During these Covid-19 times it is not easy to travel internationally, but we are all hoping that changes for the better soon. Today, I would like to tell about one of my favorite countries for traveling – Laos. I have made several trips to Laos and never grow tired of this unique country. As a tourist destination in Southeast Asia, Laos is not as popular as some of its neighboring countries like Thailand, Cambodia, or Vietnam. I think this is one reason it is such an interesting place to visit.

Many people start their trip to Laos by flying into Vientiane. Even though it is the capital of Laos, Vientiane is a small, relaxed city. People are very friendly, and it is a great place to just walk around for a day or two and get a feel for the culture. The mighty Mekong River forms the eastern border of the city, and eating local dishes for dinner in an open-air restaurant on the banks of the Mekong while watching the sunset is a highly recommended way to finish your day.

A few hours bus ride north of Vientiane is the small, fun town of Vang Vieng, which is very popular with young, backpacking travelers from around the world. It is surrounded by beautiful karst mountains and jungle and is a great place for outdoor activities. You can go tubing and kayaking in the river or try caving and rock climbing.

Further north is the UNESCO World Heritage city of Luang Prabang. Also set on the banks of the Mekong, it is a fascinating city with many Buddhist temples and historical French colonial architecture. A great thing to do here is to take a boat ride for a couple hours up the Mekong to the Buddha caves of Pak Ou. Luang Prabang also has excellent restaurants and a cool night market for shopping.

For the adventurous traveler with more time, Laos has some other interesting destinations. In the far north around the town of Luang Namtha you can go trekking to remote hill-tribe villages. In the south of Laos there is the coffee producing Bolaven plateau and the incredible Falls of the Mekong, the largest waterfall in Southeast Asia.

Fairly close to Japan and very affordable to visit with fascinating cultures, friendly people, and incredible natural beauty, Laos is a great choice for adventurous university students wishing to explore off the beaten path in Southeast Asia.

Q1 What are 3 countries mentioned that are next to Laos?

Q2 What is the capital city of Laos?

Q3 What are some adventurous outdoor activities you can do in Laos?

Scroll down for answers

A1 Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

A2 Vientiane.

A3 Tubing, kayaking, caving, rock climbing, and trekking.

Today, I would like to introduce the idea of using a fountain pen for daily use. I know that electronic media such as smartphones and tablets have become a part of our daily lives, but it would be nice to enjoy a traditional writing method instead. Recently, I went to Kinokuniya near Osaka station and found a section of fountain pens. There were a lot of them lined up in a row for us to try them out casually. Many people just enjoy such pens as a collection, but fountain pens have many purposes: to enjoy the pleasure of writing, to use as a tool, and to appreciate having time for yourself. 

The first idea is to enjoy the feeling of writing. It is a feeling that only those who have tasted it can understand, but even just by drawing a line, you can feel it in your hand. When I wrote with a fountain pen for the first time, I was amazed at the sound it made when I wrote. Later, after using it several times, I began to feel the steady sound was comfortable. In particular, it is a beneficial tool for people with weak writing pressure compared with regular pens or pencils.

Second, a fountain pen is an excellent tool for organizing your thoughts. Nowadays, it is easy to make voice recordings and convert your ideas into text. However, there is a limit to how much you can write by hand compared with electronic media. In this sense, you can unconsciously replace writing time with organizing time in your mind.

The third is to set aside time for yourself. This idea is similar to the second benefit but different. As long as you have a pen and paper in front of you, you can think only of yourself. No person or sounds will disturb you. In this age of IT advancement, it is precious to be in a space where you are not connected to the Internet, where information is flowing. Especially for writers, such a tool can be a treasure trove of great ideas.

In conclusion, many people love fountain pens, such as writers and cartoonists. However, fountain pens are not only for specialists but also for people in general to enjoy the benefits and pleasure we have discussed. There are several series of pens for beginners with an economical price. So, why not give it a try?

Q1. What is the first benefit of fountain pens?

