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Vampires and Zombies on Street

December 19, 2018

By Moeno Uchimura, CWU

As an international student at Central Washington University, USA, I participated in American Halloween events for the first time in October 2018.

Americans prepare well for Halloween. For example, in the season of Halloween, a lot of pumpkins are sold in stores. They buy pumpkins to carve jack-o-lantern, which is a symbol of Halloween. They decorate their houses with these pumpkins in front of the doors. Also they use dolls of ghosts, skeletons, spiders, and witches to create a spooky atmosphere in their gardens. So, when I go around the town, I could see a lot of pumpkins and other ornaments.

There was a pumpkin-carving event at CWU. The campus was decorated with a lot of carved pumpkins. In the stores and dining halls at CWU, there were ornaments such as pumpkins, spiders, mummies and so on.

I thought that American people cherished Halloween more than Japanese because Japanese people enjoy Halloween only on October 31. Conversely, American people enjoyed preparing for Halloween starting a few weeks before Halloween. I have never been so many carved pumpkins in Japan.

Costumes are very important in American Halloween. In order to enjoy Halloween, I went to a store to buy a costume. There was a store that sold only Halloween costumes near the university. So, I went to the store and bought a cape and blood glue. I was very surprised because there were a lot of costumes, masks, toys, ornaments and so on.

I think that, in Japan, people often put on anime character’s costumes, but American people wear costumes of ghosts, vampires, zombies and so on. So, these costumes were very real and scary. Surprisingly, the nail or fingers such as vampires or monsters, or arms were sold, and these goods were very scary.

I wore a black one-piece dress and a cape, also used blood glue on my face.

After the class, wearing my vampire costume, I went to downtown near the university with friends to look at the atmosphere of the town. There were any children wearing costumes and holding baskets. Those children went to the houses and said, “Trick or treat”, and they got sweets. The decorations for each house were very good and scary. Especially, skeletons and ghosts were very real. I also got a lot of sweets

A lot of learning at WVC

A lot of learning at WVC

December 19, 2018

By Masafumi Oe

Almost two months have passed since I arrived at Washington, the United States. I enjoy learning new things at Wenatchee Valley College as an international student.

I have three classes a day from Friday to Saturday. They are English 92, EAP075, and English 97. One period lasts 60 minutes. My first class starts at 9 o’clock, the second class at 10 o’clock and the third one at 12 o’clock.

English 92 is Reading. Almost all the students taking this course are not American students. The students learn how to read effectively. For example, we try to find the main idea of a paragraph.

EAP is for international students. There are five students. We learn about American culture, costumes, traditions and life style, American English pronunciation, listening and note-taking, conversation role playing and presentations. We practice conversation in easy English.

English 97 is Writing. Most of the students are native English speakers, so this class has only two international students. We learn how to write reader-centered paragraphs.

Although I have only three courses, I take classes every day and the teachers give the students a lot of assignments. So I am quite busy.

I have lunch time between the second class and the third class. Almost of all the time when I have lunch, I go back to the dorm and eat lunch like bread or chicken. Sometimes, I go to cafeteria and have lunch, but it is expensive.

After class, I have tutoring from 1 pm-5 pm every Tuesday and Thursday. This tutoring is for international students, and we can ask questions about classes or assignments. There are nine international students, and we have two teachers in this tutoring, so we can spend a meaningful time, and we can practice conversation in English as well. It is so helpful to study English.

On no tutoring day, I often go to gym and do exercise. There are various machines for workout, so I can do workout effectively. In addition, I always play basketball after workout. It is a good chance to make friends. In fact, I played basketball with strangers and then we became friends. When I study alone, I usually go to library. It is a good place to study because it is so quiet, and teacher helps me if I want. Also, there are many computers and printers that students can use. A study room can be reserved if a student wants to do group work.

The dorm where I live is so close to the campus. It takes just one minute to go to the dorm from the campus. I share one room with another student who is Japanese. I share a kitchen with 24 people and a shower room and bath room with six people. At first there were a bed and a cupboard for each person in the dorm room, so my roommate and I bought a refrigerator and bedding. There is a share room in the dorm. There I can talk with many students.

