How was Sophomore English? What did I learn/discover during this course?

This course, a persona writing was really good chance for me to think about and reflect what I am. Through this course, I was always observing myself in any kinds of aspects such as what I wanna do now, what I have done or what I wanna do in the foreseeable future. This is a fundamental process to know what I am and I got to notice internal myself. To dialogue with me is one crucial way to develop myself and this course facilitated this process. I wanna make the most of this experience in my life and I really enjoyed this course!

What do I want my obituary to say?

Yu Inoue, resident of Yokohama, Japan, passed away on February 27, at the age of 76, at his house.

Inoue was born on August 26, 1991 in Yokohama and spent all his life there. He frequently went abroad for some businesses but he knew that Japan was the best place to live because of a lot of favorite things , friends and family. But unfortunately, the age when he lived was tumultuous period such as economic crisis or environmental problems like global warming. Because of  these kinds of situations, one question coming from his mind was that humans could not decide when they was born but they could decide when they died. In order to set up moderate death, he was always finding when he died and finally he found time to pass away. It was at the age of 76 that his best to die was. Due to the reason, he almost achieved his goals of his life. At the beginning, he was planning to achieve these goals earlier but finally he could do it at the age of 76. He died in peace without regrets at his house.

What is my view about religion?

Recently, I am thinking what the god is. There are many chances to think about the religions especially, Christianity as an ICU student. Always I wanna know what the god is when studying about the religions. After all, what is the palpable distinction between humans and the god? It seems that they are stimulating and have an intimate bearing on each other. I think that the god and humans are two sides of the same coin and the line between these two are a fine one extremely thin. Also, one idea coming from Nietzsche observes this question by the same aspect. He proposed whether humans were a failure of the god or the god was a failure of humans. His claim maintained that the god and humans were so close existence, and what is more, they had no class. Always his idea gives me a little clue to my question.

What does "love" mean to me?

"Whatever is done for love always occurs beyond good and evil."

                                            Freedrich Nietzsche

I can answer the question, "what does love mean?" by quoting a maxim of Nietzsche.

I seems that what I can say from his word is love is beyond the control of good and evil and it just happens for somebody you love. Love is purposeless and innocent. 

I strongly agree with his thought but I always wonder whether my love is filled with selfish aim or not. The importance is to think about somebody you love not you. Love occurs only when you wanna be with somebody you love.

Too simple but too deep- Silesius

"The rose is without why;it blooms because it blooms.

It cares not for itself;asks not if it is seen."

                                                      Angelus Silesius

This poem is by Angelus Silesius, was a German Catholic mystic and poet.

Needless to say, it refers to what a rose is and arouses a mysterious atmosphere.

I came across this poem in my high school days and was so surprised at its simple but powerful expression. 

Its manner is too simple but cleverly see through a fundamental question. Clearly Silesius had "an imaginative awareness of experience." In the next publishing, I will try a poem and wanna describe simple but fundamental issue around us.

What is "happiness" to me?

It is difficult to answer this question because there are many kinds of happiness for our life.

But as far as I know,  happiness is the ability to understand a pain. I think originally there is no clear definition of happiness. So, how can we feel it? It seems that we need some sorts of interpretation or basis of it. I claim that it is not until we feel a pain that we can understand what happiness is.

At all events, if you feel happiness, that is to know what a pain is, you can be kind to others and strict with yourself.

My favorite recipe- Cheesecake

Recently, I am interested in food wiring as I talked about it in the first publishing. Also I like not only eating but also cooking, especially sweets like cakes. Today I would like to introduce a recipe of cheesecake. I always make delicious cheesecake by using it.

Ingredients
Cream cheese: 250g          Fresh cream: 100cc

Butter: 30g                         Milk: 50cc

Sugar: 70g                          Lemon Juice: Three tablespoons

Egg: 2                                 Cake flour: 30g

How to make

1. Mix up cream cheese and butter until becoming smooth. And then add sugar.

2. Mix eggs and add them to cheese.

3. Combine fresh cream with milk and put them into cheese. Lemon juice too.

4. Sift cake flour and put it into cheese.

5. Put cheese into a mold and bake it for 30-35 minutes at 180℃.

6. Let set for 24 hours in the refrigerator. 

I hope you can make so delicious cheesecake by using this recipe and I am looking forward to eating cheesecake you make.

Backstreet Boys- Downpour

"I wanna feel the rain again. I wanna feel the water on my skin.

And let it all just wash away. In downpour, I wanna feel the rain."

                                 Backstreet Boys

This is one snatch coming from Backstreet Boy's song, Downpour.

This song talks about disappointment in love by using rain as a metaphor. It seems that rain purifies a deep scar of disappointment of love and I am strongly in favor of this snatch. Sometime rain is utilized as an example of lost love. It is easy to connect disappointment in love and rain but actually this connection is not quite obvious. I think the ability to associate something with something is necessary to write a poem and this idea might have a bearing on "an imaginative awareness of experience." In next publishing, I would like to try a poem.

