This week the nation of Japan remembers that two years ago so many people were killed in the earthquake and tsunami in the Tohoku area of Japan. There is a lot of work to do to rebuild, but there has been some change too. There is the beginning of life coming back. There is sign that some things are growing again. There is hope.
Recently, you had a lot of tests to write. For many students this is a very difficult time of the school year. How are your tests? Are they good? Are they bad? Are they very very bad? Maybe you are not so happy with your tests. That is something you will need to think about. But, you cannot go back in time and try to change those tests. You cannot go back in time to do things again. The past cannot be touched. We live now. We live in this minute. We live in this hour. We can only go forward. We need to live with hope that our studies will be better.
We are now in March. This is the beginning of spring. We can see some flowers now. We can see many trees and plants beginning to grow. The earth is warmer. The winter snow is gone. The cold winds are not so strong. Nature is beginning to grow around us again. There is hope for the flowers and trees. There is hope for warmer winds. There is hope for a new start in April. There is hope for us. The spring brings life and heat and energy. Many things are possible.
Sometimes we may feel like we cannot continue. Sometimes we feel like we are in a dark place. Sometimes we feel like there is no chance for change. We may feel like we are alone and that we cannot make our lives better. Maybe everyone will feel that way at some time in life. Sometimes we feel that we have no hope, we feel like we are hopeless. Those dark feelings are not only for students, but for teachers and parents too. Everyone feels down sometimes.
But nature is our great teacher. Even when the sky is dark and the wind is cold, nature can bring us light and air and water to help us to recover and grow. The season of winter is for nature to rest and to sleep. It is an important time for winter to sleep because spring comes to us with great power and energy. Spring is the great season of change and hope.
Let us remember the people of Tohoku who lost so much two years ago on a dark March day. And let us remember to let nature teach us that we must go forward, that we cannot touch the past and that we must grow more into the future. This school year is ending soon, and that is OK. Let’s think about how we did our jobs this year and what we can do to work with the energy of spring to make our lives hopeful, wonderful, exciting and full of color. And let’s also think of how we can use the great hope of spring and the great power of spring to help others and to help others grow too. Let’s bring the hope of spring to each other every day.
Feb 27th 2013
Bad Tasting English Medicine
Did you get some medicine from the doctor? Did you drink it with some water?
How did it taste? Was it bitter? Did it taste bad? I know. Most medicine
does not taste great. It is usually bitter. You put it in your mouth and
try to drink it and you feel bad. Your stomach is not happy. Your mouth
is not happy.
You think, “This is TERRIBLE!”. But, the doctor gave you medicine to help
you feel good. You need the medicine so that you can be healthy again.
I think that studying English is much like taking bad tasting medicine. It is not great. Your mind is not happy. The textbooks are difficult. The classes are not so fun. But you need the classes. You need your textbooks. Your English teachers are like the doctor. They know what you must do so you can be strong in your English study.
Do you like running? Do you like exercise? Do you like to do some weight training? Do you like to run in a marathon? Most exercise is not fun. Most exercise is very boring and you must do for a long time. You must repeat the same thing again and again and again. Most people cannot do exercise for a long time. They get tired. They sit down. They turn on the TV and that is the end.
I think that studying English is much like doing exercise. The patterns are not so difficult to try, but you must do them again and again and again to master them. It is easy to find a new word in your textbook or dictionary, but you must copy it and write it again and again. And you must say the word again and again. English study needs a lot of repeating and practice. That is very similar to exercise, or music practice.
To be a master of English you need to take the bitter medicine of study. To be a master of English you must do many boring exercises again and again and again. That is some kind of bad news. But the good news is that everyone can do it. The good news is that you do not need a special talent or a special ability to drink bad tasting bitter English medicine. You do not need to have a special talent to write new English words in your notebook again and again and again.
The most important thing to master your studies is to be very stubborn. You do not need a very high intelligence or great talent. You need to continue your study and repeat and review, repeat and review. It is boring. It is bitter. But you can do it. You can make great progress by moving ahead and just pushing ahead.
Today’s speech topic is about how to master English, but I think that if you are tough and do not stop easily in your mind you can master many kinds of study. You have many tests from next week so I hope you will work hard, and study hard and not be afraid of the bitter medicine you must take.
Please take care in your studies. Good luck next week!
Thank you very much. Have a great day!
Feb 20th 2013
What is Your Job?
Everyone has some kind of job. Your mothers have jobs. Your fathers have jobs. Your grandmothers have jobs. Your grandfathers have jobs. Your teachers have jobs. The people in your neighborhoods have jobs. It seems that everyone has some kind of job.
What is a job? A job is something that you do. A job is something that tells you who you are. But a job is something that is more. A job sometimes makes money. But many jobs do not make any money at all.
For example, your mother has a job. Actually, your mother has many many different kinds of job. She is a cook and a cleaner. She makes things. She plans your life. She takes care of the house economy. She is a driver. She is a director. She does fifty different things in your house, and you maybe do not know most of the jobs that she has. But, her job is called, “mother”. Sometimes a job has many jobs inside it.
You are a student. Is that a job? To come to Otemae everyday and to study and to write tests is a job. It is a very serious job. To be a student is a very important job. You must study and you must do well on your tests. Your parents and your family and your teachers expect you to work hard and to do a good job. We need you to do your job right and to make a good future for yourself. That is your job.
But your job has many jobs inside of it. You need to be a good classmate to your class. You must be a good friend to your friends. You must be able to give something to other people. You must be able to do something for the people around you. Are you good at helping other people? That is your job. Are you good at supporting the leaders in your class? That is your job. Are you good at explaining difficult things to other people? That is your job. Are you good at entertaining your class and making them smile and laugh? That is your job.
When you are a student your job is to grow and to become more of the person you will be in the future. Your job is what you can give to others. Your job is what you can create for other people. Your job is to read and to think and to become important to other people. This is why your teachers tell you to read and to remember. Books are important tools to help you do your job. Video games, are nice and fun, but they do not really help you do any jobs. They do not help you grow and become a better student. This is why your teachers push you to read books and not to play games.
The biggest job you have as a student is to think very hard about who you want to be and where you want to grow. That is your job. Your job is to become bigger than you are now. Your job is to grow too big for junior high school and high school. Maybe you do not know what job you will have in the future, but your job today is to work to discover what you want to become.
Your teachers are your job coaches. They are here to help you do your job. They are your counselors and coaches and leaders. This is a good place to do your job, and to make plans for the life you want in the future.
Being a student is a very important job.
Feb 13th 2013
Love Your Country
This week on Monday, Japan celebrated National Foundation Day (建国記念の日 Kenkoku
Kinen no Hi). In my country, Canada, we have Canada Day and it is on July
1st. I must tell you that I am surprised every year that Foundation Day
seems a little too quiet here in Japan.
In Canada, on Canada Day, there is a lot of people who wear the Canadian
Flag, go to special Canada Day celebrations and who do a lot of things
to show their love for Canada. I know that many people in Japan love their
country too, and have deep feelings for Japan, but those feelings are not
shown. National Foundation Day is very quiet.
I am a foreigner to your country, but I really enjoy living here in Kagawa. This is a beautiful place. Japan is a beautiful, and important country. Maybe you do not really know why your country is so interesting. Maybe you do not know why you should show some more pride about Japan.
Japan is a peaceful country.
People in Japan live the longest in the world. Almost all children complete a high school education, and 76% of all students continue to university or college.
Japan has great art. Japan has incredible crafts, drama like bunraku, kabuki
and noh. Japan has great cultural activities, like tea ceremony, origami,
ikebana, caligraphy. Japan has wonderful traditional sports, like judo,
karate, sumo, aikido, and kendo. Japan has a huge range of music, like
koto and shamisen, J-pop and many other styles. Japan is the inventor of
karaoke, the shinkansen and hybrid cars.
