Mai's blog

2007-01-11T08:14:00.000-08:00

Sexuality
It is very difficult for me to discuss about sexuality in classroom because in Japan, it is not so common to talk about sexuality with own classmates.
In Japan and Korea, teenagers do not talk about sexuality openly. People in these countries tend to keep away their children form the talking about sexuality. However, teenagers are able to get information about sexuality by reading magazine or using the Internet not by the education of sexuality in junior high school and high school. The education about sexuality is not enough to know the truth of it in Japan. I think it is one of the reasons that teenagers do not have correct knowledge and the number of the people who suffer from HIV is increasing.
On the other hand, in United States, teenagers talk about sexuality more openly and the education of it starts earlier than Japan. In my opinion, this situation make teenager know about sexuality correctly.
It is important for teenagers to get information about sexuality correctly and try to think about it deeply by themselves. I do not think people have to talk about sexuality openly but the adults have to give correct information about it their children and think about it together.

2006-12-14T08:31:00.000-08:00

Friendship
When I was a junior high school student, I had a group in which there were the friends who stay with me every time. We went every where with them even to the bathroom. However, in this group, there were not only the friends with whom I could talk with “honne” (what I think actually) but also the friends whom I told with “tatemae” (what I say to get along with them better). It often occur that one group member talk to people who belong to other group about other same group members as bad. The junior high school students care about other people’s activity and if it is different from own opinion, they change their opinions or do not stay with that people.
However, I was a high school student, there are also groups but it is not so strict than before. We were able to go where I want to go freely. Moreover, we spent a lot of time with “shinyuu” (the best friend) and told with “honne”. The high school students less care about other people’s activity than they were junior high school students. Even if other people’s opinions are different from own ones, they won’t change their opinions before they consider and compare them.
In university, the way I see it, there is no group like junior high and high school because the class change at all period and the students do not stay with same members. In my opinion, this situation in which there is right for everyone to decide what to do by themselves is the best way to keep good friendship.

2006-11-29T03:01:00.000-08:00

Materialism
Through chapter 5, I am interested in the way which the marketing industry tries to shape trends and to influence teenagers to buy thing. The one of the way is magazine. I was very surprised with the description about magazine including the maps. I thought it was very common thing, however, it is not. In Japan, the magazines include not only the things which the marketing industry tries to sell but also the maps where the people are able to buy them. By this, people are able to go the shop and buy things which they like when they read the magazines. However, now the magazine includes not only address of the shops but also the Internet site address. When people use the Internet and look the web site, they can search the shop which is closer than the shop whose address is introduced. I think it is one of the new media.
About new media in the textbook, there are some examples of the new media, however, because the book was published many years ago, some of them have already been out of date. For example, there are the statements which explain about telephone party line but now, we do not use it and we do not know what it is!! Moreover, there are other examples; the karaoke boxes, the continuing practice of exchange diaries, and the institutionalization of the old class room misdemeanor of note-passing. The karaoke boxes are still very popular thing but it is not NEW media. The last two things have still been done by the elementary school students. The new media in these days are, I think, the Internet and e-mail system. Because of it, the people are able to get a lot of information and communicate with other people even the people who are in the other country. In the future, more convenient tools will be appear and make our daily life more comfortable.

2006-11-17T06:14:00.000-08:00

School
There are two things in which I am interested.
First thing is school rules. In Japan, most of the junior high school and high school have a lot of school rules. For example, if some student dyes him or her hair, teachers force to turn to black. Another example, in case some girl makes up, teachers let her go to bathroom and force to wash her face. I think it is necessary to obey some rules to keep school order, but some of them are too strict to obey. This situation makes students do not have responsibility or ability to make decisions. In my opinion, to have responsibility for their behavior, it is necessary to have some opportunity to judge individually whether it is right or not. Moreover, the extra school rules sometime cause students’ reaction against the teachers. I think we have to see school rules in a different light.
Second thing is club activity. In Japan, a lot of students join some kind of club and practice hard. Some schools oblige students to join a club activity. I think club activity is one of the most important parts of high school life, because through the club activity, they can feel togetherness and fulfillment. In the textbook, there is information about America. It says most American high school students do not join a club. However, one student in my class who lived in maybe America (sorry, I do not remember exactly where she lived) said many students join some club activities. I think the textbook is out of date, so I want to know about today’s high school students’ club activity.

2006-10-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

The first impression I get from family is illustrated as the most precious, and valuable thing in the world.
As for the human beings, the aspect of family has to be existed.
However the perspective of family between Japan and America are explicitly different from each other.
I have experience a cultural shock about family relationship in America. For example, Americans have an intimate relationship in their family. Family members are more likely friends who can hug each other wherever and whenever they want to and they share their thoughts and hardships. Moreover, the house duties are also divided for every members of the family. However, contradictive among the family, Americans are ranked one of the highest divorce rate. Extent to this, the society is not affected by the divorce affair, which gives the result of common thing in their lives.
In addition to this, they have faced lack of socializing with their relatives.
According to the text book, it described as the students in America they feel little pressure on their studies, however, in reality, they struggle with their studies. Students from University of Colorado(?) said, they have some burdens of their studies including class discussions.

On the other hand, from the ancient, Japan is influenced by Confucianism so that the relationship between family members is strict as well as Korea and China. The majority discussions between the children and their parents are about their studying. Most of the children get stressed out their studies, and their parents are forcing them to get into famous university which is successful. Because of that, between parent and children get frustrated each other. Moreover, divorce rate in Japan has increased. The aspect of divorce is yet negative. The house duties are managed by mother, however now days members of the family help each other.
The relationship between family in Japan as well as Japan has been changed from the past. The good relationship in family is coming from their love, understandings rather than negative perspective such as divorce.
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2006-10-11T08:05:00.000-07:00

Hi!!
My name is Mai Naritomi,
a freshman of SILS at Waseda university in Tokyo.

I like watching movies very much!!!!
If you have recommended movies, please tell me!!

はじめまして。
私の名前は成富舞(なりとみ　まい)です。
東京の早稲田大学国際教養学部の１年生です。

わたしは映画を見るのがとても好きです。
もしおすすめの映画があったら、教えてください!!