Letter to my brother

Dear Daichi, (my Brother)

It's now year of 2010 and this is your 2nd time you repeated a year. But still, you are not trying to quit school. I know you are worrying how other people and society will judge you if you quit college.

Life in Japanese college is like a heaven. You don't have to go class, and you have seldom homework. You can go party every day and being lazy all weekend. You are part from parents, so nobody is nagging to you. SO you want to stay as a college students forever. Also, you

But you can't do this forever. You can't repeat same year again and again. I think 2010 is the best year for you to make a big change in your life. I really want you to withdraw from school, and go travel around the world. When I was 15 years old, I moved to Switzerland, and have seen around the Europe. There I've met many people from different cultures and values. Every time I see different values and culture, myself were improved. I've also been to poor countries and seen people living under despair. All the experiences I had in traveling around the world make me grow up as a human beings.

Right now, growing up in small town in Japan, your view is very provincial. That's why you care so much about how other people and society will look at you. That's why you cannot take a step forward. If you go out of the country and see the world, you will realize that you are warring about such a small things. You will realize there are more important things than decency, academic background in the world out there.

Weekly Writing 2

(1) In the documentary film called "YASUKUNI", Director Lin In appealed for Japanese proper reactions to explain why Yasukuni shrine has became worldwide problematic place, and their responsibilities to solve this long-time political and historical controversy clinging to Yasukuni shrine. With 10 years of shooting documentary about Yasukuni poloblem, Lin tried to show the truth of what is really happening at Yasukuni shrine today. With the unbelievable senses from the film which a lot of Japanese people haven't seen with their own eyes--- Japanese military veterans visiting Yasukuni in full regimentals, and an American carrying the babier for his own nations' flag; a Japanese college student protesting against singing the national athem, and group of people who misunderstood the student as a Chinese student shouting at him to go back to China--- Lin asked audience to define Yasukuni shrine; what and how it should be. Lin also argued that it is impossible to pay homage only for particular people at Yasukuni shrine due to its complicate character. Therefore, he argued that pre-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who has political influence, should not have visit Yasukuni, and Japan need to make a proper judgement for separation of politics and spirituality.

(2) Although he made a documentary on such controversial and sentimental issue, Director Lin In succeeded in his argument and film. One of his argument on Yasukuni controversy; Japan need to explain and solve this issue, is reasonable since it is not only issue in Japan, but involving other countries such as China, Korea, Taiwan, even western countries. Also, I agree with his argument against Junichiro Koizumi visiting a shrine. As a Japanese prime minister, Koizumi should have been more aware of his influential power as a political figure. It is not same as a normal Japanese citizens visits the shrine. Also, since Yasukuni shrine has only one God, it is impossible to pay homage for particular group. No matter to whom Koizumi pay homage, he is paying homage to all people who are enshrined to Yasukuni, and it includes class A war criminals. That said, it is not right place to visit for the Japanese Prime Minister who gave up war forever. Paying homage to A-class war criminals clearly means supporting the war.

(3)Lin In's argument in film called "YASUKUNI" called many skepticism to bear. First of all, the fact that Lin In is from China made his argument doubtful. As he was born in China, his values and assumptions must be based on China, and that will brings some cultural and historical perceptions into his arguments. There is a contradictions in his arguments when Lin argued that it is Japanese responsibilities to solve the issue while he also said that Yasukuni issue is worldwide controversy. Also, when Lin argued that pre-Prime Minister Koizumi cannot pray homage only for particular people, I would argued that it is depends on individual's belief. The most important thing is our hearts when we pray homage at the shrine. If Koizumi prayed homage for war victims, his pray goes only for them. Also, we all have freedom of praying and freedom of belief. Critisizing Koizumi praying is against human right. No matter he is Prime Minister of Japan, he is a human being; therefore, he has right to prey whenever he wants.

(4) In terms of analysis on rhetorical situation, the author is Lin In, a film director who is born in China, but grow up in Japan almost 20 years. He decided to make his documentary film because Yasukuni shrine is been controversy for decades, and its controversy became worldwide problem. He is responding to the event on August 15th 2006, when then Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited the Yasukuni shrine. Koizumi's argued that he pay homage to only for war victims and their families but not for the class-A war criminal. In response, Lin argued that Japan need to separate its politics and religion. The constrains of his argument was that it is cultural, religious, and historical issue.

Exercise #5 Letter to Editor

In her recent article about the Tacoma shooting incident, Sue Rahr argued that community's safety is responsibility of both law enforcement and community's collaboration. I agree with her idea of "new reality" which police and our community are facing. The reality that police officers are in risk, the reality that our community are in unsafe, and the reality that the relationship between police and our community will be intense. As Sue argued, I believe the only way to avoid these realities is to be united and work together. We should fight together against the new realities which is threatening us and our community. As a member of community, we should all understand and support police and protect our community.