Japan is the third biggest economy in the world and has a huge capacity
for technology advances, research and science.
Japan has wonderful poetry and literature.
Japan is clean and everyone can get medical help.
Japan has a lot of nature and over 70% of the country is mountains and forests.
Japan has companies all over the world like Nintendo, Toyota, Canon, Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba, Sharp and Yamaha.
Japan is a country known for high quality and excellence everywhere in the world.
You should be proud to be Japanese. You should be proud to be from Japan. To be proud of your own country does not mean you look down at other countries. To be proud of your country is to respect your parents and your grandparents. To be proud of your own country is to respect the people who lived before you and who give you your life and your future. To love your country is important. When you love your country you think about other people who share your community and society. You think about how you can live together, and what you can do to serve and help other people.
Thank you very much and have a great day!
Feb 6th 2013
You Are Safe. For Now.
There is some big news in the media this week. Scientists have found a
giant rock in space that is coming to earth. The giant space rock is 50
meters wide and it is moving at 28,000 kilometers an hour. If the rock
hits our earth it can do some very big damage. In 1908 a space rock about
the same size
hit the earth and did some big damage in Russia. The name of this giant
space rock is called asteroid 2012 DA14. Luckily for earth, the giant rock
will not hit us and will just travel longer in space.
That is the good news. The good news is that we will not be killed by a giant rock from space. We will also not be attacked by aliens. Our lives will continue and we can study and work.
The news on TV is very scary sometimes. The news is usually telling us that many things are not safe. It is not safe to travel to other countries. It is not safe to eat food from the supermarket. It is not safe to play in the park, or go to the beach. It is not safe at night time. It is not safe to live in a city. It is not safe to take medicine. It is not safe to go to school. The news tells us that almost everything is not safe. The news tells us that we are always in danger.
It is true that some things are not free of danger. We should be careful and live carefully. We should come to school safely. We should not use cell phones or listen to music on our bicycles, for example. We should follow the rules and be safe. But, we should also listen to our own sense too.
The news reports tell us that everything is scary, and everything is dangerous. If we believe that we are always in danger we cannot live so naturally. We will always be nervous and afraid. We will be unbalanced and not able to make decisions. If you are too nervous, and you worry about giant rocks from space that will kill you, it will be very difficult to be calm. If you worry too much you cannot study and you cannot focus on your homework and tests.
The scientists tell us that you will not be killed by a giant space rock. That is good news. So, please do not worry too much about all the terrible things you hear on the news, and see on TV. Please use your energy to focus on your studies and on your tests. The earth will be here for many more years. And we need you to be good in school. We need you to study hard and to have good jobs in the future. We need you to lead in the future. We need you to be calm and to be confident in your jobs to make our world safe, and free.
Thank you very much and have a great day.
Jan 30th 2013
International Holocaust Remembrance Day
This week, on January 27th, many countries in Europe have a day to remember the closing of a place called Aushwitz. Aushwitz was a prison camp that was a place where many Jews, Gypsies, mentally handicapped people, gay people and enemies of Nazi Germany were killed in the Second World War. On January 27th, 1945, the Russian army came to Aushwitz and stopped the Nazi army.
During World War Two, Nazi Germany murdered 6 million Jews, 2 million Gypsies and 20 million Russians. Many other people were also killed in battles during the war. To kill so many people in a war there is no word that can explain or describe the crime. The best English word we have is the word, “holocaust”. It is a word that comes from Greek and it means, “to destroy completely” and “to burn everything with fire”.
The Holocaust of Nazi Germany to the people of Europe was unbelievable. So many millions of people died. It is hard to understand how many people died in World War Two. It was a long long time ago. It was a history that we do not remember so well.
To understand how many people died in World War Two in Europe, imagine that all the people in New York City, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Osaka and Vancouver were killed. That is the same number as the men, women and children who were killed in World War Two. Research shows us that there were huge losses of human life in Japan too. 3.1 million Japanese people died during World War Two as well. The loss of human life was unbelievable.
To keep our world from doing this again, and to stop the earth from having a holocaust in the future, the International Holocaust Remembrance Day was established. This is a day to remember that war is a terrible thing. It is a day to remember that so many people died because of hate and racism. If we do not remember that hate for other people made so much trouble, and killed so many people, there is a chance we could have war like this again.
The International Holocaust Remembrance Day is important to teach students today about the history of death and violence of war. Our newspapers and internet and TVs are not so good at making peace these days. The media is very good at making people scared of other people. We are now afraid of Iraq and Afghanistan. We are now so afraid of North Korea and China. Of course we must be careful when we talk with governments that have no idea about democracy, but we also need to find more ways to make peace between our countries and other countries.
We must not let our hearts choose hate and violence and war. That is too easy. Violence is not an answer to our problems. We need to take the harder road of discussion and negotiation. We must make our leaders be good planners for our economies and education. We need to keep strong self-defense forces and keep our eyes open. We must not be pulled into violence and hate. Violence makes more violence. It creates insanity and brings us to destruction and holocaust. We must make our countries safe for the next generation. Communication, discussion, education, information, good uses for technology, compassion and mercy are what will make us strong. Let’s remember the Holocaust of the past so we do not bring it again to our future.
Jan 23th 2013
If You Hear “You Can’t Do That”, Cover Your Ears
Jim Carrey, Canadian actor and comedian was very poor. His father had no job when he was 51 and Jim Carrey and he had to work in a factory 8 hours every day after school. They lived in their car while he worked at the factory and went to school. But he had a dream to be an actor and a comedian. Now he is incredibly famous and rich.
Ralph Lauren the fashion designer started as a clerk in a shop. He started his own company and grew it very big. It is now everywhere in the world.
Leonardo Del Vecchio had no family, worked in a factory making car parts. At 23 he started to make his own company and makes eye glasses and sunglasses. He is one of the richest men in the world.
The creator of IKEA is a man named Ingvar Kamprad from Sweden. He started his business from a farm. He started to sell matches, and then fish and pens and then started to make tables and chairs. His stores are all over the world today.
There are so many stories about people who own companies and who are super rich and about how they started. The most successful people usually came from a life that was very simple, and hard and they grew a strong spirit to fight and to grow.
Today many of these very rich and successful people talk about how it is important to be part of their community, to support charities and to be good places for people to have jobs. That is a wonderful thing.
So, how about you? You are here at Otemae. You have many classes to take. You have many tests to prepare for. Your life and the lives of people who are older and who made these companies are so different. Maybe it seems impossible to believe that you can do something big for your own future. Maybe it seems like a fantasy. But that is not true.
The truth is that you are not so different from anyone who is older and who has a big success. The only difference is that they are older and that they did not stop chasing their dream.
Maybe you have a dream to do something unique in the future. Maybe you have a dream to own a company or begin a business or to have a career in music or art or television. Maybe you have a dream to be a professional in medicine or government or technology.
Whatever dream you have you will probably hear some advice about what you should do. Sometimes you get bad advice and someone says to you, “Your dream is not possible. You cannot do it. You must quit and do something smaller. You should do something safe.”
Please do not listen to bad advice. The best advice for your future dream is your own feeling. Take the time you need to make your dream real. Work hard in school. Get your education. Study harder than people around you. Do the hard work that many people do not like to do. Never give your dream away to someone else. The people who are old and successful now will one day disappear. A new wave of success will come. I hope that you will prepare your mind, and your dream to move ahead. You can do it. Everything will come your way. But you need to work, and you need to hold onto your dream for your direction into the future.
