Any country

   

    Today was Natsuko’s frst day at her volunteer job. She work up early and thought about her day. She thought about what she would do. She was excited and nervous.

     At 7 am, Natsuko got out of bed. She showered and got dressed. Before she went to the kitchen, she sad “Good morning” to her mother. At 8, her mother dropped her off at Toyama Station. She took a train that went to Tokyo. In Tokyo, she stayed a hotel with other volunteer staff. Next morning , she woke up early and went to Narta airport. One hour later, French people came. Her was a volunteer interpreter in charge of this French group for the World Child Performng Arts festival. She was interested in France and had studied French a bit. This job was a reallly good opportunity to meet French people. She didn’t know much about their culture. She talked wth them Engish. However, only half of them could speak it. Then they got on a bus to Toyama. On the way they stopped at a rest area to go to the bathroom. The French students were surprised that Japanese toilets were automatic. They asked Natsuko about Japan a lot in the bus. For about one week, they prepared for ther performance. Natsuko was with them and looked forward to see their performance. The next day was their performance day. It was really amazng. Other performance were also very good. The following day the group went to Zuryuu temple. Interpreting there was hard for Natsuko. 

    The last day was a farewell party at the ANA hotel. Natsuko wore a yukata and took many pctured with the French students. She felt the volunteer days had gone so fast. The next day she took a bus wth them to see them off. At the airport, their leavng was sad, but she said good bye to them in French. The volunteer work had been a good experience for her.    

 

  

　　Ｐart-time work at a hotel has changed my life. One day my mother told me that she saw an article about a job at the Manten Hotel in Toyama city. When I decided to work there, I didn’t have confidence that I could do this job and was so nervous. I just wanted to test out this type of career. I was thinking only of the changes that would come from starting the job.  Before I started, I was shy and didn’t have opportunity to speak to foreigners outside of school. At that time I became interested in working at a hotel. However,  I could only read books about the hotel industry. I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to work in it or not. I used to have a part-time job at a restaurant. It was not bad, and I had good coworkers, but I was bored sometimes because I had been doing that kind of work since high school. I wanted to do something new. I never knew that my life would have similarities, but  differences  life between before and after working at the Manten Hotel.

     I started to work at the　front desk of the Manten Hotel from  March. My job is really hard  there are many responsibilities.  Before working at the front desk, I trained for 5 days because I had to remember many things. For example, I had remember the types of rooms, facilities, and the ways of talking to customers.  I was so nervous but happy to learn these things.

    I still don’t know some things, but gradually I have understood the job.  The biggest thing that changed was the opportunity to speak to foreigners outside the school and use English. I meet foreign customers regulary. They come from various countries, and I really enjoy talking with them. I sometimes ask my boss if I can translate English documents, call to Europe, and write English letters. On the other hand, I still want to travel to many countries, remain interested in the Hotel industry, enjoy meeting foreigners, and am still busy. Hopefully I will to go to New York and California before graduating from TCFL. I am now confident of doing anything. I am also proud of my job. Until I go to China in Feburary, I’ll continue this job. It has changed my life in so many wonderful ways. 

Unit 9: My hero            

  The person I will write about is Barack Obama, Jr. I read his book and saw his speech recently. His speech was very clear and strong. I was so impressed. He is my inspiration for being honest, loving my family, and living life fully.

              Barack Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961. His father Barack Obama, Sr came from Kenya. His mother, Ann Dunham came from Kansas State. His parents divorced in 1963. He went to Punahou School. Then he had belonged a basketball team. After graduate from the school, He entered Occidental College. After two years he transferred in 1981 to Columbia University in New York City, where he majored in political science. Obama graduated with a B.A from Columbia in 1983. He worked for a year at the Business International Corporation. After four years in New York City, Obama moved to Chicago, where he was hired as director of the Developing Communities Project (DCP), a church-based community organization originally comprising eight Catholic parishes in Greater Roseland on Chicago’s far South Side. He worked there for three years from June 1985 to May 1988. During his three years as the DCP’s director, its staff grew from one to thirteen and its annual budget grew from $70,000 to $400,000. His achievements included helping set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants’ rights organization in Altgeld Gaedens Obama also worked as a consultant and instructor for the Gamaliel Foundation a community organizing institute. Obama entered Harvard Law School in late 1988. He was selected as an editor of the Harvard Law Review at the end of his first year, and president of the journal in his second year. In 1991, he returned to Chicago. Obama’s election as the first black president of the Harvard Law Review gained national media attention and led to a publishing contract and advance for a book about race relations. He also joined Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, a twelve-attorney law firm specializing in civil rights litigation and neighborhood economic development, where he was an associate for three years from 1993 to 1996, then of counsel from 1996 to 2004, with his law license becoming inactive in 2002Obama was a founding member of the board of directors of Public Allies in 1992, resigning before his wife, Michelle, became the founding executive director of Public Allies Chicago in early 1993. He served from 1994 to 2002 on the board of directors of the Woods Fund of Chicago, which in 1985 had been the first foundation to fund the Developing Communities Project, and also from 1994 to 2002 on the board of directors of the Jovce Foundation Obama served on the board of directors of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge from 1995 to 2002. He also served on the board of directors of the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Center for Neighborhood Technology, and the Lugenia Burns Hope Center.