Saturday, October 31, 2009

Embarrassing Moment

I can still remember the moment which was the most embarrassing time of my life. On the morning, I went to school by bike as usual. When I arrived the crossroad beside the school, I stopped and took my helmet off my head. However, a teacher came and said, " Why do you wear no helmet? " As a result, I reached the helmet and tried to put it back. Suddenly, the traffic light turned green so I pushed my bike across the street. Meanwhile, the bike started to fall because one of my hand was holding the helmet. Then, the bike lead me to fell with it on the crossroad in everyone's sight. I quickly stood up, bowed to the crowd, and I rushed away. I'm sure that everyone will be amused at my funny action that day.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Entrance Exam

Every students wants to go to a good university or college, but almost all of these academies have difficult entrance exams. The tests are nightmares for most students, but I agree it's necessary to take an entrance exam for several reasons. First, the school can select the sudents who have enough ability and knowledge by using tests. The chosen students are mostly fast learners, and this makes the teachers less tired and also improves the quality of the classes. Another reason is that a popular school may be applied by lots of students. With the entrance exam, the number of the students who apply decreases. A crowded and noisy school is not the best place for learning, so it shows the importance of an entrance exam.

Edo Japan Essay

During the Tokugawa Shogunate in Medieval Japan, young people lived a way totally different from now. This period, also called Edo Japan, young people's education, dining, lifestyle, and even thinking has a lot of differences from our lives now. It was a very interesting and attractive age.
Young people in Japan had busy but colorful lives. They were well-caltivated. One of their traditions, tea ceremony, emphasized the way to treat guests and taste tea. It uaually took a long time, so it made the young people more patient. Some other might do sumo-a kind wrestling-a Japanese origional sport which has been popular since Edo Japan. It was only practiced by boys, and the sumo wrestlers were respected and honored. However, Japanese young people couldn't just play. They still had many things to learn. Generally, the would succeed their parent's job. One reason is that the government forced them to inherit their parents' job. The government didn't want people to change their status because it was easier to manage that way. Another reason was that learning things from their parents was the easiest way to survive. Although teachers in schools helped to educate people to know how to read, they didn't teach them how to earn money to live. So Japanese young people were tired and busy as we are now.
In addition, some other aspects of their lives differed a lot from ours as well. Their lives were more difficult. Nevertheless, they had better lives than in other countries at that time. During Edo Japan, young people were able to bathe in every town. There were public baths throughout Japan, and they still are now. This brought about the invention of the Japanese bath robe. Young people could also get food on the street and in restaurants. Restaurants at that time provided snacks such as sushi, lunch boxes, and miso soup. All the food was fast enough to suit the rapid pace of Japanese life. In contrast to other nations, life in Japan was very convenient and advanced, yet their way of thinking was not modern. Japanese young people, especially the samurai, showed their loyalty and respects to the emperor. Perhaps their Feudailism and forbidding policy caused them to have limited experience and outlook, but they made brilliant contributions to their own culture.
With no doubt, Japanese young people had amazing lives in a prosperous Japan. They lived hard but delightful lives. Today, we can still see some of Japanese traditions around us, which means young people in Edo Japan had already lived this way. Isn't this impressive?
(Reference are given in : Edo Japan, Wikipedia, Japanese History, Ukiyoe Painting)