サンクスギビングの休み

 サンクスギビングの休みは良かったです。休みにTAと会いました。休みに私のTAとモールに行ったし、ちょっと雪が降ったし、とても楽しかったです。モールでたくさんCDと音楽を見たり、ぬいぐるみと遊んだりしました。休みにもたくさん家事をしました。雪が降った後で、雪を拾わなければなりませんでした。家族とサンクスギビングの日にいい食事を食べました。鳥肉とターキーを食べました。いい休みだったけど、科学と全部の授業の試験の勉強がちょっと心配になりました。

友達

下の写真には私の友達です。ちょっと変な人だけど、いい人と思っています。 高校の時、たくさん面白いビデオを見せてくれました。今まで、スマホでちょっと変で面白いビデオをいつも送ってくれます。この友達に、私の宿題をいつも見せてあげたから、たくさんお金をまだ払わなかったらいけません。実は親切な人です。高校の卒業の時、友達にたくさんお菓子とハッグをもらいました。今、私たちはとても忙しいし、仕事をするし、もうよく友達と会えません。その理由で、もっと友達を見てほしいんだけど、まだ借金があるんです。

 

弓道のプレゼン

 The kyudo presentation was pretty interesting, although the person next to me was falling asleep which was pretty funny. A lot of the slides were much about the history of the bow in Japan, interestingly I didn't expect the gun to be introduced as early as the 16th century in Japan, and yet the bow still continued to survive beyond that. Also, the usage of circles for technique I thought was pretty smart, and I found the "mini demonstration" with the slingshot like thing to be a satisfying replacement for the demonstration. I also liked how he explained that there is no purpose or goal for kyudo, there really is only doing it just to do it and there shouldn't be any real target you should be striving to achieve. Overall I enjoyed it, although it started smelling like fish halfway through.

弓道

 I do not know anything about archery, it was never something that really crossed my mind before. However, looking into it, it seems to be more about one's inner "harmony" rather than about actually just hitting a target. Specifically Kyudo seems to be deeply rooted in Japanese culture, from the attire worn and the technique used in this specific branch of archery. It is also interesting how it has survived even after the retirement of bows in combat. Of course, it is nowadays practiced more for one's personal practice rather than as a weapon. However, there is a lot of physical technique that is used and also a lot of mental technique that is required. It is also interesting how big the bows actually are, and also how the bow is set up for a shot. The bow is brought over the head and then slowly lowered into the vision. Apart from just shooting, there is also a lot of maintenance that is required for the bow, which I find to make sense. Overall, Kyudo seems to be a very respectful art form that requires a lot of practice and effort to perfect.

体調

 たくさん宿題がある日にたくさん勉強した後で、こしがちょっと痛いです。それで、アレルギーがありませんですが、乳糖不耐症があります。だから、たくさん乳糖が食べられません。でも美味しかったら、まだ食べます。その後、親知らずが抜いたあとで、たくさん薬を飲みました。けがをしたことがありますが、骨が壊れることがまだありません。

あき休み

 あき休みにたくさん寝たり、友達と会ったりしようと思っていました。でも、このあき休みちょっといそがしかったです。歯医者に行って、おやしらずを抜きました。それで、かがくのしゅくだいをしなくてはいけませんでした。私のマーチングのくつにあながあって、自転車のタイヤとブレーキが切れましたから、その２つも直さなくてはいけませんでした。ノートルダムのあき休みはちょっと変な時にして、私の友達はまだ大学にいったり働いたりしました。でも、大学にいった時より寝られましたから、いいあき休みになりました。 

キリンジの曲

 

 

I sometimes listen to Japanese music. Specifically this time, I listened to this song, Drifter by キリンジ.  I have often listened to other songs by this band, although this song in specific was a little more difficult to understand compared to other songs. But, after looking up a lot of the vocabulary, I believe that it deals with someone who often feels down, lost, and as if the world was against him. In lines like "祈りをカラスが引き裂いて",  "a crow that rips apart his prayers", or "流氷のような街で追いかけてたのは逃げ水",  "in a town like [drift ice?] where he follows [I think 'mirages']", his inner struggles and feelings of a lack of clear direction are described. But, throughout the lyrics it is also demonstrated how there is someone in his life that keeps him going despite everything. "手放せない理由がこの胸にある", "there is a reason/motive in him that he does not let go of", and "あなたがいるかぎり僕は逃げない", "as long as they exist he will not run away", are clear examples of the role of this other person. I think this song, however, serves an ode to this person he holds hope onto, and demonstrates a type of doubt towards their commitment to him, which can really be seen when he asks "この僕の傍にいるだろう", "if they will be there even for the struggling, uncertain him". I think this is the premise of the song, I probably missed a lot of other references and allusions, but from what I was able to understand it is a very poetic song that encapsulates the love that two people may feel towards each other through the perspective of one of them, who is conscious of his difficulties and the uncertainty of being too much for someone to handle. Personally, I also connect very well with this song.