2014年12月4日木曜日

Invisible Minority

The autumn term ended in November, and the winter term will start on this Friday.
So before new classes start, I'd like to look back what I learned and thought in last term.

In autumn, I took semiology class. We studied about sign and symbol, and those relation to linguistics. And as its assignment, I wrote a paper about "invisible minority."
In the class, we had several guest lecture, and one of those was dealing with oversymbolization of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. The disaster caused massive damage, and a lot of the media brought up it with using symbols like "Fukushima" or "Tohoku." But the lecturer raised a question about that issue, because such overuse of symbols may cause stereotypes of its image, and overlooking the real problem among the victims, like mental issues.

Related to the lecture, I thought about the situation in minority groups. Forming groups and claiming for their rights might appeal their existence, but it may also cause a creation of another "invisible minority."
Sexual minority, for example, has come a long way to acquire a right in society. But as minority groups like homosexual people became visible, other people, such as bisexual or nonsexual people became invisible. Now the term, LGBT is widely accepted, but can this category include all minority people? Isn't it making fixed image, and preventing other people from recognizing different personality?
These term or image may facilitate general recognition, but I think this attitude will also facilitate stereotypes. As each person has different character in majority groups, minority people too, have different personality.
I believe that we should claim rights as a person, not as a group, and everyone should strive to recognize each personality.
But we can't help getting fixed image through media, like in the case of the disaster and minority groups, so I think direct communication is the only way to overcome them.
We should not just accept information, but learn it at first hand.

2014年10月19日日曜日

The Enjoyment of Tea

I read Sen Genshitsu Talks About The Enjoyment of Tea, written by Sen Genshitsu, and translated in English by Maya L. Perry.
The reason that I came to reading this book was an assignment of English class. I was searching some resources for my essay about tea ceremony, and I found this in the school library.

The author, Sen Genshitsu (1923-) is the former iemoto or head of the Urasenke school of Japanese tea ceremony. Urasenke is one of the main school of Japanese tea ceremony, which has been continuing for about 350 years. The history dates back to Sen no Rikyū (1522-1591), the Japanese historical person who perfected tea ceremony.

This book does not provide practical instruction, but rather deals with the spirit of tea with referring author's own experience.
For example, Sen Genshitshu remarks that transposition of guest and host occurs in a tea gathering. In other words, the guest becomes the host, and the host becomes the guest through tea.
The host never should think that "I'll show you" or "I'm doing this for you," but just think the guest and focus on doing one's utmost best to create a bowl of tea. Likewise, the guest should accept the invitation with all one's heart . That is transposition or consideration for each other. I was surprised to know that the author, the expert of tea too, rates himself after tea gatherings as; "My temae (performance) was only 65% today."

In another aspect, the author expresses his view as one who experienced warfare, through tea. With the hope that tea will provide peacefulness for people of the world, and Japanese spirit for the Japanese young generation, the author keeps spreading the spirit of tea.

The reason I chose this topic as the theme of the essay was partly because I belong to the tea ceremony club in the university. And next weekend, I will show my performance at the school festival.
I learnt many attitudes toward tea from this book, so  I want to practice these attitudes in every performance.


2014年9月3日水曜日

Flowers for Algernon

I read Flowers for Algernon, written by Daniel Keyes.
This is a story of a man who took a surgery that  improves his intelligence.
The man, Charlie Gordon was intellectually retarded by nature and took a brain surgery in order to improve his IQ. The title, Algernon is a mouse that took a same surgery as Charlie, and it takes an important role in the story.

This novel takes a style of Charlie's diary, and his intellectual change can be seen as dates passes. And as his intelligence increase, his emotional and moral aspects also change.
I once read this book in Japanese when I was junior high school student, but I didn't remember the most of the content, so I felt it fresh and impressive. I felt Charlie's mental conflict as a subject, and as a man. I wonder how difficult it is to control the human rights and to understand the difference between animal and human. And in this book, the last was especially impressing and made me think.

