Intro

わたし　は　テーラー　です。　四せい　こうこう　です。　わたし　は　十七　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　さい　です。シガゴ　に　すんで　います。　わたし　は　バスケトボール　が　すきです。　一ばん　いい　ともだち　は　バスケトボール　を　します。　そして、わたし　は　二　こもだち　を　します。　わたしたち　は　フンタスケ　フォル　です。

I am Taylor. I am a 4th year high school student. I am 17 years old. I live in Chicago. I like basketball. My best friend plays basketball. And, my two friends play. We are the Fantastic Four.

しょうかい

こんにち　は。私　の　なまえ　は　グラデイス　です。　十七さい　です。　いま　私　は　Genki Online　を　見て　います。　きょういくてき　な　あそび　が　ある　から　私　は　かいぜん　できます。　日本語　は　むずかしい　ことば　だ　けれども　日本語　は　とても　おもしろい　です。　来年　大学　に　行って　います。　たくさん　の　こうざ　を　取る　し　あたらしい　事　を　しります。

Good afternoon. My name is Gladys. I am seventeen-years-old. I am currently looking at Genki Online. There are educational games, so I can improve. Japanese is a difficult language, but Japanese is very interesting. Next year, I am going to college. I will take many courses and learn new things.

Brigid S

こんばんは。わたし　は　ブリジド。十七さい　です。四ねんせい　です。チカゴ　に　すんでいます。

Hello. I'm Brigid. I'm 17 years old. I'm a senior. I'm from Chicago.

Chi-Town

はじめまして！　わたし　の　なまえ　は　クリスタン。わたし　は　よねんせい　です。十八　さい　です。シカゴ　に　すんで　います。シカゴ　が　すき　です。はた　の　シカゴ　は　あかい、しろい、あおい　です。わたし　の　いれずみ　は　はた　の　シカゴ　です。

Hello! My name is Christian. I am a 12 year. I am 18 years old. I am from Chicago. I love Chicago. The Chicago flag is red, white, and blue. I am going to get a tattoo of the Chicago flag.

Hi there

こんにちは。ぼく　の　なまえ　は　ジョダン　です。げいじゅつ　が　だいすき　です。ぼく　の　ウエブサイト　は　www.jorshirts.com　です。

Hi. My name is Jordan. I really like art. My website is www.jorshirts.com
　

ｅｌｌｏ

こんにち　は　わたし　は　スコト　です。わたし　は　十八さい　の　四年生　です。シカゴ　に　わたし　は　やきゅう　と　ソフトボール　を　します。

Hello, my name is Scott. I am an 18 year old senior. I play baseball and softball in Chicago.

こんにちは。ぼく　の　名前（なまえ）　は　カルビン　です。十七　さい　です。いま、ぼく　は　日本ご　の　クラス　に　あります。この　クラス　の　後（あと）で、ぼく　は　うち　に　かえります。すごい　ね！　ぼく　は　とても　つかれました。いま　ぼく　は　ねたい　が　あります。

Hi. My name is Calvin. I am seventeen years-old. Right now I am in Japanese class. After this class, I return home. Great. im so exhausted. Right now I want to sleep.　

私のワシントンデーシーの旅行

ワシントン　ディーシー　に　オバマ　の　しゅうにん　を　見ました。一月十八日　から　一月二十一日　に　行きました。オバマ　が　ゆめい　な　人　ので　ワシントンデーシー　に　全部　所　が　こんで　いました。まず　ワシントン　モンユメント　の　側　に　大きかった　コンサート　に　行きました　けれども　ほんとう　コンサート　は　はるか　でした。きゃく　大きいかった　テレビ　を　見ました。火曜日　に　オバマ　の　しゅうにん　を　しました。二百万　人達　が　いました　ので　ワシントン　モール　は　楽しかった　所　が　ちょっと　さむかった　です。オバマ　話して　いる　間　に　みんな　は　かんせい　を　しました。

In Washington D.C. I saw Obama's inauguration. I went from January 18th to January 21st. Since Obama is popular it was very crowded everywhere in Washington D.C. First of all, we went to a concert near the Washington Monument, however the real concert was far away. Rather we watched it on a big TV. On Tuesday Obama did his inauguration. 2 million people were there so it was a very fun place, but it was a bit cold. While Obama spoke everyone cheered.

