Aya's Blog

Journal #11

2008-08-01T15:22:00.000-07:00

Our advanced society enabled us to do a lot of thing more efficiently, hoever there are some bad influences which anc be attributed to high dependence on technology.

First of all, it brought about lack of interpersonal communication. Of course, we can communicate with friends using internet chatting, email, and so on, but these kind of communication and face to face communication are totally different.Which do you prefer to be said "I love you" by email or face to face. Communication using high technology is more easy and fast, so we might think of these as less important. For example, if I recieve birth day card, I would imagine the person was choosing a card for me and writing message from couple days before my birth day in order to get the letter arrived on the day.
But, if I recieve message via email, I woldn't feel in the same way.

Also, more children play TV game instead of playing outside with their friends or hanging out eith their friends. It can cause that children lose communication skill either lack of exercise affects their health. An interesting Japanese statistic shows that the children's intake of calories decreased than that of 20 years ago, although the number of obese children is increasing. It shows contemporary children tend to be lack of exercises, and this tendency was caused by high technology, I think.

Thigh dependence on new technology can cause poor interpersonal communication and lack of exercise.

Journal #13 Letter

2008-08-01T15:20:00.001-07:00

Journal #13 Letter

2008-08-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

Journal #12 Free Journal

2008-08-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

I'd like talk about my roommates.
I have two roommates whose neme are kelly and Jasmine.

Kelly is the hous owner, and offers rooms for me and Jasmine.
She is very cheerful, kind, and active woman who love drinking, having fun, and she often hold a party at hous, although she is very busy person.
Also, she has a really nice boyfriend who is working for NASA.

Jasmine is 20 years old.
She goes to Culstate Fullerton. She also have a boy friend who has great sence of humor.
They always make me laugh.
She is very mature and independent person. Also, she seem to be busy for working as well as Kelly.

I'n glad to have such a nice roommates.

c

Journal #11 My Favorit Restaurants

2008-07-25T00:18:00.000-07:00

Henesy's and La sushi

Henesy's and La sushi are my favorite restaurants. Both restaurant is nice, but they are very different in some details.

First, Henesy's serves sandwhiches, humbergers, pasta, and some meats. It serves tyipical American food. The food it serves is rich in variety, so that it is convenient when I don't decide what I want eat. There are a lot of choice.
Henesy's is located just in front of beach, so I can enjoy the senery. Also, I can eat in a patio where I can enjoy whole beach. Around the lunch time there are so many people in Henesy's because of this location, so sometimes I feel uncomfortable.
At night, Henesy's is crowded with a lot of people who enjoy watching big screen TV over drinking. Especially on the day that has a big game, it is so crowded.

On the other hand, La sushi is very different . The food that it serves is mainly Americanized Japanese food, such as sushi, teriyaki, and so on. Besides normal sushi, such as california roll and spicy tune roll, it serves creative sushi, for example Viva Las Vegas. This dish looks beautiful and tasts so good.
La sushi is located in a mall, so there is not so many people like Henesy's.
At night, there is music in the restaurant, and I can enjoy drinking in the bar corner. The atomosphere in La sushi is more sophisticated than that of Henesy's, so I prefer to go to La sushi when I want to enjoy my dinner.

To sum up, Henesy's is very populer restaurant, but sometimes I feel noisy and too crowded
On the other hand,La sushi is very refined place and it serves great food, so that I like La sushi the best.

Journal#10 Beach Party

2008-07-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

I went to beach party last friday.
It was at Corona Del Mar which is part of Newport Beach.
There were a lot of families with little children, enjoying small body boads, playing with sand or waves, and so on.

After we played enough, we ate hot dogs which ALP stuffs made for us. Thank you.
It tasted so good than usually it does, so that I ate two and my friend ate three!

I had great time enjoying conversation with friends and former teachers who taught me last semester.
Some students played vallyball, soccer,or waves.
Others just relaxed.
Also, I could make new friends at this beach party.
It was so much fun,and time passed really quick even though the party was 7 hours long.

