Gift from my aunt

Last Sunday a parcel from my aunt who lives in Tochigi arrived. When I went to Nagasaki, she told me to send new rice when she could get it in Tochigi. Last Friday, she called me and told me that she sent new rice.
I was so surprised when I opened the parcel! There were many things in it. For example, ramen, spaghetti, tunas in can, many snacks, an apple, a big Japanese pear, two Japanese persimmon and so on. I was very happy because these foods are useful to me live by myself. After that, I called her to say thank you very much. She laughed about me because I was excited to tell my feeling.
I ate one of her gifts, ramen at that night. It was a ramen which was made from a famous ramen shop in Tochigi. It tasted great and I enjoyed dinner. (147 words)

The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Stories

Then he spoke words that I will never forget. “Now do you hear it? I heard it. I
have heard it for many minutes, many hours, and many days, but I could not
speak. Now I am telling you. She was alive when we put her in the tomb! Will she
be here soon? Is she coming to punish me? Can I hear her feet on the stairs? Can
I hear the sound of her heart?”

It was a first time I read novels written by Poe. I learned about Poe last semester and I thought that I wanted to read his novels. I found this novel which was retold to read easily by a writer in the library. Then I decided to read it soon. It is consisted of five storied; The Fall of the House of Usher, The Maelstrom, The Barrel of Amontillado, The Murders in the Rue Morgue and The Stolen Letter.
Firstly I read “The Fall of the House of Usher.” I think it is one of the most famous novels of Poe’s. I watched the movie a little when I learned about him. It was so scaring and dark movie to me. I especially scared Madeline and Usher and I think I can’t live with them even if Usher is a friend of mine. If I have to take care of him, I may take him out from the house. It was weird that a story of Ethelred and their condition had a similar circumstance.

Next, I read "The Maelstrom" and it was weird story too. It seems like a Japanese old story, Urashimataro. The old man said that he became old when he realized. I couldn't understand the true meaning of the story.
Then, I read "The Barrel of Amontillado." It was a story of murder. The beginning was filled with Monstresor's hate for Fortunato. It was easy to understand how Monstresor desired to kill Fortunato. In addition, Monstresor had a brutal personality because he pretended that they were good friends even if he thought of Fortunato's death. The end of the story was terrifying. There might be something in the tombs.

Next, I read "The Murders in the Rue Morgue." It was a brighter story than the other stories. The process of solving mystery was interesting. It was impossible to clarify the murder's nationality because there were many testimony to it. Many readers may think that the murder is human. However, he was not a human but an orangutan! It was easy to satisfy readers about the testimony.

Finally, I read "The Stolen Letter." It is so hard for me to understand what "D---" and "G---" mean. I want to ask someone, who are a English speaker, about the meaning if I have a opportunity. (452 words)

It was written by Edgar Allan Poe, published by Pearson Education Limited. YL is 3.4 and 11,000 words.

Speaking ~Answers~

I asked some exchange students who are from English-speaking countries to get information for questions. One of them said that he needs more fast food shops, for example, MacDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken and so on. He said that he wanted to eat pizza and sandwich in KGU. The bakery sold some sandwiches but he said he needed more kinds of them. I think that we need more western-style shops for exchange students in a mini mall.
This is a reason why we need stores on campus. We don't have to go to the downtown or Clair to buy something we need. All of students who I asked said it was useful that a mini mall open on holidays and weekends. Almost stores on campus close on weekends.
Working at a mini mall is useful to students who live far away from KGU and have class by 5th period. They can work there after the class. (154 words)

My favorite dish

This is one of my favorite dishes so I make it once a week. It is really easy to make, let's try!

Here is ingredients for 4 people; four potatoes, eight sausages, a half onion, five tablespoons of starch, two tbsps of sugar and soy sauce, one tbsp of cooking alcohol and vinegar and smack of salt and pepper.

Here is a recipe. First of all, you heat cut potatoes in a microwave oven for four minutes. Then, you saute them over medium heat for about two minute. After you brown them lightly, you remove from frying pan and put them on a dish. Next you saute cut sausage and onion. Finally, you put the browned potato into them and add the seasoning. That's all!

The salty-sweet potato is good and it goes well with rice. (134 words and total 8,035 words)

Takuma festival

Last week, there was a Takuma festival at KGU. I attended the festival as a member of Aokastu which I belong to. It was more exciting and wonderful than last year for me. We sold potato and tapioca like last year. This year we sold tapioca only and we added many tastes for tapioca. For example, it was chocolate, calpis, vanilla, orange juice, apple juice, caramel, milk tea, lemon tea and strawberry milk. Caramel was the most popular taste in our shop. I recommended it to people who went to the festival as I sold tapioca to them. During the festival, I often prepared tapioca. Tapioca which is enable to be eaten was difficult to make. (116 words)

Pamela

Oh my parents! I didn't know what to say! But now I think I understand why I
don't hate him. I'm afraid I'm beginning to love this gentle Mr. B. But don't
worry, I won't lose my virtue now.

I leaned about "Pamela" in a British literary history class. I wanted to read it because I liked love story and I wanted to know why "Shamela Andrews" was written after "Pamela" was published. It was easy to understand Pamela who is a maid in a big country house and Mr. B who her mistress's son's feeling because this story was written in an epistolary style. So we could read it through their letters. It was a first time I read the novel like it.

The subtitle of "Pamela" is "Virtue Rewarded." I think that Pamela excessively insisted on keeping her virtue from Mr. B. I think she was scared to accept her love for him. Then she escaped from him and tried to go home. I couldn't cotton to her character. I think Mr. B might judged her by her appearance.

It was interesting and I want to read "Shamela" soon.

It was written by Samuel Richardson, published by Black Cat Publishing, YL is 4.5 ~5.5 and 15,500 words. (189 words and toal 7,783 words)