IE 2 Newpaper Article #4

"Office snack stands tempting hungry staff” The Yomiuri Shimbun 12 July 2008

Summary:
Employees working overtime use “snack stands” to keep their hunger away with some chips and chocolates. Several food manufactures including Ezaki Glico Co. operate the stands and apply an “honor system” in which workers put money in a box whenever they buy a snack. Some use this service to overcome a desire to smoke and to satisfy the hunger they feel after they quit smoking. According to company managers, they appreciate the security benefits of the snack stands which help reduce the number of employees leaving and reentering office buildings. In this way, this business has grown rapidly and is said to reach 3 billion yen in a year. Convenience store chains also raise their hands to gain a share by promoting their snack food vending machines including rice balls.

Option Statement:
If snacking falls into a habit, I worry if health problems such as obesity and metabolic syndrome have increased as a result. In think that some can stop themselves from snacking or try to finish working as quickly as possible if snack stands are out of reach.
I wonder if there is another option.

Discussion Questions:
1)What do you think about the situation in which snack stands and snack food vending machines in office buildings have increasing?

2)Do you think that this service is good for security purpose?

3)What do you feel about eating food at work and when working overtime or when seeing someone doing the same thing?

神様もう少しだけ・・・

I like Takeshi Kaneshiro as I said before in my blog. Do you know that he's appeared in Japanese Drama, "Kamisama mou sukoshi dake"? I think this is one of the best dramas I've ever seen! This is also famous as Kyoko Fukada and Yukie Nakama's debut drama.

One day, Keigo (Kaneshiro), a talented but depressed music producer picked up a high school girl whose name was Masaki(Fukada) after the concert he produced. He was empty since he had lost his ex-girlfriend, but he soon found Masaki was someone could help him out. They became close and slept together. Masaki tried to leave a memo with her name and cellphone number but she decided not to tell anything about herself and left there. Few days before, Masaki had sex with unfamiliar guy just one time to make money to go to his concert. Soon after Keigo came back from the world tour, he called Masaki though the memo she was supposed to throw away in a trash box. She became so excited about meeting him again. However, when she realized how happy it was to love someone, she knew that she was already infected by HIV virus. Later, she found out that she got the virus from the guy she didn't know well about... Masaki told Keigo that she was HIV-positive and asked him to get tested for HIV. Keigo was negative as a result. Masaki was relieved about that, but felt isolated and alienated from her friends, family members and Keigo as well because she doubt he pretended to love her from compassion. However, she found out that he was not. Keigo became only the man that she could trusted and their love became the only thing she could believe in. Keigo decided to live with her and take her to the U.S where he found his new workplace. However, Kaoru (Nakama), a singer who was produced by Keigo and also a younger sister of his ex-girlfriend loved him and tried not to let them go together. Keigo and Masaki was separated from each other by misunderstanding. Three years later, Masaki lived her limited life with all her energy. Keigo became successful and came back to Japan. He still loved Masaki and visited her place to see if she was fine. Her friend, Osamu, was there and Keigo found out from him that Masaki thought she was dumped by Keigo but she still loved him. They made up their relationship and came together. Masaki expected a baby and gave birth to a girl. They named their baby Sachi, wishing for her future happiness. However, Masaki was close to the end of life. During their wedding ceremony, she passed away in peace in his arms. Keigo and Sachi were determined to live with Masaki's memory for ever...

I think this drama was focused on the atmosphere in which there were high school girls who tended to engage in prostitute for money. AIDS was also a grave issue at that time. I think this dram must have discouraged those girls to do such a thing. Kaneshiro was so cool to the end and that I would like to share the feeling with someone!! So, I already recommended Hikari to watch it via YouTube. Unfortunately, it misses the last scene with climax, so try to rent the rest on DVD sometime!!

Tokyo Disney Sea

My friend and I arrived at Tokyo Disney Sea around 4 o'clock. It was as crowded as I thought. We got starlight passports which cost 4,700 yen. First, we were intended to try Actpia, but we waited in a wrong line for Storm Rider. In addition, it took us one and a half hours and so it already got dark outside. I thought it was unworthy having waited for such a long time!! After Storm Rider, we tried Actpia and then Sindbad Story Book Voyage. They were all we tried. However, we totally enjoyed Christmas decorations for a limited time and the atmosphere which was different in each section. Everything in there made us happy and excited. I felt as if I were in a dream world. Especially, Hotel Mira Costa was very attractive for me, so I would like to stay there sometime. Unfortunately, we missed fireworks because of a cloudy sky. I got Teddy bear for myself and a can of cookies for my classmates. I'll bring it to my writing class tomorrow!!

My Neice

My neice is 14 years old and has taken ballet lessons since childhood. She had practiced ballet so hard for these few weeks because she was expected to play a main part at a concert. Actually, today was the day that she appeared on stage. Unfortunately, I couldn't go there because I had a class until after 6pm. Instead, my parents must have been there. So, I'm looking forward to hearing from them about her performance soon.

By the way, I'm going to Disney Sea with my friend after class tomorrow! ! I have never been there, so I'm very exited about it!!

IE#2 News Paper Article Discussion

“2,800 warned on first day of new traffic law”

Written Summary:
On the first date of the enforcement of the new traffic law, nearly 2,800 drivers in Tokyo were warned by the police that it required passengers in back seats to wear seat belts and elderly drivers to display a sign called “Momiji Mark” on their cars to reduce traffic accidents. According to Metropolitan Police Department, there were more than 1,000 cases of people who failed to fasten seat belts and more than 1,500 cases of elderly drivers aged 75 or older who failed to display a sign while driving. If passengers in back seats violate the new law, they are subjected to punishment as follows.
-On express ways -One-point penalty
-On tourist buses or in taxi -Imposing punishment on drivers
-In the case of passengers in pregnancy -They are exempt from punishment.
However, according to National Police Agency, they told officers not to crack down on them strictly during road until this road safety campaign ends because it takes time for the public to get used to the new law.

Opinion Statement:
I think that it is necessary for the elderly aged 75 or older to inform other drivers that they are at the wheel in some way because I have read the article that there is a case in which the elderly suffering from dementia causes accidents.

Discussion Questions:
1. My father aged 76 feels stressed about the new law, but I think it is a necessity. Do you agree or disagree with my opinion. And why?
2. If you have a driver’s license, have you urged passengers in back seats to wear seat belts? If you don’t, have you been asked to wear seat belts when you are in back seats?

Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried Green Tomatoes was one of my favorite movies and was released in 1991. The reason I found this movie so impressive was that I received some significant messages from it. Especially, I was moved by cross-age interaction and real friendship among four women and interracial friendship between white and black in the south of America. However, this movie also led me into knowing the existence of a deep-rooted racial discrimination and of KKK. After I met this movie, I came across two other movies with the same theme. One is "Amistad" and the other is "A time to Kill." Both are much more shocking than Fried Green Tomatoes, but I think they are worth watching. If you are interested in these issues, pls try them out!!

♡♡Die-Die's Birthday♡♡♡

Die-Die came up to 5 on December 13th.
She was like this as usual though...