Remi's blog

Sexuality

2007-01-18T18:12:00.000-08:00

This time, we discussed about sexuality. In my group, we talked about the education of sexuality. All of us said that only have been taught few things, such as how the body of the other sex are made, how to use a condom, about venereal diseases, and always said to prevent pregnancy. No one had been taught about sexuality deeper than these. I think we should be taught more, because it is an important thing, it is about our own body and sometime it effects our holl live. However, most of us said we don't want be taught about sexuality from teachers or parents. We are ashamed to learn about it from them. Actually, I never heard about a teenager talking about sexuality to their parents, even they are in a good relationship. For example, I have a friend who are realy in a good relation with her mother, they are like friends. Even she said that she talks about things that she can't talk to her friends, she talks everything to her, also about her boyfriend. However, she said that there is only one thing that she can't talk to her is about sexuality. She said it is not a thing to talk with parents, but with friends. Not only this girl, but every one was thiking like this. And I was also thinking like this, however, now I think it is wrong. Because, we actually don't know anything. We could not really know about it until we actually experience it, and I think it is too late. Teachers and parents know much better, so they have to teach about it seriously and deeply. Most parents get angry after thier kids got pregnant or made some one pregnant. If they had educated about sexuality deeper, maybe thier kids had taken the words they said more seriously and had not got pregnant. To prevent sexuality problems, the education should be checked.

Friendship

2007-01-17T18:09:00.000-08:00

In this lesson, we discussed about teenagers' friendship. When I was thinking about this issue, I recalled some news. Thesedays, in Japan, the number of crimes commited by teenagers, and teenagers suicide are increasing sharply. And most of the case, "ijime(bullying)" is the reason. I think we should think about teenagers' friendship more seriously.
In Japan, I think bullying is getting a natural thing among teenagers. It is becoming like a thing that happens inevitably. I think teenagers' friendship is a little strange, especially when they are in junior high school. This is my own experience(I went to a co-education school), everybody looked as they are good friends, however, many of them were speaking ill of each other when they were not together. Teenagers use to make groups and, most of the time they stay with that group members. Groups are used to consist of people who have same interests, wearing same kind of clothes, etc. So, for example, there were a group always talking about boys, talking about manga(they were used to be called "otaku" group), all members are tanned and having disheveled hair(used to called "gyaru" group), etc, in my school. And those who were not in any group were thought as they don't have any friends. And if some one had a trouble with the other members in the group, she would be purged away from the group. Thus, group was a so important thing. However, as I mentioned above, they were not a real friends. An extreme case, there were a group that all members in that group would be bullied at least one time in a turn. And the members in that group knew that they would be bullied, however, none of them would try to stop it or leave the group. This was because that if they try to stop it and say or do something, they would be bullied and be purged away from the group. And if they would be made out from the group, they would be alone.
I think, teenagers should make real friends. Not a friend just stay together not to be alone. A real friend that you could be relax when you are with her.

Materialism

2006-11-30T18:26:00.000-08:00

In this chapter we talked about "The Material Children." Many teenagers in Japan are materialism, especially girls. Even sometime teen girls judge people by what they have and what they are whearing. Since girls were like that in my high school too, it was easy to judge which group does the person belongs to, all we have to do is to look at how does she looks like. Like this, teen girls are so sinsitive to the trend. There are a lot of things affecting them, however, I think the magazines are playing a great role to make girls materialism. Magazines provide a lot of information and all of them are about the latest things, like clothes, music, cosmetic, etc. To make teens to feel these are cool, they try a lot of way. The way we often see in the magazines is to use the popular person among teens, for example Ayumi Hamasaki, Kumi Koda, Paris Hilton, etc. Girls want become like them or really like them would be greatly affected by this. Another way the magazines are using to attract teens is to mention about the other sex. Like saying this is the clothes boys like, this is the fragrance attracts boy. Since teenagers care about the opposite sex, this would be a good way to catch teens attention. Showing survey is also a meansfor magazines. By showing survey what is so popular, teens who don't want be out-of-date, they would care about this result. Thus, magazines are doing a lot of things to get teens attention and to sell the products. I don't think this is a bad thing, however, I sometime become a little worried about if they influence teenagers too much. Since I see a lot of young girls like 12 or 13 or maybe youmger than that using a Louis Vuitton's wallet, dying their hairs. I think if they grow in such environment, I think they could not get out of materialism forever. Their whole sense of value would efeected by that, and I also thinkbeing childlike is important too.

