Wrapping It Up (Third Cycle Reflection Statement)

It seems that this time I wasn't able to do many of the activities I planned to do. Well, there have only been two weeks of school in this third cycle of PE, so I haven't been able to go to the language table or to talk to my friends in Japanese much. However, I watched quite a lot of Japanese movies (gotta love Continental Airlines' movie selection for flights to Asia), and I feel a lot more confident about my listening ability and even my speaking ability in Japanese.

The more I listened to Japanese in movies, the more I felt like the speed wasn't as intimidating anymore. I also took the opportunity to shadow some sentences as I watched the movies. I think I got more of a feeling for Japanese sentence intonations. Although I didn't see it as a learning activity and didn't do it with a very serious mindset, I think that I learned a lot while enjoying myself, so I think this third cycle was a success.



This is one of the movies I watched on the plane. It's a thirteen hour and a half ride, so that's usually enough time for three or four movies. (Although I do sometimes sleep on the plane, too. =P)

"僕たちは世界を変えることができない。 But, we wanna build a school in Cambodia."

"We can't change the world. But we wanna build a school in Cambodia."

That's the name of the movie. It's a long name... xD

This movie is about a group of university students raising money to build a school in Cambodia. I really liked it, mainly for its theme, but also because it just seemed very "real" – both the story, the acting and the filming.

北京の冬、家族の冬

あけましておめでとうございます、みなさん！
書かない事にごめんなさい。中国で Blogspotにいけないんです。

冬休みに私はかぞくとペキンにいました。ニューワークからペキンまでひこうきで十三時間ぐらいかかります。それで、時差も十三時間です。（これは冬だえです。夏にはDaylight Savingsあるので、時差は十二時間です。）だから、ペキンにかえるのは毎回とてもつかれます。つかれましたが、りょうしんとお兄ちゃんと弟とあったので、とてもうれしいでした。

私は子どもの時から、お兄ちゃんが大好きなので、よくあいたいですが、お兄ちゃんはパリでべんきょうするので、あえる時は冬休みと夏休みだけです。学校で毎週両親にでんわするので、両親と弟とよくはなせますが、お兄ちゃんも大学生なので、とてもいそがしいので、すこし違います。

お兄ちゃんだけじゃありませんでした。今年お爺さんは八十さいなので、大きい親族会がありました。嘉兴(Jiaxin, 上海の近くにある町)に行って、お祖母さんやお爺さんや伯母さんとあって、お久しぶりでいとこともあいました。

For us, this counts as a really big family reunion...

ひだりから：いとこのかれし、いとこ、私、弟、兄ちゃん、兄ちゃんのかのじょ

冬＝ふゆ

夏＝なつ

時差＝じさ (time difference)

毎回＝まいかい (every time)

お兄ちゃん＝おにいちゃん (older brother)
弟＝おとうと (younger brother)
今年＝ことし
親族会＝しんぞくかい (family reunion)