Shinobi-no-Kuni

 One of my favorite novel is Shinobi-no-Kuni, the country of ninja.  It is written by Ryu Wada.  He also wrote Nbou-no-Shiro, which became movie and released recently.  I have not read the Nobou-no-Shiro.  The story of Shinobi-no-Kuni is about a tribe of ninja, named Iga.  The main character of the story is Mumon who is a Iga ninja and very incredible.  The story starts the scenes of four people went to kill their master.  And the last is how Mumon lives after war.
 My favorite scenes are that Mumon returned to the war between Iga and Nobukatsu Oda who is a son of Nobunaga Oda.  Mumon has wife, named Okuni, who is brought to Iga by Mumon.  She is a strong-minded woman because she is originally a princess of a small country in Aki.  Mumon is the strongest ninja in Iga but he can't be against her.  He promised her that she would have occupied his house before he would get forty kan a day.  A kan is a unit of weight meaning three point seven five kilogram.  Forty kan are very expensive in that era.  Of course, Mumon can't get a day.
 And then, the people of top of Iga think that Iga beat the Ise where is the territory of Nobukatsu Oda.  They plan that Ise come to Iga to fight them.  They think to beat Ise and to be famous to get more money.  Mumon is not interested in anything but money to keep the promise.  He try to run away with Okuni because almost ninjas run away and it is hard to win the war.  Almost all of ninjas are interested in anything but money.  However, Okuni insisted that Mumon should not run away and should take a part of the war.  She passed Mumon a Ko-nasu which was worth ten thousand kan.  He shouted that he had the alternative to ten thousand kan and would give someone who would get the head of Nobukatsu Oda five thousand kan.  The people running away from the war started to return to the war after they heard that.  Mumon also started to return to the war.  Then, Okuni said him that he mustn't die.  He was very pleased because he wanted such things like usual couple.  He wanted someone to worry about him.  He was glad to return to the war with being said such words.
 At the end, Okuni was killed by ninjas of Iga because of Ko-nasu.  Mumon had never notice how they including him were cruel and he got angry.  He brought the dead body of Okuni to Kyoto.  And, in the last scenes, Mumon fights some ninjas without being seen by others.
 This novel tells that people can't notice the importance of something before people will lose and that it is difficult for people to change.  Mumon noticed the importance of Okuni and the his love to her but he fought with the ninjas as a ninja at the last.

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My best picture of a cat

 I could take the best picture about a cat on Sunday!  I have never taken the picture about cats like this!  I like cats and I sometimes take a picture of cats.  But, most of them are not good.  The cat doesn't look at the camera, or the cat disappear from the view of camera when I try to take a picture.  This picture is pretty good.  The cat looks at the camera and keeps sitting.

 I took this picture at park nearby the Tsuboi River.  On Sunday, I went out to refresh at about three o'clock because I had done English Central since that morning.  I would go to downtown, but, on the way to downtown, I found that I had little money, so I had to draw money from my bank.  I went to a post office.  On the way to the post office, I saw this cat.  When I saw this cat, this cat scratched one's ears.  I tried to go through thinking the cat was nice.  And I hit upon the idea to take a picture of this.

 The cat kept sitting and waited to be taken a picture.  It was very nice.

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About Blogging Assignment

 In this year, I had the assignment of posting twenty five thousand English words in total on my blog.  So, I did this blog.  This assignment was very hard for me.  In spring term, I had to post ten thousand words on the blog.  I posted about three thousand words on blog in last spring vacation, so it was easier to collect extra seven thousand points than fall term.  In fall term, I should have post fifteen thousand points on the blog.  I haven't collected yet.  If I try to collect, I have to post more one thousand points on the blog.
 My friends or the students around me say this assignment is hard and wonder if it is good for them to do this assignment.  It is said that this assignment is wasted to time if the teacher corrected to students' mistakes of articles on blog.
 However, I don't think so.  Most of Japanese, especially the students of first or second year of university, English is not a tool of communication, such as talking or writing.  It is a subject to answer the question, to solve the problem, or to be taught by teacher.  That is because we did so in junior high school and high school.  Of course, some students understand this, so it may be wasted for them to do the assignment.  But, for me, to write something in English is important.  Whether it was right English or not, I wrote about twenty five words in English.  It was not wasted, absolutely.
 I heard the thing that this assignment would disappear next year.  I disagree it.  This is very important assignment for the student graduated from Japanese high school to understand that English is not questions, problems, or exam and that it is a tool of communication just to write or to speak.  Of course, they can't understand to take the class without thinking what the class mean.
 In addition, I think it may be a good idea that the number of the collect words decrease, such as twenty thousand words in total.  It will be easier to get a cash, I think.