Exercise #4 analysis Sue Rahr

In Sue Rahr's article which was a response to the homicide of police officers in Tacoma, she argues how much this incidents hurt police officer and people, but at the same time, she also argued how much people supported police officer. Sue stated that people showed their support for police service by sending letters, flowers, sweets and by "thank you". Sue's article was successful in terms of having commonplace. There are three kinds of commonplace: conjecture, degree, and possibility. In Sue's article, commonplace of conjecture is seen when she talk about what happened in Tacoma and what happened in 9/11. These two events are something happened in the past and also something commonly shared among the audience. Next, commonplace of degree is used when she compared Tacoma incidents and 9/11. She said she feel same way as she felt during 9/11. Also, she connect her feeling for the event with audience's feeling at the end of the article. She told audience to not forget how they felt during 9/11. That feeling is shared commonly among audience. Finally, commonplace of possibility can also be used. Sue talked about how this incidents might damage the relationship between police and people. Her commonplace of possibility is "is it possible to keep the relationship between police and people".

Exercise # 3

The year of 2009 was very fresh and new. It was my first year at SU, and first time to live by myself in Seattle city. It was new school, new people, and new life. However, I also think it was really busy year too. I was driven crazy because of tons of academic work, tutoring, working at collegium, volunteers, and Internship etc. I think the reason I was driven crazy is because I was trying to obtain all the opportunities SU offers. From this experience, I learned that I wasn't doing right time management. So, I think 2010 will be more relaxing. I want to take things slow this year. Of course It's good that you challenge many things. But it is more important to manage your time and your ability. Rather than trying new things, this year of 2010, I want to keep what I have been doing from 2009. However, it is also true that 2010 will be big turing point for me. First I will be graduating, then, I have to get a job, and then going back to Japan. So I in order to graduate and get a job, I still have to work hard. In addition, I want to go India. In 2009, I couldn't really go other countries besides going back to Japan, so after graduate, I hope I can go traveling a lot. I want to go India, Thailand, Mexico, and maybe Asian counties. During school period, there is no time for traveling, so I wish I can go traveling after I graduate. I think traveling is great things to do because you can get to see the world you never seen.

Exercise 1/12

I love coffee. I drink coffee at least one cap a day. Sometimes I drink more than three times a day. My favioret place for coffee is starbucks. I goes sturbucks in the morning, between classes, after classes, and even before going to bed. Starbucks is way better than just going Cstreet and get a cap of coffee. When a staff make a coffee for me, it taste more delicious than the self-made. Also I love the atmosphere of starbucks.

Weekly writing 1

On 2008 August at the Democratic NAtional Convention, Michelle Obama delivered a speech to support her husband Barack Obama as a U.S. President. Her speech was powerful and moved audience's heart. The reason of her speech to be succesfully persuasive, is due to her choice of style.

Use of repetition is one of her stylistic choices. In the beginning of the speech, Michelle used the phrase of "I came here as..." many times. This technique is same as the one used in the famouse Martin Luther King's speech. In his speech, King constantly repeated the phrase "I have a dream...". Repeating a phrase not only makes speech easy for audience to follow, but also gives good rhythm and impact. Like King, Michelle kept her speech simple, rythmical, and powerful by using repetition. As a result, audience easily followed her, and did not forget what she had said.

Other key style that makes Michelle's speech successful is use of vocablaries. Througout her speech, she did not use any professional vocabraries such as politic or economic speciality terms. Instead, she used simple words that everyone understands. If she had used professional words, her speech could not be succesful becasue the audience will not able to understand what she is talking about. Morover, she used casual words alot. An example is "My dad was our rock". Instead of just saying "My dad was a great man", which is usually been used, her casual vocabrary gave more impact on her speech.

Use of joke is also one stylistic choice. When Michelle talked about the first time she met Barack Obama, she said "...even though he had this funny name,...". The use of joke could be sometimes risky. If a joke was extreme or excessive, the speech will be inappropriate and sometimes lose its seriousness and credibility. However, in Michelle's speech, the joke created positive impact and made a closer relationship with audience. For the joke to be successful, she made a joke that everyone will agree with. The name Barack Obama is not common name and most of people will agree if someone call it funny name. When audience and speaker agree on something, it created a connection between them. Michelle and audience's agreement on opinion for Obama's name made connection between them. When audience finds connection to their speaker, they gained affinity to Michelle and as a result, good relationship born.

The reason her choices of style made her speech persuasive is come with her understanding of audience. In other words, Michelle's speech became persuasive becasue she knew her audience, and therefore, she could use right styles for them. She used repetition becasue she knew that the audience had difficulty to follow long speech. She said "May dad was our rock", not "My dad was great man", because she knew about young populations in her audience. She used joke becasue she knew the audience is mostly Americans, and loves jokes.

In conclusion, her understanding of audience and her right choice of style for the audience is the key contribution to her persuasive speech. Her repeated phrase gives her speech a good rythm, and her audience could easily follow. Casual vocablary was used becasue she knew about young audience. She used joke becasue she knew that Americans love joke. All styles she chose gave good impact, connection between audience and good relationship with audience. Also, becasue she used right style for right audience, her speech became persuaseive. Right stylic choices for right audience: this is the conclusion for analyzing ultimate skills which Michelle Obama used in delivering her persuasive speech.