Sunday, 20 June 2010
Thursday, 17 June 2010
Last Class with Rab... and my plan for the project
Since I maybe am supposed to be talking about the class I'm gonna start off by commenting on the lecture... Well we watched a video in which students from two high schools are trying to get their government to make the bill on weapon trade limitation more strict. there were several funny and shocking parts like the sh*t throwing machine which could kill people as the Israeli guy said 'you stand there I kill you' or something like that. well it was real shocking and very funy:DD
There is one idea of what im going to do for the project in the next semester is something like get some restaurants or hotels that presently are for only Japanese to change there policy into being open to foreigners as well. or at least trying to find a way and put it into action during the winter semester when we will have some extra time for not having ELP. I am not sure yet of course but it is something that ELP teachers will be interested and that should be done to be prepared for the more rapid decrease in population. ELP course taught me that it is an argent issue that we must do something about. I already talked about this with Yuga and she is in a way interested in different thing but in another way we are heading in the same direction so we might be doing this together. If any of you are interested please let me know:)))
For me, and most likely for the other CB students, Rab has been such a great teacher including even the times he tricked us and made us feel stupid more or less. Thank you so much. You taught us literary how to think. The way we are supposed to do to be a critical thinker. On the way, though, I sometimes thought that I do not want to be critical because then I would start to see so many dirty things and keep thinking and thinking so endlessly and have no time to breathe or to become doubtful to everything and trust nothing, which sound to my ears so pathetic. That was my honest feeling at some stage. But facing so many facts and truth, I know it was just a small portion of what is really going on, I start to feel that being ignorant is a kind of crime if I live in a country like Japan. You get stuff for such a cheap price and the facts that many people are forced to work for nearly nothing are not to be seen under words like 'economic crisis'. In the country you would not say 'I do not think one committed a crime if the person does not realize that he/she did it'. But what we are doing outside the country maybe in Africa or South America is about the same. In Tokyo it is illegal to hire people for under 791 yen but in countries in regions like listed earlier people are hired and paid little, if any, so that we get stuff so cheap. Does that make sense???? Don't tell me yes.
Thank you Rab again for opening my eyes. I was almost blind and now I see a little more and as I keep on in ELP I see more and more!:)) hopefully
There is one idea of what im going to do for the project in the next semester is something like get some restaurants or hotels that presently are for only Japanese to change there policy into being open to foreigners as well. or at least trying to find a way and put it into action during the winter semester when we will have some extra time for not having ELP. I am not sure yet of course but it is something that ELP teachers will be interested and that should be done to be prepared for the more rapid decrease in population. ELP course taught me that it is an argent issue that we must do something about. I already talked about this with Yuga and she is in a way interested in different thing but in another way we are heading in the same direction so we might be doing this together. If any of you are interested please let me know:)))
For me, and most likely for the other CB students, Rab has been such a great teacher including even the times he tricked us and made us feel stupid more or less. Thank you so much. You taught us literary how to think. The way we are supposed to do to be a critical thinker. On the way, though, I sometimes thought that I do not want to be critical because then I would start to see so many dirty things and keep thinking and thinking so endlessly and have no time to breathe or to become doubtful to everything and trust nothing, which sound to my ears so pathetic. That was my honest feeling at some stage. But facing so many facts and truth, I know it was just a small portion of what is really going on, I start to feel that being ignorant is a kind of crime if I live in a country like Japan. You get stuff for such a cheap price and the facts that many people are forced to work for nearly nothing are not to be seen under words like 'economic crisis'. In the country you would not say 'I do not think one committed a crime if the person does not realize that he/she did it'. But what we are doing outside the country maybe in Africa or South America is about the same. In Tokyo it is illegal to hire people for under 791 yen but in countries in regions like listed earlier people are hired and paid little, if any, so that we get stuff so cheap. Does that make sense???? Don't tell me yes.
Thank you Rab again for opening my eyes. I was almost blind and now I see a little more and as I keep on in ELP I see more and more!:)) hopefully
Friday, 11 June 2010
11 June
In class we watched short movies. The first one was about how stuff are produced, sold, and wasted. (well there are a lot more processes) It turned out that if the entire population lived the way like I do now we need more than 4 planets. Looks like I am one of the most honest person in CB, neh? The second (i do not remember the order for sure though) was about how people prevented a Chinese man from being executed under the control of government. Then we move on to the third one in which a pig, a chicken, and a cow are the main characters and fight against manufactured farming. Other ones were so hilarious and surely the editors have good skill and sense of humor, creation, and motivation but something was missing. That is , a strong impact. In that sense, I would say the second movie that called on people for breaking some small laws is really well-done. I would say yes to it depending on how much risk I will have to endure. After all, I'm self-centred and I believe most people are naturally so to some extent.
