Category: Look at my Work!

Hello all,

Today I will talk about my homestay experience during our Japan Study Tour

On Saturday, May 11, we arrived at Keiai Junior High School where we would meet our host student. Our school has tight bonds with Keiai allowing us to spend a two day cultural exchange. In March, we hosted them and met our pen pals.

Anyway back to the homestay, my host student was Yuuki. After spending a fraction of the School day with him, he took me and Shoh (Yuuki was hosting both me and Shoh) to Kokura Station where we met up with Ridge and Brady, as well as his pen pal. There, they took us to Aruaru City, which was a anime mall. There were a wide assortment to figures, mangas, animes, cosplays, and consoles that made GameStop look like nothing. After shopping for a few hours, we had to attend and perform at a banquet for us arranged by Keiai Junior Highschool, so we trekked to the hotel that hosted the banquet. There, I met me and shoh’s  host family. Even though my Japanese wasn’t the best, we were all able to communicate and share laughs.

On Sunday, Yuuki took us to the Fukuoka Science Center where we downloaded a app to make the pictures on display become realistic. When a person gets in the photo, the AR would make the picture a funny animation. An example would be falling off a giant hand. After witnessing all those illusions, they took us to lunch. Because Tonkotsu Ramen is a very popular dish in Fukuoka, they wanted us to try it. Like they described it, the broth was extremely rich and creamy とっても美味しい(very delicious.)

After lunch, we did a lot of much-needed omiyage shopping at Canal City Hakata and Hakata Station! I was able to buy a lot of Fukuoka snacks like menbei (rice crackers.) Shoh and I were even able to play in the arcade! We tried getting plushies from the claw machine but failed :(.

After a full day of exploring and shopping, we went to a Japanese Barbecue restaurant. The food there was really good! After dinner, we played wii games with Yuuki like Mario Kart and Taiko No Tatsujin. Even though I fell in the water multiple times in Mario Kart, we still had a lot of fun.

Overall, I enjoyed the homestay experience a lot. I am grateful for all the fun and memories we did with the family, and I am happy I was somewhat able to communicate in Japanese with them. I am also grateful that we got to experience the area in another point of view and that we can keep

 

I Hi Edubloggers,

At this time, I wanted to write something before we actually go to the Japan Study Tour. One of the sites we will go to is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. I feel like going to sites like these and the Okinawa Peace Memorial will not only teach us how tragic it was, but remind us not to repeat the ignorant mistakes of the past.

Before writing this, I read a few articles about the experience of those fortunate to survive and tell the story. In the perspective of the  survivors, it was extremely devastating and shocking. Imagine you are walking to your school or workplace to see a brilliant flash of light and a ear-piercing explosion from the A Bomb.

Obviously, it was completely tragic because many innocent people lost their lives from the detonation of the nefarious invention, and if they didn’t lose it from the explosion, they caught radiation sickness slowly and suffered  over months or years. It is especially tragic for the interviews from the news articles because they were just teenagers awaiting a profitable future.

I also believe that these stories and efforts are enlightening because it rings a sense of hope and resilience since the people had to pick themselves up. Even after, japan started having a economic boom making a quick comeback. To me, Japan is like a Daruma or Okiagari-koboshi Doll. and no matter how many times you push it down, it goes back up. We as Americans can learn a lot from their dedication,

These stories and interviews (Below) have helped me by sort of knowing how lucky some people are because of a late train. It is the experience and first person perspectives that help accentuate the experience and make it even more heart wrenching and dire it was. It also gave me a small preview on the damage dealt to people.

● http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2001/Jun/21/ln/ln05a.html
● http://www.squamishreporter.com/2015/09/13/how-sachi-survived-the-hiroshima-bo
mbing/#.XL-AKYpuihC
● http://www.squamishreporter.com/2015/09/13/how-sachi-survived-the-hiroshima-bo
mbing/#.XMi4fYpuihC

 

Hi Edubloggers,

In this third post, I will talk about the city of Tohoku’s  biggest festivals known as the Sansa Odori or more formally, “Morioka Sansa Odori.”

It is one of the Five Great Festivals of Tohoku. The Guinness Book of World records made the festival more known because it was listed as the “largest Taiko Drum Festival in the World” evoking more than  10,000 taiko drummers and dancers to celebrate in the city.

The origins of this festival arise from a legend. It is said that Sansa dance began when a wicked demon was punished by the god of Mitsuishi Shrine. The god made the demon swear that he would never do bad deeds again, and as a sign of his pledge, the demon placed his hand on a large rock and left a hand print. The locals rejoiced, dancing around the rock.

This story explains the origin of Sansa, as well as the name “Iwate,” which means “rock hand.” The choreography for the main Sansa Odori parade on Chuodori Street is modern and simplified, but you can also see traditional and more dynamic Sansa dances at other venues such as Ekimae Hiroba in front of the station and at various halls.

