Reaction to Fisher

The content of this article is very interesting for me. I could  comprehend clearly what perception is. Those examples of perception are helpful and useful.
In the last NP class, we saw a picture which is a face of a man but seemed like just ink spots on the paper. At that time, I could not understand it was a man to the very end. However, after I knew it was a man, I could not see it was the picture of ink spots. According to Fisher, "We tend to believe" and "We tend to take into consideration only certain parts of the person or object we are perceiving", so this experience was exactly "The perception."
We perceive so many things without notice. We tend to believe what we see and hear directly and also try to put our experience to the incidents. However, sometimes it is not true like the examples of Fisher. I think there is no objectivity in our world because we have already seen everything through our mind. It is difficult, but I'll try to notice my perception.

Reaction to Barna

These stumbling blocks reminded me of my experience of the difficulties in intercultural communication. When I went to foreign countries, I always got confused about the difference between my culture and theirs. I have experienced all six stumbling blocks in this book, but I didn't know that they were STUMBLING.
The most interesting block for me is the tendency to evaluate. I agree with some points about this idea, but I disagree with some points, too. For example, there is a movement of K-POP in Japan now and so many young people are attracted by Korean culture. Young japanese try to imitate their life style and behave same as them so they might think, "This different culture is better than mine." Also, Japanese people have longed for Western culture for a long time. We put on not Kimono, but Western clothes and most of our houses have not only Tatami, but also flooring. (Furthermore, my house has no tatami!) Thus, we don't assume our own culture or way is the most natural. However, I don't think we live in same as these culture completely. There are still existence of our original life. This contradiction is my question.

I'll analyze it through Barna's text and class discussion, and I want to make the solution.

After next class, I'll put my ideas more.

Summer reading reaction

The Giver- Lois Lowry

"Jonas has been selected to be our next Receiver of Memory."

"The Giver" is a science fiction for children. It was prized as "Newbery Medal" which is one of the most famous American literal awards. I chose this book for my summer reading. When I had to choose a book for summer reading, I didn't know which one is the best. At that time, I was in US for SEA program, so I asked my teacher and the book shop's staffs to give me some advice. They saw the list of books and said, "The Giver is very interesting and easy to read, you can enjoy it!"Actually, I had not read such a long story before, so I had no confidence to finish reading whole pages. However, this book is for children and I thought I could read it without any difficulties. Therefore,  I decided to read this book.

In this story, there is one boy whose name is Jonas. He is a protagonist in this book and he is different from others. His world seems to be a perfect utopia. In his community, everyone live peacefully without pains. They are satisfied with their life and they have no doubt or sadness about it. However, on the other hand, everything is under control in his community. There is no war, conflict, and real love. Everyone should be same and not have individual feeling or personality. Also, their life is decided by elderly in the committee. There are "family units" but they are not  real family. The central government decides to match one male and one female, and give them just one male and one female as their children who have no blood relationship with their parents. Moreover, they can decide to "release" people (I think it means death.) Disabled children and old people are released when the time is coming. 

The government also decides their jobs, for example, birthmother who gives birth to every children in the community or judge for punishments and release or Nurturer who cares newchildren in care houses. The observers have checked and observed children until they become twelve, and at the ceremony of twelve, they order children to obey their order. the children cannot reject it if they don't like it. The judgement and order from the committee is absolute imperative.

When Jonas's ceremony of twelve, he is ordered to be a receiver of memory. He receives the memory from the current receiver who is called the Giver.  The memory has good and bad things that other people don't know. For example, color is one of the memory. Just Jonas and Giver can identify the difference of color. In his community, memory means pain. The Giver is suffered from too much memory. He cannot stand not to tell others about the memory. Also, Jonas becomes distressed in the same situation as Giver. Finally, he escapes from the community...

After reading this book, I felt something strange and wondered, "Which is the better one, the life with pain and love or the life with nothing?" In our world, we also hope peaceful and safe life, so Jonas's world may be said "perfect" one. However, I think it is not my ideal. Of course, we try to avoid danger, conflicts or something bad for us, but occasionally it can be the next step for our better life. Choice has not only risk but also pleasure. I was disappointed that Jonas gave up telling the memory to others. He should have not escaped from the community, but told how importance of bearing memory and changed it. I think the most important thing is thinking by myself. It is difficult to keep balance between independence and cooperation, but we have to think about myself and decide to do the best things in the situation at that time.

This book reminds me of the happiness of freedom and the responsibility of freedom. There are two books about another story of The Giver, so I want to read them and know what happened after this book.

It was really good experience to read an English book without dictionary. I enjoyed it!

How was my summer?

This summer was fabulous,special,wonderful and meaningful one for me.

For first 6weeks of my summer vacation, I entered SEA program(It is my university's international exchange program) and went to Saint Michael's College(SMC) in Vermont state, US to study English. Vermont state was called "Green Mountain State", so it was very beautiful and really comfortable place. Actually, I felt like living there forever! I was one of leaders of ICU students. There were 24 ICU students including 2 readers, so I had to bring them together for  a long time. I had never experienced such a role before, so it was very hard but I tried to do my best. Also, everyone helped me and trusted me, so I could do my job without any accidents.

About my English skill, I could not say I am perfect, but I improved it in SMC very much. In my class, I read "Flowers for Algernon" and " The Glass Menageries" and discussed about them. It helped me to read and understand quickly and accurately. Also, I watched some movies and made presentations and skits. It helped me to listen and pronounce words correctly. There were a lot of homework and I did it until mid night, but my effort developed my ability certainly.

In weekends I went to a lot of places, Boston, Montreal, NYC and so on. Every places were great but especially, NYC is the most impressive one for me. I watched the broadway show "Memphis" which is Tony Awards winner in 2010. I played musicals in my high school, so I had wanted to watch the broadway for a long time.  Actually, it was beyond my imagination. It was more powerful and exciting, so I cannot still forget the beat and groove in it. I want to go to NYC again someday.

In SMC, there were foreign students around the world(for example, from Canada, Italia, France, Colombia, China, Korea, Saudi-Arabia etc...) and studied English with us. I could make a lot of friends and learn so many things from them. For example, their culture, food, religion, language, fashion and good&bad points in their country. It was good experience to share the ideas about that, but sometimes I couldn't explain my life in Japan efficiently, so I realized that I didn't know my country so much and wondered what my country is. I thought I have to study about it and explain it to foreign people because it will help me to understand about my country more. There are so many students from different countries in ICU. It is good chance to carry out, so I'll try to do that.

I will never forget this summer.  I want to make use of this experience to next step of my life.

What do I want to learn/get from ARW Autumn?

In ARW spring, I wrote an essay in English for the first time. It was very difficult for me because the style is different from Japanese one and I had a trouble in organizing my idea in English. I think my essay in spring term was not persuasive so much and poor in context. And what was even worse, I couldn't decide what I should write, so it took a long time to finish writing. Therefore, I want to get  academic writing skill from ARW Autumn.

In order to do that, I'll read English books and articles as many as possible. It will help me to understand the process of thinking way in Western style. Moreover, I can enrich my vocabulary thorough reading them. Also, I'll write short essays(like this blog) as many as possible. "百聞は一見にしかず" is the Japanese proverb and it means "Seeing is Believing" in English. The more I experience, the more I can get. I want to try it without any anxiety of mistakes.


In this term, we will write one essay. I want to improve my writing skill through it and make it a fruit of my efforts.