Q2. What is the second benefit of fountain pens? 

Q3. What is the third benefit of fountain pens?

--- Scroll down for answers ---

A1. They help you to enjoy the feeling of writing.

A2. They help you to organize your thoughts.

A3. They give you space to think of and for yourself.

When I was young, I used to love watching American TV shows and dreamed of America. I wanted to go there someday but traveling abroad was not something anybody could do at that time. Flights were very expensive and there were hardly any opportunities for young people in Japan to learn practical and conversational English in the late 1970’s.

My interest in America and its language grew as I became a junior high school student. I was motivated to study English and was determined to enroll in the YMCA High School Conversation Course after graduation. YMCA was probably one of the very few institutions that offered practical English learning to high school students at that time in Osaka. In my senior year, I participated in the English speech contest hosted by the Osaka-San Francisco Sister-City Association as the representative of the YMCA. Winning the contest gave me a free ticket to California to do homestay for 6 weeks in the coming summer of 1981. There are no words to express the joy and excitement that I felt then.

The experience I had in the U.S. that summer instilled in me a strong desire to study at an American university. As I look back on my life, the funny thing is that I learned more about Japan and myself as a Japanese when I was living in the U.S. I grew to love my country and appreciate being a citizen. The experience made me want to teach English and help young Japanese people have positive experiences in their lives just like I did.

Being able to speak English has blessed me and brought much happiness into my life over the years, and I would like to share one experience I had this summer. The year 2021 was a special year for Japan to hold the Olympics in Tokyo after 57 years even though it was in the middle of the Covid pandemic. I decided to volunteer for the Olympics, and they put me in the Athlete Village where all the athletes from 220 countries stayed. My responsibility was to help the athletes install the smartphone game that IOC created for them. The booth I worked at was inside the cafeteria building, so I must have seen and met most of the athletes and coaches. I had never seen so many different nationalities of people before. Being able to meet and talk with them is one experience that I will always cherish and remember. I learned that it surely is possible that all the people from different nations can be one regardless of politics and religion. How wonderful it would be if all the people in the world could love and respect each other! It is my hope that you strive to improve your English skills and let your light shine in the world by sharing your talents and kindness. I believe that this is something we can do for world peace.

Q1. How did the writer make his dream to go to America come true?

Q2. What was the writer’s responsibility as a volunteer at the Tokyo Olympics?

Q3. What does the writer think we can do to contribute to world peace? 

Scroll down for answers

A1. He won a speech competition that had a homestay in the US as a prize

A2. To help athletes install a smartphone game

A3. You can learn English and share your talents with the world

Every day, we are reading in the news media and experiencing the effects of climate change. Often here in Japan, this may seem unconnected with our daily lives, and it may seem like there is nothing we can really do about it. We may think that one person's actions will not make any difference. But remember, this global problem that will affect our future was caused by a lack of awareness of how our daily lifestyles were creating all the environmental problems we are now facing. Therefore, since we humans are the cause of the problem, we can also be the solution.

Many people may think that adapting our lifestyle to one that is more sustainable and eco-friendly means giving up things that we enjoy.  However, discovering new environmentally friendly activities can actually bring us a sense of joy and a renewed sense of hope. They can also be a gateway to meeting young people all over the world who are exchanging creative and innovative ideas.  The solutions to this issue are connected with three main parts of your daily lifestyle: what you eat, what you buy, and the energy you use. The greenhouse gases we are producing (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide) come mainly from these three parts of our life and do not just lead to climate change but are also poisoning and polluting the air we breathe, the water we drink and the soil from which our food comes.

Here are some simple suggestions that you can try, step by step, to move towards a more sustainable lifestyle.1. Eat less meat and buy organic and locally produced in-season food whenever possible. 2. Think “quality” rather than “quantity” when you shop. Be prepared to pay more for something that is durable and well-made and that you can use for a long time. 3. Spend just five minutes switching your energy provider to a company that is using renewable energy to provide your electricity. There are many such small companies now in Japan and you can easily find them on the internet and decide which one is best for you.

