Hanukkah

I wanted to talk about Hanukkah. Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that is usually sometime during Late November through December. This year it starts the 22nd of December. Hanukkah is 8 nights long. The origins of Hanukkah are that a long time ago to celebrate the victory of the Maccabees (the name of the Jewish nation a long time ago) there was only enough oil to light an eternal flame in the temple for 1 night. But the oil lasted 8 nights. It was a miracle. You can read what happened in Japanese here: Click Here. I actually have no religion, but my dad's side of my family is Jewish so I like to celebrate it. There are some people who consider Judaism (ユダヤ教) not just a religion but also a nation of people. Because of this, I am also part Jewish.

During Hanukkah, every night a Menorah is lit. A menorah is a candelabrum (燭台) that can holds 9 candles. On the first night of Hanukkah, the first candle is lit by helper candle, the candle in the middle. On the second night the first candle is lit again, plus the second candle. This continues for 8 nights.

There are certain foods eaten during Hanukkah but probably the most famous food is latkes. Latkes are potato pancakes. They are delicious! People eat Latkes with different things from Sour cream to Applesauce. I like to eat them with Applesauce.

Another part of Hanukkah is Dreidel. A dreidel is a wooden top (独楽) that you can play a game with. The game is kind of like gambling (ギャンブル), but children play with chocolate coins or other small items like real coins. These things are called Gelt, and you can often find Gelt around Hanukkah time in stores. It's a fun game. The top has four sides and each side has a different Hebrew letter. These mean different things, such as getting all of the coins in the game or getting nothing. I've played dreidel at a few Hanukkah parties, and it's alot of fun.

私のかんしゃさい（Thanksgiving)

こんにちは皆さん！最近ポーストをしなくてすみません。最近、私はとても忙しかった。学校の宿題があたりアルバイトをしなきゃ。先週の木曜日はかんしゃさいだった。私の日本人の友達と家に帰った。私達だけ私の家にいった。母は母の主人とワイオミング州に行った。私はりの（私の友達）はかんしゃさいを作った。

りのはコロッケを作った。とてもおいしかった。

料理前に私は私の犬と。少し不鮮明。りのはこの写真を取った。私はかわいいエプロンを着ている。

私のマッシュポテト。おいしかった。

りののコロッケ。私はカレーが好きのでりのはカレーのころけを料理した。

私達のかんしゃさい。

Birthday Party

Last week, my best friends and I had dinner for celebrate one of my best friends birthday. Actually, her birthday was last month, but we couldn't organize the schedule. I feel bad for my friend because I wanted to celebrate her birthday on that day. Anyway, I bought a purse for her. I have a reason why I bought it. Because I want her to be a woman, not a girl anymore.haha I wondered whether I buy a watch or purse, but I remember that her wallet is like teenager, so I decided to buy a purse. We went to see a movie, Red Cliff, the day before we meet. Then I found that actually her wallet is not a teengaer one!! I didn't know that she changed her wallet!! But my one is a purse, not a wallet. When she opened her present, she was soooooooooo excited!! I was glad that she liked what I gave her :>

Thanksgiving

Hello, everyone. Thanksgiving is only two days away, so tomorrow I'm going to Traverse City to spend the holiday with my Mom's side of the family. (We go there every year because my Dad's family lives so far away--all the way in Pennsylvania!) On Thanksgiving, my family always has a big meal together. None of us care much about football except my grandpa and my uncle, but most people watch football on Thanksgiving.

It's always fun to see the cousins, aunts and uncles that I don't usually see--our family is pretty small, but we all live in different parts of the state, so we don't usually get together except for holidays. This year, my cousins are all coming, and we're going to try to go see "Twilight" the movie the day after Thanksgiving, but that's always such a busy day for shopping that we might not be able to...Even if we don't do that though, we'll all have a lot of fun seeing each other and talking about what's happened since we saw each other last.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! :)

dancing baby !! lol

helloOoooo !! I wanna introduce my hobby today. I am really into dancing. have you heard house dancing and punking dance ?? that is what I 'm doing.
I started dance about 1 years ago. I liked to see dance,but I have never tried dance until at that time. I knew if I dance, it will looks sooo funny and creepy. everybody will be laugh a lot.
oneday I met new friends who dancing a looot. Some of them are dancer at night club. when I saw their dance first time, I was so excited . it was amazing !!and then it got me change my mind. and I knew there is so many kind of dance such as hiphop, soul, breaking, jazz, house, punking and bellydance. I tried it most of them at dance studio. because I wanted to know what's the best for me. and I realized I really having fun with house dance and punking.
House dance is kind of mix dance from everything. and it's based on foot work and then you can make it own style. so it is kind of Free style dance.
and I think punking is soooooo sexy dance. I want to be sexy one !! lol
now Dancing is really important foe me. whenever i feel sad , I can be happy if I dance.
I could control by myself with dance. I want to dance until I become grand mother. hahaha
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=L31l6XdN3iM