On weekends, I often go shopping. I can get on a bus for free because I am a student, so I go shopping by bus. It takes about five minutes to go to a small store. This store has grocery mainly. When I want to get more things, I go to a bigger store by taking a bus for 20 minutes. I also have a good time with my friends on weekends such as watching movies or shopping.

Global Warming and the Loss of Biodiversity in Brazil

Global Warming and the Loss of Biodiversity in Brazil

December 19, 2018

Glenda Souza da Silva

Centro Universitário de Jaguariúna

In recent years, the planet has been affected by rising temperatures that have generated major concerns throughout the country. This is due to a phenomenon known as global warming, which is caused by burning fossil fuels such as gasoline, coal, diesel oil. It has also been caused by industries and non-renewable energy production, pollution and forest deforestation.

Brazil, because it is located near the equator and because it is a region that receives the sun’s rays with greater intensity, will feel the effects of the temperature changes affecting the country directly. In addition, because it has large coastal areas, it becomes vulnerable, as global warming intensifies the melting in Antarctica, which consequently increases sea level.

Another concern here is the impact of deforestation on animals. Animals, such as jaguars, blue macaws, maned wolves, among many others, are on the list of endangered animals in Brazil. The country is considered the richest in biodiversity in the world, but the loss of biodiversity is a worrying factor when talking about nature. It is estimated that the deforestation will cause the loss of the natural habitat of animals, causing these species to stop living. Scholars have reported that if the forest reaches between 20% and 25% of its area, it will be considered a climatic abyss.

To try to reverse this situation in the Amazon, actions such as reforestation have already been carried out. The fight for the preservation of species has increased, and with animals that are in serious danger of extinction, projects such as artificial insemination have already been carried out.

There must be a global awareness of how such factors are detrimental to life, not only to animal and plant life, but also to the quality of life of people.

Measures such as expanding the generation of energy through clean and renewable sources must be implemented by the country. Only then can we hope for a better future for both society as a whole and our beautiful natural biodiversity

Homestay in Canada Opens a New Door

Homestay in Canada Opens a New Door

December 19, 2018

Kosaku Hasayama

I participated in the study abroad program of the University of Shimane and studied at Langara College in Vancouver, Canada, in August 2018. I was simply interested in visiting a foreign country, but my experiences in Canada changed the meaning of studying English. I feel strongly I want to improve English and my desire to share ideas with many people around the world increased.

My life in Canada was all immersed in English for 24/7. I went to school every day to study English all day. All the classes at Langara College were conducted in English. It was very exhausting. At home I talked to my host family in English because it was homestay. I realized that my talking ability of English was low because I often could not express well what I wanted to say. But even so in Canada, I needed to express my ideas. For example, if I do something at home in my way and it is not right in Canada, my action will cause trouble to the host family. So I needed to ask questions and make my requests. I strongly wanted to be able to speak more with host family.

Using gestures was very helpful for my communication. I learned how to use gestures at school. I tried to use gestures to express my opinion in English, and I gradually was able to convey what I meant to others. After coming home, I always tried to put what I learned at school immediately to my conversation to the host mother. My host mother was a bit surprised at my improvement, and she praised me. It seemed that she understood well what I meant. I was happy to tell what I meant and I was touched by the fact that it was easy to convey the things I would like to convey by engaging gestures even in my poor English.

In Canada, I could make new friends, but I could not make friends other than Japanese. Why? It is because I don’t have strong English ability. I thought I had to improve my English ability. If I have more English ability, I could talk more with others. I think that I did not have the courage to talk to foreign people from myself, because I was worried that my English would not be understood. I strongly wanted to learn more English in order to be confident about my English ability.

In the end, I went to Canada and had a wonderful experience. I felt that I had to improve my English ability and I want to talk a lot with foreign people. The study abroad program gave me a new goal to me.

