Should people spend money on space explorations?

       I think it's ok to spend money on space exploration (development). In a year, NASA spends about two trillion dollars , and even Japan, though having no money, spends about two hundred billion dollars on space exploration. I chose this topic because recently, I read a comic which mentioned this topic.
       Some people say that spending money on astrology and space technology would be a smarter and convenient way to learn more about space, since those groups would make major scientific leaps in a less amount of money than actually sending humans and machinery to space.
       So first of all, one advantage of actually sending an astronaut or machine to space is that they might find new minerals or precious material that an astronomer would not be able to collect by looking into his or her telescope. A famous example of this is that the asteroid probe Hayabusa succeeded in collecting samples of debris from the asteroid Itokawa. Not only did the achievement of Hayabusa create a path towards learning more about planets and how they formed, it also created an interest in space inside many minds. Because of this event, more people were encouraged to look up to the skies and ponder about what mysteries lay beyond it.
       Another advantage of spending money on space exploration, is that we can hope for a giant leap in the medicine field in space. Did you know that there is a module in the International Space Station where you can do experiments inside zero gravity? This is the only place where astronauts can actually study and experience medicine in space. There might be a big development in the medicine field in the future because of this module in ISS.
      Finally, the last reason of spending a lot of money on space development is because space exploration satisfies the human urge and need for exploration. Even though this might be a fuzzy reason to move such a large amount of money, I think this is the core to why so many people look up to and dream about space. Some people just love the thrill of adventure, making the impossible  possible. Only the people who have actually gone to space would know the excitement of going outside of the planet we humans live in.
      In conclusion, I think it is necessary to spend money on space exploration. By actually going to space, we might discover new things such as minerals and material, find new discoveries in the medicine field, and feel the thrill and excitement of going to outer space. I think we should continue to explore more about the planets and asteroids that surrounds our home planet earth.

A Beginners's Guide to the Bunkasai

      Today I will give you a  brief introduction of a Japanese school tradition, the Bunkasai.
A Bunkasai might be called a school festival in English, but I think there's more to it than just celebrating and having fun.
      First of all, a Bunkasai is a place where students display their work, using their classrooms and places inside the school. The classes do a class project together, such as plays and walk-through attractions. At SFC, it is kind of like a tradition and rule that the first graders do decorations inside the buildings, sixth graders do a play, and that all the other grades do walk-through attractions. This enables us to learn and acquire teamwork skills, which is one of the reasons why I like this event.
      Second of all, even though this doesn't go for SFC, most Bunkasai have places to eat food. By food, I mean dishes such as yakisoba, takoyaki, ice cream, and things that a person can eat without difficulty. Of course, there are a lot drinks served too. Above, I have already said that most classrooms do a class project, but some of these classrooms open up cafe's and serve food that the students actually cook themselves. Opening up a cafe is not allowed in SFC so I get very jealous when I visit other school's Bunkasai and see them.
      Finally, usually in Bunkasai, students in musical clubs such as the wind orchestra club, hold concerts for visitors. In SFC we hold these concerts every year, indoors inside the gym. I am in the wind orchestra club and our club performs there every year along with other clubs such as the string orchestra club, drama club, and bands that come from the rock band club. In other school's Bunkasais that I have gone to in the past performed outside the school, and some students even did manzai (Japanese comedy) on stage which I thought was a brave thing to do.
      I think Bunkasai is a great tradition for students and think it should  be passed don to the future. It is a very entertaining event for both students and visitors with class projects, plenty of food, and concerts that everyone can enjoy. I hope this tradition of Bunkasai would spread to other countries so that it can allow students to understand the true meaning of teamwork and feel a true sense of achievement. There is more to a Bunkasai than I can explain in words, but now I have described what a Bunkasai is like very briefly.

Book Review: The Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson is a twelve year old boy who has had no ordinary life. He is supposedly diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and dyslexia, has been expelled from six different schools, has a step-father with foul smell, and so on. But nothing can be compared to the fact that he is the Son of the Sea God, Poseidon.

Percy first finds out that he is a half-blood (child between a mortal human and a god) when he gets chased by a Minotaur into a camp for children like him, called Camp Half-Blood. There he is told by the campers and camp directors that the Greek gods still exist and that they are very much alive. He also finds out that the kingdom of Olympus is currently in America.

At camp, Percy starts to have weird dreams about the god Zeus and his brother Poseidon fighting over something, and consults the assistant camp director Chiron (who is a centaur) about it. From Chiron, Percy discovers that Zeus’ Master Bolt which is a symbol of his power, was stolen at winter solstice and is accusing Poseidon for it. The others suspect that Zeus’ other brother Hades is behind it all, in order to cause war.