What makes I me?- What I do

"It is not who I am underneath, but what I do defines me."  
                                                               Batman



What is the exact factor to define me? In most cases, people always tend to define him by only looking at his appearance. However, this manner is superficial and can not see through the real intention. So... how can we figure out his real characteristic? I found out one clue to this question from the quotation above. It comes from a movie, Batman Begins. The quotation above claims that it is difficult to figure out what he is apparently but real intention looms as his behavior. I think his word makes sense in order to answer my question. It seems that what we do is the result of what we think or what we experience. In this logic, it's reasonable to say what I do defines me. 
Movies sometimes answers my question like this and I strongly suggest watching movies for not only fun but also study.

What are my greatest strengths and weaknesses?- Quick Wit and Fickleness

My greatest strengths and weaknesses are quick wit and fickleness. It seems that these two words are quite irrelevant. But for me, they are coexisting and have an intimate bearing each other.

Quick wit

I am seemed to have quick wit compared with others. I always try to make a decision in a flexible manner more speedy and more reasonably. But the problem is that I tend to observe only appearance of matters. So, I can not see through the essence of them. This downfall of my advantage is connected with my weakness.

                                     
Fickleness

I can not concentrate on what I am not interested. Even if I stat something new, I easily get tired of it. With me, this kind of situation is a daily occurrence and many things are half-finished. This habit results from the downfall of my quick wit. This means that my fickleness is due to the lacking of observing the essence.

Considering these two, my strength and weakness, the crux is that the important is to enhance the quality of seeing through the essence. By doing so, it is helpful to develop the ability of quick wit and redeem my shortage. I should grasp my strength and weakness more comprehensively.

A draft of first publishing - Food Writing

I am going to talk about one of my favorite restaurants.
I would like to introduce the restaurant by using a style of a guideline or manual.

There are three steps here.

1. Find out a restaurant you wanna introduce

In the first place, we have to find out the restaurant you wanna go to by means of some ways such as seeing books or word of mouth communication. And then we have to arrive where the shop is.

2. Enjoy dishes

I am most looking forward to this time! Having wonderful time with enjoying fantastic food is especially pleasant during being the restaurant.

3. Analysis of dishes

In this process, I enjoy dishes by my head not my tongue. Thinking about the recipe of dishes or observing the way of arrangement is one important clue to increasing the quality of enjoying food.

Perfume - The most irresistible urge

Today I am going to talk about one my of favorite movies, Perfume. This movie describes the one murderer with an incredible talent for smell.  For him, smell is only criteria to recognize everything and can scent out any kinds of smells. His only desire is to create best scent as perfume by means of beautiful women as perfume. Can you guess a story of this movie? Yes, he killed women in order to complete perfume. After all, nobody could resist the smell of his perfume.

One assumption coming from my mind was that smell was one crucial criteria determining human consciousness. I wrote about this topic as an essay last year of ELP. As far as I researched, smell to some extent has an impact on human characteristics . Especially, it reflects personal preference and cultural background. I think smell is the hidden law of phenomena and arouses our irresistible urge.

True or False?? - True and False

 "True and False are attributes of speech, not of things. And where speech is not, there is neither Truth nor Falsehood."                                                                              Thomas Hobbes

This maxim is by Thomas Hobbes、was an English philosopher.
The crux coming from this maxim is that there is no palpable distinction between true and false and this difference results from human interpretation.
What I might claim considering this maxim is true is false but false is true. Always these opposite concepts are coexisting and can be reversed. This assumption is so hideous because we, human beings, are always in this equivocal and tumultuous interpretation. I would like to maintain, however, it is consequential to recognize this ambiguous situation. I know that what we wanna seek is not the true or false but just interpretation. I think there is no fact, true or false but just interpretation. It seems that this condition satisfy our desire.
Overall, we are always in the chaotic but the interpretation enables us to exist.

What do you require academic advising?

From this April I have worked in Academic Planning Center of ICU as IBS, ICU Brothers and Sisters. We, IBS, provide an academic advising with students in order to develop educational plans that are consistent with their life goals with the viewpoint of a student. But recently I am wondering about what the desirable quality for academic advising is.

Here is the statement of UNESCO description of academic advising as an example.

1. To provide students with accurate information about academic progression and degree requirements.

2. To assist students in understanding academic policies and procedures.

3. To help students access campus resources that will enhance their ability to be academically successful.

There statements are very reasonable and they can be reflected for our IBS activities.

If you come up with any ideas, please let me know! Any ideas are welcome because all of you are ICU students and you are the main focus and purpose of our activities.