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English Central

 Last weekend, I did English Central.  It is a website to exercise pronunciation of English.  I can watch some video and exercise pronunciation along the script of the video.  I have to save forty five thousand points by today.  I had saved thirty one thousand points by Friday, so I had to get about fifteen thousand points.  I wanted to get points faster, so I chose the difficult and long videos to sort those according to level.
 On Saturday, I had a part time job but I thought I couldn't get fifteen thousand points in a day.  So I did English Central and got five thousand points.  I did Obama's victory address.  I could get some points by doing it, but I finished it then.  I had to look for other video to get more points.
 On Sunday, I had nothing special to do, so I did English Central since morning.  I got five thousand points in addition to the points of the day before.  Then, I wanted to refresh, so I went out to downtown.  After I got back home and had dinner, I did English Central again.  I found a good video to get much points!  This is it.



I could get about fifty thousand points by doing this!  And I collected to forty five thousand points.  I cleared the assignment of my Speaking class.

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My favorite food

 One of my favorite food is the spring roll sold at LAWSON.  A spring roll also called an egg roll.  It's a food that minced vegetable and meats wrapped in a pancake and fried.  The first time that I bought it at LAWSON is about three months ago.  I go to a convenience store to buy Weekly Jump almost every week.  When I bought the spring roll for the first time, I went to LAWSON to buy Weekly Jump.  But, I didn't find Weekly Jump in the store of LAWSON then, but I was sorry not to buy anything, so I look for something cheap and to eat.  Then, I found the spring roll.  Its price is fifty eight yen.  The price is very cheap and looks delicious.  I decided to buy it.  I ate it and found that it was very delicious.  The fried pancake was crisped, and vegetables and meats were very good taste.  I thought it was perfect!  I recommend that you eat the spring roll sold at LAWSON!
 But, you know, I am not a person employed by LAWSON, or work as a prt time job, haha.

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Students from Bethel University

 On the day before yesterday and yesterday, the students from Bethel University came to KGU.  I was not relation with that a week ago, but Mr. Hori asked me to talk with two students, who would stay at Mr. Hori's house, on Wednesday.  He also proposed me that I went to the Welcome Party for the student of Bethel University on Tuesday if I was convenient.  So I went to it on Tuesday and talked with the students.  The students I would go somewhere on Wednesday were twins, but, in fact, they were triplets.  They were brothers but there was another sister.  I was surprised at the fact.  And the brothers were born in three minutes.  I had a very good time with them.
 On Tuesday, I have three classes.  The Welcome Party for the students of Bethel University would be held at five p.m.  I had some hours after classes, so I went to the library and did my assignment of The History of English literature.  Around five p.m., I went to the　main building of my university.  The party would be held on the fourth floor at the building.  I was very nervous because I am not good at talking in English.  I am sometimes nervous when I talk to others who I meet for the first time, even Japanese!  The party was held from five p.m. to seven p.m., but I had a part time job on that day, so I had to go at six and a half p.m.  I talked with some people including the brothers at the party.  When I left the party, I felt some relief and regretted not to talk a lot.  And I went to my part time job.
 On Wednesday, I have four classes.  The appointment to see the brothers was to meet at 5:30 p.m. on third floor in twelfth building with one more person who was fourth year of the university and asked by Mr. Hori, too.  I didn't know the person, and I heard only his name.  Around the time to promise, I went to the place.  There weren't any person, but someone came soon.  I didn't find out that he is the person.  I didn't think that any more person would come, so I assured myself that he was the person.  I talked to him and did for several minutes.  I wasn't as much nervous as the day before, but we were nervous a little, absolutely.  The brothers came out the room, and we went to the cafeteria of my university.  We talked some topics about music, other prefecture, how the bath house was, and more.  I could talk a little more than the day before.  Then, we went to Mr. Hori's room in the building for professor.  I had heard we would go to a bath house and have dinner, but Mr. Hori said the plan was changed.  We went to the downtown to show the brothers the Pachinko as a Japanese  culture.  I hadn't been to Pachinko for a long time, and it was too noisy to talk.  The brothers played the Pachinko for 1 yen.  After that, we went to Izakaya.  It's also to show Japanese culture.  We ate a baked fish, three rice balls, with pickled Japanese plum, salmon, and spicy cod roe, takoyaki, yakisoba, gyoza, and yakitori with beer.  They would be supposed to go to Hiroshima on the next day, so it's time to say good bye.
 I had a very good time and good experience.  I had been nervous but I thought that it is because I made myself try to show better than what I had been after all.  The reason is the word from my senor friends in high school.  I got the word when I was nervous because of challenging the game of Judo.  He told me; "Why are you nervous?  You are not strong, and tension make you worse.  Recognize that you are weak and do your best."  I have never recalled the words for a long time.   So, when I was nervous to talk with them, I must have tried to talk with the brothers better than I could.  I wouldn't have to do such a thing.
 Also, I thought the importance to talk in English was trying to translate our daily talking to English, such as the menu of Izakaya.  I didn't know the name of ingredients of sushi, yakitori, or rice ball.  Of course, to want to speak in English is important, but if I want, I should translate my daily talking to English.  So, I think the experience in two days is very nice and important for me.

