I went to Cambodia from Aug. 23rd thru 28th, 2015. The reason I went to Cambodia is that I wanted to do something for Cambodian children. I also wanted to visit the world heritage site, Angkor Wat, and the Landmine Museum, while thinking about world peace. I love Asian countries more than anything else! Here’s what I did in Cambodia: Day 1: I participated in a factory tour. There were women making souvenir handicrafts from rush grasses, for example sandals, book covers, coasters. I also went to an orphanage to interact with children by playing simple games with them. Day 2: I re-visited the orphanage and tried traditional Cambodian dance wearing the traditional clothes, and played simple games too. It was a good experience for me. Then, we toured the Landmine Museum. I learned there are still many landmines in the rural areas. Many people were killed and injured in landmine. We have to bear this sad fact in mind. Day 3: I tried to watch the sunrise from Angkor Wat temple but the rain cloudy blocked the view. So instead of it, I visited the “Killng Fields”. I had watched the movie “Killng Fields” before I went to Cambodia. Everyone should know the tragic history of Cambodia. I re-visited Angkor Wat temple in the afternoon. Needless to say, it was a mysterious and wonderful place! Day 4: I visited Lake Tonle Sap. It was so huge but the water was of it became muddy. People built their cities above the water, and used boats as transport. Every night we visited restaurant and shopping areas by TUKTUK, a fun vehicle that can carry 4 or 5 people. The food was delicious and I also enjoyed shopping! I could spend my time effectively during this trip. I’ll never forget what I felt in Cambodia, and someday I want to visit Cambodia again to do something to Cambodian people. To do so, I have to brush up my English skills. I will do my best from now!
Have you ever eaten an eel from the Nile River? Fortunately, I got a chance while living near Cairo, Egypt.
Eel is the summer stamina Japanese food, but now in Japan, it's an endangered species. When I lived in Japan, it was getting more difficult to find.
One day my Japanese friend ( Mr. S ) told me that he found some eel in the market near my home. Wooooow, how lucky even in Egypt!! My husband and I went to Mr.S’s home right away. In his kitchen, I was very surprised to see an enormous eel from the Nile River. Was it a male or female? I wasn't sure～(^_^;).My husband and Mr. S started a charcoal BBQ fire, and started cooking the eel on the grill with our Egyptian friend ( Mrs. Z ).
Generally, Egyptian people almost don't eat eel. They say " Oh, it's gross, it has a bad shape, like a snake". But I thought, “what a pity ! “ They've never eaten anything as delicious as it. I was glad to find Japanese soul food in a foreign land. I will always look back on it fondly.
The Nile ( River ) is the life of Egypt. Of course for me, too.
I went to Australia on my school trip. It was my first time abroad, so I was very uneasy, but foreigners were very kind to me, so I was relieved. I had many nice experiences and a great time.
First, I went to Bondi Beach. There wasn’t any garbage on the beach. We should learn from it. I thought Japanese have bad beach manners. Moreover the neighborhood around the beach was so wealthy . I was impressed.
The next day I went to a local kindergarten and elementary school. There were various nationality students, a couple Japanese students, too. I couldn’t understand everything the students were saying, but I kept smiling all the time. I realized it’s important to share our cultures. They were very cute.
My friend and I went various places with our homestay family on the weekend. My homestay family was very kind. They took us to suburb sightseeing spot and a shopping mall of my generation. We bought many souvenirs. I had a great time. We enjoyed everything, but my English level was not high enough to hold long conversations. I must study English more before the next time I go abroad. Thank you.
I have lived in San Jose since November of 2014. San Jose is a California city in the U.S.A. and famous for the area of Silicon Valley, so there are many companies connected with the computer and electronics industries like Apple, Google, Intel, Facebook, and others. Many Asian people are working and living here. I can find nice many Asian shops and restaurants, such as Japanese, Indian, Korean, and Vietnamese. Additionally, this area is very warm throughout the year, and I hardly ever need to use an umbrella, so it’s very comfortable.
I have two things I love about California. First, it’s the California organic food culture. There are many people who prefer ecological and health-conscious lifestyleｓ, so you can buy and eat many organic foods in supermarkets and restaurants here. I especially like to buy organic foods in the farmers’ market. Many farmers’ markets are open on weekend mornings in the downtowns of many cities. In my area there are about twenty outdoor shops selling vegetables, fruits, breads, nuts, honeys, flowers, and other things on the street or open spaces. I go to the farmers’ market every weekend. I buy many fresh foods for the coming week. Recently, I found a vegetable I had never seen in Japan. The farmer in this shop taught me the name of the vegetable and how to cook it. The communication like this is very exciting and fun for me.