わたし　の　な前　は　マリ　フォヤー　です。　ちょっと　へん　な　な前　です。　ドイツ語　で　フォヤー　は　火　です。　わたし　は　十八さい　の　四年生　（よねんさい）　です。　かぞく　は　母　と　まま父　と　父　と　まま母　と　いぼ　きょうだい　と　いもうと　の　アナ　です。アナ　は　がっこう　の　三年生　です。　六月 大阪　（おさか）　に　行きました。　まゆみ　おおの　は　わたし　の　ホスト　でした。　りょこう　は　とても　たのしかった　です。わたし　は　まゆ　や　あき　や　ちか　や　まき　や　よっし　や　たくま　や　りょ　や　たかし　や　みんな　を　なつかしい　です！　さびしい　です。　いま　わたし　は　べんきょう　して　なつ　やすみ　と　大学　（だいがく）　に　たのしみ　に　して。

-マリ　フォヤー

My name is Mari Feuer. It's a sort of strange name. It means fire in German. I am an eighteen year old senior. My family is my mother, my step-father, my father, my step-mother, my step-brother, and my younger sister, Anna. Anna is a high school junior. I went to Osaka in June. Mayumi Ohno was my host. The trip was very fun. I miss Mayu and Aki and Chika and Maki and Yosshi and Takuma and Ryo and Takashi and everyone! I am sad/lonely. Now I am studying and looking forward summer vacation and college.

- Mari Feuer

げき, Theater

今、ペートン高校｛こうこう｝の　はいゆうは　げきの　事｛こと｝を　練習｛れんしゅう｝しています。毎週｛まいしゅう｝月曜日から　金曜日まで、三時午後｛さんじごご｝から　五時午後｛ごじごご｝まで、シェークスピーアさんの　ザテーミングアブダシュルーの　げきを　勉強｛べんきょう｝を　しています。伝統的な｛でんとうてきな｝　様式｛ようしき｝コメディーの　げきです。ペートン高校｛こうこう｝の　げきの　クラブの　名前は　ペートンプレイアズです。ペートンプレイアズの　中に　はいゆうや　ふくを　作る｛つくる｝の　人や　音楽｛おんがく｝の　人や　げいじゅつかが　います。私｛わたし｝は　はいゆうです。でも、えんぎした事｛こと｝が　ありません。楽｛たの｝しんで　がんばっています！

Right now, Payton high school's actors are practicing for a play. Every week, from Monday to Friday, from 3pm to 5pm, they are studying Shakespeare's play "The Taming of the Shrew." The play is a traditional western style comedy. Payton highschool's play club's name is Payton Players. Within Payton Players, there are actors, people who make clothes, music people, and artists. I am an actor. But, I have never acted before. I am having fun and trying hard!

紅白歌合戦 New Year's Eve Red and White Show

Payton students in Japanese 2 and Japanese 3 classes saw a videotape of some of the 2008 New Year's Eve Red and White Music Show、kouhaku uta gassen. I wonder if Ichiritsu students and teachers watched it too. If they did, can they tell us which singers they liked best?

profound comment in a book about grammar

「人間｛にんげん｝の言語｛げんご｝習得｛しゅうとく｝に関して｛かんして｝は

まだまだ不明｛ふめい｝のことが多い｛おおい｝。」

"Concerning human language acquisition, there are still many unknown things."

(Not a very graceful translation into English, but one that is very close to the Japanese original)

from page 252 of

A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar {日本語文法辞典ー中級編｝

by Seiichi Makino and Michio Tsutsui, published by The Japan Times、Tokyo, 2007


I agree with Makino and Tsutsui Sensei; we are still learning about the ways humans learn language.

