miki

like

2011-04-08T23:44:00.000-07:00

black i love

2010-12-27T08:05:00.000-08:00

things i miss

2010-12-21T19:42:00.001-08:00

chicago,new york city,school uniform&loose socks,york choco, nachos

red i love

2010-12-21T17:56:00.000-08:00

legs i love

2010-12-20T19:09:00.000-08:00

hair i love

2010-12-19T21:25:00.000-08:00

who i love

2010-12-19T20:29:00.000-08:00

2010-11-04T01:43:00.000-07:00

2010-11-02T02:04:00.000-07:00

smile

2010-11-02T00:08:00.000-07:00

2010-10-31T19:29:00.000-07:00

just hoping

2010-10-31T07:53:00.001-07:00

2010-10-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

2010-10-28T22:12:00.000-07:00

2010-10-28T17:18:00.000-07:00

2010-10-28T05:13:00.000-07:00

YSL

2010-10-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

chocolate strawberry & cream cheese strawberry

2010-10-27T21:07:00.000-07:00

coconut

2010-10-27T21:05:00.000-07:00

lucky

Ninja.....but...

2009-04-22T18:01:00.000-07:00

I really want to write about ninjas......but tell you the truth, I don't know about Ninjas. So I decided to write about the most surprising thing in my life which was happen to me.(sorry lu-chan) It was happened after coming to America. I'm really interested in cultures and languages, so I was taking religion class for two years in my university. However, I always fall asleep or didn't take the class seriously except when my teacher showed us videos. He showed us a lot of videos about Islam, Catholic, and Christianity. Then I was moved and had gooseflesh when I watched video about Ialam. In the video, I watched so many people are praying in the Mecca, and I heard they are praying all day(sorry.I'm not sure). I don't know how to explain my feeling, but it was so beautiful and so cool. Also, I learned there is a custom of fast. I've never believed about that culture when I was in Japan,and I was thinking this is a culture existed for a long time ago. It was happened in America when I came to class and talked with my classmetes. I heard that two of my classmates was fasting. I asked them about it so many times, because I could not believe it. It was the most surprising thing in my life, and I came to interested in religion more and more. In addition, almost all Japanese don't care about religion, and I'd never met Muslim or Cathlic people. I thought this time during in CESL is the great chance to learn religion, so I asked many questions to my friends. Every things were new for me and attracted me. Before coming here, I didn't know how important the religion is. But now I have learned a lot, and I have talked with people who are belong to different religions. I'm really glad to have opportunity to talk with them, because I can get answer in one second if I have a question about culture, which is amazing. CESL is not only for learning English but also for learning cultures.

Why did I hate eating?????

2009-04-19T16:42:00.000-07:00

If I were 5 years old now, I would say everything that people can eat are terrible. I used to hate eating until around 10 years old, so I always sit in front of dinner for several hours. My mother made me to eat, but I didn't want to eat at all. My longest record was 5 hours sitting on the chair and looking at food. Can you guess how to escape from dinner?? That day, I was sitting for 5 hours, because my father came back home late. My father is so kind, and he helped me a lot. If I keep food in my mouth for a long long time, he took me to a restroom and made me throw them up. Still now, I don't know why I hate eating foods. However, I love eating now. It's difficult for me come up with strange food, because I can eat American super sweet foods and Korean super spicy foods. Althought I like to eat many kinds of foods, I can't believe why people made mayonnaise. This is because mayonnaise is almost oil. It is made with oil and eggs, so I felt sick when I learned how to make it. Mayonnaise is very popular, so people put it on many kinds of foods. This is so terrible for me, because I have to say "without mayonnaise" so many times in my life. For now, mayonnaise is the most strange food that I've ever eaten. There are many countries that I've never been to, so I want to find more strange food than mayonnaise. Also, I want to become to like mayonnaise, and I hope the day that I don't need to say "without mayonnaise" would come soon. Before coming to America, I avoided to eat very colorful food. However, I eat pink cakes, blue doughnuts, and red candies without hesitation now.