Jan 16th 2013
A Good Time to Volunteer: National Volunteer Week, January 15 to 21
Eighteen years ago, on January 17th 1995 in Hyogo prefecture, Japan had the worst earthquake since 1923. 6,434 died and Kobe and the area around were terribly damaged. This was a long time ago. It happened before all of you were born. You were not babies yet, but your teachers were all here. They all remember that time.I was here too, but far away in Ishikawa-ken.
But I woke up when my home was shaking and remember watching the news of
Kobe. Everything was burning. Everything was destroyed.
That was a terrible time for Japan, and a terrible time for the people of Kobe. It took a long time to recover. It took time for the city to re-build, but it came back to life and is now full of energy and hope. That is something that always surprised me so much when I study about Japan, and about the history of your country. Terrible things come. War, disasters, accidents but in each case the country comes back to stand tall and to fight and to grow.
One very important thing that comes from disaster is that there are many people who come to help. Many people come to volunteer and to support and to give money to help other people. After the terrible earthquake in 1995, the Japanese government decided that the week of January 15 to 21 will be “National Volunteerism Week”. This is a wonderful and very important thing for us to remember, and if possible, to participate in.
Is there something that you will have a chance to volunteer in? Is there some place that you would like to give some time to help other people? If so, I hope you can find a place to give your time and energy to someone else. Of course it is good to give something to someone else, like your time and your energy, but it is also wonderful to give your energy and kindness to other people too.
Sometimes we can be very unhappy when we meet people who only take from others. It is very unhappy to see when people can be unkind and uncaring to other people around them. We see people with bad manners in public. We see young people sit on the bus and train and old people, or handicapped people standing. We see people throw their garbage on the street or on the beach. Sure, those things can make us unhappy and maybe disappointed and angry too.
But we should maybe try to think of things that we can do in our daily
lives to make other people happier. Of course, it is great to volunteer
every week at a hospital or in cleaning a public place, but sometimes that
is hard, especially for students who need to study a lot. But we can do
things for others, small things, like be kind to someone in our classroom
who has no friends, or to help someone who has some trouble, or to listen
to someone who is talking about something important or sad.
To volunteer is a great thing, but the most important thing is to give of your heart to people around you, to support other people, to listen to other people and to think about how you are connected to them, and how they are connected to you.
Jan 9th 2013
Happy New Year: Don’t Let This One Escape
Happy New Year! I’m very glad to see you today, and I hope you are also
very glad to be back at school again too. Maybe the winter vacation is
nice for a few days, and it is good to relax and to have some time to rest
your tired brain. But after a few days it is important to come back to
your work and your study and move forward to the next thing.
For students in the third year of high school this becomes a very important time, and a time when many things can be done to affect your future.
We are now at the beginning of January. What are you going to do this year that was different than last year? What plan did you make for 2013? Will you exercise more? Will you study more? Will you play the piano more? Will you have a diet? Will you watch TV less and read books more? Will you do something to improve your mind and body more for this New Year?
Many people, when the calendar changes from December to January make a plan to change something in their lives. They might stop a bad habit. They might start a new good habit. Maybe those things are nice, but I want to ask you today to think about this new year differently. I want you to think about 2013 as the most important year of your whole life.
Everything that happened last year is gone forever. Everything that will happen in the future is impossible to see. The only thing that we have some control with is what we do today, what we do this week and what we do this month. That is all the power that we have. No one can really change the future. But everyone can do something today.
This year, or this month, or this week or maybe even today you may have a chance to do something interesting. I don’t know what it might be, but we know that interesting things can happen to people at unexpected times. There are some difficult times that come, especially for junior high and high school students, but there are also some great things that you can experience too.
Maybe you will have a chance to travel. Maybe you will have a chance to try some new sport or some new activity. Maybe you can play a new kind of music or try a new dance. Maybe you can see some unique and interesting performance. Don’t walk away. Don’t NOT take a chance to try something new. Don’t let this year escape from you. Don’t only do the easy thing. Don’t forget that you have only a limited time to try things, and it is very boring to do only the simple things.
Imagine the future. You are 50 years old. You look back to your younger days. You remember long ago your life in junior high school and high school. Did you try everything? Did you take a chance? Do you have any regret?
Let’s not let 2013 escape. Let’s treat each day like a gift. Let’s treat each person we meet as someone we can share a gift with. Let’s make 2013 the best year of our lives.
Dec 19th 2012
What is Right?
The word “right” has many meanings in English. Maybe you know them.
The first is the right meaning things like “right hand” or “right foot” or “please turn right”. That one is easy to understand.
The second one is “right” for “correct”. For example, “two plus two equals four” is right, “two plus two equals five” is not right.
The third “right” is about what a person should have for life. For example, we should have a right to go places. We should have a right to say what we like to say. We should have a right to work, a right to make a family, a right to think what we like to think. We should have a right to have an education. We have a right to be free.
Several days ago, there was a terrible crime in America. A young man, who was only 20 years old, took guns from his mother. The young man killed his mother and then went to local elementary school and killed twenty young children. The young man had a broken mind and he did a terrible thing. Many of my American friends are deeply shocked by the crime. One of my friends is from that small town where the crime happened.
It seems impossible that a young man could get guns and do this terrible thing. How could he get these guns? In America, people have a “right” to have guns in their homes. They say that they have a “right” to keep guns to protect their home and to protect their community. I can understand that America’s history is one of cowboys and being independent, but this “right” to have a gun is too much. There are just too many guns in America, and guns are used for many terrible things.
Americans may have a “right” to own a gun, but many small kids had a “right” to be safe in their school. Those kids don’t have rights any more.
The young man who did this crime was very sick in his mind. He also had a “right” to get better medical help. He did not get the help that was needed. There are people in our world who have broken minds who need doctors, medicine and counseling. If that young man had more medical help maybe this terrible crime could have been stopped.
People talk a lot about “rights” and what they should have to be free. But sometimes I think we need to talk more about what “is right”, and what is good and what we need to do to help each other.
To do the right thing can be a big thing or it can be a small thing. What can we do each day that is right? Do you know someone who has no friend? Can you be a friend to someone who has no friend? Can you do the right thing? Can we teach each other more how to be kind? We need to do more of the “right thing” and less of demanding our “rights”.
Thank you very much and have a great day.
Dec 12th 2012
Sometimes Silence is Not Golden
We have heard the expression, “Silence is Golden”. The expression means
that sometimes it is good to not talk so much and it is good to open your
ears and listen. I think that in places, like my country Canada, the idea
of “Silence is Golden” is not popular. In Canada, sometimes, people
talk too much.
They talk too loudly.Sometimes they never can hear other people speak.
This can be a problem in my country, and a problem in some other Western
countries too. I think that in Canada some people can learn that it is
important to listen more than speaking, and to be careful with what they
say to others.
But, there are times, however, when being silent is a mistake. There are times when being silent is the wrong thing to do.
When we see someone else in trouble in the classroom we should not be silent.
When we know that someone is being hurt at home or at school we must not be silent.
When we know that our leaders are not leading our countries in the best way we must not be silent.
When we know that someone needs help for food, or housing or clean water we must not be silent.
When we know that someone is a victim of violence we must not be silent.
In all of these cases we must speak with each other and to find some way to change bad situations. We have a responsibility in our classrooms, in our communities and in our countries to not be silent.
As you study and have so many things to learn in your classes you must also not be silent. You should participate in your lessons and don’t be shy to use your voice. Most importantly, you must not be silent when you do not understand. That is a big mistake.
If you don’t understand something in your classes please go and talk to your teacher. They will help you. They are your teachers, and they want to help you. If you are silent, maybe your teacher thinks you understand everything perfectly. If you are silent they do not know when you are in trouble.
