June 9th

              Today, we intended to go to West Berkeley Senior Center, but it was closed today. Therefore we went to North Berkeley Senior Center in haste. I wanted to participate in painting class. However, the class did not open today. So I joined two men who played billiard. One was a teacher, and the other was a student. It seemed that they had started to learn billiards 2 or 3 days ago. Of course, it was a joke. Some came to join us while we were playing the games. They taught us how we could hit balls, but I was far from a good player after all. However, the teacher was so handsome, and also other girls, Rika, Yuuka and Sayaka, thought the same thing about him. Unfortunately, time flew so quickly. When we went back home, we asked him to take a picture with us. I was happy with taking his picture with me!

June 8th

              Today, I went to West Oakland Senior Center. Ethan took us to the senior center by his car, so it is easier to get there than yesterday. Unfortunately, as is often the case with me, I got carsick quickly. However, I do not care about being that, even if his drive is such rough because I appreciate everything he has done for BIE students. As soon as arriving at WOSC, I and other students went upstairs to participate in a line dancing class. I enjoyed dancing at first, but I was tired of doing soon. After the class, they had prepared seats and gave a meal for each us, so we had lunch together on the same table without seniors. However, we kept talking with each other in English, and I had enjoyable lunch time. After that, we taught two seniors how to fold Origami. It was too difficult for me to explain that well. I suggest to the group A to learn how to teach Origami.

June 7th

              Today, I went to West Oakland Senior Centers to give a second presentation. Actually, I was afraid of going to Oakland because it sounds scaring to me. In fact, on my way to WOSC, I saw a building whose door had been hit by a bullet. I wondered what had happened here. I came to want to go home at that time. After we got to the senior center, I and other students started to prepare for our presentations. There were many audiences during the presentations, but they were different from the YMCA gym’s seniors. The YMCA’s audiences ask us questions in the middle of the presentation, but WOSC’s ones remained silent during the presentation. They asked questions after that. They concentrated on all presentations even if they remained silent while we were speaking. Their attention gave me energies a lot.

June 6th

              Today, I participated in an aerobics’ class in YMCA gym. I was just exercising for an hour, although it was a part of internship. All of us did not talk to seniors at all during the class. But it was so fun for us! Though the aerobics’ class was for seniors, it was hard to keep up with. As soon as the class was done, we cleaned up the classroom. Then I finished today’s internship with my mouse keeping closed, after all. We refer to our internship as a kind of diet internship. It seemed that we went to YMCA gym just to exercise, but not to talk with seniors. Furthermore, all of us except Rika played with a basketball in one of the gym’s room. My team consisted of 3 members, Oka, Tomomi and me. And another team consisted of only Ethan. But we were no match for him in the game. I was dripping with sweat. Either way, I should have tried to get an occasion to talk to seniors because my purpose of the internship is to improve my English ability.

Vocabulary 1-20

propriety
 moral and social behavior that is considered to be correct.
  The boy has a sense of propriety

commandeer
 to take a control of a building for military purposes during a war.
  It is my intention to commandeer one of the ships.

confess
 to admit that you have done something wrong.
  When I blamed him, he confessed his mistake after all.

rouse
 to wake up somebody.
  Rouse me when i do not get up until 9 o'clock.

intend
 to have a plan, result or purpose in your mind.
  I intend to go out tonight.

decent
 wearing enough cloths to allow somebody to see you.
  You do need to be decent.

sail
 to begin a journey on water
  Pirates sail these waters.

mired
 stuck in deep mud
  It is bad to sing about someone with us mired in unnatural fog.

fog
 water in the air.
  Fog prevent me from seeing something.

dissolute
 to enjoy immoral activities
  They are dissolute creature.

stunning
 extremely attractive or imprresive
  You look absolutely stunning.

tricky
 difficult to do or deal with
  Getting it to fit exactly is a tricky business.

reprimand
 to tell someone officially that you do not approve him or his actions.
  My boss has not reprimand me for my attitude.

obvious
 easy to understand.
  Do not make is obvious.

somehow
 in a way that is not known or certain
  Somehow, I can not like him.

reassure
 say or do something to remove the doubts and fears of someone
  Her smile reassured the frightened boy.

murmur
 to say something in a soft quiet voice that is difficult to hear or understand
  She murmured in a low voice.

console
 to give comfort or  sympathy to somebody who is unhappy or disappointed.
  Nothing could console him when his wife died.

ponder
 to think about something carefully for a period of time
  She pondered over his words.

glitter
 to shine brightly with little flashes of light, like a diamond
  The ceiling of the cathedral glittered with gold.

