Tragedy

Vocaloid Meme

Palm Tree Garnish

My Palm Tree garnish was made out of an Idaho potato, some lettuce, a carved sweet potato, one 10 penny and one roofing nail, and finally a blue pillow case! I thought the finished garnish looked really cute because, the trunk was a light, red, sweet potato, and the lettuce leaves (Romaine lettuce) curled down and looked really good!

So here is how I made the garnish—my dad took a knife, and cut a regular Idaho baking potato in half for the island base. Then I washed off the lettuce. My dad then took a sweet potato and started to carve out a tree trunk. (He did all the cutting, he said it was too dangerous because the knives were really big and sharp…) then I cut the lettuce leaves into short little bunches for the leaves, and my dad made the hole in the potato island base. I put the sweet potato trunk into the base and my dad helped me push the 10 p nail through the base and into the trunk. I then took the lettuce and inspected it to make sure it was okay. Then I poked the roofing nail through each of the lettuce leaves and into the top of the sweet potato trunk. Then, for an added bonus idea, I took a blue pillow case and put it under the palm tree garnish. And then I took some pictures.

I think if I had a restaurant, I would have easily added a lot of interest into the tables with these cute little tree garnishes. People would love them! I’m so sure of this because, it is too cute to be a palm tree! I think they add a lot of fun to a table! It has the same idea, like a turkey on thanksgiving, it makes up the table! It seems like a very good upgrade to a restaurant!

Aikido 合い木戸 and Kyotei 居低

Aikido

Aikido is a Japanese sport, (as you probably guessed) and all it basically is, is another form of martial arts. The main difference is the reason and objective—you try to defend yourself without harming your opponent. Aikido is roughly translated to the way of unifying with life energy.

Who made it up— Morihei Ueshiba

Main objective—Protect yourself without harming attacker

Training—fitness, morals, and mentally

How do people do it? The attack starts head on, but then you redirect it, so you and the attacker do not get the attack. It’s made up of throws and joint locks, and is categorized in the grappling arts too.

I think Aikido is a very smart way to fight, (or block. Feel, and look awesome) and it requires very little physical strength. It was well made and is used by a lot of people today.

Kyotei

Kyotei means boat race. And yes, it is Japanese. It is a very traditional sport, and is one of Japan’s four “public” sports.

The goal is for six boats to boat-race around 600meters on lakes with 3 laps. That’s 1,800meters! And the whole race itself lasts around 2-3 minutes! You have to pass the finish before a giant clock hits zero. A boat that starts too early is called a furaingu or flying start, and a boat that starts too late is called a deokure or late start. If a boat crashes or causes something bad to happen, they are disqualified, or shikkaku.

(I’m not so sure WHO made up the sport, I guess it just came…in 1952…) but whoever might have made it up I’m sure they might have been smart.

I hope you enjoyed learning about more sports in Japan through my essay. (this is a 2 in 1 essay because I missed 2 days.) and I also hope I can write more… when I’m not absent of course because how many of these have I written like, 5?! But I really enjoy writing these for you! There is always next semester…and winter break…to give the class H.W. so we don’t forget anything…Ha ha ha…

Japanese Ama Diving

Japanese Ama { 海人 } diving is one of those kind-of-well-known traditional sports, YOU may not have heard of it, but a lot of people IN JAPAN know what it is…and a look of people know what it is but not where it came from.  But Ama diving isn’t that popular anymore. Even in Japan.

LOTS OF PEOPLE LOVE AMA DIVING. If we face the facts, Ama diving has been going on for 1000’s of years. But why is it not that popular anymore? Of course, the sport is really, really, really, really, old. It’s either all year or yearly done, and the divers are USUALLY WOMEN. You have to be in really good shape to Ama dive too.

The point of Ama diving is to dive to the bottom of the water source, (such as a lake or a small ocean) and pick up whatever you can find and give it to tourists. (or small children with guidance.) The main thing to pick up though, is PEARLS. I know that you were thinking. An Ama diver, going down, picking up some weird looking “something” and giving it to a small child and then it starts to cry. That’s not the point. Originally, they would dive for foods like fish, seaweed, shellfish, sea urchins, and clams or oysters. And now, they dive down, into dark water, find the UGLIEST CLAM they can find. (The uglier ones have the best chance of a rare pearl!) They bring some ugly ones up, crack them open, and give the audience a whole bunch of great, shiny, $ WORTH ALOT $, pearls. And some Ama divers still do follow the original reason for diving—food!

The divers are located in various places around Japan. In the Okinawa Island, the divers are called, Ama, (for girls) uminchu (for boys) and Kaito, (for all divers on the Izu Peninsula.). (I can’t type the Kanji for Kaito or Uminchu…sorry) (Kanji are different ways to say Japanese words…. I’m learning!) So I guess Ama diving is popular in different parts of Japan.