I was pretty much feeling embarrassed because those who made the videos are so motivated to protect other species whereas I did not even have a slight idea that breastfeeding is the harmful thing for infant the most and that I had never even tried to know stuff like that.
I was pretty much feeling embarrassed because those who made the videos are so motivated to protect other species whereas I did not even have a slight idea that breastfeeding is the harmful thing for infant the most and that I had never even tried to know stuff like that.
Earthling
I've just watched Earthling. Yes it is heavy and not easy to watch through it all. I strongly, however, recommend that you should watch this if you eat meat. Sorry to say this. I do respect the voice of those who say they do not want to watch it because it's too harsh, gross, and cruel but it is the truth. If you say you do not know the truth of what is truly going on because the media and government control the information and all that, here is one that shows some elements of hidden factor of our everyday life. I dare not say the movie was completely fair and unbiased. It certainly is one-sided for the movement of protecting animals or nature. Isn't it safe enough, though, to say that if the scientists want to know how human body will react to a particular medicine and chemical they must use human body rather than innocent animals who are not even seeking to know what humans do.
This movie gave me an opportunity to think about how we take too many things for granted without acknowledgment.
This movie gave me an opportunity to think about how we take too many things for granted without acknowledgment.
Thursday, 10 June 2010
June 9
I'm sure at least half of the CB students know that my next essay will be based on my own experience in South Africa as an exchange student. I found it much better and easier to do than the previous one because I have better understanding and more motivation toward the current topic, culture. It includes especially cross-cultural communication and language but I'm not too sure yet.
In the discussion those who were in the same group gave me some hint and the weak point of my supporting statements for the claim. Thank you again;) I must work hard on the essay this coming weekend but when it's over,,,,, IT'S OVER!!! yesis I can do this:)))) But it's really kak that Rab won't be teaching us the next semester.;(((((
Anyways, is there any way that we know if the test is gonna be taken place tomorrow or not???lol
In the discussion those who were in the same group gave me some hint and the weak point of my supporting statements for the claim. Thank you again;) I must work hard on the essay this coming weekend but when it's over,,,,, IT'S OVER!!! yesis I can do this:)))) But it's really kak that Rab won't be teaching us the next semester.;(((((
Anyways, is there any way that we know if the test is gonna be taken place tomorrow or not???lol
Wednesday, 9 June 2010
On the day before yesterday's class (7 June)
My interpretation of The Old Man and the Sea is that the whole book is about Hemingway himself's wish. I came up with this idea when Rab told us that Hemingway sort of made up an unrealistic story which is quite unusual of him being famous as a realist writer.
Some people say that Hemingway represents Jesus but it does not seem to be accurate to my eyes. He thinks to himself that no one except for himself is worthy of eating the big fish. If you think about it how such a person who said that could be regarded as Jesus ,who was willing always and actually did sacrifice himself for people. Wouldn't Jesus give away the fish he caught with all his effort to those who are capable of doing so or to those who cannot afford any food and all that?
Writing the book, Hemingway wishes he had good relationships with his own son like the old man did with the boy who cares about and are concerned about the old man.
About the cover of the last year's edition. I thought the current one that we have on our book better suits the atmosphere and the mood of the story. That is, the previous one looks like a cover for a story of a strong man and his great enemy and about an accomplished victory or something like that. In fact, however, the story is rather flat and sometimes even miserable. Visualize in your head the situation given by the story. There is only one feeble man on a small skiff searching for a fish, getting one, and having it completely ruined except the head and the tail and talking to and even cheering himself constantly.
Here you might want to say that this story then can not be about his wish. But if you think about it it actually can since he kills all the sharks. The sharks could be anything that Hemingway regarded as his opponent, concern, burden, or any kind of trouble. He defeat every single one and manage to get home where the boy was waiting.
Those things are just part of my interpretation of the book and I know I need more and deeper understanding of it to be really prepared for the test...but ..........