The last reason why you should not be silent is the most important. You have a voice that is special and unique for you. Your voice is a gift for you. Your voice is a beautiful thing. You should speak up and share your ideas with other people. I hope you will share your voice with people around you. By speaking with others you will begin a dialog and you can hear what others say too. You can make connections with others and learn more and enjoy more of life and people around you.
Sometimes silence is not golden.
Nov 28th 2012
Things Money Cannot Buy
A few weeks ago I gave a morning speech about Thanksgiving Day, and about
the meaning and custom we have in Canada and America about being thankful
on Thanksgiving Day. I think we must be thankful for many things and also
try to remember to keep a thankful heart.
But in Canada and America when Thanksgiving Day is over many people become very busy to prepare for the next holiday. The next big holiday coming is Christmas Day. In the past, Christmas Day was very simple. It was mainly only a church holiday and people who believed in the Christian religion would go to church. Then they would go home and have a dinner together. But over the years, Christmas became a big holiday about giving presents and getting presents. Many people spend a lot of money on presents and are shopping in many stores to buy everyone they know a gift.
The shopping centers are full of many people pushing and fighting for space. They get very angry and have a lot of stress to shop for presents. Many people believe that they can only be happy if they get the right present. Or they believe that they must find the perfect gift for family members or they cannot be happy. The culture of shopping becomes crazy and many people believe that you must spend a lot of money to buy the happiness you want for your family and friends.
Of course, it is nice to give a gift to someone you care about. It is nice to get a gift from a friend or from someone in your family. Everyone likes that. The problem with the Christmas shopping culture of North America is that we sometimes forget about the people we want to spend our time with, and think only about the gift.
Also, many times the kinds of gifts people buy and recieve are the kinds of presents that keep people alone and away from each other. Many gifts are DVDs, computers, cell phones, computer tablets or video games or other things that people use to entertain themselves alone. The gifts are the kinds of things that when they are used people do not communicate or speak to each other.
Computer games, movies and DVDs are not about a real world. They are all about a world that does not exist. The real world we live in has people, our families, our friends, our classmates. The real world has nature. There are trees and hills and places outside the house to enjoy. Our real world has animals, insects and pets. Our real world has good food and clean air. Our real world has conversation, talk with friends and family and laughter. Our real world has music that people enjoy together.
Money can buy DVDs and games and machines, but it cannot buy life. You cannot shop for a happy life. You cannot buy more time. You can only buy things that block you from people in your life.
I hope that we can all take a break from the things in our houses that take our time. Turn off the TV and the computer. Put your cell phone in a pocket and don’t touch it. Talk to your friends and your family. Enjoy them. Enjoy the time you have with them.
Thank you very much and have a great day. Also, good luck on your exams for next week.
Nov 21th 2012
The Power of Your Healthy Mind
There is a lot of study about the power of the human mind. Many professional athletes and coaches talk about the “mental” part of being a professional athlete. The very best athletes will usually say something like, “80% of being a great athlete is mental and 20% is physical.” That is very interesting and shows us that having a strong mind is very important to be successful.
There are many books that talk about the power of the mind to reach a goal.
Some writers talk about how to train your mind to do more work, and to
use the power of your mind to develop and grow new skills. Musicians and
scientists use their minds in very interesting ways. Musicians can explore
sounds and music and scientists explore nature. Without very carefully
trained minds they could not create music, find important discoveries or
create new things for the world.
The mind is a living and growing thing. We have to think about the things
that we put into our minds. Just like the body, if you eat only sweet things
like cake and donuts, and if you do no kind of exercise, you will have
some trouble with your body. If you do not eat good food and drink good
things you will be slow, too heavy and not able to d
o many physical things.
If you do not put good things into your brain you cannot get a good result. Yes, it can be fun to play a computer game or to watch TV, but if you do only those things your brain will be uninteresting, too simple and you will not be able to think about other things. It is important to also think about what you read. If you read only simple comic books, and do not read more interesting or more difficult things your brain cannot grow. If you watch only simple TV and do not watch more creative film you will have a small imagination. If you listen to only one kind of music you will have no balance for sound and not be able to understand other ways to express yourself. If you stay inside your house and do not see nature or the sun you will not be inspired to grow and to be positive.
If you watch interesting and creative film, read challenging books, look at beautiful art, listen to different kinds of music and get outside sometimes you will become the interesting and beautiful person you should become. Do not limit yourself. Try not to put low quality books, film, art and music in your brain. You can do more and see more with good fuel for your heart and spirit. The mind is powerful thing and it needs powerful materials to grow.
Decide to make your mind a powerful thing for your life and for your future. Think about what you need for your brain and do not be afraid to try new things.
Thank you very much and have a great day
Nov 14th 2012
Remembering
This week in Canada, on November 11 we have a special day. It is called Remembrance Day. It is a day when we remember the soldiers who fought in World War One and World War Two in Europe. For me, this is always a special day because my family lived in Europe at that time.
My grandparents and my parents are from Holland. They lived through World
War Two and their lives were not so easy. In Canada we remember the soldiers
that came to Europe to save people, and who brought peace.
But remembering history is not only something that we do in Canada. I think that people all over the world have their own ways to remember the past and to be thankful to those who lived before. World War One and World War Two were terrible events in our history. So many people were killed. So many people died for no reason. We need to always keep reading history so that we do not forget. We must remember so that we do not make terrible mistakes in the future.
Remembrance Day is something that we need to have with us for many days, not only November 11. There are many things we need to remember.
We must remember that we are very lucky to live in peace, both here in Japan and in Canada.
We must remember to continue to learn about other people, other cultures and other languages.
We must remember to have an open heart and an open mind to people who are different, who come from different countries and who have different ideas.
We must remember that our grandparents and great grandparents lost everything and gave us a beautiful world of peace for today. We should be very thankful for that.
We must remember to talk to each other with a peaceful heart.
We must remember to be polite and to show respect to other people.
We must remember to not react quickly with hate in our minds or hearts.
We must remember to watch our leaders carefully so they keep their promises to keep peace for all.
We must remember that all people are very similar to us. They have the same hearts and minds. They have the same hopes for the future. They have the same worries and troubles. They have the same need for peace and for a good life
We must remember that peace is a gift we have and a deep responsibility to protect always.
Thank you very much. Have a great day.
Nov 7th 2012
The Last Stretch
It is now November. The year 2012 is moving quickly to the end. It is like
we are in a race and we are in the final part. In English, the last part
of a race is called the “last stretch”. We know that the word “stretch”
is to move our body for exercise, but “stretch” also means a period of
time.
The “last stretch” also has a feeling of “last chance” or “last effort”. We are in the “last stretch” of the year and we are reaching for the finish of 2012.
Right now all the students here at Otemae are in a very important race. This race happens only one time in your life. This is the race of your education. This is the race of your junior high and high school experience and education.
Some students, like the students in junior high are at the beginning of their education race. Other students who are in the beginning of high school are at the middle section. The third year high school students are in their final stage of their race. They really are in the “last stretch”. This is the time when they have to really work super hard and to reach out, and to STRETCH as far as they can to finish strongly here at Otemae. They know how serious it is to work hard, and how important it is to do their best, to have a bright new beginning next spring as they go to colleges and universities.
Your education here at Otemae, and the long hard race you must challenge, is the most important part of your future life. Maybe you do not know what you will become in the future, but the study and work you do here at Otemae will be very important for your future.