The divers usually wear as little as possible, making it absolutely amazing for them do go so deep so fast and able to stay warm! Since the 1960’s and back Ama have worn only a loincloth.... omega that’s…ok… But are allowed now to wear torso covering wetsuits (this depends on the place they are diving in) and masks, fins, and for tourists white and (some parts) transparent wetsuits (like on their stomach and back for warmth. (it keeps the tradition alive, but they are NOT naked! Don’t worry I wouldn’t have done this if they were!) And no air tanks or scuba gear!

I for one think that Ama diving is a great sport, and I’m happy I could write about it! I hope you learned A LOT about Ama diving, and I hope I can write another extra credit report about another Japanese sport…. Without not dressing out!

One last thing...you can see Pearl Divers at Sea World in Orlando. Although I don’t know for sure, but I suspect they are based on the tradition of Japanese Ama Diving.

Wanted -- Steve Irwin

My Favorite Scientist is Steve Irwin.  I had to create a "Wanted"

poster about him for science class. 

Steve Irwin was born on February 22, 1962 in Essendon, Victoria, Australia. He died while filming a TV show that made him famous, The Crocodile Hunter.

He was stung in the heart by a stingray. What Steve Irwin accomplished was filming a huge success of a TV show, being a very smart and clever animal biologist and animal life scientist, and eventually teaching us how to be safe and smart when handling dangerous animals.

He got married to Terri Raines and had two children, Bindi sue Irwin and Robert Clarence Irwin. Bindi-1998 Robert-2003. If Steve Irwin was alive today he would be 48 years old. Steve Irwin taught us about animals from all around the world and encouraged us to help the environment and be a good person. This was easy for him because he did all of his work outside and filming his TV show!  He had a famous punch line--- you guessed it, CRIKEY!!!!!!!!!!

The Irwin turtle is a turtle named after Steve Irwin. It lives in parts of Australia and it is becoming endangered. Steve Irwin found this turtle while he was on a boat on a river surveying crocodiles, when he spotted the turtle in the water. Then he researched the strange turtle and it was undiscovered, so it was then called Irwin’s turtle.

Mary Rose and the Dollar Bill

This story is about five friends (my characters) fighting over a dollar bill they found on the ground on their way to the beach. The kind hearted Mary Rose helps to stop all the bickering about who gets the dollar and in the end nobody does because something happens…you will have to read the essay to find out. I hope you enjoy the story!

One day Cho Hoshi (or just Cho), and her friends, Rahbee, Beckie, Mary Rose, and Lacey were walking through a park on their way to the beach.

“Hey look, a dollar!”, Cho said as she clumsily stepped on it.

Everyone was glaring at it, wanting to take it and spend it.

“Can IIIII…have it?” Rahbee asked while elongating the I?”

Just as that dollar was about to land in Rahbee’s hand Lacey snatched it wanting it for her selfish spoiled self.

“No! I want it!” she said loudly.

Rahbe looked at her with a squint.

“W-Why did you do that?”, she said still glaring at Lacey.

“Because IIIII want it…Now go away…It’s mine now!” Lacey said as Lacey trotted away.

“Not so fast meanie” Beckie said as she ran over, her face as red as a bad apple. “You don’t own that dollar, Cho was giving it to Rahbee” she added with a mean twist. “And by the way Rahbee, can I have it now?”

“Sure, take it” Rahbee said to Beckie, “But you have to get if from Lacey first”.

Rahbee sat down with the same pose as the “Thinking Sculpture” because she was confused.

Lacey looked mean, really mean and said, “No Beckie, you cannot have the dollar because it is now MINE! So squat away you squatty squat squat”, as she turned and slowly walked away.

“OOOOOOOHHH”, Cho exclaimed as she saw Beckie’s face which now looked like a volcano ready to erupt. “GIVE IT TO ME!” Beckie screamed with smoke coming out of her nose and ears as her wings unfolded. Beckie ran towards Lacey and grabbed the dollar and put it in her pocket.

Mary Rose was just standing there quietly with her hands folded femininely in front of her. She looked at them with a disgusted look on her pretty face and walked over to Beckie.

“You stop it Beckie!” She tried not to yell. “I think that dollar really belongs to the pedestrian who dropped it accidentally. We need to go request assistance immediately and report this dollar to the lost and found. It has to be returned to it’s rightful owner so we stop fighting”. Mary Rose took the dollar then started walking over to a lady at a lemonade stand close by.

Just then Cho said, “Urrr…Mary Rose, the dollar is mine… it must have fell out of my pocket before I stepped on it” she lied.

“Oh, Okay then”, Mary Rose said because she believed her. She walked to Cho and gave her the dollar. Then Lacey zoomed over and started to argue with Cho, “She’s lying Mary Rose”. Mary Rose cut her eyes upward and threw her hands in the air, “I give up”, she said.

Then Rahbee walked over and said, “Can I have it back now? Cho”.

But Beckie was right behind her saying, “It’s mine, it’s mine, it’s mine” about a billion times.

After about 30 seconds of loud bickering Mary Rose came over and snatched the dollar from Cho, rolled in into a ball, popped it into her mouth and ate it. “Now it’s over and we can be friends again”.

Nobody said a word. They just started back down the path to the beach to have fun. The dollar was already forgotten as if it had just blown away in the wind.