わたし の ノーマル 日

わたし　は　まい日　午前（ごぜん）6:30　に　おきます。よふく　を　きて　７：２０　に　うち　を　出ます　（でます）。わたし　の　はじめ　の　クラス　は　日本　の　クラス。さいご　の　クラス　は　とうけい　の　クラス。学校　（がっこう）の　あと　で　わたし　は　かがく　かていきょうし　です。　　４：００に　わたし　は　うち　に　かえります。

Everyday I wake up at 6:30 AM.　I put on clothes and leave the house at 7:20. My first class is Japanese class. The last class is Statistics class. After school I am a Chemistry tutor. At 4:00 I
return home.

Rachel S. の 事｛こと｝

こんにちは！私｛わたし｝はレーチェルです。十八さいでペートンの四年生｛よんねんせい｝です。音楽｛おんがく｝が大好き｛だいすき｝です。ひまな時｛とき｝バイオリンとギターをひいてうたをうたいます。大学｛だいがく｝に行ったら｛いったら｝音楽を勉強｛べんきょう｝したいです。りかも勉強したいです。

四人｛よにん｝家族｛かぞく｝です。父｛ちち｝と母｛はは｝といもうとがいます。いもうとは高校｛こうこう｝の一年生｛いちねんせい｝です。ペットをかっていません。

日本に行った｛いった｝事｛こと｝がありませんけれども日本に行きたい｛いきたい｝です。

じゃまたね！
レーチェル


Hello! I'm Rachel. I'm an eighteen year old senior at Payton High School. I love music, and in my free time I play the violin, the guitar and I sing. When I go to college I want to study music and science.

In my family, there are four people - my mother, father, and little sister. She is a freshman in high school.　I have no pets.

I have never been to Japan, but some day I would love to go.

Catch you later!
Rachel S.

Physics

こんにちは。　わたし　は　ぶつりがく　が　だいすき　です。　わたし　は　ぶつり　の　オリンピアド　(Olympiad) 　の　ため　に　ようい　して　います。　ぶつり　の　オリンピアド　は　かんきょう　です。　でも、ぶつり　の　オリンピアド　は　むずかしい　です。

Hello. I love physics. I am preparing for physics Olympiad. It is fun, but challenging.

ーRyan W.

Payton Students Will Attend Inauguration of オバマ｛小浜｝大統領

　　　　　　Surprising and wonderful news came today that three of the students who visited Ichiritsu last June are in Washington, D.C., tonight. Mike S., Aaron H., and Paul C. will attend the Inauguration tomorrow, along with 11 other Payton students and at least 2 Payton teachers. I hope that Payton's Japan Exchange students will write about their experiences for our blog after they return home.

I have to tell you that all of Chicago, myself included, is tremendously excited about President Obama. Many citizens, by bus, by train, and by car, have traveled to Washington to witness the ceremony. We're extremely proud and happy. Today the television and newspapers were filled with memorials to Dr. Martin Luther King, remarking on tomorrow's fulfillment of his hopes and dreams for equality in the U.S.

Tomorrow our principal, Mrs. Estrada, will arrange for news coverage of the Inauguration to be broadcast throughout the school. I don't know how we'll concentrate on schoolwork, but I'm glad she wants to do it. There will be tears of joy, I think, as we watch.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　オバマ｛小浜｝大統領、おめでとう

What is going to happen in January in Ichiritsu High School

Average Japanese high schools do not have any special events in January, and neither does Ichiristu high school. However, year 11 students are the only exception because they are going to go on a school trip to Karuizawa in Nagano pref. and Tokyo Disney Land (TDL) in Tokyo pref. The aim is to ski there and have fun in TDL. As you already know, it is rather hot and humid in summer and warm on a sunny day in winter around here, so it seldom snows! A lot of students (I think 60-70% of them) will have the first experience on snow, and they are already very excited and preparing their dramas and dances for the class competition during the trip.
As for the TDL, many students have experienced it before with their family and friends, but they say that it has a great charm to attract people many times and they can discover something new whenever they visit there, I don’t think like that, though.
If you are interested, please visit these websites
at http://ski.princehotels.co.jp/karuizawa/ (Karuizawa)
at http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/ (TDL).