Words of Me

2009-04-09T19:51:00.000-07:00

In Japan, there is no custom to write words on a gravestone. People only write their family name, but there are several ideas which I like to put if I have my gravestone. One of them is "smile," because graves are always sad and dark. Also, I really think "smile" is very important to be happy. Nobody will be sad and feel uncomfortable if people are smiling. This is the best expression to show happiness. Moreover, I want to write "good things that you did will come back to you." I heard the story from my friend. ( it might be from bible.) She told me everything will come back to you whichever you act badly or well. Then I could try everything which I think good and nice to other people if I believe all actions that I did will come back to me. After hearing the story, I could change my way of thinking. This is because I tended to avoid boring and hard jobs, so I became to be able to except any jobs that I was asked. Also, it could be small actions, like clean dishes or help my friends. I believe that this way of thinking will create a great person. The most favorite words is " do what you want." I always act and choose what I want, because this is my life. I think this is the best way of thinking for me. These three words influence me a lot to my life and my way of thinking. In addition, the story which my friend told me moved me a lot and made me want to tell all my friends. To tell you the truth, I was thinking I don't need to keep my words after death. However, it would be amazing if someone find my grave and read my words. It make my life worthful.

Girls!!!!!!!

2009-04-05T21:02:00.000-07:00

There are many types of people in Japan, and people make a name of the group. Most of girls was called "Gyaru"( "frivolous girl" in dictionary) when they were in junior high school or high school. There are several stereotypes about Gyaru. First of all, these girls tend to wear a school uniform. It is for going to school, but they wear it to go out with their friends after classes. Also, they are thought that they wear too much make up on their face.These girls try to be cute and beautiful, but people sometimes think their make up is very dirty and messy. Moreover, people think they are very rude because of not only fashion or make up but also language they use. Young girls creat many new Japanese words to communicate each other. These words can not be understand by adults. In addition, they are good at following the fashion. These girls love fashion, so they check fashion magazines so many times. Althought they got ideas from medias, they make new trend by themselves. It could be new style of clothes, new hair styles, or new ways to make up. One of negative stereotypes is that Gyaru tend to sit down on the floor in the train, and talk with their friends with loud voice. As you can see, there are many negative stereotypes of Gyaru. However, they like to being Gyaru. This is because they enjoy their life a lot, and they do many things that they won't be able to do when they get old. They know it is the only chance; therefore, they don't care about what people say. When I was called Gyaru, my friends go out almost everyday, but they started study very hard for entering university. However, many adults think Gyarus are just people who don't think about anything, most girls know what should they do.

Japanese Flag that I Know

2009-03-29T19:43:00.001-07:00

In Japan, there are a few opportunities to see the national flag. I seldom see the Japanese flag in my life. For instance, I could see it when I graduated schools, because schools tend to hang it on the wall during the graduating ceremony. Also, I see a few flags hung out at the front door of houses on national foundation day. Therefore, I’ve never thought the national flag is important and just a sign of the country. Although most Japanese don’t care about flags, people who believe conservatism regard as important. I found it on graduation ceremony of my brother. At that day, the right wing people came to the school and act demonstration in the school. This was because they thought school didn’t hung the flag. All students and teachers were surprised and scared, because they were violent and self-assertion. Some teachers were hit by them, but the police helped them. From that day, I started thinking the importance of the national flag. Yet it’s still not so important for me. I was taught about the flag when I was an elementary school student, so I know the red circle represents the sun. Still it’s the only one information that I know. I asked about the flag to my friends, but they didn’t know about it, like me. Finally, I wondered whether Japanese people are patriotic or not. After I came here in America, there are many chances to see foreign national flags. Also, it’s not only on the national day but also in my friend’s room. I felt that flag have meaning, and also show the culture from the ways of using it.

