Final Reflection looking back on ARW

1) What are the most valuable things you learned in ARW winter?

ARW winter made me to think a lot!! I often thought "I don't want to think anymore!!!" However, looking back now, it was good practice for me to think about complex issue while expressing own position. I tend to evade my position when I have to consider complex issues, especially bioethical issues. I always avoid having responsibility of showing own position. So, it was good opportunity for me to overcome such tendency.
Before the winter term, I had thought that I was impossible for me to study such complex issues in English. Actually, I had a lot of difficulty to express own opinion. I often thought I wanted to use Japanese. lol There were a lot of things that I couldn't explain. However, it was not impossible, and this term was very valuable for me to improve English.

I think I also should mentioned about essay. I had never written essay such deeply. My argument was pointed out many times about not being persuasive. I had hard time to find out which evidences are effective and make argument reasonable. Also, still, I was not used to the format of essay.
Moreover, I had many things that I wanted to mention about, and I have hard time organizing and selecting content. However, Mark never gave up giving advices to me. lol So I think I could make effort to respond to expectation ;)

Anyway, this term was very valuable, because it gave a opportunity to think deeply in English and to work hard.


2) How do you want to continue to improve your reading, writing, and speaking skills?

About reading, I will try to read English books which I am interested in the content. About speaking skill, I would like to make opportunity to touch and think in English. For example, I love watching movies, so I can use them to be more used to hearing English. I want to hear English relaxed. I tend to construct sentences in my head and get into panic when I can't express in English, so I want to reduce tension of hearing and speaking English.
Also, I want to learn more idioms and phrases. They will be helpful for both writing and speaking. In essay, it will reduce to use same words many times and to make variety of sentence. Moreover, when I can't come up with the vocabulary of English (when I don't know how to say the particular word in English), variety of expression will helpful to explain that word in other words.

I think the best thing is not giving up expressing in English! ;)

20X20

There are many difficulties of making 20X20.
First, it was hard for me to put the content of my essay into only 20 slides. I had a lot of things that I want to talk about, and it took me long time to select the main points and shrink the content. Therefore, I learned the skill to sift through the content to find out the main points.
Moreover, I had to memorize the speech , because I didn't have time to look note in 20 seconds. The time limit made me very nervous. I'm very weak to pressure. Thus, I had to practice many times to gain confidence as much as I can.
However, I really enjoyed making visuals. I learned how to make effective visuals. (ex. Use of photos, letters, etc...)
I wrote essay for us (outsiders of FGM culture), not just for me. So, I am happy that I had opportunities to give my argument and suggestions to other people! The essay was not just one of the measures to develop my writing skill. It was able to get more significance by being presented by 20X20.

Thank you ;) !!

Socialism

It's not related to ARW, but we studied little bit about Socialism (actually, democratic socialism). Therefore, I would like to introduce the movies that are related to Socialism! (You know, I loooooove movies;))

1. 1900 Novecento "Twentieth Century"
This film was made in 1976. It is directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and it is more than 5 hours long!!
Robert De Niro (my favorite actor), Gérard Depardieu (my father's favorite actor) , Dominique Sanda, and Donald Sutherland are in this film.

Plot
Set in Italy, the film follows the lives and interactions of two boys/men, one born a bastard of peasant stock (Depardieu), the other born to a land owner (de Niro). The drama spans from 1900 to about 1945, and focuses mainly on the rise of Fascism and the peasants' eventual reaction by supporting Communism, and how these events shape the destinies of the two main characters. Written by Ed Sutton

It's is pretty long movie, but worth seeing ;)
The one of the best things I like about this movie is music which was composed by a famous Italian composer, Ennio Morricone.
Veeerrry beautiful melody and it makes me feel history.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfJcUX23c3A


2. Good Bye, Lenin!
This is a German film in 2003.

Plot
East Germany, the year 1989: A young man protests against the regime. His mother watches the police arresting him and suffers a heart attack and falls into a coma. Some months later, the GDR does not exist anymore and the mother awakes. Since she has to avoid every excitement, the son tries to set up the GDR again for her in their flat. But the world has changed a lot. Written by Benjamin Stello

It is a little funny and heartwarming film.
My younger sister love this movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIjSaHUKD5I

3. The Lives of Others
This is also German film which was taken in 2006.
I really loooooovvvveeee this film!!!
It takes place in East German, which is just before the collapse.

Plot
In the early 1980s, Georg Dreyman (a successful dramatist) and his longtime companion Christa-Maria Sieland (a popular actress), were huge intellectual stars in (former) East Germany, although they secretly don't always toe the party line. One day, the Minister of Culture becomes interested in Christa, so the secret service agent Wiesler is instructed to observe and sound out the couple, but their life fascinates him more and more. Written by fippi2000

The last scene is nothing but stunning.
I really recommend! So please watch!

In the early 1980s, Georg Dreyman (a successful dramatist) and his longtime companion Christa-Maria Sieland (a popular actress), were huge intellectual stars in (former) East Germany, although they secretly don't always toe the party line. One day, the Minister of Culture becomes interested in Christa, so the secret service agent Wiesler is instructed to observe and sound out the couple, but their life fascinates him more and more. Written by fippi2000



3. Kaniko-sen

Kaniko-sen is a very famous Japanese novel, which is written by Takiji Kobayashi. And it made into film in 1953.
I saw revival one which is in 2009.
The content is serious and harsh.
However, this movie explains Socialism very clearly and easy to understand.


Ryuhei Matsuda　and Toshiaki Nishijima are my favorite actors ;)