This novel was first published in 1959, but the oldness isn't felt at all, but rather it should be read in this era that scientific technology has greatly developed.
I also want to read The Minds of Billy Milligan, written by Daniel Keyes, later.
The summer vacation is almost over, and autumn term will start soon. I'd like to read some books during the term too.


2014年8月14日木曜日

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

I read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?/BLADE RUNNER, written by Philip K. Dick.
This novel was first published as Do Android Dream of Electronic Sheep? in 1969, and filmed as BLADE RUNNER in 1982.
This is a science fiction novel about a bounty hunter lives in ruined earth, whose job is to kill (in the story, to retire) escaped androids from Mars.

I've known the title of it and had interest, so I borrowed the book from the library, but when I started reading this book, I found it very difficult at once.
The motive of choosing this book was just its title, so I haven't estimated how it is difficult to read SF in English. Though it was hard to catch the view of its world and keep reading, I managed to read through it. 

The outline of the story is quite simple, just retiring androids, but its concept and background are very complex. 
The setting is ruined earth where most human beings have emigrated to Mars. And where living things are highly valued, and a certain kind of empathy is needed to all people. 
In that world, a group of new-type androids, which never feel empathy, has escaped from Mars for the earth and the main character, Rick Deckard set to work.
There is no clear explanation about its background in the book, but instead characters' mind is described in detail throughout the novel, to animate the world view.
So it was hard for me to grasp the context at first, and I had to read through it twice to understand most of the content.
This book was difficult for me to read, but I could enjoy the atmosphere, and I want to read it again sometime.
I hope I will be able to appreciate English books someday.


2014年7月23日水曜日

The Alchemist

I read The Alchemist written by Paulo Coelho.
This is a story of a young shepherd who pursues his treasure.
One time a shepherd had an impressive dream of the pyramid, and a mysterious old man he encountered informed him that visiting Egypt and finding his treasure at there is his personal legend. And then, he started his journey to the pyramid.

This is not the kind of fantasy like slay a dragon or save the world, but rather familiar one to us.
I think the theme of this story is to accomplish one's dream. And in this story, the dream is expressed as personal legend.
Everyone has own personal legend in each heart, but few people try to realize them, a character said.  But once decide to realize it, every omen helps one who pursues one's personal legend, and every legend comes true, if one tries to, another character said.
This is a fantasy story, but I felt that the shepherd is one of us who keeps trying for one's dream.
The original version is written in Portuguese, but this novel is translated in many languages and read around the world. I think the reason is that this story reminds modern people to pursue what really want to do.


2014年7月6日日曜日

Girl with a Pearl Earring

I finished reading girl with a pearl earring written by Tracy Chevalier, which I chose as a summer reading.

This is a story about how Johannes Vermeer came to drew the painting of girl with a pearl earring.
This novel takes style of first-person narrative of Griet, the model of the painting.
The setting is 17th century Delft, Nederland. Sixteen-year-old Griet starts working at Vermeer's house as a maid for help her family, and become fascinated by his paintings and himself...

While reading this novel, I attracted by unique characters; Griet, another maid she works with, Vermeer, his wife, his mother-in-law, his children, a butcher's son, and Griet's own parents and siblings.
The basis of this story is romance between Griet and Vermeer, but circumstance around them and other characters make it more vivid.
And I think Chevalier's close historical research also gave reality to it. The values and customs are described well, and I could feel the atmosphere of that time.

But most of all, I admire Chevalier's great imagination. Though I'm not used to reading books in English, I could enjoy this book.
There is also a movie that based on this book, so I wanted to see it too.
Although I finished assignment already, I have plenty of time yet, so I want to read more English book during the summer vacation.



2014年6月23日月曜日

One more essay...

Though all classes done, I still have been busy because I have to write an essay for the music class and prepare for some tests.

