[#10] I don't care about others anymore.

For me, the atmosphere of the US is very easygoing. I don't say just American people are easygoing. I have another reason to think so.

In US, there are truly many different types of people, like Caucasian, African, Latino, Asian…  Also, all of them have their own language and unique cultural background. These things are too different to understand each other quickly. So in my opinion, people in the US can’t understand each other without some effort. That’s the point. That’s the reason why I feel it comfortable and easygoing.

Melting pot

In Japan, everyone is so similar, I mean, people in Japan are really monotonous. Mostly all of them share pretty close cultural backgrounds like common senses, childhood memory, food preferences, sense of beauty, academic background and so on. I would understand what the middle-aged guy sitting next to me in the subway thinks, and also what the school girl sitting in front of me feels too. Do you think that is comfortable and convenient? Sometimes yes, I guess.

However, knowing too much about each other sometimes can be another big problem. I mean, your every single behavior tells other people about yourself in detail. What you feel and what you think can be conveyed really easily without any effort.

Freezing pot

In contrast, in the US, every communication needs some effort. This must be an overstatement, but maybe people can never understand each other completely! So, in that sense, people don’t have to pay too much effort to know about each other. Everyone can be, and should be what he/she wants to be. I like this circumstance. I love it! I don’t care about others anymore.

Going her own way...

[#9] When my father became human being

When I was a child, my father used to play with me quite often. My father and I would enter a schoolyard of my elementary school on Sunday and played catch. We went to an athletic park and bounced on a trampoline together. We went to another athletic park and run a race. We played arm wrestling in every weekend.

In those days, my father was always bigger, stronger than me. Every time he threw a ball longer distance, jumped higher, ran faster and pushed more powerfully than me.

So, I was anxious to surpass him by all means. I wanted to exceed him.

At such time, my mother gave me an exercise machine, especially for abdominal muscles. It was small and simple one. It had a small wheel that was ten inches across, and two bars attached to the center of the wheel of both sides. I squatted and gripped these bars with my both arms, then grinded my body back and forth on the floor. It was very tough exercise for my abs.

Secret Weapon

Then, my secret training started. I trained hardly with the machine everyday. Nevertheless that was like a penance, I kept training every day. Long long time passed, and at last, I got confidence to beat him.

The hour of destiny had come. I showed him my training and handed over him the abs machine. My record was over one hundred times, and the next was his turn. He smiled at me and got set to the floor seriously. It was an intense moment.

At the next moment, I saw him lying at full length on the floor shedding little blood from his lips. I couldn’t understand what was happening. In fact, he couldn’t do it even only one time! Our duel was over, and at this moment, he became human being.

[#8] My house in Japan

My house in Japan is a three-story villadom, and on the third floor there is only one room, the living room. The living room is my family’s everything.

The outside appearance

Our living room is a common room. In the room, there is a big L-shaped sofa. Members of my family, mom, dad and me, usually sit together talking to each other, watching TV, playing games. Sometimes dad and I would fall asleep at the sofa before we notice it…

Our living room is a dining hall. In the room, there is a long dining table. We often eat breakfast and dinner together. Also, I usually study at the dining table. The dining table is the best place for me to focus on my study. The living room is not so quiet, but somehow, I can concentrate quite well.

Our living room is also a music room. In the room, there is a cute upright piano. Its sound is like one in Honky tonk, so jazzy. I like to play piano, and my favorite genre is ragtime. Moreover, beside the piano, there are a lot of my father’s ukuleles and guitars. Every single ukulele has different shape and sound.

[#7] War and Peace

[Assignment : Choose a public place around Yale campus and describe what you see.]

It was like a great medieval fortress. There were thousands of sentry boxes on the walls, surrounded with robust rampart. Iron gates were heavy and dauntless. It made me feel as if warriors were roaring inside. It must have been very difficult to assault here. This impregnable stronghold was called “Saybrook College”.

But now, peace is restored. Armaments are no longer needed. There’s no tragedy anymore. War is over!

The air is redolent of freedom. Inside the castle, there are many beautiful gardens. Flowers are flourishing, and the lawn looks perfect. Here I can hear laughter from those who are playing with giant swing hanging down from huge tree, and there I can see man and woman taking a nap together on a hammock. Even sprinklers are singing Ode to Joy loudly. What a happy moment!

However, once you get into the basement, you can see that there is a secret source of another harsh battle. There are a lot of guys playing with a video game machine. This is the game room, where every new battle starts. Sometimes those gentlemen brawl, sometimes they wail. Here is their bloody battlefield. Yes it is, the war is still continued, and it is getting stiffer. Their combat never ends…

[#6] The Golden Rule of Watching Archery Matches

What do you think is the pleasure of watching baseball games? Yes it is! Making some noise, Singing a song... do you know the song? “Take me out to the ball game, take me out to the crowd….” That’s it. And of course, eating some peanuts and cracker jacks is another happy moment. These things in the stadium are so fun! That's the rule of watching baseball games.

