What's New in September & October, 1998
Entrance to High School and Junior High School(Takeshi & Haruka)
In September, a new semester began( Back To The School ) and, Takeshi and Haruka started going to a local-government-operated high school and a junior high school respectively. These 2 photographs are their appearance to go to their schools. Comparing with Japanese helmet, it is cool in design and physically "cool" also because it has holes on it to catch winds. Further more inside the garage of right photograph, on the left side, the family's car, Honda's Odyssey can be seen. Stating about this regional school system, elementary is 5 years long, junior high is 3 years and high is 4 years, students can be called like "7th grade" or "12th grade". Special lesson called ELD (English Language Development) is set up for students who don't speak English at home. There isn't an object that is called a class at high school and they take the accrediting system that universities adopts in Japan. Therefore a student in a various school year is mixed for a lesson. They can take a practical skill subject such as theatrical performance or an automobile, and a method of mathematical introduction also is practical-science-like. About how and what the teachers teach, they explain them to the parents by calling them to the school using night time. It is very America of Internet advanced nation that they will receive questions from parents through E-Mail too. Then their homework is treatise style. For example, there was a homework of contemporary history like this : "Read the reference book about the cold war, set up three view points, explain cold war from your three view points." There is a case that students make a presentatoin about the result of their homework. Although there is a freedom to select the objects, the content is considerably heavy. It is same at junior high, they will learn not to memorize but to think logical. Anyway, as Takeshi and Haruka are not to be able do English well, parents also participated in their homework, and hard battle continued past midnight.
Birthday in California (Toru)
On September 4th, Toru received 45-year-old birthday in California. Family celebrated it at the Japanese restaurant "Akane" located in Los Altos, where Toru visited many times in his business trip. Japanese restaurant is so popular that all cities have them in its downtown. Not only well-known Yaohan of San Jose, there are many stores selling Japanese food materials so that we can get everything. They sell even fermented soybeans. Then a delicious "San Jose To-fu" is made in this area. This To-fu is clearly to be said "more delicious than that of Japan". We can eat both wonderful chilled To-fu in summer and warmed To-fu in winter. As there is well-known Californian rice and the sea is near, sushi is delicious also. Furthermore there are Japanese "plate meal store", so that this area is good for Japanese whose stomach is completely fit to Japanese food.
San Francisco
It is grateful that homework of a school is not at weekend. Therefore family went to San Francisco well at the weekend. This 4 pictures are the golden gate bridge taken from various places. From the Vista Point on the side of San Francisco, from on the bridge, from the Vista Point on the side of Sausalito and the right-lower photo shows the bridge seen from a top of mountain which locates on the other side of Sausalito's Vista Point.
Air show of the air force is held in a various place in America. With the introduction of a friend of Toru's company, family went to Salinas and San Francisco to see it. Family were overwhelmed by the acrobatic flight of Blue Angels with its scale and sound especially.
Left photograph was taken at the Alkatraz Island, where the famous prison was located, with San Francisco downtown for a background. When we saw the prison and heard a story of the actual jailbreak, it recalled us the scenary of various movies related to the prison like "The Rock". Right photo was taken at the Fisherman's Warf with street performers. They did movements like robots and made us enjoy.
Horseback Riding
As being invited by a friend of Toru's company, a family experienced a horseback riding for the first time in a beautiful beach called Half Moon Bay. Though Junko was surprised by that a horse started running suddenly and Toru became painful in his buttock after, they enjoyed much. Horseback riding seems to be popular here.