Finally, remember that humans are the only species that make garbage (waste) and that often this 'waste' can be made into a resource, such as by composting your leftover food, using old clothes for rags, or to give to younger friends as presents, or reusing plastic bags as many times as you can. Remember, it is YOUR future and you are the ones who can make a difference!

Photo credit Markus Spiske@Pexels.com

Q1: What are the three main parts of our life that are connected to climate change?

Q2: What are the three main greenhouse gases our lifestyles are creating?

Q3: How long will it take to find a utility provider that is eco-friendly?

Scroll down for answers 

A1: What we eat, what we buy, the energy we use for electricity and travel.

A2:  Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide

A3: It only takes a few minutes.

In university, many students are offered a chance to learn overseas and experience study abroad programs. During my time as an undergraduate student, I attended a smaller university in my city that did not have many study abroad programs. However, it did offer an interesting summer program. Basically, the university offers some of their own classes, taught by their own teachers in different countries. Students go there and take their regular university classes in English while living in a different country and culture.

Before this, I had never left my country, the United States, and had no experience with international travel, so I felt I had to go before I graduated! My first experience abroad was nowhere other than Kyoto, Japan. I spent six weeks in Kyoto taking university classes in the morning and wandering around the city in the afternoons and evenings with my classmates and Japanese university students we met during that short time.

Though this time was short compared to many study abroad experiences, I came back to my country with three simple lessons that I still try to follow to this day:

1. Go for it! – Don't be afraid to take a chance. It can sometimes be overwhelming due to being in a new space, but the reward is greater than the struggle.

2. Don't be shy! – Generally, I am a shy person, so I understand how hard this advice can be. However, you must try your best to be outgoing and friendly. In the case of studying abroad, this will give you more chances to communicate with local students and better learn the language of the country you are in.

3. Go outside! – Whether you are in a city or a rural area, the best thing you can do is go outside. Whether it is for a walk, a bike ride, a train ride, or something else, try to experience a place that isn't just your comfort zone. Just because you must study doesn't mean you have to study in your room. Go to the university library, a café, a park and turn that study time into a study away time.

If you are interested, study abroad in the future if you can. If not, take a lovely trip somewhere that you are interested in. You never know how it might change your life. Maybe you will end up like me. Ten years after studying abroad, I am now happily living in the same city where I had some of my most memorable experiences, Kyoto, Japan.

You can find out more about studying abroad here. {Ritsumeikan Study Abroad [https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/studyabroad/]}

Photo credit Artem Beliaikin@Pexels.com

Q1: How long did the author study in Japan?

a. 2 Weeks

b. 6 Weeks

c. 6 Months

Q2: What is a word with the opposite meaning of "shy"?

a. Funny

b. Loud

c. Outgoing

Q3 Ten years after studying abroad, where does the author live?

a. Kyoto, Japan

b. Nara, Japan

c. Osaka, Japan

Scroll down for answers 

A1: b. (6 Weeks)

A2: c. (Outgoing)

A3: a. (Kyoto, Japan)

In modern society, people can go on a trip even when they are busy. By means of transportation such as cars, trains, or planes, they can easily reach their destinations in a short time. While most tourists today choose these means of modern transportation, some enjoy bicycling to their destinations. In this blog post, I would like to share with you some advantages of going on a bicycle trip that I realised as a member of the cycling club at my university.

A trip is not just about visiting famous sightseeing spots, but it also consists of the moments on the way. On a bicycle trip, the scenes that you see will pass by slower and thus will be more memorable compared to those in a car or on a train. If you are the type of traveller who finds it fun to take pictures, you can stop at any good photo places on a bicycle trip. (Of course, you cannot take pictures on the ride. It’s too dangerous!) There are many other things on the way that may become memorable during your trip. Stopping by less-known spots that are not in travel guidebooks, you may be able to have special experiences such as meeting local people.