U.S. International Education Week Special Program

昨日の朝、スザンヌの授業に出る前にワシントン、福岡、那覇（なは）、そして名古屋の学生と同時中継（どうじちゅうけい）の討論会（とうろんかい）に出席（しゅっせき）してきました＾－＾めっちゃ朝早くて、6：00amに起きたのはホント久しぶりです（笑）でも充実（じゅうじつ）した討論会でした。討論のsubjectは”若者の政治への参加”で日本の状況（じゅうきょう）、アメリカの状況ともにリアルに解説（かいせつ）されていてとても勉強になりました！



ラジオで初めてスピーチをしたのがThomas Jefferson、テレビで初めてスピーチをしたのが、John F. Kennedy,そしてインターネットを使って初めてスピーチをしたのがBarack Obama。今日、この討論会に出て、時代の流れをものすごく体感（たいかん）しました。



討論の中でも話題になったのが、普段生活の中で友達と政治について話すことがあるか・・・日本ではホントないですね～＞＿＜アメリカではごく普通のことなのかもしれないけど、日本で政治の話をすると、周りの友達から「まじめだね～」とか、政治に興味のない友達だと話を流されちゃったりします。ホント悲しい。。。みんなは普段友達と政治や経済の話をしたりしますか？？

何か難しい日本語になってしまってすいません＞＿＜

Mai&Kana

Hi guys,
we made this voicethread in the class. We really enjoyed making it, and we are happy with it. We hope you enjoy watching our vide. Please hit the play buttom in the centre of the screen. xox

Engaged!!

I have three best friends. And one of them is engaged last week!! She is right next to me :) By the way I'm a girl who wear a T-shirt with "A." We went to the same high school, and we have had the same class for three years. So we shared everything! Shiho, who is engaged, will marry to Australian guy. I have met him once. He is nice and kind. Everytime I think of them, they look sooooooo similar. You know, people say that married couples are always look similar or completely look different. They look similar so I believe though she is still young to get married, but they can overcome with anything helping each other :-> When I heard from her that news, I was so happy, but at the time, I feel like I want to marry, too!!haha I don't have a boyfrien, so it's impossible though. My friends often tell me that I'm not gonna marry till 30!! Actually, I feel it, too.haha I can't explain why I feel in that way, but right now, I'm enjoying to hang out with people. This year, almost one month and half left. I can't wait to celebrate the New year Eve!!

Arts and Crafts :)

Hello, everyone. Sorry I'm kind of slow about writing. It's so easy to get behind on things and then suddenly realize that the month is half over already!!! I have been a bit stressed out lately applying to graduate schools and also getting ready to study abroad in Japan. To relax, usually I like to read, hang out with friends, or see a movie. Sometimes though, I like to do art projects.

I have always liked to draw, but lately I haven't been doing much drawing. Since I live near a big arts and crafts supply store called "Hobby Lobby," it's easy to get supplies for doing crafts, so last week, I made two dolls:

The one on the left is the Sally doll, and the one on the right is the Jack doll. These are characters from the movie "The Nightmare Before Christmas," which I really like. The art is so beautiful! And so is the music. I'm not very good at sewing, so the clothes aren't very well made, but luckily, you can't really tell that from these pictures :) The faces are drawn on in marker, and though I had to dye the Sally doll blue, these were really pretty easy to make. At Hobby Lobby, you can buy everything you need to make dolls (along with lots of other things). I bought the doll bodies already sewn together, so I just had to fill them with stuffing and make the clothes.

Art really helps me to relax. This weekend, I need to do a lot of homework, but next weekend, I hope to make another doll :) Talk to you later !