Hi Edubloggers,

Today I will talk about another shop that makes taiko drums out of a solid piece of wood. The group called Asano Taiko has been making Taiko Drums and Hogaku Insturments since 1609. The founded Saemongoro founded Asano Taiko in Fukutomi, Ishikawa village (today’s Fukudome in Hakusan City).

The shop first started making instrument for Hogaku such as Shamisens (String), Nohkans (flutes), and many different types of drums (Tsutsumi; hourglass drum.)  They have even made a museum influencing drums from diffent cultures such as Congo drums as well as drums from the civil war.

Another thing Asano is memorable for is the completion of the largest Nagado Daiko in 1998. I am also supprised on how long the group has been perfecting their craftsmanship. They’re ambition is like no other. In the early 21st Century, Asano Taiko has opened a shop in California so American Taiko Groups can access good quality Taiko drums.

Bye,

HmsChad

FHi Edubloggers,

Today I will talk about the water filtering and the amazing LifeStraw!

Let’s say you are stranded in a swampy area. You’ve been trekking in the blistering sun and humid atmosphere for five hours and you are extremely dehydrated. Of course if you drink the swamp water  maladies such as malaria and diseases follow the temporary hydration. Unless there is a flowing spring, you need to filter the water.

You can do a old school method by straining water through a bandana, shirt, or coffee filters to remove visible debris. Let the water sit for at least a few minutes, so the remaining particles settle on the bottom, then pour into another container. If at all possible, boil this water to kill pathogens before drinking. The steps below will teach you to make a more effective filter, but unless you brought along your own charcoal, the process can take several hours.

Now to the product that will help many third world countries who struggle to get fresh water. The Life straw acts like a filter system layering membrane, filters, and chemicals. All LifeStraw products use a hollow fiber membrane.

“These membranes have microscopic pores that trap contaminants Bacteria and parasites are bigger than the pores in the filter. Water is able to pass through, but contaminants larger than 0.2 microns remain trapped.

Some LifeStraw products use a two-stage filtration process. In addition to the hollow fiber membrane, a carbon capsule absorbs chemicals like chlorine and pesticides.

More advanced carbon filters, like the LifeStraw Flex, also reduce heavy metals, like lead.”

Bye,

 

Chad

Hi Edubloggers,

 

Here are five pieces of work that I think are the best that I did this trimester.

 

1.  Math

For math, we did a big project teaching 7th Grade how to use this site called Banzai Financial Literacy which teaches youths about financial scenarios. My team, who consisted of  hmscaden and hmsmax pretty good and me and my team worked well together.

2. Language Arts

Early in the Second Trimester, we will participate in the Challenger Mission Moon Mission which is a simulation of the Apollo Mission going to the Moon. In order for it to work, we all need to work as a team by signing up for different positions, which we need to write a Cover Letter and Resume for. Here is my Cover Letter above.

 

3. Life Science

Earlier this Trimester, we collaborated with companies working to find new ways to help the Earth and  we were to give ideas to help Marine life. In the link below, you will see my idea about making a Metallic Albatross to mimic the memory of regular albatrosses and eat marine debris, and utilizing a chemical that dissolves plastic.

– Find it here!

 

4. Social Studies

My best work in Social Studies is a Five Themes of Geography of Boston, Massachusetts. This slideshow shows physical and human statistics such as Human Environment Interaction

 

5. Research Skills

Research Skills is a extracurricular class similar to S.T.E.M. For this assignment, we found out our ancenstry and ethnicity. Due to sharing permission , I cannot paste this slide in. However, here is a picture.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my post! What are some of your best pieces of work?

 

Hi Edubloggers,

Today I will talk about my experience playing with Korabo Taiko.  When I was in Vegas celebrating my cousin’s first birthday, me and my mom heard about this Taiko Group close by to my aunts house. Knowing the Taiko enthusiast I am, I wanted to visit and play with them.

The interesting  thing about where they practice is that they share a space with a Samoan and Hawaiian group and is next door to a shooting range. When I first went there, I visited on a Thursday and they weren’t open, so we asked someone else and they said there was a Samoan drumming place.

 

Everyone there was very nice. I don’t want to give names for privacy reasons. I noticed that their style is more Western as they use American drum drills (such as paradiddles) and a metronome. They also focused on many things in one practice such as Katsugi Okedo and Odaiko. They also showed me a lot of drills and their Narimono (instruments.) I even learned some more Flute patterns!

 

Hi Edubloggers,

 

Today I will talk about Taiko Bachi or sticks. When using Bachi, there are four types of wood to use. I am referencing Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten and Asano Taiko.

Kashi (Oak): The hardest and heaviest type of wood. You should not hit the sides hard as the wood could break. This Bachi is recommended for Nagado Daiko.

Kaede (Maple): A little softer and lighter than oak. This wood is recommended for smaller or weaker people or beginners.