I chose the Cantigas de Santa Maria as a theme of the music essay.
Cantiga means a monophonic song, written in Galcian Portuguese in middle age. And the Cantigas de Santa Maria is a collection of though cantigas, each includes the content that praises the Virgin Mary. It is one of the largest collections of non sacred songs from the medieval period, and it contains remarkable artworks and poetry too.

Why I chose this to the theme is that I listened one of cantigas in the class and became interested in it.
The music class I took in this term dealt with the western music history from ancient to Baroque period. Before I took this class, I have had little interest in music of that period, but I could understand its value and diversity through learning the history.
I'm glad to have such opportunity, and I will take the music class that deals with the history of after Baroque period in the next term, so I'm looking forward to it, too.

The essay is so burdensome, but I think what I learned in the ARW class is helping me a lot.
The deadline of it is tomorrow, so I have to make one more effort.

2014年6月16日月曜日

Precious two months

June 17th, the day after tomorrow is the last day of this term. And tomorrow, ARW class and some other classes will finish. 

I learned so many things during this two months, but I especially realized the importance of having own opinion.
We had many discussion and many opportunities to express each idea in classes.
I felt nervous in discussion at first because I've never had such opportunity in high school, but I realized that I can learn from others in discussions and other ways.
In ARW class and other ELA classes, I could learn many from classmates' opinions.
And in philosophy class too, we often had group discussion. I think that was great opportunity because I always had second or third year students in the group. So I often inspired by other group members' opinion. 

I regret that I could not make own remarks well, both in English and Japanese, but all opportunity was really great experience for me.
I want to be able to have own opinion, and contribute to others more.
For a start, I' d like to think every matter deeply. 

2014年6月12日木曜日

Two more classes...

In the last class, we learned how to use Zotero. Zotero is a software that enable us to gather internet sources easily. It seems similar to Evernote, but it recognize the article's information and make in-text citation or full citation automatically. But I found that Zotero can be used only to web article or magazine, not to the file or printed article, like lexis nexus. So the usage is somewhat limited, but indeed it is useful.

Today is June 12th, so only two more ARW classes are left. I cannot believe two months have already passed since I had entered ICU.  But it also true that I cannot remember my high school era well already, and cannot believe I had been taking the entrance exam of ICU four months ago. Though I cannot say everything succeeded, I want to praise myself for hanging on this two months.

2014年6月11日水曜日

I finally see the last of my work!

In the last class, we learned the priority of an essay.
When we start writing an essay, we write paragraphs of the body firstly, and the introduction and conclusion should be followed.
On the other hand, when an essay being read, especially when the reader wants quickly to get the content, introduction and conclusion will be read first. So we they are most important parts of one essay.
Therefore, we have to summarize the ideas of the body in introduction and conclusion, and ensure that the reader can fully understand the content by them.

I have dealt with my essay and essay topic for almost a month, but now only introduction is left.
So I finally see the last of my work!
I am happy that I can get through it soon, and summer vacation will come!

2014年6月8日日曜日

Honor in Struggle, in Literature

Struggling with a difficulty often become the main theme of literature.
The Old Man and the Sea is also one of those works. In this story, the old man faced the difficulty of catching a big fish, but he never gave up and never lost his pride.
And many famous literary works, The Load of the Rings, for example, also describe the characters' struggles and the process of overcoming them.

So why this theme often be idealized?
I think the reason is that these difficulties can be seen in our ordinary lives. Of course, these may not be such as fighting with avatar of evil, or extraordinary mission, but may be trouble with study or work or anything else.
And we can learn how to overcome such difficulties or hardships, through the characters in stories.
In The Old Man and the Sea, we can see the old man's stoicism and endurance through the hardship, and they may help us confront our own issues.
I think this theme is universal and fundamental in literature.

2014年6月6日金曜日

The Old Man and the Sea: Hemingway's dream?

Today(actually yesterday), I finished reading The Old Man and the Sea
As I read to the end of the story, I could understand the merit of it. 

