Rabbit and the Hare

In English there are some similar animals with different names. Often in Japanese they have the same name.

For example the rabbit and the hare. The hare is usually larger and has very powerful back legs. Also, the hare’s ears are usually larger than the rabbit’s ears.

Turtle and tortoise are another example. Generally, a tortoise lives only on land and a turtle lives in and near lakes and streams. Often the tortoise lives in a desert and their shell is very round. Turtle shells are usually flatter so they can move fast in the water.

Also crocodiles and alligators are very similar. The crocodile is usually larger, but the alligator has a very strong, square jaw.

Have you ever seen a rabbit? How about a hare? Have you seen a turtle? How about a tortoise? Have you seen alligators or crocodiles?

Astronaut

In 1969 I remember sitting on the couch next to my father watching TV. I was only four years old, but I remember. We only had a very small black and white TV, but I remember. The image was very snowy, but I remember.

Why do I remember? Because it was the first time a man walked on the moon. I was very excited. I decided I wanted to be an astronaut. Although I never became an astronaut, I will always have the desire to adventure.

I always want to go to new places, see new things and learn more.

Are you an adventurer?

Not the Same

When I was a small child, I thought elephants, hippos, and rhinos were all related. Of course they are different animals, but they have many similarities. All three: are from Africa, have tough skin, and are very big.

Children often have very simple ways of looking at the world. Sometimes their ideas are very silly. Sometimes their ideas are very clever.

I really enjoy working with children because, everyday I can listen to their thoughts.

Did you have a funny misconception when you were small?

Peculiar Weather

Here in Mie, we expect hot and humid weather every summer. Usually we expect it to get hotter and hotter from June until August. After August we expect it to slowly cool off again. In October the weather should be comfortable.

This year, it was very hot in June. Many people complained that it would be a hot summer. In July it cooled off, which surprised us. Of course it was still hot, but not as hot as normal. In August it got very hot again.

Now it is near the end of August and the weather has cooled off a lot. It is very comfortable outside. I am very happy with this weather.

Why is the weather so strange this year? Is your weather good this summer?

Fuel Efficiency

My car is a Honda Fit. One reason I purchased this car is it’s high fuel efficiency. Many people think that Kei cars are very efficient because they have small engines. The Fit actually gets better gas mileage than all of the Kei cars.

Recently, I was thinking about how to get better efficiency. I noticed that driving just a little slower on the expressway increased the efficiency a lot.

Today I drove home on the expressway and got very good gas mileage. I think I will drive slower now.

What kind of car do you drive? Do you think about fuel efficiency?

Rainy Day Fireworks

Last night it was raining at my apartment. It was raining pretty hard. I heard many loud noises outside. They sounded like explosions.

I went outside on the balcony to see what was making the noise. There were many bright explosions. Someone was launching fireworks near my house.

I was very surprised. I always thought that fireworks couldn’t be launched in heavy rain. There were a lot of fireworks. They were very beautiful.

I think a school near my home was celebrating their culture festival.

Did you know that fireworks could be launched during heavy rain? Have you watched fireworks in the rain?

Homemade Balloon

Today a teacher and a student made a giant balloon. They cut open trash bags to make plastic sheets. They taped the sheets together to make the balloon. They used a fan to fill up the balloon. They tied a plastic string to the balloon.

When the sun was shining on the balloon, it got hot and flew up into the air. It went up about 20 or 30 meters. I was very impressed. They wanted to attach a camera to the balloon, but it was too heavy.

The balloon was leaky, so it got heavier and heavier as the air leaked out. Some other students noticed the balloon outside the window. After that, they couldn’t concentrate on their class.

They wanted to use black bags because they would get hot in the sunshine and rise faster. Unfortunately, most garbage bags are clear now. I want to make my own balloon now.

Have you ever made something interesting like this? What was it?