Writer’s Block

I am writing an article for a newsletter. I have to write it in Japanese. It must be 1600 characters long. In Japan we often use manuscript paper that has 40 rows and 40 columns. One page of this paper is exactly 1600 characters.

The newsletter is printed by a support group for young people. A lot of support is for youths who have suffered abuse.

I am having trouble writing the article. Mostly, I am having trouble organizing my thoughts. We call this writer’s block.

I hope I can finish it soon.

Have you ever had writer’s block?

Too Much Food

When traveling in Italy, I noticed that the food portions were too large. It was hard to have a meal without feeling stuffed. Many Japanese people think this is funny, because I am an American. They think American food portions are too large.

I went to America this summer, too. Most of the food portions there were too large as well. Sometimes three of us would go to a restaurant and order two meals.

When I was younger I always ate lots and lots of food. Also, I would exercise almost every day.

Now, I am a little older and I don’t get much exercise, so I can’t eat so much food. I like Japanese portion sizes.

Do you eat a lot?

Good Breakfast

Recently I have been eating more breakfast. I think it is very important to eat a good breakfast.

Last year I was very busy. When I get busy I go to bed very late, so it is very hard to wake up in the morning. If I wake up late, then I have no time to make breakfast. Often I bought juice and energy bars at the convenience store.

Sometimes I would get light-headed before lunchtime. Also, it was hard to concentrate.

A good breakfast should include some protein and some carbohydrates. An egg, or sausage, or miso soup is a good way to get protein. I like whole grain bread or rice for carbohydrates. I don’t like cake or sweets. If we don’t get protein, then soon after we eat, our energy drops.

Did you have a good breakfast?

Skiing in Canada

I was born in America. I grew up in America. However, we lived close to Canada. It is very easy to travel from America to Canada.

I like skiing. There are good ski resorts two hours from my hometown. Often we would ski there on the weekends. We could drive to the mountains in the morning and return home at night. It was very inexpensive because we didn’t need a hotel.

In Canada there is a very nice ski resort. It was more than four hours from my home. Sometimes we would go there to ski. When we stayed there we needed a hotel because it was too far for a day trip. We always enjoyed our trip.

Do you like skiing? Is there a nice resort near you?

Cheap Tolls

I have a navigation system in my car. It is very convenient; especially for guiding me in cities I don’t know.

I also have an electronic toll paying device in my car. We call it ETC. With the ETC, we get extra discounts.

The navigation system calculates tolls, but it does not account for discounts. Today we drove from Ise to Hamamatsu. The navigation system said the toll would be 5300 yen, but it was actually 1000 yen.

I think 5300 yen is too expensive, but 1000 yen is too cheap. Money from tolls is needed to help repair and maintain the roads. If the toll is too low, then we will have to pay more taxes.

The current government wants to make the toll roads free. I think it is a kind of lie, because the maintenance is not free. We must find the money somewhere, so they will ask for more taxes.

Need More Time

Sometimes I have a lot of things to do. Sometimes I feel like, no matter how hard I work, I can’t finish everything. Recently, I feel that way. I need more time.

In six hours, I will go to the airport. I am flying to America. I need to finish packing my suitcase and go to sleep.

Tomorrow, I hope to sleep on the airplane. Planes are very noisy and the flight attendants often ask questions, so it is hard to sleep. I plan to wear ear plugs to keep out noise, and a mask to keep out light.

Can you sleep on planes?

Using the Internet

I like using the internet. I use the internet everyday. Many people have an image of the internet as a playground.

There are many silly games and entertainment sites on the internet, but there are many useful sites, too. Today I need to visit my cell phone company. I wasn’t sure if there was a store near where I am now. I checked on the internet and, in less than a minute, I found a store two blocks away. This was very fast and convenient.

Instead of printing photos here and mailing them to my family in America, I can order photos to be printed at a store near my mother. This saves money and fuel: very ecological.

One can even study English on the internet.

What do you do on the internet?

Bicycling in Amsterdam

Yesterday I went bicycling in Amsterdam. Near the central train station there is a shop that rents out bicycles. They only cost about 10 Euros for a whole day.

Amsterdam is very flat. There are no hills, so it is very easy to ride a bike. Also, there are bicycle paths near the roads, so it is very safe. The humidity is very low and and there are many trees along the canals, so it is very comfortable.

There are many bicycle thieves in Amsterdam, so I was a little nervous; however, the bicycle had two very strong locks.

I ate Middle Eastern food for lunch. I took a nap on a bench near a pond in a park. I saw many antique shops. It was fun and it was cheap.

Buying a Special Light Bulb

I have a small electronic device with six small, bright lights. One of the light bulbs burned out. I was happy when I realized the problem was the light bulb. A light bulb is easy to replace.

Yesterday I went to two electronics stores looking for a new light bulb. The light bulb is very small, but very bright. I couldn’t find it at the big electronics stores. Today I went to a special store. This store only sells electronic parts. They have many, many special items.

I easily found the light bulb I needed. It cost 70 yen. Tonight I will put it in the electronic device and test it out.

Where to Eat

It is almost lunchtime. I am wondering where to eat. My stomach doesn’t feel well, so I don’t want anything strange. But, I am hungry, so I want to eat a lot.

Maybe I will eat ramen. If it is not too spicy, I like ramen when I don’t feel well.

Also, ramen is quick and I want to buy a small light bulb at lunchtime. OK, I decided: I will have ramen.

What are you eating for lunch today?