If I wrote this kind of story, I would write it as what is called a success story, but Hemingway didn't.
The old man in actually couldn't leave almost anything from the sea, but he could be appreciated by surrounding people and could feel the boy and other peoples' love for him.

But I think this end conflicts with Hemingway's real life. In the last class, we learned background, biography, and bias of this story, and I saw one picture that Hemingway is in with a big fish, with a proud look. 
Assuming that the old man in this story reflects his true heart, maybe he wanted just love, rather than fame, in reality. 
I also learned that many ways of love is expressed in this story. 
I wonder he wanted to express true form of love in it, that he could not get in the real life.

2014年6月2日月曜日

Reality of Hemingway

I read this following article. : life.time.com

In this article, Hemingway's real humanity is disclosed.
I was surprised to know that he spent his days drunk and had unsettled state of mind that he could not control his temper, in the early 1950's, when The Old Man and the Sea was written.
And he committed suicide by shotgun at the last.

Although I haven't read the book until the end, the entire story seems to have a calm atmosphere, and the characters seem to moderate and stoic, too.
I wonder why he acted like that in reality and wrote a story in completely different attitude.
Did he want express his inner world in the story through the old man?

Of course, I am not sure about his real intention, but I am sure that I can read the story with more interests by knowing its background.

Experiences will lead me to the next time

I had two difficult matters in this weekend.

One was an English test about fallacy on last Friday. It was a multiple-choice test, and we had to find logical errors of sentences and evaluate them. I thought I had prepared well before taking test, but actually the score was not satisfactory.
 I think one failure caused the result is that I didn't think other possibilities for my answer. I assumed one choice without evaluating other choices carefully.
And another failure is that I was sleepy at that time. I knew that lack of sleep will cause only bad effect for me, but I slept late as usually.
Affected by these things, I didn't do it well.

And then, another difficult matter was an organ audition held on last Saturday.
ICU has several pipe organs in the church and Sacred Music Center, and students can take lessons by special lecturers with the organs, if they succeeded in auditions.
I was handed the scores of pieces of music that will play at the audition, and I practiced them for a month. I don't think there was enough time, because I had much homework and many things to do, but I thought that I had fulfilled the task to some extent, but the actual performance at the audition was terrible.
I have some excuses for that, first, I have never touched a pipe organ, so everything was different from practice at home, and I played the piano(actually an organ) before a person for the first time in a while.
But I know that the thing most affect the result is a lack of practice. If I practiced harder, I could play better at the audition too.
As a result, I failed at the audition.

These two things resulted in failure, but I want make good use of these experiments for the next time. I'd like to consider choices more carefully, and practice more before the performance.
The result of the audition will be handed at next Tuesday, but I don't have confidence, so I want challenge next audition in the fall term!

2014年5月30日金曜日

SUMMER READING

Have you chosen a book for summer reading?
As one of the assignments of ELA(English for Liberal Arts), we have to choose one book from fifty recommendations for summer vacation reading and have presentation and report in the fall term.

I have chosen Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier.
Actually, I did know the author from before because I watched the Ted presentation she gave, a few years ago.
The title of the talk is Finding the story inside the painting. In the presentation, she gave the idea of seeing paintings with making their stories.
Her stories were amazing, and I am impressed by her great imagination.
I watched the talk many times, so I remembered the author's name.

I am now really looking forward to reading it.
But I won't borrow the book from the library as Dan mentioned in the class because I will annotate it, and I want keep it at hand after summer.
Anyway, I am happy that I could find the perfect  one for the assignment.

In Girl with a Pearl Earring, author Tracy Chevalier takes readers into the studio and household of realist master Johannes Vermeer.

2014年5月28日水曜日

A useful book when you are at a loss for evaluating text

In the last class, we learned how to make essays better, particularly about their structures.
As I learned before, assessing the accuracy of structure and finding unstated evidences are important to make essay clearer. However, sometimes these steps are very difficult in some text.
But actually, I do almost same things in philosophy class such as evaluating argumentation, finding assumption not mentioned, etc. And in the class, we use a textbook of critical reasoning. I think this book somewhat helps me evaluating essay in ELA, too.
We use Japanese version in the class, but original version is written in English, so I'll put both picture of the book cover.