The “last stretch” can have a double meaning. Yes, the high school third year students must do the “last stretch” of their studies so they can go to a good university or training program. Another meaning for “last stretch” is that your education is the last chance you will really have to stretch and grow your mind. A healthy body needs to stretch. A healthy mind needs to stretch. When you learn new things and try new things, master your studies more and more. When your body or mind is stretched you grow your capacity to do things. The more you stretch, the more you can do, for both your body and your mind.
Everything you do in your life after high school has a connection to Otemae. This is the place you stretch from. You are reaching out, stretching out, to your future.
Every day you come to school is important. Every day you sit in your classroom has a connection to your future. Keep your minds awake, and stretched, and keep reaching, and stretching to the finish line. It is coming fast.
Thank you very much and have a great day!
Oct 31st 2012
Halloween: Are you Scared?
Today is October 31st. It is Halloween. Kids all over Europe and North
America are very excited. Today they can go to houses in their neighborhood
and get a lot of free candy. They can dress up as a monster, or a princess
or an animation character or anything they like. Many kids go to Halloween
parties to play games, to eat sweets and to have fun. It is a great time
to be a kid.
What do you know about Halloween? Maybe you know it is a day about witches, mummies, vampires, ghosts, zombies, skeletons, werewolves and monsters. But, did you know that it was also a day in Europe that was a religious holiday? Halloween has an old meaning of “hallowed evening” or “holy night”. It is a day when people would go to church and to remember family members who died. It was a day when people remembered the past and would pray to God for the dead. In the last one hundred years the day became more of a party time, and a time to think about monsters and ghosts for fun.
Halloween is a time when people think about things that are scary. Sure, we know that zombies are scary. Of course, vampires, werewolves, monsters, mummies and witches are also very scary too. Do real monsters exist? I don’t know. What do you think?
Sometimes being an Otemae student can be scary. Do you have some scary tests? Do you have some scary classes? Are there some things in school that seem a little scary? That is understandable. There are many things that you must learn and study and try. Your job as a student is to do these many new things, and to learn many new things. Sometimes there are easy tests and activities, but sometimes things can be scary too.
We all have things that we are afraid of, but as we get older we have to think about how we face our fear. How do we fight our fear and grow our confidence? One of my favorite books, called “DUNE”, is written by a man named Frank Herbert. He talks about fear. He writes:
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total destruction. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it is past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
Everyone will have fear and have something that is scary. But we must fight our fear and move through our fear. Then we become stronger. We become better. So, the lesson here is do not be afraid of new things. Be brave and try things that seem scary. You can move through the hard time, through the scary time, and you can become more. Do not let fear stop your mind. Don’t be shy. Don’t be afraid. Try everything and become greater and greater with every challenge.
Thank you very much, and Happy Halloween!
Oct 24th 2012
Japan’s Missing Holiday
Japan has many great holidays. In Japan we celebrate New Year’s Day, Greenery
Day, Children’s Day, Respecting Old People Day, Culture Day and Health
and Sports Day. There are many times during they year to explore and enjoy
special holidays.
But one holiday is missing, and it is an important one. It is Teacher’s Day. Maybe that sounds strange to you, and that is very sad. But did you know that 77 countries around the world have Teacher’s Day? 77 countries in Europe, South America, Central America, the Middle East, Asia and North America take one day in the year to show appreciation to teachers. Unfortunately, this holiday is not in Japan.
For me, I do not understand why Japan does not have this important day.
Your teachers should be appreciated more. They work very hard for your education and they give so much of their free time on holidays and weekends to support their school and to work for your future. In Canada and America, teachers have both July and August off of school. The schools are closed. There is no club activity for the summer months and teachers can travel, or stay home, or have a barbeque or do anything they like. Schools are also always closed on Saturday and Sunday. Teachers in Canada and America have two-day weekends every week, and spring vacation and winter vacation too. Of course we have hard working teachers in Canada and America too, but I think that your teachers here at Otemae are much tougher, and work much harder.
Your teachers spend a lot of time for your club. They spend a lot of time and energy for your experiences in school. They are really very special people. Your teachers are also working hard to learn and study more so they can help you go to university. They take your notebooks home and check them. They stay awake late at night to prepare for your classes. They come to school early to make sure you come here safely. They give up time with their family and friends for you. They believe in you and want you to have a great success in your life.
Please do not forget your teachers. Yes, sometimes you will have some trouble with a teacher. Yes, sometimes you are not interested in your teacher’s class. Yes, sometimes being a school student is very hard. But also please remember that your teacher is here to help you, and to help you enter university life, and to prepare you for your future.
77 countries around the world understand that teachers build the country. 77 countries around the world understand that teachers are the guides for the future. Japan is not one of those countries yet, but I hope that you will find some time to say “Thank you” to your teacher, or find time to write them a note to show your feeling sometime in the future.
Your appreciation of your teacher is important. Otemae is a very special school. Your teachers have a strong dedication to you. You will have a great future, but it is probably only because some of your teachers have been standing beside you as your prepare for your life.
Thank you very much and have a great day.
Oct 10th 2012
Two Different Holidays, Two Different Countries, The Same Autumn Feeling.
This week, on Monday, there are two holidays. One in Japan, and one in Canada. In Japan we enjoyed Sports Day and in Canada people enjoyed Thanksgiving. They both seem different, in some ways but in other ways they are the same.
Sports Day is a day when children and parents come together and enjoy a variety of events. There is running, jumping and different kinds of races. It is a day when people in the community can meet, communicate more with each other, and to enjoy a day of sports and competition. It is a day to enjoy our health and to celebrate the physical things we can do together.
Thanksgiving in Canada is a day when families meet and have a meal together. Some people go to a church or some kind of party. But it is a time when people gather and meet, communicate more with each other, and enjoy a day of talking and eating. It is a time to remember the good things we have and to remember to have a thankful heart.
Both Sports Day and Thanksgiving have a similar feeling. Both are times for people to come together and do have time to celebrate. The summer is finished. Rice and wheat are taken from the fields. Fruit is taken from the trees. The air is cooler and now is the time to celebrate our families and friends.
Autumn is such a wonderful time of the year. It is the time of the year when the trees change from green to orange, yellow, gold and red. It is a time when we slow down our pace a little and think about the hard work we have done from January until now. It is a time to gather people, to enjoy our communities and family and to think about what is coming next.
For farmers it is a time to relax their bodies and repair their machines. For people in the cities it is a time to enjoy the cooler weather, and to make plans for the rest of the year.
How did you spend your Sports Day? Did you participate in a local event? Did you have some time to relax? Did you have a lot of homework you needed to do? Did you practice sports with your club?
The first week of October is the beginning of fall. It is our time to be thankful for our good health, and for good food, and for the people who are in our lives. We come to autumn with a grateful heart for our time together and we are reminded by the trees that change color that time is moving quickly. This is our time to stop, to think and to make our minds decided to make this year a good year and to finish 2012 as best we can.
Thank you very much and have a great day!
Sep 26th 2012
We Are the Owners of Our Emotions
No one likes a bully. A bully is someone who pushes other people. A bully
is someone who takes things from other people. A bully is someone who makes
a lot of trouble for other people. Many people are afraid of the bully.
A bully can be a big problem, but we need to think of how to handle this
kind of problem.
In many schools, in many countries students have trouble with bullies. There are bullies in elementary school, junior high school, high school and also in colleges and universities. There are bullies in shops and companies. There are bullies in many places. Bullies do not only exist in school.
One thing that a bully likes to get is a reaction. If a bully makes trouble for someone and there is no reaction the bully is confused. The bully will usually leave. But sometimes the bully will return to make more trouble.
When we have trouble with a bully one of the most important things we can do to stop the problem is to control our own emotions. A bully wants you to cry. A bully wants you to react. A bully wants you to become violent. It is very hard but we need to try to control ourselves not to cry, not to react and to not become violent. We must do what we can to keep our peace in our own hearts and to avoid and refuse to participate in responses that make more trouble.