Eating special food on an empty stomach is another big advantage of a bicycle trip. Have you ever felt that something tasted better because you were starving? The hunger you feel after a long ride can be the best sauce for what you eat during the trip. Speaking of my experience, I still clearly remember the taste of the ice cream cone I ate at an ice cream shop on the top of a mountain in Tohoku.

By the way, do you know cycling is one of the most effective workouts? According to 改訂版「身体活動のメッツ(METs)表」the National Institute of Health and Nutrition, biking at a speed of 16.1-19.2 kph comes in at 6.8 METs, which means a 65kg person can burn as many as 464 kilocalories per hour. Even if you enjoy local cuisines to the fullest, you may no longer have to worry about standing on a bath scale when you return from the bicycle trip.

If you can’t afford to take a long bicycle trip, I recommend one day “puttering.” It is Japanese-English derived from the English word “putter” to mean going out on a bicycle without any specific destination. There are many spots around the three campuses of our university that you can visit on your mama-chari. Why don’t you go “puttering” and find new places this weekend?

Last, remember that bicycle insurance is compulsory for cyclers in Osaka, Kyoto, and Shiga. Be safe and have fun riding!

Photo credit Mabel Amber@Pexels.com

Questions

Scroll down for answers

Q1. The author states that visiting famous tourist areas is the most important part of a bicycle trip. True or False?

Q2. What did the author eat on the top of a mountain when travelling in Tohoku.

a) a cookie

b) a rice ball

c) an ice cream cone

d) a sandwich

Q3. The author suggests that people may not have to care about their weight when they return from a bicycle trip. True or False?

A1. False

A2. C

A3. True

(Please see main blog page for part 1)

After we started biking on the road, it was indeed very tough. Summer heat as well as long distances on the road made many participants exhausted. Though I could understand very little English, I helped many of them by physically pushing them on uphill sections, sharing my food and drink, and encouraging them by repeating “fight! fight! fight”, and so on. To my big surprise, through this non-verbal interaction, one American girl from California told me she liked me! She was a tall beautiful girl with shiny blonde hair. I absolutely did not know how to respond, but of course there was no reason for me to refuse her. From then on, we fell in love with each other. I struggled to communicate with her with the very limited vocabulary I memorised for my failed entrance examination for Ritsumeikan University. By the end of this 2-week event, we could exchange some easy words or phrases in English. It was such a romantic moment for me with the first foreign person I’ve ever met in my life.

Unfortunately however, a bitter end came to this romance shortly after. Right before she departed for California, she told me that it was not realistic to keep this relationship across the huge Pacific Ocean separating our countries. I was very sad and disappointed, but accepted her suggestion to stay good friends with each other. I went back to Yamagata with a broken heart. Although the romance ended like this, my sweet memory of her had triggered a strong interest and curiosity in America as a country. I started studying English like crazy. By the end of my second year in Yamagata, my English improved well enough to be admitted into some American universities. I then quit Yamagata University and transferred to the University of Minnesota to study international relations. After I graduated from the University of Minnesota, I went on to a graduate school at another university in America.

Here I am now teaching English at Ritsumeikan University where I had once failed to enter some 35 years ago. Looking back on these 35 years, I really feel that life is so mysterious that you never know how things in life would take you to what destinies. So I’d like to suggest to all my fellow Ritsumeikan students not to be afraid of following your inspiration and embarking on a new adventure to the unknown, that is to say, “go beyond borders!”

Photo credit: Buro Millennial @pexels

Quiz

Q1. Why was the bike journey so tough?

a) It was long and hot.

b) None of the participants could speak English.

c) The route was uphill.

Q2. What was one result of the writer’s break-up with his girlfriend?

a) He decided to meet his girlfriend in America.

b) He quit university.

c) He studied English very hard.

Q3. What is the writer’s advice?

a) Study as much as you can.

b) Visit Beyond Borders Plaza.

c) Follow your inspiration.