論理のスキルアップ―実践クリティカル・リーズニング入門

2014年5月25日日曜日

Requirements for an academic essay

I learned things better to know when constructing an essay from some videos.

First, the claim I make should be somewhat controversial, and then it must be supported by reliable evidences. If the claim of the essay is not controversial, there is no meaning of the entire text, because essay is written for persuading others.
I believe this point is very important because controversial or unfamiliar claims are enjoyable and worthwhile to argue.

My topic of the essay concerns food, particularly negative side of food.
 I think this subject is worthwhile to argue because most people do not so much think about them, although food is most relevant issue to us.
But searching evidence is more difficult than I thought, especially searching statistical evidences is so laborious. Fortunately I still have time to consider about claims, so I want to search reliable evidences first, and then decide the argument of each paragraph.

How to make an essay clear and more comprehensible

I watched some videos and got some useful tips when writing an essay, mostly when revising mine and others.

I found that checking the text from multiple aspects is important for making it clear to understand for the reader.
Seen from different devices, such as printed text not only the data on the computer, you can get a new impression of it and can find its weak points.
And getting comments from others is also necessary. You can see a strong point and weak point of own essay from other features. But when you comment on others’ essay, you should take care that the comment is clear, direct, has a particular position and offers some suggestions. To make essays better each other, you have to care about these points when commenting, and have to adopt suggestions into the text when you got comments.

I realized that seen from different viewpoints is essential when writing an essay, because I am writing it for others, not for me. It is a matter of course, but I sometimes forget it and want just write it for the deadline.
I want become afford the time for concentrating on the content.

By the way, I am sorry to be late for the deadline of this blog. But I’ll never make any excuses for that. I’ll keep the deadline from now on, and try harder than ever.

2014年5月21日水曜日

Efficient order when writing an essay

I get some important thing when writing an essay from last ARW class and some videos.

One important thing is to write the body first, and introduction and conclusion last. Introduction and conclusion have roles of summarizing and paraphrasing, so writing them last is very reasonable.
And another important thing is to make an environment proper for writing essay, and do not too wary about content at the stage of the draft. Making appropriate environment means not only a place, but also time. If we are rushed to completing it, we cannot keep calm, so starting early is important. Besides, when we write a draft, we have to write just as we think without hesitation.

I think firstly concentrate the task and write it through in any case, and then, improve on it later is good order.

2014年5月19日月曜日

Useful tools in writing an essay

In the last ARW class, we learned some useful tools to search sources for essay.

I began to using Grammarly for check mistakes with grammar. Grammarly is very convenient tool, because I can shorten the time and don't need to too worry about making mistakes when writing in English.
But I realized that I am sometimes satisfied with correcting mistakes with grammar and don't reconsider the content. Grammarly cannot correct content, so I should not lose my concentration, because the content is most important staff in writing.

And I created Evernote account just now. Evernote is helpful when summarizing the information and preparing the essay. Besides, we can share every note with different tablet terminals.

I use many tools for ARW class, for example, Google plus, Google document, Grammarly, and Evernote. And I also use tools to communicating with friends, for instance, LINE and email.
They are actually very useful, but I'm getting a little tired of relying on the Internet everything I do.
Honestly, I want some rest from the Internet.




クリエイティブ・コモンズ・ライセンス

この 作品 は クリエイティブ・コモンズ 表示 - 非営利 - 改変禁止 4.0 国際 ライセンスの下に提供されています。

2014年5月13日火曜日

Before writing an essay...

In the last ARW class, we discussed topics of next five paragraph essay.
In the groups, we asked questions each other about partner's topics. Through the questioning,  I realized I have to think over my topic again, to make a detailed outline. 