What is the most precious thing in my life? - 30 days in Taishikan

The most precious thing in my life is spending 30 days in Taishikan, a mountain cottage at the 8th point of Mt.Fuji. This summer, I worked in Taishikan as a clerk for a whole month. This lodge is so harsh place. For example, I had to wake up at 5:30 every day and to continue to work until 8 or 9 pm. Besides, there was no bathroom there. So I should clean up my body by using body paper every day. I could not imagine this kind of situation when I spend usual life in the lower world. For me, the most severe manner there was to kneel formally during every meal lol. At the first time, I could not stand up after every meal. During this period, the most important coming from my mind was "patience". By dating back on these days, there were many unreasonable things and I had to stand them in great patience. So I learned to know the significance and necessity of patience. Now I think patience is one of the most essential cornerstones to accomplish something. What I learned through this period will be of use in my future. I feel that from what may be hard, but we know the gratitude of pleasure. I wanna go back to Taishikan next year!! Please come and see me!! I am looking forward to seeing you in Taishikan at the 8th point of Mt.Fuji!!

The most beatutiful pictures - Vlaminck

Today I wanna introduce on French painter Vlaminck. The first time to see his picture was when I was an elementary student. His picture moved me greatly because it was so beautiful and impressive. Always his picture is vigorous but seems to be lonely. I think this impression results from his life. He was, what is called, Fauvist and always isolated from painting circles. His pictures reflected not only his lonely life but also passionate principle of painting. I think every pictures reflect painter's life but Vlaminck's mostly expressed. As a result of seeing his picture, I began to think a picture was a mirror of people's mind. I wanna paint some picutres to reflect myself in foreseeable future.

Who I am? How would I answer this question?

It is possible to answer this question by introducing movies. I think movies are the best metaphor to show who I am. There are three movies to indicate my characteristics, Gattaca, Memento and Les Miserables. Each movie has a crucial impact on my life. Now I am planning to major in Sociology and Psychology. Besides, I am interested in Christianity. These three interests are coming from each movie. I found a clue to what I would do from these movies. That is why each movie is one of essential part to tell who I am. I strongly suggest watching movies, especially Gattaca, Memento and Les Miserables. If you have already watch these, please let me know and let's discuss them!

A two-headed baby

This is surprising news for me!! I came across this article when I saw the internet news.

A two-headed male baby was born in Indonesia. They share every internal organs except for the heart. I can't believe this news and I think this baby is a kind of a new human being. One critical analysis from the internet news is that same kind of baby was born in Indonesia in 2006 and this phenomenon might be peculiar to Indonesia. Though this news was so surprising, almost media did not report this. I think this is because a two-headed baby might be the taboo and people tend to ignore this kind of issue. I caught a glimpse of the downfall of the media. I hope that this two-headed baby will be healthy and have a bright future.

One of the most favorite hobbies - Cycling

I love cycling. Every weekend, I always ride on my bicycle and take a short trip by it. In the end of this short trip, I drop in at coffee shop to have a break. During this break, I read books, enjoy the landscape from the shop, taking with clerks or something like that. This hobby is one essential part of living to sustain my so busy life. Remembering my childhood, to master how to ride on a bicycle was one crucial step in order to become an adult. Due to this reason, bicycle could enable me to go to various kinds of places and provide me with a new leisure. This meant that a bicycle created a different view of life for me. For me, cycling reflects my life and it is a kind of a dialogue. Anyway, let's enjoy cycling!!

The movie I am most impatient for its release - In Time

Hey, guys!!

The so exciting movie, In Time will be released in the 28th October. The story of this movie is that each citizen has a time clock embedded in their arm. After age 25, paupers only have one more year left to live unless they can afford to buy credits from wealthy time hogs. Their life expectancy is under control of the rich. The premise gets spelled out with a dramatic punch line in the new trailer when a guy who looks like he’s 30 tells his true age to the movie’s renegade hero.

This movie is directed by Andrew Niccol and a head the cast is Justin Timberlake! I love both of them!

I strongly suggest waching In Time!

Here is an official Website of In Time. http://www.intimemovie.com/

Why did I decide to take this course? Do I like to write? Why or why not?

The reasoning behind my taking this course is that the content of this class was very interesting. Observing and discovering me is one crucial step to know everything. This assumption can be substantiated by the maxim of Descartes, a French philosopher. " Conquer yourself, not the world." The crux coming from this maxim is that everything results from me and me is everything. I thought this course was the best activity to delve into this issue more deeply. That is why I took part in this class. But more importantly, the reason why I decided to entry this course was that an instructor was Mark! This was the most consequential factor to participate in this class!

I like to write something. For me, to write something is a dialogue with myself. Writing something is one essential process to know myself. Fortunately or unfortunately, I don't know , but especially I like to write an academic essay! As to me, an essay is equivalent to making a puzzle. Pieces of a puzzle are sources of an essay and the framework is the outline of an essay. So, it is very exciting to build up an essay step by step. Sometimes I feel writing an essay is so struggling process but can feel so great fullfilment when finishing writing. It's a matter of regret that I do not write an academic essay in this course.