Students’Exchange Deepens Japan-Russia Friendship

Students’Exchange Deepens Japan-Russia Friendship

December 19, 2018

MarikoEguchi University of Shimane

University in Vladivostok, Russia, visited the University of Shimane on June 26, 2018,while their sailing training ship Nadezhda stayed in the Hamada Port,Shimane, Japan.

About 40 students arrived at the University of Shimane campus, wearing white sailor uniforms and caps. They are cadets who are trained to be officers after finishing their education.

Both Russian and Japanese students gathered around the memorial garden of Miyako Hiraoka to pray. Miyako, whose dream was to study abroad, lost her life when she was only 19 years old in a terrible murder. In 2009, the training ship Nadezhda first visited the Port of Hamada, and Miyako, who studied Russian, visited the ship and made friends with students from Maritime State University. Her dream never came true, but her wish has been, and will be passed on to other students, because the Maritime State University established a scholarship for Shimane students in memory of Miyako Hiraoka.

In the afternoon, both Russian and Japanese students had a great time at the gym. The Office of International Affairs of the University of Shimane prepared for dodge ball, but they failed to communicate the rules of the game to the Russian students. They ended up playing volleyball and Japanese traditional games. It was an instance of a cross-cultural communication problem, but the participants enjoyed being together.

YuriNakano, senior of the University of Students, showed some Russian students how to play a Japanese toy called “kendama.”The player is supposed to place a wooden ball connected to a stick into cups of the stick. She said that it was hard to describe how to play with the toy in English,but the Russian students were quick learners and they enjoyed playing it together.

Yuri said, “I had a lot of chances to talk with Russian students and I got very motivated to study the Russian language. I hope to greet them in Russian when they visit here again.”

Students from Maritime State University in Vladivostok, Russia and the University of Shimane in Hamada,Japan on board the Nadezdha

Preparing to be cultural ambassadors

September 27, 2018

Eleven students of the University of Shimane got together to brainstorm ways to promote Japanese culture to the United States. Eight students from Hamada Campus and three students from Izumo campus met at a historical mansion in Gotsu City on September 29 and 30.

They studied Japanese music and dance called kagura, one of local cultures, from specialists of the tradition.

Kazan: The Heart of Tartarstan

Kazan: The Heart of Tartarstan

June 24, 2018

Russia is the biggest country in the world. It consists of 85 subjects called areas, republics and regions. I would like to tell you about one of them: Kazan, which I was lucky to visit several months ago.

Kazan is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. The city was founded on the bank of the Volga River in 1005. Today, it is one of the biggest cultural, religious and sports centers of Russai.

If you ever decide to visit this place, don’t miss the chance of visiting the Kazan Kremlin, which is the oldest construction in the city. There are a lot of towers and historical monuments on the territory of the Kremlin. But my favorite sight in Kazan is the Kul Sharif Mosque. It is the most beautiful building that I have ever seen!

Another must-see in Kazan is the Temple of All Religions. Unfortunately, you can’t get inside on weekdays. It is open for visitors only on Sundays. But don’t be sorry if you can go there only on weekdays. Enjoy the beauty of the facade. I will impress you, too.

Also Kazan is a sport cit. A lot of international sports events, such as the 2014 World Fencing Championships, the 2015 World Aquatics Championships and many other took place there.

Now Kazan is getting ready to be the host for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

If you would like to relax, go to the Millennium Park. It is a perfect place to escape the city rush and to listen to the sounds of nature. Townspeople and tourists enjoy the trancuility of this peaceful place.

By Daria Gorbacheva
Ural State Pedagogical University

Photograph by exlex via Wikimedia Commons

How to Make Most of College

How to Make Most of College

June 21, 2018

These days, a high school diploma does not the end people’s education, as more and more people choose to enroll at Universities across the globe. But surviving on campus is becoming increasingly difficult to university students. To understand these difficulties we conducted a survey to see how students feel about their school life. Many classmates say that is so boring, because they have plenty of time but do not know what to do. However, from my point of view, the campus life in university is interesting and can be colorful as long as you make it meaningful. After starting my course roughly one year ago I was surprised to find the vast differences between high school and university. For example, in high school, we always rely on parents and teachers to solve all the problems, but in university, we have to rely on ourselves. More importantly, we must also learn how to do deal with our classmates and roommates. The four years we will spend at university is very important, but it is also very short, so here is some of my advice on how to make the most of your time at University.