And this following video gives other ideas about preparing an essay. :Office hours: Prewriting
I got some stuffs that I have to do before writing essay from this video, for example, writing down any ideas about the topic and brainstorming it, and once decided a main topic, more specific investigation are needed.

Through discussion and video, I noticed that writing essay constructively is far more difficult task than I have imagined. 
I'd like to write about food beliefs, for example, beliefs about locavorism(eating local food), health food, and diet food, but constructing three claims and finding sources seem to be very troublesome. So to begin with, I'd like to investigate the topic further, and think of opinions as many as I can, and prepare for the tutorial. 


2014年5月11日日曜日

Against Racism :We are all monkeys.

I watched this YouTube video.: http://youtu.be/791mJzikfrY
In this video, students and teachers eat bananas and say "We are all monkeys!"
Today, actions like this video is taken worldwide.

The beginning of this is one incident happened in Spain. Last month, one spectator of a soccer game threw a banana to the ground to mock the Black player, but the player ate the banana and continued the game, and his act reserved praise to confronting racism.
And now, many people begun to upload pictures and videos appeared with bananas.

I was impressed by this movement, because I haven't seen such a way of countering racism.
Everyone can laugh it away by participating this action.
I'm glad that this movement has been introduced in ICU too, and I want more Japanese to know this action.
 I think most Japanese people are not familiar with racism, and think it like other people's affairs, but this action is easy to take part in, particularly for young people, who are accustomed to the Internet. I hope racism will be stamped out from the young generation.




2014年5月9日金曜日

The Things I Can Die When I Have Fulfilled Them

Today's topic is `The Things I Want To Do  Before Die'... but I haven't come up so many, so I want to change the topic a little, to `The Things I Can Die When I Have Fulfilled Them'.

Firstly, I have to be alive until my mother passes away. Because my mother is most precious parson for me in the world, so I must not let her sorrow over my death.

Secondly, I cannot die before my cat dies. The reason is almost same as the former one, although my cat will not feel sorrow if I die. But I want to look after it until it dies.

Lastly, I want to study art. I want to see more artworks, that inspire me. I cannot die until I'm satisfied with appreciating them.

I'm not sure when these are fulfilled, but I'm sure that if I die after I have accomplished them, I have carried out the minimum things I want to do.

my troublesome cat


2014年5月7日水曜日

What is Netiquette?

`Netiquette' is a blend of `net' and `etiquette', and this word means the courtesy that we should have when we use the Internet, especially when we use social network, blog, chat, or the Internet discussion board.
I think this word was born as spread of the Internet. Nowadays, almost everyone has own computers or tablet devices, and cannot live without them. But as spread of them, new issue have occurred.

Today, everyone can make remarks easily through the Internet, but I think this shortens the distance between writers and readers, or speakers and listeners.
We can write or say whatever want through the Internet, although the target person/people is on the very distant positions from us, and hard to tell what you want directly.
I think this ease of uttering opinions causes the lack of courtesy and thinking deeply before posting comments or remarks.
We have to be careful that if own remarks will not offend others, because what you write or said can be seen or heard many and unspecified people.

Of course I must care about it when writing blogs.
I have to be careful that whether my remarks will not offend others, and will not be hard to read or understand.

2014年5月2日金曜日

What is GoGatsuByo?

GoGatsuByo means feeling depressed especially after Golden Week.
In Golden Week, sometimes people feel mental and physical fatigue that caused by uncomfortable new circumstances, and feel reluctant to back to schools or works, and this causes GoGatsuByo.

So how can we avoid this?
My suggestion on that is to accept reality positively, because I think this phenomenon is especially caused by realizing the gap of dream and reality. In this opportunity of long days off, we should rethink about the new environment and how we should behave from now on.
Looking back the last month and making next goal will encourage us to back to the school or social life.
In particular for ICU students, I suggest that we should make detailed aims in study and other activities.
We gradually got used to new circumstance, so this time is good opportunity to making plans.





