Thursday 22 January 2009

Obama's Inaugural Address

If you are interested, here is a video of Barak Obama giving his inaugural address. (That's his first speech as president.) The words to the speech are all here too. 

Wednesday 21 January 2009

President Barak Obama

This is such an exciting week in America. We have a new president! We get a new President every 4 or 8 years so these are always special events, but Barak Obama's election is particularly important for Americans. 

President Obama will be our first African-American president. This is so important to me. I'm not sure how to explain it, but I think this is a really positive sign that the USA is starting to change. We still have a lot of work to do, but it's an important step for us. 

Barak Obama is an exciting new president for many reasons. He also talks about a new direction for America and makes many people very excited about the future. He started getting ready for his job as President the day after he won the election. He has already gotten most of his staff together and started working. Americans are really worried right now, just like Japanese people are. There are many problems in the world right now, but Obama seems to be taking them very seriously. He's also encouraging all Americans to help each other and work together as communities to make change. These are really good signs that things will change and get better. 

One thing you should know: President Obama is a Democrat, President Bush is a Republican. I'm also a Democrat, so I'm a big fan of Obama. If you talk to an American that's a Republican, they can probably tell you more about why they didn't want Obama to be president. I can only tell you my opinion, but if you're curious about the Republicans feel free to ask some questions! I'll do my best to find you answers about their point of view.

Friday 9 January 2009

ゆき!

First snow of the year today in Gotemba! This makes me very happy. I love the snow. 

I grew up in the northeast United States, so I'm used to snow in the winter. (The photo is a picture of snow at home.) When I was in high school we usually had a "Snow Day" two or three times a year. This was when it snowed enough to cancel school. On a Snow Day I would wake up and get a shovel to move the snow from the driveway. (That's where my mother and father put their cars.)  My mother, father and I would move all the snow so they could move their cars and go to work. Then I'd make some cocoa and stay home all day! Sometimes there would be so much snow that my mother and father would stay home too. When there was a lot of snow, I would walk to a hill near my house and go sledding. That was a lot of fun. 

I've been told that it almost never snows in Numazu. That's so interesting! To me, Gotemba and Numazu seem very close. I expect them to have similar weather. Gotemba is higher up though and close to Mount Fuji. That must be why the weather is different. 

Monday 5 January 2009

Happy New Year!

Happy holidays to everyone! I hope you have a wonderful new year and that 2009 treats you well. 

I stayed in Japan for the holidays this year. It was very cool to see how Japan celebrates the New Year holiday. I visited some friends in Numazu on New Year's Eve. Just before midnight we went out and walked to a neighborhood in Numazu that had a Shinto shrine and a Buddhist temple across the street from each other. 

All the lanterns at the shrine were lit and there were lots of fires burning. (Which was nice, because it was getting a little cold!) At the temple, people were lining up to ring the temple bell. There were many families there. My friends and I loved watching the little kids ringing the temple bell. The bell is so big! The kids had to use both arms and swing the rope really hard. One little boy didn't hit it hard enough to make a noise. He was so sad! His mother gave him her turn, so he could try again. 

It was really interesting to go and see New Years celebrated in such a different way. Except for the bells ringing, it was so quiet! We knew it was midnight when the line at the shrine started to move and some quiet chanting started across the street at the temple. In America, New Year's Eve is a time for big parties and lots of noise. Just before midnight we start counting down the seconds, loudly, until midnight. Then we all yell and make a lot of noise. Everyone hugs and kisses each other, people drink champagne, and there are fireworks in many cities. 

New Year's Eve is a big party, but New Year's Day is usually pretty quiet. People are tired from staying up late so they rest. Maybe they go out for lunch with their friends or go to the movies. Many people make "New Years Resolutions" or special promises to themselves that this year they will try certain things or meet a goal. 

Here are my New Year resolutions:  
1) To try and find a Japanese tutor so I can improve my Japanese. 
2) To start an ALT post office so I can talk more with all the students at school and help them practice English. 
3) To visit some more Japanese gardens. I love Japanese gardens! 

I made some other resolutions too, but I can't tell you all of them. Some are a secret!  :)