Many times this way can stop a bully. If you do not feed the bully’s bad behavior, sometimes the behavior will die. But this is only sometimes. There are also times when the bully will not stop even when you control your emotions well. In such a case we need to find other people to make a team. We need partners and we need others to help us work together to find a solution.
Bullies are part of the world. We see them in school. We see them in work. We see them in other countries too. Right now Japan has some trouble with other countries nearby. Sometimes those countries can act like a bully. It is very important not to react too soon and too strongly. A bully likes sudden and careless reactions. I hope that Japan can make strong connections with other countries and create creative ways to stop any more bully behavior.
Living in a world with other people can be very difficult. Many people are good, and kind and have a good heart. But sometimes we meet people who only want to make trouble for others. Self-control is very important, and also a very powerful thing. If we can control our emotions and take some time to think carefully we can find solutions. It may take some time. It may take a lot of energy, but we must not give control over our own feelings to others. We are the owners of our own emotions. We are the owners of our own futures.
Thank you very much and have a great day!!
Sep 19th 2012
Occupy Wall Street: One Year Later
Last year at this time thousands and thousands of people went to the famous
Wall Street area of New York to protest. The people who first came to the
Occupy Wall Street protest were there because the government and the banks
did not protect the people.
Their concerns are very serious. The banks did some bad business and the government did not do much to stop this bad business. Then the protests began. And then the protests grew and grew. The protesters had so many more things they wanted to change. The group lost its focus and then everything just broke into pieces.
The protesters went home. The big event was over. There were many protests but there was no result. The banks still continued to do their business and the changes that are needed are not coming.
A society has many members, and society chooses the kinds of leaders that they need. The leaders have a very big responsibility to the people. They must lead and they must make difficult choices. They have a hard job. The people also have a job. Our job is to support and to watch carefully. If our governments need to work in ways to help our society we need to support them, and do our best to contribute. If our governments do not behave well we must remind them that they must be good leaders.
When we do not get a good result from our governments, or if a problem continues too long without a good solution, we will need to be more active to encourage change. But for us to be able to make good change we must always keep our focus.
The Occupy Wall Street protests had no focus. They had too many things they wanted to change. They lost their chance to change one or two things because they decided that they wanted to change everything. They started strong and then slowed down and then stopped, all because they had no focus.
What kinds of things do you want to change? Are there things that you want to change in your country, or in your city? Are there things that you want to change in your school experience or in your personal life? Whatever change you decide is important, you must have a focus to make those changes. If you want to change too many things about yourself immediately, you cannot change so much. Focus on one problem at a time. Put all your energy to change one thing. When you can make changes with one thing clearly, you can change the next thing and the next thing.
Change is part of life, but to make the best kind of changes we need to have a focus. Be aware and awake about yourself, your society and your country. When you see something that needs to be better, remember to choose the one thing you can change first and that first change will be the beginning of many more changes you want to come.
Change is always possible, but it needs a strong focussed mind to make it a reality.
Sep 12th 2012
Why Study History?
There is a famous expression, “If we do not remember the past we will make the same mistakes again.”
This is a good expression to know. If you do not learn from mistakes you
made before you will probably make the same
mistakes again in the future. If we do not remember the times that we did
something wrong, or made some mistake, or had a misunderstanding we cannot
become better and we cannot grow and improve.
In the last one hundred years our earth has had so many wars. World War 1, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the war in Afghanistan, the war in Iraq. So many people have been killed or hurt in war. So much damage and so many terrible things have been done to people in war.
We should think about why we have war. Why do we have so much hate in the
world?
We all know that many terrible things happened in the past. If we do not remember the past troubles and the past wars we may have war again in the future. This is something that we must not allow to happen. We have a great responsibility today, and you have a great responsibility in the future to work together to not allow wars to come again.
We know that violence is something that come from hate, and comes from fear. Why do we sometimes fear people in other countries? Why are we sometimes afraid of other cultures and people? The fear and hate usually come because we do not know so much about other countries and we do not know so much about other cultures.
This is the reason why your education is so important. When we study language and history we can understand much more. When we know the history of the past and we study about other cultures we are not so afraid.
Of course there are some bad governments in the world, and there are some bad leaders. With a strong education, and with understanding and knowledge we know what is good government, and we continue to support and to build good government and good societies. With intelligence and empathy we can understand the people of other places.
Understanding history can protect us today from war, and can guide us with knowledge to lead in the future. So please listen carefully to your history teachers, make good notes and read and research more and more. If you can understand the past, you can lead in the future.
Thank you very much and have a great day!
Sep 5th 2012
Everything Changes
Last week I received an email from an old friend. My friend’s name is “Robert.” We were good friends in high school and in university. We thought we would be friends forever. But things changed. We did not fight. We did not have some kind of trouble, but we moved to different places and we lost contact.
We did not communicate with each other for over 23 years. But last week
I got his email and we could talk. Wow. It was unbelievable. He changed
a lot. Maybe I changed a lot too. Well, we both changed a lot.
In that moment I learned that everything changes. When I was 20 years old I had plans for my life. I planned what I would do for my job. I planned what I would do for travel. I thought about the kind of life I would have and the kinds of people I would be friends with. But everything changed. The plan I had in high school and university are very different from the life I have now.
It is a good thing. Changes are part of life. Everything grows and changes. We expect things to be the same, but they are moving and becoming new. The world, our ideas and technology in society are continuously evolving.
For students here at Otemae you are talking with your parents and your teachers about your future. What kind of university do you want to go to? What kind of education do you need for your future job? What kind of future job do you want to have? Where do you want to live? What kind of lifestyle will you create for yourself?
We believe that if we make a choice we are “safe.” Things will not change so much and we will follow a straight road to our goal. Once we decide what we will be in the future we will move step by step to that goal. We will reach that goal. And then we will be OK and happy.
But… change will come. Change always comes. Our plans are made and then are made again. We cannot control so much of the world. We try to keep a plan and move to our goals but sometimes we cannot see the changes that are coming to us.
The most important thing is to not be afraid. Change can be good. Change can be bad. We don’t know which one will come, but we can keep a strong sense of our mind to be positive when hard changes come, and grateful when good things happen. Change is part of the world. Evolution is part of the human reality. Everything changes, and we change too.
We must do our best to work hard for our goals, but it is also important to work hard on developing our character. We must stay calm and flexible and understand in our minds and hearts that changes come. We have to be like the trees that can bend in the wind, and still grow strong and healthy.
Aug 29th 2012
Man on the Moon
The moon is something everyone sees. In Japan, in Canada, in Europe, in
South America, in Africa and in Australia we all look up at the moon. The
moon is an image in poems and in stories. The moon is full of mystery and
beauty. The moon is our light at night. It is full of romance and hope
and beauty. The moon is something
important for our whole life. We find meaning in the way we look at the
moon.
On July 20, 1969 the spaceship, Apollo 11, landed on the moon. The three members of Apollo 11 were Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. It was 43 years ago that they made the incredible journey to the moon. It was 43 years ago that men walked on the moon. The first person to walk on the moon was Neil Armstrong. Today’s speech is about Neil Armstrong because last week this great man died. He was 82 years old.
In 1969 the world was very different. Computer technology was very limited. Most televisions were not in color. Telephone technology was very simple. The rockets and technology of 1969 was very simple. It was a kind of miracle that men could travel so far into space and to actually walk on the moon. It was a dream. It was an incredible dream. But it was a dream that the world had and it was a dream that we needed to complete.