    Percy is assigned a quest to go find and return the Master Bolt to its rightful heir before summer solstice when the gods all meet together. He takes two of his friends Grover and Annabeth with him on his quest where he is confronted with various monsters and gods. While on a bus, the three are attacked by three Furies (monsters with bat-like wings) and make a near escape from them. After the close call, when Percy and his friends go inside a garden gnome emporium following the scent of food, they meet Medusa and narrowly escapes from being turned into a rock. When Percy was alone at The Gateway Arch, the mother of monsters Echidna and Chimera (a huge monster with a lion head) makes a surprise attack on him but Percy is saved using Poseidon's powers. After that, the three confront a giant called Procrustes called The Stretcher and they wittily trick him into binding himself to a chair.
    After many interferences, Percy finally reaches the Underworld and sets out to meet Hades. But he is very surprised to hear Hades say there, that he is not the one who stole the Master Bolt. In fact, Hades himself was also robbed. His own symbol of power called the Helm of Darkness was stolen from his property.
    Who is the person (or god) behind all these robberies and why? Percy soon realizes that something even more evil and powerful than Hades was the true culprit. It’s up to him to find the stolen articles on time before summer solstice, in order to prevent war between the gods. The future of Olympus is in twelve year old Percy’s hands...

Task for summer holiday "My Club's Summer Camp"

    I’m in the wind orchestra club at SFC, and play the clarinet. This year, our wind orchestra had summer camp from August 24^th to August 28^th at a place called Tateshina in Nagano.
    Since there were 5 days of summer camp, it is going to be a long story if I explain every single event in detail. That is why I’m only going to write about the fourth day (August 27^th) of camp.
    Every year on the fourth day of summer camp, the members of the wind orchestra club have to play an ensemble piece with someone from your instrument part in front of the rest of the orchestra. It is kind of like the most important day during summer camp. This year I played a piece called Scarborough Fair with three other clarinet players. We really don’t have much time to practice for these pieces every year because there are other pieces that we have to practice for the school festival. The first time we four played the ensemble piece together was the first day of summer camp, which was really a crisis. Although in the end we somehow managed to finish the piece on time and the day of the ensemble recital arrived.
    Since ensemble pieces are written for a small number of players, it is pretty much like a solo throughout the whole piece, which was why I was so nervous before the recital. If you make a mistake it would be heard clearly by the audience. I have always been troubled by a case of extreme stage fright, and my hands were drenched with sweat as our group walked inside the recital room. My mind went blank as I saw the other members of the club and teachers looking up at us, but then regained composure as I remembered that I was not the only one who was nervous. In my ensemble group there was a first grader, and she was going to play a solo at the beginning of the piece. I thought of how she felt and realized that I had to behave and act like an upper grader to give her comfort and reassurance. I looked at the other three to see if they were ready and nodded. The first grader started playing her solo and, hands quivering, I started playing after it ended. I made a few mistakes while playing but we received an applause anyways in the end. I almost cried as I left the room but I did my best to hold those emotions down. My friends and seniors told me afterwards that it was a very good performance and I was overjoyed, but I couldn’t play perfectly and felt regretful.
     Still, it was a very nice experience and I think my case of stage fright got slightly lighter which is one thing I have to thank the recital for. I hope by next year my skills would progress and that I will be able to preform better than this year. I’m already looking forward to next year’s summer camp as I write this essay.

How to Get a Seat on the School Bus

How to Get a Seat on the School Bus

   It will be easier to obtain a seat on the school bus if you follow my advice.
   First of all, wait for an empty bus to come. If the bus that you were trying to board was already full, wait for a few minutes and the next bus will come.
   Another method is to come to school early (or late). I guess the peak of the number of passengers starts form about eight o' clock, and ends at eight fifteen. So, if you really want a seat try to come before that time (or after, but you will be late for class so I wouldn't recommend that).
   A third way is to move quickly and without hesitation when boarding the bus. Practically start running towards the seats the moment the door opens.
   Lastly, as a final option, be rude and cunning. Cut the waiting line for the bus, pretend that you're not feeling well, make a friend save a seat for you, push through the other boarding passengers while getting on the bus... there are plenty of alternatives. But do not try to put these ideas into action unless you really REALLY want a seat. It's very risky, and rude.
   So now that you know these methods, you will be able to get a seat on the school bus easier than before. Good luck!

Traveling Guide

      Today I’m going to introduce a small town in Texas, also known as the lone star state. The town is called McAllen and I lived there for five and a half years. McAllen is very close to Mexico, and the borderline exists just beside this town. Now you might think that a minor small town like this won’t have lots of places to see and go to. Actually, McAllen is one of the largest and growing cities in Texas, and is famous for its beautiful landscapes, culture, and traditions.

First of all, I’m going to introduce the food that’s eaten in McAllen. I have told you earlier that McAllen is a town near Mexico. So naturally, of all the McAllen citizens, Hispanics take up some of the population. That is why Mexican food is so popular in this region. It even turned up regularly in my school’s lunch menu.