Second, California has grand and beautiful nature. The first time I came to California, I felt the sky is larger than Japan. I seldom find high buildings in California, so I can see endless blue skies and large grounds while driving on clear and sunny days. One of my favorite nature spots is Yosemite National Park. Yosemite National Park is in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Eastern California. This was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1984, and one of the most famous national parks in the U.S.A. You can enjoy many rocky hills, waterfalls, and deep woods that vary seasonally. I went there last Thanksgiving. The nature is the most grandeur and beautiful that I had ever seen. I felt that the park has divine energy and it cleansed my body and soul. It was almost a 4 hour drive from my house, and I enjoyed the view on the route to Yosemite. I could see the constantly changing landscape such as extensive farms, a big valley, a zone-like desert, and forests of big trees. I think I will go to there in another season, like summer, since I heard it’s Yosemite’s best season.
I am going to stay in San Jose for about 3 years. I think that I want to try to find many nice places and things during my stay in the U.S.A. To be continued…
Have you ever done a homestay? If not, maybe it’s because you’re afraid or don’t have time to go to abroad. But you don’t have to worry, because now you can homestay in Japan! On January 4 and 5 2015, I did a homestay for the first time at Yokota Air Base. Have you ever been to an American military base? Yokota base is so huge! It’s just like a big foreign town. The base has everything including: schools, supermarkets, restaurants, police, and firestations, and so on. My host family was a young family. They were so kind! They have two daughters, a dog, and a cat. We played the board game “Sorry” and watched the Japanese cartoon “Attack on Titan” (Shingeki no Kyojin) in English. We made fudge pies and ate them with vanilla ice cream. They ware so yummy! I want to make them again. Dinner that night was delicious. We went to a steak restaurant and ate sirloin steak but it was more than I could eat. Anyway, the dinner was good! The next day I went to the base bowling alley. I never imagined that I could possibly bowl on base, but did! I enjoyed the American lifestyle doing events such as this. The reason I went on the homestay is because I want to improve my English. I didn’t have confidence in myself about speaking English, and I wanted to gain confidence, but I couldn’t take a long vacation on account of work. I was afraid of going to study abroad in a foreign country so, at the first onset, I tried to do a homestay in Japan. I think that doing a homestay in Japan was adequate for my purpose. It was a valuable experience for me. I recommend this homestay style for English beginners. I was satisfied with the homestay and I want to study abroad in a foreign country in the near future. I’ll continue my challenge! See you next time.
I went to Shanghai on a business trip with my colleague and went to Starbucks along the Huangpujiang River. I think that is the one of the best Starbucks in the world. I love it there.
You can see the beautiful scenery of the river while sipping coffee and relaxing.
However, that shop was closed due to renovations, so we went to a luxurious coffee shop. next to Starbucks.
A beautiful and charming waitress recommended the afternoon tea set, but the price was 198CNY (¥3775) We couldn’t afford it, so we ordered one cake and one coffee each.The cake was very expensive. 58CNY (¥1106) And the coffee list was very long. I am always annoyed by coffee menus. They're very complex. ****Caramel***** Frappuccino***** *****flavor And I ordered from the top of the list, the shop name’s coffee(Musk cat). I thought it must be average coffee, I didn't see the price…
A young guy came to our table and started to make coffee!!
He brought a workbench and fired up a burner for the coffee siphon. We asked ourselves,"What did we do? What did we start?" Then he passed us milled coffee beans. We sniffed them like wine tasting.
Making coffee took over 15 minutes. We didn’t talk together. He was standing there silently. He didn’t speak English.
At last the coffee was ready, and we drank it. It's a light type coffee and easy to drink. I think it's average coffee. But it has a distinctive smell. Fresh and natural fregrance of the forest, like herbs.
The server brought us our receipt. I checked it. What!? １CNY＝１９JPY 1CNY = 0.16$ Coffee 288CNY×２ (¥10.944) Cakes 58CNY×２ ( ¥2.204) Total 692CNY (¥13.148)！！！！
Yipe!!!!
The next day, I told this story to my partner company president who is Chinese. He said "You got ripped off. Let me check your receipt. I know this coffee, it’s very precious and expensive. but that price is for the best coffee in the world." But, I’m not sure it is genuine or fake, hahaha..." I was healed and bankrupt…!!!
I traveled to Finland and Estonia to meet my dear Finnish friends from June 4th to June 9th, 2014.It was like the “Odysseia” of Homer because I traveled alone foreign countries. I have 2 Finnish friends named Ilari, a 15 year old boy and Aino a 16 year old girl. I met them on a ferry 2 years ago that went from Stockholm to Helsinki and decided to meet them again. Finally, we kept our promise. We embraced in front of Helsinki central station after a long wait and they took me for a 1 hour drive to their beautiful summer cottage. I have heard Finnish natives have their own cottages for staying during the summer. A brilliant lake and forest were close to their summer cottage. It seemed like Moomin’s house.
Sauna is originally a Finnish word, so Finland’s saunas are the best! Ilari drilled me on how to use the original sauna. First, he struck a match and he got the sauna temperature to around 60℃, then we plucked branches of white birch for making a bunch. Lastly we prepared the water that was drawn from the lake.