Scroll down for answers.

A1. a

A2. c

A3. c

In the spring of 1986, I started my college life with deep disappointment. I failed in the entrance examination for Ritsumeikan University and ended up going to Yamagata University so far away from home. Most of my high school friends passed the exams to enter good universities in the Kansai area, and none of them came to Yamagata with me. I deserved this because I did not study as hard as I should have. All I was doing in high school was swimming and biking. I was very active physically, but extremely lazy intellectually.

However, there were two things I really wanted to do at the university: 1. making a long bike trip around the entire country of Japan, and 2. doing something for world peace. Back then, nuclear competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was so severe that the world community was seriously worried about the outbreak of a Third World War.  So after I entered university, I started reading a lot of books about world peace and conflicts.

During my first summer vacation in Yamagata, I joined an anti-nuclear movement planned by the YMCA. It was a campaign by a group of cyclists of Japan and the U.S., in which they would bike from Osaka to Hiroshima, appealing for an immediate stop to the insane nuclear competition. After biking more than 100 km a day for 5 days, all participants would attend the Peace Memorial Ceremony in Hiroshima on August 6.

For me it was a lucky combination of biking and the peace movement, both of which I was deeply interested in. Indeed, in the first preparatory meeting at YMCA, I was designated as one of the cyclist leaders in charge of assisting other participants because I was a tough and experienced cyclist. And then came the day of the welcome party of American participants. I was overwhelmed by more than 50 American participants of my age who were very open, friendly, and cheerful. It was my first encounter with so many Americans. Many of them tried to talk to me in English, but I could not understand or speak a word of it.

Photo credit: Roman Pohorecki @pexels

Quiz

Q1. Why did the writer go to Yamagata University?

a) Most of his friends came from that area.

b) He did not study hard enough.

c) He wanted to join the cycling club in that university.

Q2. The writer wanted to do something for world peace. What was his first step towards that goal?

a) He made a long bike trip.

b) He joined the anti-nuclear movement.

c) He began to read a lot about the subject.

Q3. Why was the protest event perfect for the writer?

a) He could assist other participants.

b) He wanted to meet a lot of foreigners.

c) It combined two of his interests.

Scroll down for answers

A1. b

A2. c

A3. c

I’d like to introduce my country, the Republic of Ireland. Ireland is very homogenous, like Japan – until recently, almost everybody was white and Irish. Recently, for the first time in history we’ve had immigration into Ireland. Now we have quite a few people from Poland and China, for example, but the country is still mainly very homogenous. The population is quite small at about 5 million people.

Ireland is very small. You can go from the east of the country to the west of the country in maybe three hours. And you can go from the south of the country to the north of the country in maybe four or five hours. So, Irish people feel very local. If we meet somebody, we kind of know where they're from, or we think we have a connection to every place in the country because it's so small. Because of this, it feels local, it feels familiar; it almost feels like everybody is a neighbour.

The people are famous for being very friendly and generous. So we give a lot to charity, including to charity internationally. Statistically, they are the third or fourth most generous country in the world. We're famous for things like Irish whiskey and Irish beer, like Guinness, which is a black beer.

We're also famous for Irish music and Irish dancing, which are popular around the world. Irish music has some specific instruments and the music is quite nice. It's very popular with tourists. Irish dancing is unusual because the dancers keep their arms straight by their sides, and don't move them. The legs are very quick, almost like tap dancing, but very, very, old and more traditional than that. Again, it's quite popular with tourists. There's a famous Irish dance show called Riverdance, and it goes all around the world and has even been to Japan a few times.

Photo Credit: Kelly L@Pexels

Quiz

Q1. What is the population of Ireland?

Q2. What is special about Guinness?

Q3. What is one special feature of Irish dancing?

Scroll down for the answers

A1. 5 million

A2. It’s black beer

A3. The dancers don’t move their arms while dancing