Ho (Magnolia): Ho is soft and light material. For taiko with soft and thin drum head such as katsugi oke daiko, soft bachi like ho is recommended. Please note that ho is easily dented hitting taiko’s tacks (byou) and edge.

Hinoki (Cypress): The softest wood recommended. It is so soft, even a slight hit could dent it. Despite its delicateness, it makes the purest sound from Taiko and is recommended for Shime Daiko and Odaito.

I will now tell you which Bachi to use on certain Taiko drums.

Nagado/ Chu Daiko: Like I said earlier, it depends on your preferences,  which you can use Maple or  Oak.

• For Yatai Bayashi, players use a taper Bachi which resembles a club. The origins come from the small Mikoshis. Little space, but a lot of power. They use Hinoki to make these special Bachi.

Shime Daiko/ Hira Daiko/ Okedo/ Katsugi OkedoTaiko Set: For Shime Daiko, you can use either smaller Bachi or tapered Bachi. If you are only playing Shime Daiko, I recommend using smaller Hinoki Bachi since you won’t hit the edges. You could also use the tapered Bachi if you want a good grip, If you are playing a taiko set, then I recommend Ho or Kaede Tapered Bachi.

 

Odaiko: Part of what makes Odaiko the most tiring ways of playing is the giant sticks the players wield around. It is made of Hinoki so it is hard to play on the rim without denting it.

Miyake Daiko: Another energy exerting style is Miyake. Performers would play this song for hours. It is made of the same material as Odaiko Bachi.

 

Hi Edubloggers,

 

Today I will talk about my three day experiment learning Korean. In Language Arts, our teacher wanted us to do a mini project and I chose to begin learning Korean. I feel like it was a good idea to because of my heritage. Although I am mainly Japanese, I am also a quarter Chinese and Korean, so I thought it would be more ambitious.

In my three day study, I wanted to mainly focus on learning Hangul, the Korean Alphabet, and learning simple phrases. I used two apps, Duolingo and Mesmerize. Here are my reviews of them

Duolingo: Although the app is still under repair, it was a great app to use, especially for beginners. As many others already experienced, because of the limited amount of answers, I had to repeat several questions again and again. While it’ll be great once that’s fixed, for now, I view it as a chance to help me cement the words in my memory.

Mezmerize: Another Language app, it strongly reinforced the basic as well as more sophisticated techniques. Like Duolingo, if you don’t show proficient progress in a lesson, they redo it. They use mnemonics that really help me learn both Hangul and phrases.

  Even though it is essential to learn the alphabet before you can write words, there was only a three day experiment, so I learned simple phrases with Hangul I already learned up until I could read and understand all the characters. I learned there are three types of Korean writing like Japanese, but with only that one alphabet.

• Words that are ‘pure’ Korean;
  Words that are based on English
• Words that are based on Chinese characters.

• Going back to Chinese character references, there is a character that has Korean, volcano and iceberg is 화산 (fire-mountain) and 빙산 (ice-mountain)English based words are like tomato, which the Korean romaji is Tomato. It is a attempt to mimic the English pronunciation.

in conclusion, I feel like this experience has opened my eyes to learning other languages and up to today, I am continuing to use the apps.

 

 

Hi Edubloggers,

I’m back after a long hiatus and will continue to post regularly ^O^.

Anyway, as you can tell by the title, I will be there explaining my message or concept for this year. The message is 深海 (Shinkai: Deep Ocean.) You may be thinking, “what does that concept mean?” For me,  it signifies two quotes,

“Our knowledge is a little island in the great ocean of non-knowledge.”- Isaac Bashevis Singer

“Individualy, we are one drop. Together we are an ocean.” -Ryunosuke Satoru

 

For the first quote, I also interpret it as knowledge of just the ocean itself since we only discover FIVE PERCENT of the ocean floor, and interpret the quote as you can always find more information or symbolically ocean floor or animals.

I can connect this quote with me participating in the State Geographic Bee. I’ve quickly realized that memorizing countries , such as keeping up with current events, and I feel like from just that month of preparing, I haven’t even scratched the surface. Even for people who witness this knowledge in depth, I feel like there is always another reliable place to find information and learn another fact or two.

Though I feel like I can always learn more, I still want to share information about countries and their cultures to bloggers like you people reading this.

The second quote talks about how if one person does an action, it could be unnoticed. However,  when we work together we can create something extraordinary or make the impossible happen. In posts, I will try to leave links to sites that will help support and donate to countries that aren’t as fortunate as us. Together we can help end poverty or hunger just by making a donation or just by playing a game like Freerice, who donates 10 grains of rice for every question you get right.

I am also going to be making posts about stories that started by one ordinary person and really created a difference.

I feel like the second quote can also be related to two of the Four Noble Truths in Buddhism, Being the problem and the solution and Going step by step. I feel this way because you have the choice to donate and help, and step by step it will gradually make a difference to the suffering.

(Sighs) Anyway that is it hope you learned something and stay tuned for more tidbits and charities.

Seeya,

Hmschad