We changed into swimwear and entered the sauna and sat on the wooden seat. We needed to sprinkle water on to the heated stones for making steam. The steam rose to our faces and bodies, moisturizing water them. In addition Finnish people pat their bodies with branches of sweet smelling white birch. Aino hit our bodies so hard that I realized she was “a real sauna master”! The Finnish sauna was a very good experience for me and I was really satisfied. After relaxing in the sauna, we dove into a cold lake and went swimming. I think that Finnish children swim well like fish. Ilari and Aino swam so far in a short time by themselves. It was still light outside even though it was 9 o’clock pm due to the famous Finland midnight sun.
Ilari’s mother cooked many kinds of Finnish traditional foods while we were swimming. I tried reindeer’s meat for the first time. It was delicious like beef. And surprisingly she made a blueberry pie for me. She cooked very well and it tasted good. I could feel much of their love and kindness in their Finnish hospitality. My Finnish friends were wonderful guides and showed me a beautiful time. When we said goodbye, I gave them a kimono tablecloth as a Japanese souvenir to show my gratitude. They looked very happy. We swore to meet again next time in Japan. I am really looking forward to meeting them again in the future.
Todd先生のコメント
Y.K., a group class member for 6 months, is a dramatic and flamboyant person, full of energy and passion for the world. I had never had a student who described her adventure in such an interesting way, with a flair for the dramatic. She studied English hard to make her dreams come true, and enjoy her life using English.
I get up at 6:00am and take a shower. After that I have two slices of bread and jam and a cup of coffee for breakfast. Then my friend and I leave home at 8:15am. We usually take the bus to our schoolor sometimes walk if the weather is good. Our morning class starts at 8:45am and finishes at 12:30. And my afternoon class starts at 12:45 and finishes at 2:15pm. My lunch time is very short! So every day I have lunch after the afternoon class. My teacher gives me food because she cares that I’m hungry. She brings things like fruit, cake, and bread. After the afternoon class, my friends and I go sightseeing or shopping. Sometimes I go to a café or McDonald’s and I do my homework there. I’m usually back home by 6:30pm. My host family has dinner at 7:00pm every night. My host mother cooks well, so I have a second helping every time. After dinner I do my homework and write my diary in English, and I go to bed at 11:00pm.
Sightseeing spots in Malta
There are a lot of historical and sightseeing places in Malta. I visited a lot of them.
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Valletta
Valletta is the capital city of Malta. It’s an amazing, historical city. My friends and I visited St John’s Co Cathedral which is one of the most historical cathedrals in Malta opened in 1577. Pictures and ornaments in the cathedral are absolutely wonderful. They are very colorful unlike anything I’ve seen in Japan.
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The Blue Grotto
The Blue Grotto is in the south of Malta. It is a reef arch. This reef is formed by the sea waves and by the wind. We can take a boat around the caves of Blue Grotto. It is absolutely wonderful and really exciting. The sea is so blue and clear.
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Slema City
There are a lot of shops, restaurants and café in Slema. We can get things that are very popular like clothes, bags, and souvenirs. Sometimes I had coffee and spaghetti in a restaurant or café.
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Mdina
Mdina is the old capital of Malta. It’s a typical medieval town and known as “The Silent City”. We can see cobbled narrow streets, churches and palaces. Mdina is a really quiet city. I felt time had stopped there in Medieval Period. There was a festival the day I visited. It was lively. A lot of people dressed up in various costumes and parade down the streets.
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Gozo Island
Gozo island is part of Malta. Gozo is 6km northwest of Malta island. We can go to Gozo by ferryboat from Malta. The Azuru Window is one of the famous sightseeing spots in Gozo. It is absolutely beautiful! The day was very cloudy when I visited there, so the sea was gray. If the weather had been good, I could have seen the blue sea.
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Comino Island
Comino Island is between Malta and Gozo. It is very small island about 3.5km2. Comino is absolutely beautiful and the sea is blue. I have never seen such a blue sea. The day was hot when I visited there, so I jumped into the sea, but I got out quickly, because the water was very cold. I enjoyed living the Malta lifestyle for 3 weeks. I want to go and study there again. I recommend you go to Malta. Maltese are very kind. There are a lot of sightseeing spots, and it is safe.
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Todd先生のコメント
My student for 5 years, W.H. is a super active person. She runs marathons, plays beach volleyball, and travels all around the world in addition to her career a biologist. I really respect her, and wish I could be like her, with her sense of curiosity and friendliness. I could hardly believe when she told me, ”I’m going to study in Malta this summer.” Where will she go to next? Stay tuned. My summer in MALTA by Ms.W.H.
I'm thinking about a long term stay in NZ someday, so this time I homestayed in Auckland. Homestay family was so kind. Mrs. Cleland cooked my meals and desserts, using fruits and vegetables grown in their garden. Mr. Cleland drove me around in his classic car. They also took me to a big farmers market in the countryside. I visited some places by bus and train alone. I was a little perplexed, but I had good experiences.
Todd先生のコメント
My age 60 student, T.S, did a homestay in New Zealand. She loves natural goods and her character is a good match for New Zealand. I really hope in the future I can be like her and do homestays all over the world.
