Example Questions in the Classroom

Where is this story?

What’s the name of this strong man?

What is Haller Park?

What’s the hippo’s name?

Do you know why he was feeling stress?

The brave man said, “Catching him was very hard!”

Do you know why it was not easy?

  “That’s a hippo over there. What is he doing there?” ― a Kenyan villager shouted. A baby hippo was alone on the beach. He was trapped in the seaweed.

  Soon, hundreds of people were at the beach. Many of them worked all day on the rescue. But he resisted violently, and catching him was very hard. Finally, one brave man caught him.

  “Let’s take him to a safe place!” some people said. So they took him to Haller Park, an animal sanctuary. They named the hippo “Owen” after the brave man.

  Owen was safe in the park, but he was under stress. Hippos live in groups. Baby hippos learn everything from their elders. The park staff wondered, “Can he survive alone?”

Blue Monday?

Perhaps lots of Japanese workers feel “blue Monday” tomorrow because GW holidays are over today. I am one of them.

How does it feel, however, if my students were longing for me?

No reality, but “blue Monday” also has no reality.

Tomorrow is Thursday.

Whitman's essential message was the Open Road

I have this book since 1997.

During this golden week, I was thinking and writing on Whitman.

The Song of the Open Road has brought me five points as follows:

  

1) From now on, “I” go out to the open road, leaving the house behind.

2) Walking on the road, “I” am passing with strangers.

3) And now here, “I” feel oneness with people in the open air.

4) But “we” must not stay here and go toward something great.

5) “I” will give myself to “you”, one of the souls of men or women.

“I” cannot live alone and at the same time “we” cannot live without souls.

What do you think who “you” are at the last scene (point 5)?

Whitman says it is you as a reader, I think.

Places to write

It’s difficult for me to write in the house, so I go out.

I went to Chitose-Karasuyama the day before yesterday.

I went to Shin-Nakano yesterday.

I went to Waseda today.

Actually, I cannot write outside, so I go to a coffee shop.

I went into Chat Noir the day before yesterday.

I went into Veloce yesterday.

I went into Chat Noir today.

People are the same

Why do I have Whitman’s book?

(It’s) because his book says as follows:

Do you know what it is as you pass to be loved by strangers?

Yes, it seems to me there could be love among passing strangers.

Whitman lived in the 19th century America. I’ve been living in Tokyo, Japan since I was born. The difference doesn’t matter because people are basically the same everywhere as an English teacher said in his blog.

At Chitose-Karasuyama

I heard the mothers talking about their children's primary school teachers.
I heard the sirens from the outside.

You've got a friend

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe quoted lyrics of Carole King in his speech to a joint session of the U. S. Congress.

“When you’re down and troubled, . . . close your eyes and think of me, and I’ll be there to brighten up even your darkest night.”

In his context, “you” are Japan and “I” am America. America gives hope to Japan. And Abe said, “we’ve got a friend.”

In his vision, America and Japan will make the world a better place to live.

Sounds too big for me. How about you?