The first is to become familiar with all the main buildings on the campus. Students should spend one to two hours on a campus walk, and become familiar with the local library, canteen, post office, classrooms and other important places like the hospital. Next, try to become self-reliant. Learn to make your own decisions, to arrange how to use our time, how to plan your expenses and so on, but also learn to wash your own clothes. Furthermore, develop good study habits through the exchange of student ideas and learn from each other. Finally, students should actively participate in various activities and let themselves be lively, outgoing, and friendly with classmates. All of these factors will make lead to personal growth and make your time at University a bit more bearable. Treasure your college years. Make the best of your free time, become an independent thinker, evolve yourself into a multicultural talent, be bold to experiment, learn and grow through your successes and challenges. Only then will you be able claim that you have made the most of your time at University. After all, we can only be students once.

You Ying, University of Ulsan

Jeju Island, Natural Wonder

June 21, 2018

A short distance away from the Korean peninsula is one of the most iconic tourist attractions in Korea. Jeju Island is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and is renowned for its green open fields and endless blue seas as well it’s “refreshing” powers it bestows on anyone who visits it.

Three of the biggest reasons among many on why you should visit Jeju Island include the following.

First, the natural view of the island is truly beautiful. Jeju-Island has many beaches, but ‘Woel-Jeong Ri beach’ which locates in the northern part of the island is highly recommended. When you first arrive at the beach, you will see colorful benches and a “big stone grandpa” which are famous photo zones located at this beach. At night, the ocean glimmers due to the reflection of the moonlight. You may have been to many beaches before, but many people would agree that this beach is the most beautiful and memorable beach they have ever visited.

Second, there are many delicious foods to eat. Jeju-Island is famous for its fresh seafood and black pork meat. You can eat raw fish at very cheap price in Jeju in the islands eastern market. But the food that comes with my highest recommendation is “Cheonhyehyang”. It is a kind of mandarin like fruit, only much bigger and sweeter. If you taste it once, you will be hooked and will wish that you can eat it again and again.

Third, you can enjoy a lot of activities on the island. This includes horseback riding, hang gliding, and snorkeling. The most joyful thing for me personally about Jeju-Island was solving a maze made with trees and stones. You can race with your friends or family to see who can finish the maze first. Although it may sound easy, it definitely is not that simple and some might even find difficult. However, it comes really recommended that you try it at least once, since it really is loads of fun.

Given these and many other noteworthy reasons, it is thus no surprise why so many people buy a ticket to Jeju-Island when they feel tired or frustrated. Should you ever buy a ticket or spending your money or time traveling to this wonderful island in future I know that you will not regret it.

By Kim Ju Mi, University of Ulsan

Being a college students by living alone

Being a college students by living alone

June 21, 2018

Two years ago, my parents dropped me off at the dorm of the University of Shimane in April. As I watched their car driven off, I felt really sad. My new life so far has been not easy, but my college life experiences helped me grow a lot.

First, I realized the difficulty of housework. I learned how hard it was to do housework because I live in an apartment alone. It took a long time to go shopping, doing laundry, and clean my apartment room. I am very grateful for my family.

Second, I learned how to cook. I had not cooked very much when I lived with my parents. My mother always cooked meals for everyone. But I now cook meals all by myself. My cooking skills improved a lot and I can cook many dishes now.

Third, I grew up to have a strong sense of responsibility. I can manage my life better. For example, I wake up by myself in the morning, because no one wakes me up. Also, I learned to fill out important documents like pension forms or tax forms, which I have never done before.

By Yurina Kuno