Second of all, I’m going to tell you about the places that you can go to when you visit this town. There are movie theaters, malls, bookstores, parks, skating rinks, golf courses, museums, and many other places. Of all these places, first of all I want to introduce you to an interesting place called “All Valley Limousine”. It is a place where you can rent limousines for a short period of time. You can use this service for parties or maybe just for enjoyment. I have ridden on these limos several times at my friend’s birthday parties and had a very nice experience. So if you have extra time (especially at night) and have money to spare, go and have a try. Another place I want to introduce you to is a world birding center called " Quinta Mazatlan". McAllen is positioned in the migratory path between North America and South America. Big flocks of birds and butterflies are seen frequently at a particular time of year. It is kind of peculiar to see such a large number of the same species flying simultaneously in the air. Anyways, over 160 different species of birds and many butterflies are inhabitants of Quinta Mazatlan's gardens. Tourists can watch and observe these animals that are in their natural habitat. I was very surprised when I once saw a wild boar during a visit here.
      Finally I’m going to talk about people called “Winter Texans”. These Winter Texans spend the fall and winter in parts of south Texas to escape the harsh weather conditions in their home states, such as Nebraska, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. These part-time residents enjoy the tropical warm climate, Mexican culture, golf courses, square dancing, and just being outdoors. McAllen’s population nearly doubles each year from October through March, as these Winter Texans descend upon this area from the north. Most of them live in mobile-home parks and RV campgrounds, although a growing number of people have set up permanent residence. Sometimes when the Winter Texans like this area, they stay here for the whole year.

So now that you know a little bit about McAllen, you can visit here someday when you come over to Texas and learn more about this town. Its Mexican culture, history, traditions and places to go would surely entertain and interest you very much!

How would our lives be different without the Internet?

How would our lives be different without the Internet?

   Life without the internet would be very difficult for people nowadays. I, for example use the internet at least once a day. I sometimes check the time tables of trains in the morning, listen to music on YouTube, do some research for homework, log-on to Facebook after school, e-mail my friends in America and so on, all using the internet. I really can't imagine life without my computer, so I guess I'm quite addicted to it already.
   Since I use a lot of internet, I can think up of many advantages it has.
   First of all, you can get loads of information. Daily news such as the weather forecast, the hit music charts of different countries, what your friends have been up to, and so many other things. What's even greater about the internet is that it can also show information from the past and opinions from other people.
   Second of all, it is easier to do business by using the internet. There are a lot of people nowadays who use the Internet as means of transaction and dealings. You can book tickets for movies, and auctioning sites such as E-bay, Amazon, and Yahoo Auction make it easy to sell things that are no longer needed at home.
   Finally, another advantage of using the internet can just be for entertainment. Downloading games or surfing the net is one way of spending your free time. Other sites such as YouTube allow you to see and share many music videos for free. I myself use the internet sometimes during my spare time.
   Now I'm going to talk about the disadvantages, which is a hard thing for me because I have never really thought about the negative side of using the net.
   First of all, there might be bad usage of personal information. Using the internet for online banking, social networking sites and other services might require inputting your name, address, phone number credit card number,etc. If this information finds its way into the wrong hands, it could be used for criminal purposes without the person knowing it. For example, my mother's credit card number was once used by an unknown Chinese to buy expensive things.
   Second of all, using the internet can take time away from talking and being with your family and friends. More and more people are getting engulfed and addicted into the virtual world. Even children prefer playing games online than playing with their friends outside.
   Finally, there are possibilities of virus attacks when using the internet. Clicking on seemingly harmless links might lead to your computer crashing or paying a lot of money. We must watch out for these links because kids our age are likely to become one of those victims.
   In conclusion, there are many pros and cons in using the internet. It can make your life more convenient, but there are many dangers lurking beneath. It made me understand that the choices we make are important while using the internet services. I end my essay by saying that by using it wisely, internet can make your life more simple and entertaining.

What are the striking differences between your school experiences abroad and in Japan?

1. Introduction
2. At least 3 paragraphs
3. Conclusion
4. Writing
5. Check for errors

   I was attending a school called St. Paul Lutheran Church while living in Texas for about five and a half years. As you can see from the name of the school, the school I attended was a Christian school(although I'm not christian). So I think my kind of school has even more differences to Japanese schools than regular schools with no religion. In this essay, I'm going to compare St. Paul to the elementary school I went to before coming to SFC.
   The biggest difference between the school I go to now and then, is that the school in Texas had a church and the school in Japan that I attended did not. St. Paul Lutheran Church had chapels at the church there every Friday of the week, and we had to bring offerings every time it was held. I don't know about the Christian schools in Japan, but as far as I know, the school I attended didn't have this kind of ceremony every week so it gave me quite a surprise.
   Another difference between the school in America and the school in Japan, is that American schools use mostly white boards while Japanese schools use mostly blackboards. I don't really know why Japanese schools use these black boards because the chalk makes your hands dirty and the dust makes you cough.
   Finally, the last difference I'm going to write about is that in America, students didn't have to clean their classrooms but in Japan, students had to participate in cleaning their school. At St. Paul, there were always middle aged women cleaning the classrooms for the students after school. Whereas in Japan, we students had to brush and wipe the floors of our classrooms after eating lunch every day. Right now at SFC, there are people hired for cleaning after school so we don't have to do much of the cleaning, but I still think cleaning your own classroom is one of the good customs in Japan.
    It was exciting to learn and experience the two different types of school life in such a short period of time. I think that there are a lot of more differences that I didn't  mention in this essay, but my conclusion is that each school has its own unique set of rules and customs. I like both schools and I hope that this experience would come into use later on in life.