コーヒー中毒

コーヒー中毒♪　まさに私のことです！！笑
実はコーヒーを一日最低４杯はのんでると思います($・・)/~~~
だんだん歯の色が茶色に変色してるきがします☆笑　でもやめられないんです
コーヒーを一日のはじめにのまないと目が覚めないし、リラックスしたいとき疲れたあとは絶対コーヒーなんです♪コーヒーが好きすぎて一人でcafeもよくいってます♪
インスタントのマキシムも最高だし友達のお父さんが炒ってくれるコーヒーはピカイチだし
私のバイト先のkomeda's coffeeのコーヒーも大好きです♪
一番のお勧めの飲み方はアイスクリームを口に含みながらコーヒーを飲むこと！！
冷たいものとあったかいものがマッチして最高に幸せになれますよ♪
ぜひ試してみてくださぁぁぁぁっぁぁあい♪笑　

Cooperative Housing

East Lansing is home to one of the largest Student Housing Cooperative organizations in the country. It is run independently of the University and provides cheap affordable places for students to live.

Housing Cooperatives are similar to apartment buildings in that members pay a monthly fee to live in the building, but the key difference is that there is no land lord or manager that owns the building. The home is controlled by its residents. Everyone pays an equal share of the houses monthly expenses and has an equal say in house government.

There are 15 co-ops in East Lansing currently home to over 200 students.

Most are large houses with around 20 students living in them. Students living in them share the larger common rooms, kitchens and bathrooms and the many bedrooms are usually considered private. Many of the houses have a meal system where the residents share food costs and often prepare meals together.

Communal living is not for everyone. You have to be willing to share a house with many people you may not know, and open to compromising on various issues that come up.

Cooperatives are great places to live, everyone who lives in them tends to be fascinating people because this unusual living arrangement tends to appeal to a small group of people.

First Date!!

I don't know what I write on blog, so I'll tell you and ask you about first date.haha The last week class was this topic.



I found an interesting first date on Cameroon. When people in cameroon date with somebody, s/he takes other relatives on the date!! Can you image that you date with boy/girl AND with your or his/her relatives?? Oh no~. On the first date? I don't think it's a good idea in my country.haha Also, I asked four classmates that what don't you like your date to do. Two of them answered the same thing; they don't want to go to Karaoke on the date. Yeah, I don't want to go to Karaoke with a boyfriend on the date,either. First of all, I'm embarrassed to sing in front of him even I don't go to Karaoke with my friends!! How can I go to karaoke with a boyfrined!!haha How about you? What don't you like your date to do? Or tell me what's your ideal first date? OR I want to know about your first date in reality if you don't mind to answer.hehe

Thank you guys!! xox

happpy halloween

Haaaaaaai !! we celebrated halloween last weekend !! It was soooo much fun.It was first time to cerebrate in japan. I thought it will be not big party more than I had cerebrate in th us. but it was sooooOOoo creazy party. Everybody were wearing original costume!! I could have fun just watching to them.but I wanted to be the one who wore creazy costume !!so I decided to be lady bug in this year!! and my friends were tiger cat. she made her costume herself. it was amaaaaaaazing !! Isn't it cute ??I realised I really like wearing costume !! hahaha.I can't waite coming christmas !! we will have costume party agaaaaaaain !!

ハロウィン・パーティー

　ついにハロウィンが来ましたねぇ～↑↑みんなはどう過ごしたのかな？？うちは友達11人ぐらいとID CLUBというクラブに行って来ました＾－＾クレイジーになるくらいお酒を飲んだり、踊ったりとむっちゃ楽しい夜を過ごしました♪
これは高校の時の友達で、今もすごく仲が良いです＾－＾一番左にいる友達は、今年の5月まで約1年間アイダホ州にいました。一番右にいる子は、今年の6月までスペインに約1年間留学をしていました。ひさしぶりにみんなと会えてとても嬉しかったです☆

これもうちの友達です！一番左にいるのはチャーリーといって、椙山大学の留学生です。あとのboys2人はトヨタでエンジニアとして働いているお友達です。

この写真はチャーリーとチェルシーです。2人ともうちの大学の留学生です＾－＾とても仲良しで、ほとんど毎日一緒にランチしています♪

最後に、この写真にうつっている犬は、つい5日前にうちに来た犬のマックス君です＾－＾まだ生まれて2ヶ月で、とても甘えん坊です（笑）今うちの家族はマックス君にメロ②です（笑）