Be Happy :) Be Smile ;)

2008-11-30T10:08:00.000-08:00

My favorite phrase is “Be happy Be smile.” I’ve heard this word from my host sister when I stayed in one family’s house in Australia. I thought how sweet word this is after listening it. This word reminds me not only my host sister but also my mother, because my mother is always smiling and looks happy. There are several reasons why I love this phrase. For one thing, I became happy if someone is smiling and looks happy. I think nobody become sad when they saw people smiling. Moreover, it is very important to smile especially during sad situations. I feel if I smile all the time whenever bad condition, some good things would come to me. In addition, I think smile and happy is the most positive words in the world. It would never be negative and imaged darkness. It is difficult to be happy all the time, so I respect my mother a lot. Also, I hope I could be like my mother, and I want to be a person who always looks happy.

Sharing Times

2008-11-16T22:24:00.000-08:00

I think being alone is necessary for me, but it is more important to share times with somebody. The reason is that I don’t like being alone. I worry about many thing, care about many thing and be nervous when I’m alone. For this reason, I can’t spend hours at starbucks. Also, I don’t want to be alone when I feel bad or sad. Moreover, I love to enjoy a lot of times with my friends. Only talking with friends could be very great memorable time. Now I’m in America and I left my family, so these times are becoming more and more important for me. I easily feel homesick and feel alone, but my friends always help me. However, I think it is important to be alone for thinking, it is comfortable for me to share times.

Fears for my dream

2008-11-10T07:34:00.000-08:00

I had had a dream that was to go to America since I was very small child. My dream came true, but I had many fears before coming here and I have fears still now. First of all, it is very difficult to get used to American custom. There are many differences between Japan and America. It was my dream to live American way, but there were things that I’ve never expected, such as traffic lights and huge meals. In addition, I have to care about money that I spent. I used to have a part-time job, so I could spend money that I want. During living here, I can’t live that way. The hardest fear is living without my family, because I had never lived by myself. Before coming here, I always worried about homesick. Also, I sometimes feel homesick and become lonely. However I feel them, my friends always help me. There are many fears to grant my dream, but I believe that I would get many things if I overcome those fears.

Halloween in Japan

2008-11-02T06:08:00.000-08:00

I’ve never celebrated Halloween before coming here, so it was first time to celebrate Halloween. Halloween is popular in Japan, but we don’t hold parties and eat candies. I just can find some shops decollated Halloween style. There are a similar custom in Japan. However people don’t celebrate it, their ancestor’s soul come back that day. It happens in summer and all family members get together, then they pray in front of their family Buddhist alters. In my case, I’ve never done that. I think it is because this custom tends to disappear. I have to care about my ancestors, but I always don’t go my grandparent house and get together only because their house is very far from my house. For these reasons, I hadn’t known I’m a Buddhist until becoming a university student. Halloween is a very interesting celebration, so I want to celebrate like that in Japan. It is good for remember that day.

How to Meet the Person

2008-10-27T04:39:00.000-07:00

I think there are many ways to meet the person you like, because I have opportunities to meet a lot of people in my life. In my country, it is easy to find boy or girlfriend in school and the place you work. Some people introduce friends that they think the person could be a boy or girlfriend. On the other hands, there are strange kinds of ways to look for someone who you like. These ways are using internet. In my opinion, it’s very bad ways, because most people using internet to find the person can’t see their face and personalities. There are troubles which occur when they met first time, so it could be dangerous. I have heard that parents decide the person who will get married to. I think it’s not good idea. The reason is that people can live only one life, so they should decide what they want by themselves. In conclusion, the most important thing is that to find someone who you like wherever you like.

Trip to Chicago

2008-10-27T04:36:00.000-07:00

I went to Chicago for the first time during the break, and I was really excited. My plan was to buy a lot of clothes that can’t find in Carbondale, so I went to many shops. Also, I enjoyed eating foods. It was the first time to eat the Chicago pizza, so I was very surprised when I sew them. The most favorite thing was the city. There are many beautiful buildings which I’d never seen before. It was too nice to walk through. I’ve never been bored during walking the street. Chicago was a big city, so I was scared. However it was a great place to visit.

Hi!!

2008-09-18T11:14:00.000-07:00

I'm Miki Matoba.
I came from Japan.