Some people say that Hemingway represents Jesus but it does not seem to be accurate to my eyes. He thinks to himself that no one except for himself is worthy of eating the big fish. If you think about it how such a person who said that could be regarded as Jesus ,who was willing always and actually did sacrifice himself for people. Wouldn't Jesus give away the fish he caught with all his effort to those who are capable of doing so or to those who cannot afford any food and all that?
Writing the book, Hemingway wishes he had good relationships with his own son like the old man did with the boy who cares about and are concerned about the old man.
About the cover of the last year's edition. I thought the current one that we have on our book better suits the atmosphere and the mood of the story. That is, the previous one looks like a cover for a story of a strong man and his great enemy and about an accomplished victory or something like that. In fact, however, the story is rather flat and sometimes even miserable. Visualize in your head the situation given by the story. There is only one feeble man on a small skiff searching for a fish, getting one, and having it completely ruined except the head and the tail and talking to and even cheering himself constantly.
Here you might want to say that this story then can not be about his wish. But if you think about it it actually can since he kills all the sharks. The sharks could be anything that Hemingway regarded as his opponent, concern, burden, or any kind of trouble. He defeat every single one and manage to get home where the boy was waiting.
Those things are just part of my interpretation of the book and I know I need more and deeper understanding of it to be really prepared for the test...but ..........
Monday, 7 June 2010
筋肉痛で死にそうな青木さんです
Eish I had a awful muscle pain the whole day and I still do. It's literary killing me and forced me walk like a dying old person with no stick trembling at each step. Ah I got this from yesterday's volleyball games we made it to the semifinal and won the 3rd place. Saori was originally in the team which consisted of 3 boys and 3 girls who were at some stage in volleyball teams. Unfortunately one of the guys got injured and they needed another. Since they could not find any guy to replace they got me in place. It was so much fun and we promised we definitely would take a revenge. Aha it looks like this is my personal everyday type of blog:PPPP
By the way, the topic discussed today in class was a bit harsh and heavy. I ended up thinking that we should not do such a thing as killing animals to keep the ecosystem. In the case of the enormous reproduction of deers at some island that Rab introduced to us, some say that it was justified that people hunted the deers because deers eat almost all green and were pretty much close to driving other species into extinction. Their argument sounds almost right but I think that they should not have introduced deers to the land at the first stage. And if killing animal at the purpose of avoiding rapid increase of the number of some particular animal is justified why not killing people because there are too many. What if people started to say that Japanese should be swept away from the Earth because we have such a gigantic factories and industries that cause a great deal of pollution?
This is not an opinion I've been holding but just came up to my mind in today's class...
By the way, the topic discussed today in class was a bit harsh and heavy. I ended up thinking that we should not do such a thing as killing animals to keep the ecosystem. In the case of the enormous reproduction of deers at some island that Rab introduced to us, some say that it was justified that people hunted the deers because deers eat almost all green and were pretty much close to driving other species into extinction. Their argument sounds almost right but I think that they should not have introduced deers to the land at the first stage. And if killing animal at the purpose of avoiding rapid increase of the number of some particular animal is justified why not killing people because there are too many. What if people started to say that Japanese should be swept away from the Earth because we have such a gigantic factories and industries that cause a great deal of pollution?
This is not an opinion I've been holding but just came up to my mind in today's class...
Thursday, 3 June 2010
Class at Baka-yama!
After taking photos for yearbook we had class at Baka-yama because it was such a wonderful day:) We mainly talked about the Old Man And the Sea. I'd done the 3Bs' but all I found was just his biography not any of background. The background is more like historical situation political policy then and so on. When I'm finished PWT I can start working properly on this book and can do 3Bs in further detail.
good luck everyone for PWT
good luck everyone for PWT
Tuesday, 1 June 2010
June 1
today's lecture started off with a bad news which is that we have a test on the Old Man and the Sea. well actually it is not too bad to do it but it took me by surprise. I was always happy that we would be finished with any test on this coming Friday. Luckily this is not the first time that I'm doing literature I feel a little saved. I read To Kill A Mockingbird and Crucible to get O level literature during my exchange year. Anyways we got the result of the previous PWT. There are many major mistakes but I will just make sure that I would not make the same mistakes. It went the same way for the last essay as well. Learning lessons is valuable in any cases. Maybe I'm just making excuse though!!! haha you never know=)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)