2014年4月29日火曜日

The Limits of Locavorism

I referred this article for the topic;
http://kellygallagher.org/resources/AoW%201314_17%20Locavorism.pdf
The Limits of Locavorism.

First, locavorism is the opinion that claims eating food that is grown close to where you live is good to both our health and environment.I think this word matches the Japanese word chisan-chisyo.
This idea seems to great, but as you can see from its title, this article shows its negative side too.

This article reveals that some popular beliefs are not supported scientifically. For example, beliefs like eating locally produced food reduces what is called food miles, so it decrease the greenhouse-gas emission, or it makes us healthier because such food doesn't contain harmful chemicals are denied by analysis.

I was surprised by reading this article, because though I've heard about this idea of eating local food, I've never suspected this idea is actually good or not.
Of course I can't simply say this idea is false and just a belief, but this article makes me want to know more about this topic, and issues concerning food.

2014年4月27日日曜日

Is imprisonment a necessary system for dealing with all criminal acts?

Is imprisonment a necessary system for dealing with all criminal acts?
I have to answer "yes" to this question,  because we don't have an alternative way to deal with them now.

But how about this question:
Is imprisonment a appropriate system for dealing with all criminal acts?

I cannot answer "yes" to this question, because I think this system doesn't accomplish its role.

The role of imprisonment system is to let prisoner to be born again, and eventually decrease the number of crime.
As everyone knows, many criminals repeat committing crimes after released from prisons, and the number of crime isn't decrease after all.
So we have to change its system.

In U.S., some experiments are already performed.
In one experiment, prisoners are made to breed stray dogs. Through this experience, they can learn patience and satisfaction of accomplishing tasks, and the percentage of repeating commit crimes is greatly decreasing.

I think we have to come up with such new ways and adopt actively in Japan, too.
Imprisonment is necessary, so we must change its system in order to make society better.

2014年4月24日木曜日

ICU as a Hybrid Institution

In the lecture of Dr. Paul Wadden, he mentioned universities in U.S. and Japan, and finally remarked that ICU is a hybrid of them.

I've known that there are many differences between American universities and Japanese universities, but I was surprised how ways of thinking in education differ.

Though many differences and similarities are remarked in the lecture, I thought the instance of Koshi(Confucius) and Socrates was especially interesting.
Possibly the difference in education between the East and the West had began thousands of years ago, and still deeply rooted in the culture.

Dr. Paul Wadden said characteristics of universities in U.S. are the freedom of movement, elective courses, and diversities of students, on the other hand, in Japan, many universities have opposite characteristics.
But ICU is the half way of them.

I could rethink about the merits and demerits of Japanese universities by watching the lecture, and it reminds me the uniqueness of ICU.


2014年4月22日火曜日

Don't judge a book by its cover

"Don't judge a book by its cover."
This is an English proverb that means "don't set your mind unless you check the content",but there is another meaning that "don't decide a person by its looks."

I think this meaning has two sides.
For example, though if you think it is difficult to get along with some people at first, they can be your good friends by knowing their characteristics.
On this example, this proverb encourages you to have wide view on people.

On the other hand, sometimes this proverb tells people to become more suspicious.
For instance, you may be deceived by someone if you decide the humanity by its looks.
Good looks do not always mean the person is actually good.

Although it is easy to understand this proverb's meaning and this term is often used in Japanese too, I think how you receive this is person to person.

2014年4月20日日曜日

What Is the Perfect Cat?

What is the definition of the perfect cat? I think it is

・The cat doesn't resist any offers of the owner, and doesn't make troubles. It keeps every orders that the owner comand it to do, and doesn't scratch or bite he/she.

・The cat understands the owner's thought and what he/she want it to do. If the owner is depressed, it understand the feeling and sits close to him/her.

・The cat it is not only sensible but also cute. It sometimes gets nervous when the owner  doesn't care for it so much, and want he/she to care about it more.

・The cat it sees the owner off at the entrance hall when he/she goes out, and welcomes he/she homes back. It sleeps on the owner's bed and melts his/her heart.