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My favorite foreign drama

 My favorite foreign drama is Prison Break.  I watch it on DVD in these days.  I borrowed it from my friend because I had to watch something drama and to review for an assignment.  The assignment is the review of the first episode of something foreign drama.  Yes, it's an assignment of my Writing Class.  I had already finished it, collected, and post it on this blog.  Before I watched the drama, I was bothered with the assignment because I didn't decide what drama I would watch.  Then, my friend recommended Prison Break.  When I finished watching the first episode of the drama, it inclined me to watch more.  It was a very exciting and thrilling drama.
 It is about man who landed in jail on purpose and tried to save his innocent brother.  I haven't finished watching the series of the drama yet, but every episode is exciting and thrilling, so I wanted to watch more every time to finish watching each episode.  I also have classes at my university, so I feel difficulty to stop to watch more episodes every day.  The article about the first episode of Prison Break is posted on this blog, titled Prison Break and tagged Movie Review, so, if you want to read about the first episode of the drama, read it, please.  Anyway, Prison Break is my favorite foreign drama.

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Prison Break

 This is a very exciting drama.  The story of this drama is about a man, named Michael Scofield, who wants to save his brother, named Lincoln Burrows, in jail and to break out of prison.  His brother landed in jail for killing the brother of vice president, but it is not true.  So, Michael decided to save Lincoln.  Michael held up a bank to land in the jail to meet Lincoln.  Lincoln is a condemned criminal, so it is not easy to see him.  Michael took part the work for criminals to see Lincoln.  Michael had a tattoo in the intro scenes, and showed Lincoln it.  The tattoo is the blueprint of the prison.  This is the whole story of first episode.

 i was excited while I watched the drama, so all the scenes are my favorite.  But, if I had to choose, my favorite scenes are the last part of this episode.  It is the scenes where Michael showed Lincoln his tattoo.  The scenes where Michael was tattooed are in the beginning part.  Of course, I understood the tattoo had some meaning, but I didn't understand what it means.  And the meaning of it was revealed in the last scene.  The tattoo was like a useal tattoo, but it was not usual but the blueprint of the jail.  It was very exciting that the blueprint could be seen from the tattoo.  It was described by CG.  These are the most exciting scene in this episode, I think.