Differences and Similarities between American and Japanese Seniors

              In Japan, the population of seniors has been increasing recently. One of the reasons might be the average life expectancy of Japanese is perhaps the longest in the world. On the other hand, American seniors’ population also has been rising. It often happens in developed countries that the rates of seniors increase. In other words, there are many seniors both in America and Japan. However, I was wondering how seniors here differ from Japanese ones. I would like to compare them.

              I think there are not only differences but also similarities between American and Japanese seniors. I have been to several senior centers as a part of my community service learning, and I came to understand a little American seniors’ way of living there. All senior centers where I have visited have some classes in which seniors are interested, and also interesting things tend to let most seniors have their hobby. Most seniors who frequent the centers are taking the classes as their hobby. However, it is unusual that Japanese senior centers have classes like American ones, so most Japanese seniors are not taking any classes at their centers. Japanese seniors who frequent the centers where they do not have any classes might just hang out with each other. But some Japanese seniors have their hobbies because my grandparents found something interesting by themselves. My grandmother likes dancing one of the Japanese traditional dances, and my grandfather is engaged in volunteer activity. Not only my grandparents, but most seniors in Japan must have some hobbies. In my opinion, the hobbies let seniors’ life be more wonderful, so seniors from any country seek their meaning of living. Seniors from Japan also are active as well as American ones at looking for their hobbies.

              In conclusion, American seniors differ and also are similar to Japanese seniors. One of differences is whether taking or not taking classes at a senior center. One of the similarities is that both of them are active at looking for their meaning of living. Either way, they like their hobbies.

First Impressions, Senior Centers in Berkeley

I would like to introduce three sites in Berkeley, which I visited on the first internship. One of sites is North Berkeley Senior Center. That is located by Trader Joe’s where I often go to purchase some ingredients. That meant the site was near YMCA in which I am living. At first, I thought it would be easy to get there. On entering the building, visitors were supposed to sign in each their name. While I did it, two seniors talked to Japanese students including me. They had been studying Italian at the senior center because there is an Italian class there. The senior center had not only that class but also a dancing class and a painting class. It seemed that whoever wants to join to the classes would be allowed to do, regardless of whether he is or isn’t a senior. I want to take the Italy class. Furthermore the building had a TV room. I liked there because that room was quite calm. In my opinion, North Berkeley Senior Center had many systems to let seniors enjoy. They had not only enjoyable rooms but calm rooms.

Another site is West Berkeley Senior Center which is on 4^th street. There were many shops nearby. I would go shopping several times after the internships. Josephine who works there introduced that senior center to Japanese students, and she gave a explanation about the center. That center had a meal of wheels. Seniors could eat each of the meals and talk to each other there. They could also use a computer because there was a room for using the computer. However, there weren’t any new computers, but only older ones. A man who was using a computer talked to Japanese students. I don’t know why he uses the computer usually, so I will ask him next time. Also, that senior center has a garden. When I went there, two American was standing in the garden. One gave me a hug as a greeting. I think people who come there is friendly. I came to want to talk with them again.

The other site is YMCA. They have a gym in which there are exercising classes and a pool. Actually, I can use those for free because I am living in YMCA. They allow everyone who lives there to receive those services. I used to go to that gym to lose weight. Many seniors were swimming or exercising when I went to exercise. Of course, there were not only seniors, but younger people. In addition, it seems that somebody invited seniors to tea parties at YMCA while Japanese student attended their classes, and I am going to join to the parties as part of internship. I am looking forward to taking with seniors at the parties. I have a feeling that I can improve my English skill through the internship. However I have to keep it in my mind that it depends on me to go well. I will make a great effort to improve my English skill.