When Neil Armstrong stepped out on the moon, put his footprint on the moon’s surface he said these famous words: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Neil Armstrong made our dream of touching the moon a reality. What an incredible thing!
The moon walk is something that is part of our human history. The men who walked on the moon did not do it for their own country. They walked on the moon for all people of the earth. We all look up at the same moon. We all share the light of the moon and we all feel inspired by the moon.
In 1969 men walked on the moon. They had a dream to go up up up into the heavens and to discovery and explore. Where will we go? They started a journey for the next generation to continue. The moon mission is the beginning of what we do in our own lives. What shall we do? Where shall we go?
Maybe we will not go to the moon again soon. Maybe we will not travel in space soon. But we have learned that we must reach up and beyond our own experience. We must try to learn more and do more and experience more. Man walked on the moon, but where do you want to walk? Will you walk in a new place. Will you walk in a foreign country? Will you try to travel and to grow and to experience new things?
We must make small steps. Neil Armstrong made his steps on the moon. Where will you make your steps? This is something for you to decide and to think about when you look up at the moon.
Jul 18th 2012
Genius and Service
Albert Einstein, one of the greatest scientists in our history, once said that he reminds himself every day that he is not alone. Einstein said that our lives today are possible because of the people who lived before us, and because of people around us.
If we can do something important, if we can do something great, it is because of the people in our lives who care for us and who support us.
Some people who are great athletes or great musicians sometimes make the mistake of believing that they are famous or important because of their own efforts. They forgot that they have a mom or a dad, or friends who helped them every day. If someone becomes famous in our world there are always people behind who have been helping and supporting.
Albert Einstein said that maybe he is lucky to be great and that maybe he is lucky to be so intelligent. But he also said that because he has been supported so much he must also work as hard as he can to help other people in our world. Einstein had the gift of great intelligence and believed that he must use his great gift to give service to the world.
This is such an important and wonderful thing to remember. We must do our best to develop our skills and abilities, but we must do so with a grateful heart to the people who help us, who guide us and who support us.
Here at Otemae you are learning many things and developing your skills. Some of you are great athletes. Some of you are very clever. Some of you are very artistic. Some of you have skills in music, or computers or in many different things. We need to remember that if we can be great at something it is usually because we have received so much support from other people.
Did you get some help from your teachers? Did you get some help from your family? Did you get some help from your friends? This is an important thing to always remember. As you move ahead and grow and do many wonderful things in your life, please do not forget the people who support you, and please do not forget to use your skills to help and to serve people in our community and in our society.
Albert Einstein was a genius about many things.
Thank you very much and have a great day!
Jul 11th 2012
Cicada
Japan is one of the countries in the world that has cicada every summer. The cicada is a very interesting, and very noisy insect. Every summer we can hear the cicada’s singing. They sing “mi mi mi mi”. Sometimes people think that the cicada song is too noisy. But let’s talk a little about the cicada and its song.
The cicada lives most of its life in the ground. The cicada lives in the earth, quietly waiting to grow, quietly waiting to be big enough to come to the air. The cicada starts from an egg and needs between 2 to 5 years to become an adult.
When the adult cicada comes to the air it breaks out of its skin and the wings come out. Then the cicada can fly in the air, it can go anywhere and it can finally sing its song. In Japan, China, Mexico and Java, the cicada is a very important symbol in poems and stories. The cicada is a symbol of beauty and a symbol of living life in the present moment.
It is possible for us to think about the students here at Otemae to be like the cicada. You come at the beginning of junior high school or high school. You are like the egg that is in the earth. You need to grow and develop. You grow slowly. You learn more and more. Each month you learn more things in your classes. You grow up. You try new things. You meet new friends. You have some new experiences.
Finally, when you are ready you break out of the earth. You come to the air. You break open your skin and your wings come out. Then you jump into the sky. You fly.
As you move your wings you will make sounds. You will make your own song. What song would you like to sing? You have worked for so long to become something important and something beautiful. What kind of song will you sing?
Today you are not ready yet to come to the air and for your wings to come out. That day will come soon. But there are many things that you must do from now to prepare for your journey. How are you becoming the person you want to be in the future?
The cicada is a beautiful and very noisy creature. We hope that when you are ready to choose your own road in life that you will be very noisy too. The teachers here at Otemae want to hear your future song? Your teachers, and parents and friends all want to see you fly in the sky. We want to see you free and ready for the world.
Thank you very much and have a great day!
Jul 4th 2012
The OLYMPICS are COMING!!
This is a very exciting month. In only a few more weeks the world will be looking to London, England. We will be looking to see the Olympic Games begin. It is a wonderful time for us to see the best athletes of the world come together to fight and to compete.
An Olympic athlete is a very unique kind of person. They find one thing that they are uniquely good at. It could be swimming. It could be running. It could be jumping. It could be throwing something. It could be so many different things. The Olympic games are amazing because we can also see so many different kinds of sports and so many different kinds of events. Each Olympic athlete can do something different, and something that is special to them.
In schools all over the world we teach kids to try to be good at many different things. Students should be good in Math and Science and Social Studies and English and Home Economics and Music and Art and P.E. To be a student is very difficult. You must be good at all your subjects. You must be good at all the events of your education.
Sometimes I wonder if this is a good idea. Of course, you need to have good grades to go to your future university. The teachers here at Otemae are very excellent in helping you go to your univerisity in the future. But, maybe there is something we should think about too.
Maybe we should think about the ONE thing that YOU are really good at. If you are good at Science maybe you should do more Science. If you are good at Social Studies maybe you should do more Social Studies. If you are good at Art we should help you become a great artist. If you are good at Music we should help you become an excellent musician.
We should make you an Olympian of what you are good at doing. If you are good at Science or Math you should do more of that. If you are good at Japanese and English you should do more of that. If you are an artist or musician, you should do those things. But every good thing comes from you. It comes from YOUR desire for your own future. What do you want to be? Where do you want to go?
The Olympics are coming. Please watch the events carefully and look at the faces of the Olympians. They have a secret to teach you about how to fight, and how to live.
Thank you very much and have a great day.
Jun 13rd 2012
Communication is more than Words
Every week you have English classes. You need to learn English so that
you can communicate with other people from different countries and different
cultures. English is very important for people in society today and will
become MUCH more important when you are graduating from university.
Most professional jobs in the future will require English. Most professional
jobs will require that you communicate your ideas and feelings in English.It
is a big challege for all students here at Otemae, but it is very necessary
that you are agressive with your English studies. You will need English
and good communication skills for the future.
If you are a good communicator you will probably have a lot of success and chances in your work. If you are a good communicator you can make good relationships with other people. Communication skills are very important. If you know many English words and expressions that is wonderful, but you must also learn HOW to communicate those ideas. Communication skills are both verbal and non-verbal. It is important for you to think about how you send information to another person, and understand how they send information and messages to you too.
The first point is eye contact. Eye contact is very important. Do you make a little
eye contact or too much eye contact? How do you look at other people?
The second point is facial expression. How is your face expressing your feeling and
your thinking? Is your face a mask or does it help your ideas go to the
other person?
The third point is tone of voice. Is your tone kind and warm? Or do you sound like
a robot? Is your voice gentle or cold?
The fourth point is posture and gestures. How do you stand? How do you use your hands to express your ideas? Is it too much or too little?
The fifth is timing and pace. Do you speak too quickly? Do you speak like you are
in a panic? Do you speak too slowly? Is your voice not interesting to listen
to?
When we learn English, or even learn more in our daily lives in Japanese, we also learn about how to talk with other people. Communications skills are very important for our lives. Please think about how you communicate with other people, and how would you like to improve your connections to those other people.
Thank you very much and have a great day!