 The scenes to show the tattoo are last part, so the plan is not revealed.  And, there are some mysteries.  What does origami mean?  What is the intrigue and who is thinking?  How will the doctor, named Sara Tancredi, be involved into the plan to break prison?  Some pieces of this are in the beginning part.  And, they inclined me to watch more

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With my high school frined

I saw my high school friends on Jan 2nd and Jan 3rd.  We were in same club in high school.  One was not convenient on Jan 3rd, so I saw on another day, Jan 2nd.  I talked a lot with them on both days.  On Jan 2nd, we went to Izakaya and the St. Marco Cafe.  On Jan 3rd, we went to Yakiniku.  Much of our talking was about our memories or how we are getting along.  One of us works in a company.  Another will work next spring studying at postgraduate school.  Other, not me, studies at postgraduate school.  And I am a university student.  We talked about our futures.   I had a very good time and could enjoy.

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My favorite vacation memory

 One of my favorite vacation memories is to have visited Tokyo by local train.  I went there in the last spring vacation.  I bought a special ticket for local train.  Using the ticket, I could get on local train or rapid train freely in a day, and it can be used five times.  On first day, I went to Kobe from Kumamoto for 14 hours by local train.  I stayed my aunt's home for 2 days.  I had a good time there.
 Then, on third day, I went to Tokyo from there for 10 hours by using ticket second time.  In Tokyo, I stayed at net-cafe, hotel, and my friend's house.  I was in Tokyo for 5 days.  I saw some friends and visited some place, such as Akihabara, Harajuku, Shimokitazawa, the Emperor's garden, and the Ueno-Onshi Park.  I went to Akihabara and Ueno-Onshi Park on my foot with my friend.  He proposed me that he would guide me to walk Tokyo.  In fact, we walked for about 8 hours.  We had dinner at the Babba Gump Shrimps in Korakuen.  I had a very nice time there.
 Next, I went back to Kobe.  This is third time to use ticket.  I stayed my aunt's home again.  I was relaxed and took rest.
 And then, I went to Hiroshima to see my friend in my former university.  This is the fourth times to use the ticket.  We ate Okonomiyaki in Hiroshima style.  I have eaten it several times, and I like it.  I stayed at my friend's house.  We talked a lot.
 Also, I went to Kurume to see my senor friend in my high school.  He is very interesting person.  He came to the Kurume Station with his friend.  I didn't know the person, but we stayed at my friend's house together.  It was interesting time.
 Finally, I returned to Kumamoto, but I got all the use out of the ticket.  So, I bought a usual ticket and went to Kumamoto.  In the way to Kumamoto, I got off the train at the Tamana Station to see my grand mother.  I brought a handkerchief I bought at the Emperor's garden as a present to her.  In same time, my mother came to Tamana, so I went back home on car.

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New Year's Eve and New Year's Day

Happy New Year.

 On New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, I stayed at Kusamakura.  It is the base of the book ,Kusamakura, written by Soseki Natsume.  I stayed in a rental house with my relatives.  In the days, I was very enjoyable and too slept.  On New Year's Day, we went to pay the first visit of the year to shrines.  We went to the Kawachi-Aso Shrine, the Kawachi-Inari Shrine, and the Funadsu-Itsukushima Shrine.
 At Kawachi-Aso Shrine, I could see the Shinto Dancing.  There is usually a offertory box at the front of a shrine, but, at the shrine, there is not the offertory box at the front of the shrine and it was in the shrine.  Also, some people were in the shrine and waited for visitor.  There are some children and a Shinto priest.  I opened the door and entered into the shrine.  I made a money offering.  Then, one of the children danced for me and the priest beat a drum.  I could exorcise and get a strap made of ceramic.  The strap is shaped a snake because this is the year of the Snake in Chinese astrology.  However, I have one thing I regret.  It is my money offering.  I made a money offering only 10 yen!  I didn't expected such treatment, so I made cheap money offering...  I regret very much.  If I will go there next year, I'll make more money offering.
 Funadsu-Itsukushima Shrine didn't have special, but Kawachi-Inari Shrine was very special.  It was on the top of small mountain.  I went up the stairs and visit the shrine through a lot of torii.  There was not any people.  The right picture was taken at the stairs to visit shrine.  It was not clear because of taking on my cell phone, but you can see how high it is.  The view was very beautiful and it was very interesting shrine.  To visit the shrine was a little hard but worth.

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