SOL#16

Last school week 

This week was testing week.

I went to a Taiwanese restaurant (chasyu-charaku)with my mother as a reward for the second semester.I was happy because I had always wanted to visit this restaurant.I had the herb jelly (yaki sensou) and my mother had the tofa.It was the first time I had it, and the gentle sweetness and healthy taste made it very addictive.It was really delicious. It has become one of my favorite foods.

It was a warming sweet.

I may not be able to eat any other sweets again because of it!I would like to visit Taiwan.

At first, I found the blog homework difficult, but as I got used to it, I was able to leave behind the fun of everyday life and enjoy learning English with others in the same class.Thank you!😭😭

SOL#15

 About this week 

Hello everyone! It’s almost test week.

-January 24th 

 

 I have a lot of final reports and assignments. I did the assignments in the school library during free time in class. I can concentrate when I study at the counter seats in the library. 

 However, my sister who lives in Tokyo went back home and came to visit me, but I could not see her because of my classes and reports. I didn't get to see my sister, but when I got home, she had bought me a souvenir from her trip to Osaka. My sister gave me sponge cakes, a handkerchief and chocolates. I was happy that my sister bought it for me. But I was surprised to hear that she left after six cans of beer.

If I have a chance to visit my sister's house in Tokyo during spring break, I would like to give her a gift from Niigata. 

And I would like my sister to take me to a good restaurant in Tokyo. 

Thank you for reading my blog! Do your best with the test!

[Unit Project 2] How to make a beautiful kaleidoscope

How to make a beautiful kaleidoscope 

 Have you ever looked through a kaleidoscope? Kaleidoscopes are retro toys that are enjoyed by turning them while looking through them.This item allows you to see beautiful designs when you look through the tube while turning the kaleidoscope. The kaleidoscope is said to have been patented in 1816 by a Scottish physicist named David Brewster. He discovered the kaleidoscope while devising a combination of mirrors to make the light from a lighthouse reach farther. Kaleidoscope is of Greek origin and is a compound of three words: kalos = beautiful, eidos = shape, and scope = something to see. Kaleidoscopes came to Japan in 1819 and spread as children's toys and traditional crafts. They are also used as tools for spiritual healing. 

 I like to look at stained glass but it is too expensive to buy, so I found kaleidoscopes as a beautiful alternative because my mother had a kaleidoscope. I also wanted to convey the appeal of kaleidoscopes, which we believe are unfamiliar to people in their everyday lives.

 

Needs:

A glue stick 

A cellophane tape

Ingredients:

A toilet paper core 

Three surface reflectors 

A acrylic case with a lid          A peephole 

Beads  ( 1.5-3.0 mm )

A piece of origami 

 I used the kid to make kaleidoscopes this time.

1, First, preparing the ingredients, wrap the origami around the front of the toilet paper with the glue stick.

2, Second, use the cutter to cut three pieces of surface reflective mirror to the length of the toilet paper roll minus the height of the acrylic case. Use the cutter to cut the width of the mirror to 0.9 times the diameter of the toilet paper roll.

3, Third, fix the mirrors with the tape so that the side without the film is facing down, then peel off the film on the front side, make the three mirrors into a triangle with the front side facing inside, and fix them with the  tape.The key is to leave a few millimeters of space between the mirrors.

4, Fourth, secure the assembled reflector with the tape at 3 evenly spaced locations.

5, Next, fit the mirror made in step 4 perfectly into the toilet paper.

6,Next ,prepare the attached peephole and insert it completely into one side of that toilet paper.

7, Put an appropriate amount of the beads (1.5-3.0 mm)into the acrylic case and secure those beads so that it doesn’t come out close the lid.

8, Finally, insert the acrylic case into the hole on the opposite side of the toilet paper and secure it with the  tape.

 

 Kaleidoscopes can be filled with any material you like to create unique designs. You can create a kaleidoscope of your own taste by devising the design of the outer casing and the materials to be put inside. It is very easy to buy a kit from a 100-yen store or other source to make it. The patterns of mystique that emerge in the kaleidoscope are endless and soothing. As a precaution, do not point the kaleidoscope into sunlight when looking through it! Please look through a kaleidoscope when you are tired of your daily life and be healed.