May 30th 2012
Music for Life
In Greece long long ago a famous man, named Socrates, said that “music
is too powerful”. He was worried that music was too powerful in the lives
of young people. He believed that music was great, but we have to be careful
what we listen to. Socrates believed that music would go direct to the
human heart and the human brain could not stop the power of music.
Long ago in Greece people did not have such a big selection of music. They sang songs and played harps and simple percussion instruments. Today we have a much greater selection of songs and styles of music to enjoy.
We have pop music, classical music, jazz, rock and roll, heavy metal, country, folk and all kinds of traditional music too. The songs that people make are endless. It is a wonderful time for us to enjoy music.
We also have great ability to keep music with us. When I was a kid we had record players and then 8-track players. Then we had cassettes and later mini-discs and CDs. Today we can keep thousands and thousands of songs on an iPod or iPhone. That is incredible. We have a huge capacity to collect and try many different kinds of music.
What kind of music do you like? What kind of song is in your heart? Most people find music that they love. But it is important to keep your mind open to new sounds and to new kinds of music.
In my case I had never heard the sounds of Okinawan music. But a few years ago I went to Okinawa and heard Okinawan traditional music for the first time. It was unbelievable to me and a wonderful experience.
I hope that you will always try to keep your mind and heart open to new sounds. I hope that you will try to listen to music of different countries and cultures. You may be surprised that music can teach you something important and make your heart bigger.
Music can move your heart and give you inspiration. Music can help you feel better when life is hard. Music is important for life.
Thank you very much and have a great day.
May 23rd 2012
Point of View
Our school Otemae has many beautiful hills around it. We can see the green
trees. We can see the beautiful nature here around the school. But when
you are inside the school it is difficult to see nature. When you are inside
your classroom you cannot see the size of the school.
But, if you go up the mountain and you look down you can see the size of the school. From the top of the mountain Otemae is really beautiful. The school looks wonderful.
Changing the place we stand and look is very important. When you are near the Sunport by Takamatsu station it is difficult to see the water. But if you go up into the Sunport building and look out from the window you can see many things. It is really so beautiful.
This is why it is very important for you to travel outside of Kagawa and outside of Japan. It is true that Kagawa is very beautiful. It is true that Japan is very beautiful too, but it is difficult to see everything when you are too close to it.
If you go to another country, for example, Australia or England or China you can see Japan from an outside place. From Australia or England or China you can understand why Japan is such a great country. When you are outside your own country you can understand more about your own culture. You can understand how Japanese people think, and how they are unique and special.
In my case, I am from Canada. When I am in Canada it is difficult for me to see the best parts of my country. But when I am in Japan I can see Canada more clearly. I can see some troubles that we have, but I can also see the great parts of Canada too.
I hope that you will try to take a trip outside of Japan. Otemae has a wonderful homestay program to England. I hope you can go there. When you go outside of your country you can actually find your country. You can understand how to be Japanese when you are outside of Japan. It is strange, but it is true.
Traveling is a great way to learn and to understand the world, and yourself too.
Thank you very much and have a great day.
May 9th 2012
The Honeymoon is Over
When couples get married they often go on a trip someplace. The trip is called a honeymoon. Long ago in Europe people who got married would travel for one whole month. They usually would go and see friends and family who could not come to the wedding. The honeymoon is also a time when the couple would not work. It was a time of sweetness and travel. It was a month, one moon, that is sweet like honey.
But now a honeymoon is usually much shorter. Maybe it is a few days in
Hawaii, or a weekend in Guam.
We also say that when we begin a new job, or come to a new school we have a “honeymoon” time. Maybe the new students who have come to Otemae feel this way. At first, everything is OK and things are going smoothly. But now it is May, April is gone. Our honeymoon at Otemae this year is finished. The honeymoon is over.
Now is the time we have to work hard. Maybe there is a class you have that is not so great. Maybe you have some trouble in Science class, or Math class, or English class. Everything is not perfect anymore. Now comes some hard study time.
Soon we will have tests and it is the beginning of a hard time. You will need to stop enjoying too much and make some time to work hard, to study and to do a good job on your tests. This is an important time too because your first test results help you see what classes are going good, and what classes are going bad.
If you have some trouble with your classes please talk with your teacher. If you do not understand something please talk with your teacher. Otemae teachers are very professional and they understand the trouble you might have in your classes. Your hard time in study is not a strange thing to your teachers. They understand your feeling and your experience. The honeymoon is over, but you are not alone. If you need help, please get some help.
Coming to a new school and making new friends is a big challenge. Trying a new club and having many classes is another big challenge. The first month of your Otemae experience is finished this year, but there is much more to do. The honeymoon is over, but there is a long time that we have together. Let’s do our best to make it the best time ever.
Thank you very much and have a great day.
Apr 25th 2012
Exploration and Discovery
When I was a kid I watched the first space shuttle go into space. That was a long time ago. It was on April 12, 1981, so it was 31 years ago. I was in junior high and all my classmates got to watch it on TV at school. For us that was very exciting. The last big space adventure was in 1969 when man went to the moon. We believed we were at the beginning of an amazing space adventure and that one day maybe we would be up in space too.
Since 1981 there have been many space shuttle flights. The shuttle pilots have learned so much in science and technology and the learning has been very valuable for us to discover and learn more about our world, our environment and our universe.
This week the final space shuttle has been moved to a museum. It has been exactly 31 years of the space program. There is no more space shuttle and the program has ended. Many people are very unhappy about the end of our space exploration and it is too bad for now. I too, am very sorry to see it end.
We learned many important things about our world and about nature through the space shuttle program. We have been able to see further into space and to try to understand where our world comes from. The space shuttle program has taught us to be curious about the world and about our universe. It has taught us to have a dream and to look up into the stars. It has taught us that it is important to explore and to search, and to hope to find new worlds and new ways to understand ourselves.
For many new students here at Otemae it is also a new time to explore this new place, and this new environment. Otemae has many places and programs that are here for you. We hope that you will continue to learn more about this school. We hope that you will continue to grow in your studies and to explore the world around you. There is so much that we can learn in science and in discovery. There is also so much for us to learn and to discover in the people and places around us.
We may not go to space again sometime soon, but we hope to keep our minds sharp and to keep a spirit of exploration and discovery. We have much to learn and much to explore. We are grateful to the space shuttle program and for everything it taught us, that we are all humans on the same planet, that our earth is the same color from all angles and that we all look up to the stars with the same hopes and the same feelings.
Thank you very much and have a great day.
Apr 18th 2012
You Are Welcome
Thank you !
You are welcome.
Thank you !
You are welcome.
Every student knows that “You are welcome” is the response to “Thank you”.
If someone says to you, “Thank you” in English, it is very important to
say “You are welcome” for a reply.
But, “You are welcome” has a second meaning. It also means, “We are glad you are here.” This is a new school year. Spring is here. The flowers and trees are growing. The insects and animals are returning. After a long winter, spring is very welcome. We welcome spring. We welcome the flowers and trees. We welcome living things that return to our lives.
At Otemae we have many new people who are here. We have new junior high students. We have many new teachers too. We welcome the new students. We welcome the new teachers. Together we welcome the new school year.
It is April and we are at the beginning of a new school year. This year we have many things to do. We have many things to study. We have many things to try. There will be some hard times that come. But, we welcome our new challenges. We welcome the hard times too. When we have challenges and difficult times we have a chance to grow. We welcome our chances to learn and grow.
What will be your new challenge this year? What will be something new for you? How do you want to grow and change this year? We all need to think how we want to grow and change. With changes that come we need a welcoming heart.
To our new students and new teachers and new friends we hope you feel welcome here at Otemae. Let us welcome each other and the new school year together.
