I don't know my family route. However, I just tell you that my family name become some place's name and some shrine's name, I don't know why.


7. How do you know if names are boy's names, girl's name, or both?

In the old days, it was easy to understand which name is boy's or girl's, because many girl had 'ko(子)' in last name like Hanako(花子), Sachiko(幸子). However, recent nema is too difficult to read!! What do you think the follow names?
愛人　（はあと）　　　→愛人 means mistress but it pronounces 'heart.'
光　　　（きら） →光 means light.
女王子　（じょおうこ）　→女王子 means queen.
I cannot read them. If you are intersting it, you should check the Internet!

Lesson 6 Names and Addresses

1. Are feelings emotions and facial expressions universal across borders, happy, sad, etc...?
I think feelings emorions and facial expressions are not so different for other country and Japan, but we are weak at expressing feeings directly. so we are misunderstood by other country people. I think we should show more clearly including me.


2. Try to name as many feelings as possible in Japanese. Now write the English translation.
うれしい happy 怖い　scary

悲しい sad　　　　　　　　　　　 楽しい　fun　　

腹立たしい irritating 恥ずかしい　ashamed

おかしい funny 苦しい　hard

面白い interesting 苦痛 　pain


3. Are there any feelings in Japanese that cannot be translated into English?
虫酸が走る
浮き足立つ
苦渋