SOL#14

 Good weeks!

Hello everyone!It was a difficult week with snow. The Bus were delayed and I was late for class.😢

-January 11th ~13th

 I had a part-time job during this three-day weekend. My part-time job was very busy and I was very tired.I take the bus an hour from home to go to my part-time job, so on weekends it is almost midnight when I get home.I am a little scared to go home alone at night.But my mother heats up dinner for me at night and waits for me to come home.I am sorry for my mother but I am very happy.😭On days when I have a part-time job, my evening meal is mainly something that is easy to digest. For example, miso soup, hot tofu, and salad.Those soaked into my tired body that day as well.

-January 14th 

 It was a part-time day. However, I was given one extra dish by the chef! I had sake-kasu soup for the first time. There was salmon in it. It was sweet and very tasty.

-January 15th 

 Lately I have been into hot vegetables and hot yogurt. The cold weather is making me crave warm food.The hot vegetables are sweet, tender and delicious. I never knew carrots and pumpkin could be so sweet!I was surprised when I ate it for the first time!

I heard that warming the yogurt makes the bacteria in the yogurt more active.Another recommended way to eat hot yogurt is to warm it in the microwave and top it with soybean flour and banana.Please give it a try!

Thank you for reading my blog!

SOL#13

 

     Happy Winter Day!

Hello everyone! Did you spend a relaxing winter vacation with your family or friends?

-January 5th 

I went to beauty salon and coffee shop with my mother near Niigata station. The day it was very cold and rain. ☔️I walked about a mile from the parking lot to get there and got very wet from the rain. After the treatment I went to a cafe for lunch at about 4 pm.It was cold, so the hot coffee soaked into my body.I had the strawberry mousse and my mother had the roast beef set. I got some of her salad. It was very delicious. I had a very relaxing outing with my mother!

-January 7th 

I went to Agano city with my family.First, we shopped and ate lunch at Agano roadside station(michino eki).It was raining and very cold that day. I like going out on weekdays because it makes me feel special.

Next, we went to a shrine “AsaiinoShrine” in Agano City.The shrine has a history of 1,600 years. We went to that shrine for the first time. To my surprise, I was able to draw a fortune (omikuji)for free. But I had Shokichi.They also gave us some shrine candies as a gift. And we ate “Antai”.It was Imagawa-yaki, a brown sugar dough with red bean paste inside. I like Japanese sweets.So,it was very delicious and pretty!It is a small shrine but very charming and historic . I would like to go back to this homey shrine.Please visit there once.

Thank you for reading my blog!

SOL#12

    Happy New Year 2025!

Hello everyone happy new year!

Thank you 2024 Hello 2025!

-December 30 

I spent the end of the year with my family. My aunt brought sashimi fillets in the evening for me, because I like fish. For example, there was chutoro, tuna, salmon, and white meat. I was surprised because it was the first time I had tasted sashimi that melted in my mouth. We also had Taiwanese-style hot pot. Lots of vegetables seasoned with vinegar and hot sauce were very tasty.

Sashimi 

-December 31

I had my last part-time job in 2024. But it ended earlier than usual. I also had New Year's Eve soba at home. Simple soba noodles with only horenso and kamaboko were delicious!

And I then wrote on a piece of paper my aspirations for 2025. I will do my best to achieve all of them!

-January 1

We had rice cakes and ozoni for breakfast. My family welcomes the New Year with this combination every year. They eat rice cakes with soybean flour and red bean paste. But the taste is very sweet for me.This year, I ate the rice cake without any dipping sauce, and it was very delicious.

Also, I went to visit Hakusan Shrine with my family. It was so crowded that we could not visit the shrine slowly. It was a very good start to the year as usual. I hope to have another good 2025 year!

Rice cakes 

Thank you for reading my blog!

Wish you all the best in this new year!