National Holiday

2008-07-09T21:47:00.000-07:00

We have 15 national holidays in Japan.
There is a national holiday like America's Independence Day.
It is called The Commemoration Day of the Founding of the nation, however we don't do anything special on this day.
It isn't a famous or big holiday.
Honestly, I haven't known when it is.
According to Law of Holiday, it is Feburary 11.
It is said that Feburary 11 was the day when Zin-mu, the first emperor of Japan, succeeded to the throne, yet it is a controvercial issue if it is true or not.
He was fabulous charachter.
He was written as a first emperor in myth.
Some people believed that he existed and was the first emperor of Japan, and others did not.

In 1960's, there was a movement that attempt to set this day for a natinal holiday.
Many specialists were against this movement because of its uncertainess.

Eventually Feburary 11 became a national holiday as The Commemoration Day of the Founding of the nation.

Reunion !!

2008-07-04T13:53:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I met my friends in LA.
I used to go to English school in Manhattan Beach, so many friends live in South Bay area.
I often visit them on weekend.

Last week, one of my friend who is studying in Boston visited LA before she go back to Japan.
She used to live in LA and went to the same school with me.
We pland to take place the reunion party in LA.
It was just small and more cusual party. 6 friends gathered together, and we talked a lot.

Ehou-Zhushi

2008-07-04T13:29:00.000-07:00

Ehou-zushi is a kind of sushi which is eaten on the day before the beginning of spring.
It is rolled shushi.
It begun in around in 1800. It contains seven differet ingredients such as, cucumber, shiitake mushroom etc.... These ingredients represent the seven Gods of Forune Luck which is from Japanese mythology. Californian roll looks similar to it.
When we eat ehouzushi, we eat it before cut into pieces.
Eating ehouzusi means eating Luck, so old people thought that it is better not to cut the luck.

Ingredients
nori
stemed rice
vineger
shiitake mushroom
dried ground shavings

First, put vineger into steamed rice and mix well,and put it onto nori.
Spread it thinly.
Then, put shred cucumber, shiitake mushroom and dried ground shavings flavered with soi source and suger, and whatever you want to put if you want to put som.
ething more.
Lastly, roll it.

And eat it before you cut into pieces!

Special Gift

2008-06-27T14:41:00.000-07:00

Whenever I recieve gifts, I realize how happy I am. It is difficult to difine the best gift, but I'm going to talk about gift that i recieve from my friends when I leave Japan.

One day, one of my friends asked me to hang out together.
She was like "Do you have any plan on Wednesday night?" I didn't have any plan, we deicided to hang out together, but she's never told me what we are going to do.
When I arrived the meeting place, and got in a car, there were 4 more friends. I knew they planed surprise party for me.
I was almost cry because I didn't even imagine that they are going to take place a party for me.

The party was so amazing, the room was decorated with paper flowers and colorful decorations, and I saw a message boad which was written "Bye Aya,Good luck in the USA".
Of course I cried.
We ordered a lot of alchol, and had a great time. Also, in the end of the party, a waiter brought a
cake with message. It was another surprise.

I am very happy to have such a sweet friends. Sometimes I remember my friends and feel homesickness,but it's OK.
This surprise party was my supecial gift, and also myfriends are irreplacable gift for me.

2008-06-22T21:29:00.000-07:00

Hi, everybody I am Aya Hirao.I am from Japan. When I was in Japan, I was a university student, however I took a break for one year to study English in United State. My major is international relations, so I came to United States expecting to improve my Englis in order to help my studying in Japan.

Actually, not only I am studying, but also I am having fun in Unitede States. I made a lot of friends from different countries, such as Mexico, Korea,Vietnum, Switzer land, Brazil, Spain, and so on. They are friendly and love having fun. I used to lived in Redondo Beach and went to school at Manhattan Beach before I transfered to this school, so I could make such a various friends. I like to know different culture, and I hope I can make a lot of friends through this semester too!

I live with two roommates who are Americans. I decided to live with American roommates because I thought it was going to be good oppotunity for improving my English and knowing American culture that I can't leran at school. It was absolutly right decision. I can learn a lot of things. Above all, it is really fun to live with them because they are really nice.I am having fun studying English and American life.