Today, however, I don’t want to talk about the golden rule of watching baseball games, but instead I want to address archery matches. I was pretty good at archery in my high school days, and I participated even in a national tournament in Japan. So I am an expert in the field I guarantee. I’m going to explain three factors of watching archery matches. Then, I want to summarize them and give you one very important rule.

Arrows hit the center of the target!

First of all, archery is Dangerous. In archery, we use long bows and six arrows, and aim at the target far far away. The distances are 30m, 50m, 70m and even 90m! It’s really far! If a player misses, fast and sharp arrow can fly somewhere else! So you shouldn’t move around the stadium. If you walk nearby the targets, you will be the next target. So please, NO MOVING.

Secondly, archery needs concentration. A Japanese Olympic gold medalist said that “Archery is the battle against myself. There’s no rival but me.” He suggests that concentration is extremely important for archery. If someone suddenly shouts a player’s name, his/her concentration will be completely destroyed in a moment. So please, NO NOISE.

Lastly, archery matches are, to be honest, quite monotonous. Of course archery itself is very interesting. I love it. BUT especially for spectators, it seems there are no tactics, strategies, or dramatic come-from-behind victory. There’s just repetition of the completely same moves. Zap, tik. Zap, tik. Zap, tik……. So please remember, it’s SO BORING.

An archery match

OK now, we’ve got three factors of archery matches. 

- NO MOVING

- NO NOISE

- SO BORING

So, what can be inferred from these? Let me tell you. This is the golden rule of watching archery matches:
You can sleep, but please, don’t snore.

Please be sound asleep.

[#5] The Mystic Legend of Africa

[Assignment: Go to the Yale Art Gallery, find a work of art that speaks to you then tell its story.]


Two boys were being made to stand outside of their classroom. Both of them had a lot of bruises on their faces. Their clothes were torn, here and there. It seemed they hadn’t cooled down yet.

“It’s not my fault.”

“You struck the first blow!"

“No! It was you.”

Their teacher calmed them and said,

“Easy, gentlemen. There’s no who was in the right, and who was in the wrong. Fighting is not good. Both of you have to apologize to each other. After that, it’s over!"

The boys said nothing. Both of them were looking down and making sour faces.

“It is enough! Apologize each other."

The teacher was getting irritated.

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry.”

The boys said to each other reluctantly.

“Did you guys really search your conscience? Huh? Your faces are still so red."

The teacher said strictly.

“I’m OK. I’m fine.”

“Me too. Now I’m OK."

The boys replied in low voices.

“Well then, there’s no hard feelings anymore, right? You guys apologized to each other, and now, it’s totally fine! Have a good afternoon gentlemen!”

The teacher said and she went back to her desk.

Seeing her back getting small, one of the boys muttered.

“But it was your fault..."

[#4] Finding Stupid Gargoyle

[Assignment: Tell the story of your group's scavenger hunt.]


Three girls and one boy ran along the Wall street under the strong sunshine trying to find Sterling Memorial Library as quickly as possible.

A nice lady with a cup of coffee suddenly came by .

I bet that we must have looked very confused at that moment, so the lady gently asked “Do you guys need some help?”

We answered one after another.

“Oh, yes please!” Monica shouted.

“We’re trying to find the Stupid Gargoyle!” I exclaimed.

“But it sounds impossible for us to figure out which one it is!” Doris wailed.

“Time is so limited!” Joanna insisted.

Then she smiled and said, "Calm down you guys. "

Then she brought us inside the library. Behind the desk, there was another lady.

She said "Oh my god, they are doing it again! They do it every summer but I forget it every time. Maybe I can ask others for help."

Then she made a string of phone call. While she was doing it, more staff gathered around us. Among those people, one woman suddenly said "He is sure to help you guys. He knows everything!" pointing to a man with her finger.

The man looked like a wise man. So knowledgeable, insightful and sophisticated.

He pointed out one gargoyle with 100 percent confidence.

We trusted him with no doubt and then we took a picture immediately.

We believed that our mission was perfectly completed.

However, after we came back to our class, it turned out that what we had done was just like the letter on the book that the gargoyle held. It said “U R A JOKE”!!

The letter on the book that Stupid Gargoyle held was supposed to be just “Stupid.”

Oh my god, we didn’t notice the words!

(Written by Doris, Joanna, Monica and Zoo)

[#1] Why I chose Yale was "That's why I chose Yale" (My first impression about Yale)

Finally I arrived at the place I had dreamed of.

When I was a freshman in my home university, I watched a video on YouTube with my friends. It was a musical-like introduction video about undergraduate life at Yale called “That’s why I chose Yale”.

I was very fascinated by the awesome video and desired that I could be there someday. I had played the masterpiece so many times that I could sing even every single lyric.

Why I chose Yale was "That's why I chose Yale".

A lot of time had passed, and at last I arrived in New Haven.

I could find a lot of buildings and views that I had seen in the movie. Oh here is a library, oh there is a residential college! I was desperately excited.

My dreamy life got started.