Going Back

The day after tomorrow, I'm going to leave here and go back to Okinawa, Japan, and stay in there for a month.
So I can't write a post on May 31, and may be June 1. I reach Okinawa on June 1, 10:10 pm, if the schedule of the flight don't change at all.
I hope I can see my old friends at there while I'm staying.

LPI and English courses

I finally finished that English test, Language Proficiency Index (LPI) today!
I've been taking this test to get good results for the English courses that I want to take.
The course I wanted to take is called English 115, but I've been assigned to take Linguistics 099. Linguistics 099 is two levels below than the English 115, and it doesn't have a credit.
Let me put these courses in order; from the lowest, there are Linguistics 099, English 099, and English 115. Both LING 099 and ENGL 099 doesn't have a credit. So I really wanted to improve my English and take 115 or at least ENGL 099.
But since the university doesn't wait so long for my slow improvement, I decided to take any course which will be assigned from the result of this test in September. I thought I wrote well for the essay part compared to the last time, but then I thought I may not do well in the sentence structure and the English usage parts' 20 problems. I had to find an error for each sentences, but I didn't see the errors clearly especially in the English usage part. English usage is one of my biggest weak points.
But anyway, the test was done, and I know that I don't fall from LING 099. So I no longer worry about this test result!

English

These days, I feel that reading English is not as hard as used to be.
This is, of course, because I now know lots of words, idioms, phrases (and may be proverbs) than two years ago. Once I felt that the sentences I'm reading are comprehensible, then I can keep reading.
Also writhing is not as hard as used to be.
I'm sure that this everyday posting has proved some of it's effect. Today's hand-writing essay is not as bad looking as the last one.
I only hope I can keep calm during tomorrow's test (and the essay topic'll be accessible).

Harry Potter Book 5

Today, I bought the Harry Potter book 5, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix."
I've read the rest four books but haven't read this one. It's already past two years from the first publication of this title, so I think I'm a little dated.
But the book I bought is a pocket-sized adult edition which recently published (It's said 2005). It's much cheaper than the hard-cover edition and has much cooler design. I always liked to have the adult edition. So I feel good.
I bought this book also because to kill time during the flight to Japan. (I have the English test on Saturday, and leave here on Tuesday early morning... a little busy schedule for me.) I'm going to go back Japan in five days so I had to buy this book today. I'm expecting to have lots of time before the flight or riding the bus or ferry.
So I'll start reading this while I'm traveling.
I hope I can finish this before the class begin.

Crossed Out Phrases

Today, I finally practiced writing an essay.
Because the essay in the LPI test should be written in the test form itself and not even by a pencil but by a pen, I really needed to practice. And as you already know from this blog, I already used computer ways of writing so much. Therefore it's little frustrating to look my awful hand-writing with so many rewrites which are not erased at all. The papers really look awful by these not erased crossed out phrases.
But when I put them in Word, I found that the short essay satisfied the least number of words, 300. So what I need now is to make more sophisticated sentences in my head just before writing and put them out.
Then my essay shouldn't look so confused.

A List of New Words

Today, I made a word file called "New Words."
This is for new words that I leaned. These days, there are many Japanese comic books in bookstores, and so sometimes I go to one of the biggest bookstore in Victoria and read them for hours. I love reading comic books just like reading good novels, but just reading them in store and not buying them makes me so nervous. So I thought at least have to learn from them.
I've been reading them with my electronic dictionary, and there is a history of the words I checked. So I checked each of them by web-based English-Japanese dictionary and by copy-and-paste, made a list of new words.
I'd better check this everyday until I remember completely.

Credit Card

I prefer using Credit Card rather than cash.
The three reasons for this.
1. No left over small changes.
2. The detailed statement for checking my spending.
3. The frequent flier points which I can also use for shopping.
The last one is really good. I'm now rolling up those points to buy presents.

The Last LPI (for me)

On the next Saturday is an English test, the test "LPI."
I keep taking this text, but the next Saturday's will be the last one. I must practice writing for an essay, but I've been skipping. But yesterday, I rediscovered a good text book about writhing that I got from a friend a long time ago. ...I would better studying by this book until the test day.

Not Yet

This year, 2005, is the 60th Anniversary of the World War II.
Whether it's called the Victory in Europe, or the Victory over Japan, that war was over in 1945. However, when you look over the globe, there are still numerous wars all over the place.

About 3200 years ago Moses said, "You shall not murder (kill)."
Circa 2500 years ago, Buddha said, "Don't kill the living."
Around 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ said, "Love your enemies."
...

We haven't finished this lesson.

For the Past Deeds

Sometimes, we just aware that how much we've missed some important things in our past.
When we realize it, we are very disappointed to ourselves and regret why we didn't notice it at that time. But, may be the event and your behavior were very natural thing for the situation and your state of mind. And perhaps you also needed the time period to understand the thing.
So, when you understand, then you just start from that point. And it will be all OK.

Disney DVD

I really like Disney.
Unfortunately, I don't have a DVD or a video player right now, so I can't see any of those movies at home (unless it'll be on TV.) But, I'm planning that after I bought a new PC (which I'm planning to buy in three years,) or a new TV with DVD player, I'll correct those Disney movies!
I hope in three years the standardization of DVDs be done. So I can buy DVD in here and can see them by a Japanese PC.

A New Finding

When we find a new aspect of a person who we know for a long time,
we usually are surprised and feel the narrowness of our eyes.
This is the same as finding new yourself, because the discovery is actually done by soften your consciousness and widen your perception to unknown yourself.
This is one of the great pleasure for living in this world.

Smiles

Today, when I went to the university, I run into an old classmate. We didn't actually talk but at the instant we met, she smiled so beautifully, so I smiled back. That smile was somehow very touching.
After I felt very good, I also run into another old classmate, he also waved his hand so I waved my hand too.
These kinds of small things make me happy. Smiles really give happiness to others.
So my next level is to give smiles before others do.

The Middle Way

I've been so lazy in these days.
I know this is the reaction from the hard study just before the finals. And the hard study before the test was the result of laziness during the semester. But again, the last semester's laziness was the reaction from the fall term's hard study.
I really need to enter the "middle way." So I can study continuously without being worn out.

Trial Sounds

I really like violin sound.
I often visit a homepage of a music store which sells strings only, and download the violins sounds. They put trial sounds and comments for each violin on the page and because they are played by one good violinist, we can listen the good sounds of each violin (I can't distinguish the difference though).
Anyway, when I'm tired, I often listen these sounds and feel refreshed.
It's said that the high pitch sounds are good for brain. I feel it is true.

One Blue Print

As I know more about myself, I also know more about other people.
It seems that everyone's mind has the same structure and is made from one blue print.

Web Pages

I've been changing my homepage which I hadn't been done it for about a half of a year!
I'm using the university's web space to put those pages, so tomorrow I'm going to go to the university and update them. It may takes time to remember how to put the pages...

The Basis

Do you know that in the basis of every low, every existence, and every incidents is there "Love."
If you see things though love, you'll understand the cause or the reason of the thing, and you also will find the best way to solve it. Basically, every problem rises from lack of Love.
Everything should be done with Love.

Human Mind

"Everything is in the human mind."
Recently, I've been feeling how real these words are. I feel enormous diversity of the world and countless of events in the world, but in the end, all that are "felt" by "my mind."
Here is another quote;
"The mind can even think about the universe. So which is larger, the universe or the mind?"

Constant Study

It's very important to study constantly.
Only if I can study constantly, I don't be hasty or become lazy.
But it's so difficult!