New Zealand Culture★

Hi, I want to talk about Haka. Haka is traditional folk dance from the Maori of New Zealand. And it means dance and song with dance. Expression is important for leader of Haka.
For example, Pukana: showing white of the eye. Weru: pushing lower lip out.
The most well-known Haka is "Ka mate".
Watch the Movie!!!
－Lyrics－
☆Ka mate! Ka mate! (Tis death! Tis death!)※Tis mean it is.
　Ka ora! Ka ora! (Tis life! Tis life!)
(☆Repeat)
Tenei te tangata puhuruhuru (Behold! There stands the hairy man)
Nana nei I tiki mai, whakawhiti te ra! (Who will cause the sun to shine?)
★A, hupane! A, hupane! (One step upwards…another step upwards)
(★Repeat)
Whiti te ra (The sun shines!)

Zottenfeest☆

Zottenfeest(Kichigai Festival)

Hi, I want to talk about “Zottenfeest”. It is a Catholic carnival. This festival is held in Belgium before Catholic fast. Fast means people don’t eat.
Formerly making a lot of noise in church was allowed in that day. It was called Zottenfeest. People can do what it was not allow usually without punishment in Belgium from 1355 to 1550. For example one person acts king and a fake priest in costume goes in church and celebrates the stupid Mass. In costume parade, rich people put on poor costume. People shout and laugh them.
Now people in costume parade and carry big doll on the shoulder. Making a noise that people drink and eat decrease but name of “Kichigai Festival” is still used.

Festival

Yurukyara Festival

I want to talk about notable autumn festival in Japan.
On 25, 26 October there is “Yurukyara Festival” in Hikone in Shiga prefecture. What is it? It is a festival that lax characters in Tokyo, Hokkaido and the other prefectures gather and do public relations on the product and event. Look situation in that day!!

People in Hikone want to take place this event next year. So I think it is a good festival because it connects activation of regions. And this is a first year to take place this festival. The total 46 characters take part in this festival. For example there is Sentokun Hikonyan and Na-mukun. I think Unagappa is the best above all because he is a character from Tajimi in Gifu where is my hometown.

I knew this festival when it finished. So I want to go this festival next year. If you have interest this event, please go this festival and take a picture with characters.

Movie☆

This summer I watched many movies. Above all I’d like to talk about two of my favorite Japanese movies. I watched these movies by preview. I like watching movies by preview, because sometimes there is address on stage and it is free!!

First I want to talk about “Okuribito”. This is a Japanese movie that was received a prize of Montreal film festival. Before watching this movie, I think it is sad story because it is story about person who coffin dead. But it is humorous and there is a lot of laughter. And of course it is a touching movie. This movie depicts many different end and parting. These are drag queen, mother who has a little daughter, and grandfather who has many kiss mark on his face. I think many people don’t know the job. I want people know the job through this movie. How do you want parting?

Next I want to talk about “Ikigami”. This is a Japanese touching movie too. And this is human drama. It was made comic into a movie. Government issues paper that warns about time of death, and it is Ikigami. Person who was received it will surely dead after twenty-four hours. This movie is story about how that person spends rest time. This is the movie that I was moved best in this summer.

These movies are now on presentation. I recommend these movies you. Please watch these movies.

Summer Vacation★

This summer, I visited Canada in school course trip for about one month. It is the first time to visit Canada and home stay with my friend. It is the sequence of surprise and very interesting for me. First I have spent time with my host family and commuted University of Toronto. My host family is very good. Because my host mother is good at cooking, and their jokes made me always laugh. So I could spend good time with my host family. And in holiday, my host mother often took us out to many interesting place. For example botanical garden, shopping center, china town, Japanese store and so on. Especially I like botanical garden. Because there are many flower that I have never seen in Japan, and it is very beautiful. I could watch squirrel and they are very domestic. So I could approach them and take picture with them. I was surprised by it, because I have never seen them. I think this place is good for picnic because it is very large park and it has good scene. So if you visit Canada with your family, you should go there. You will be able to spend good holiday with your family there.

Next I visited Niagara Falls. It was a dream to visit Niagara Falls, So I was moved and surprised by greatness of nature. Near there, I saw two couple’s wedding. I think it is wonderful because they look very happy. So someday I want to visit there again by honeymoon.

After finished homestay, we moved Banff by air plane. Banff is in national park. So there are many rules to protect nature and wild animals. You must be careful not to throw away litter and not to take things in there even stone or twig. So I think Banff is the most beautiful city in Canada. Next day, we visited the Rocky Mountains. It has many beautiful lakes. Its water is emerald green. I have never seen the lake like that. And it has many glaciers too. I could feel and enjoy nature in Banff.


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Diet & Exercise

Diet and Exercise
Ｉ introduce the site about diet. Especially I tell you about nutrition.


This is nutrition site in English. This Nutrition Blog is very interesting for me. This Nutrition and Calorie Guide will help you to go on a diet and know food calorie. And this video is also good, because it is color so intelligible. Let’s check it!!


It is Japanese nutrition site. This is very informative site, so it is useful for you. It teaches you about food functions and food additives etc. You can get knowledge about food that contains nutrient to live from this site. For example if you want to take vitamin A, you should take eel and carrot.


It is Japanese diet site. It is that you can go on a diet over enjoyment. You can check food’s calories on this site. For example an apple is 140kcal. Let’s check calorie list!!
And you can calculate your target weight. You can also do psychology test about diet. There are diet recipe too. Let’s try to cook!!

My Laughter File

My Laughter File

Some site dealing with laughter

This is Japanese comedian and His name is Antokino Inoki. He imitates Antonio Inoki who is pro wrestler. He is glowing popular in Japan now!
Let’s check him!!

This is Japanese gag strip named “Gag strip Biyori” I love this comic.
It is stupid but interesting. In this comic, person who is famous in history appeared such as Townsend Harris, Basyou Matsuo etc. It was made into an animation.
Biyori's homepage
Story1

This is mobile phone site, so you must access by mobile phone from this site. If you send E-mail with your photo, you can know famous person who looks like you. It is surely warm up that you access with your friends. You don’t have to register, and it is free! So you can enjoy easily. Let’s send E-mail!!

This is fortunetelling site. If you key your name and date of birth, you can tell your fortune and you can know your character. In dog fortunetelling site’s case, you can know your kind of dog. I recommend dog fortunetelling site, because it matches my character very much. And you can know your character that you don’t know still now. It is free!