About school

2006-11-09T12:11:00.000-08:00

About school

In this chapter we learned about differences about school in Japan and America. I am so interested about the school rules. Usually it is said that Japanese schools have a lot of rules (mostly meaningless rules). So if we compared Japanese schools and American school in term of the rules, American schools seem to be much more freely. Especially I went to a private girls’ school for 6 years, typical Japanese school which has a lot of rules, I feel this. While I was reading the comments about school rules, I was so surprised when I read that there is a school permits tattoo! It’s unbelievable!! It is horrible to think if somebody came to my school with tattoo. Maybe they would be withdrawal at once!! In my school let alone tattoo, piercing ears, changing the color of our hair, wearing socks not white, wearing uniform’s skirt in mini, using bags not appointed by school…..these were all prohibited!!! Students always said “Why!?” But the answers from teachers were “it is a rule.” Maybe the teachers also don’t know exactly why. It means that these rules are meaningless!!! These rules are just killing students’ freedom and identity. As a result, there were a lot of students who leaved school because the school is not comfortable for them. School should be a place that students could relax. But the school is killing their own students. I think meaningless rules should disappear.

Family

2006-11-07T01:23:00.000-08:00

Japanese Family

I really sympathy with the phrase “Many Japanese teens are under academic pressure” in the book. In fact I am one of these teenagers. And I also have seen a lot of friends under academic pressures in high school.
I really felt the pressures while I was in the last year of high school. It is a season of that age study for examination to enter universities. Every morning I came in my class room, every body in the class is studying and the class is always quiet. Once I heard a student saying “I have to study hard to enter the university! Because the amount of money my parents are spending for my study are enormous!! ” And another day, a student suddenly became insane during the class. She was screaming and crying. After she clamed down, she told me that she got a bad score at the test, and she was so worried to show it to her parents. Like these, sometime the pressure is getting too heavy for teenagers. And also I have heard or seen a lot of case that the relations of family have collapsed. This is a sad thing. I think this problem is not an easy problem to solve, because it is a not a problem happening only in a family but a problem happening a lot of families. But parents should try to leave their teenagers more free.

Thank you!

2006-10-15T00:28:00.000-07:00

Thank you for the comments!!

I want to answer the questions.

My favorite movies are "MOULIN ROUGE", "MEAN GIRLS", "GIRL, INTERRUPTED", "THE STEPFORD WIVES"and "HEYFLOWER & QUILTSHOE". My favorite acter is Nichol Kidman. She is so beautiful!!! "HEYFLOWER & QUILTSHOE" is a movie from Finland. It so cute!!! Since I watched this movie, I became so interested in Northern Europe. So now I'm thinking of studying abroud to Northern Europe.

And to the next comment, I think there is almost no chance to see a real gun in Japan. It is illegal to own guns. So I was so surprised that you have your own gun!!

コメントありがとうございます！！コメントに答えたいと思います。私の好きな映画は「MOULIN ROUGE」「MEAN GIRLS」「GIRL, INTERRUPTED」「THE STEPFORD WIVES」「HEYFLOWER & QUILTSHOE」です。好きな女優はニコール・キッドマンです。とても美人で大好きです！！「HEYFLOWER & QUILTSHOE」はフィンランドの映画で、とてもかわいらしい映画です！！私はこの映画をきっかけに北欧にたいへん興味を持つようになりました。現在、北欧に留学することを考えています。次のコメントに対してなんですが、日本では本物の銃はめったにないと思います。実際に銃を所有することは日本では禁じられています。なので、自分の銃を持っていると知ってとても驚いています！！！

Hi!!

2006-10-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

Hi! I'm Remi Oshikawa!!
I'm a first year student in Waseda University.

I belong to a club called "kikaku shudan benrisha." It is a club that plan a speach or a live of a famous person at Waseda University. I'm really enjoying this club!!!!!

My hobby is to watch movie! I like to watch them both at movie theater and at home. And I also like music! Especially rock!! Not just listening but I also go to concerts. This summer I went to a summer festival called "summer sonic."

I will write more about myself soon. See you!

押川れみです。早稲田大学の１年生です。
「企画集団便利舎」というサークルに所属してます。著名人の講演会などを企画するサークルです。とても楽しいサークルです。
趣味は映画鑑賞です。映画館でも、家でもよく見ます。あと、音楽も大好きです！！特にロックが好きです。聴くだけではなくて、ライブにもよく足をはこびます。今年の夏はサマーソニックという夏フェスに行ってきました。これからよろしくお願いします☆