シカゴからこんにちは！

こんにちは大阪の生徒。僕はマイクです。お元気ですか？六月に大阪に行きました。とても　楽しかった。今、僕　は　studying for exams。明日は期末試験の二つ目の日です。期末試験はちょっと．．．　僕の日本語もちょっとね？hahaha.

さよなら！

サーシェ　マイク

PS: こんにちは澤入しゅんくんと中井ことねさん！お元気だか？今、何するか？じゃまたね。

messages from 3 Payton students written January 14th

Rachel B.、Japanese Independent Study Class

こんにち　は。　わたし　の　なまえ　は　レーチェル　です。　十七さい　です。　日本　に　行った　こと　が　あります。
Hi/good day. My name is Rachel. I am 17 years old. I have had the experience of going to Japan.


Rachel S.、Japanese Independent Study Class

きょう　は　おてんき　が　とても　きれい　です。　たくさん　の　ゆき　が　ふりました。　私　は　ふゆ　の　おてんき　が　だいすき　です。　みんな　は　「レーチェル　は　へんな　人　です　ね。」　と　いいます。　でも　ふゆ　の　おてんき　が　たのしい。　　スレッド　｛そり滑り｝　や　スキー　が　できます。


Ryan　W.、Japanese Independent Study Claｓｓ

こんにち　は、　おおさか。　　わたし　の　なまえ　は　ライヤン　です。　シカゴ　は　あたたくない　です。
Dear Osaka Students,　
　　　　As I gaze out the window at the heavy snow　I must soon traverse, I wonder if you in Osaka get a lot of snow. If so, do you sled, ski, or snowboard? Personally, I like to ski, but do not dislike the other two. I hope to see you soon. Be well.
Sincerely, Ryan W.

death of Prof. Tyler of Ohio State University

Sad news came yesterday that Dr. William J. Tyler, professor of modern Japanese literature at Ohio State University, died on January 3rd. He had visited Chicago most recently in the fall of 2007, when he gave a talk about Kawabata Yasunari's "Snow Country" {川端康成の雪国という小説}. I introduced him before he spoke at Wright College, and Payton student Susann P. (class of 2008) was there to here him.
Dr. Tyler was best known for translating the works of Ishikawa Jun {石川淳}. He did his M.A. at International Christian University in Tokyo, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Japanese literature at Harvard. Before going to Ohio State, he taught at Amherst College and the University of Pennsylvania. Then, from 1987 to 1989, he was the director of the Stanford-administered Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies {アメリカ・カナダ大学連合日本研究センター｝ in Yokohama, which is where I met him.
He was remarkable for his kindness and good humor, as well as for his erudition; and he is fondly remembered by many former students who are now teachers. When I spoke to him last summer, he seemed remarkably fit and well; so the announcement of his death comes as a great shock. I feel very grateful to him for all the ways he taught me and helped me from 1987 to the present.
タイラー先生、お世話になっておりました。心からお礼を申し上げます。

New Year Greetings

Happy New Year
21st Year of Heisei
Year of the Ox
2009

新年明けましておめでとうございます
平成二十一年

去年お世話に成っております。
今年もお願いいたします。

Thank you for everything this past year.
Best wishes for the coming New Year.

Meilleurs Voeux et Bonne Année.
Je vous souhaite beaucoup de bonheur.

First Entry for 2009

The sister-school relationship between Chicago's Walter Payton College Preparatory High School and Osaka City Senior High School { 大阪市立高等学校} was created thanks to the assistance of Consul General Yoshizawa and Akari Rokumoto of the City of Osaka Office in Chicago. Payton students visited Osaka in June of 2006 and June of 2008. Osaka Ichiritsu students came to Payton for the first time on October 31st of 2007. Another visit is expected in November of 2009.