4,000 Days-No.2

In this week, I read 2 two chapters which talked about life before he met drugs.
In the book, he said that "I never imagined that my life would fall through in this way."
I heard this words before.

"DACO" is a name of free information paper in Thailand. It has many information that helps us to live in Thailand. In DACO, there is a one space that shows the letter from Japanese prisoner who was taking drugs and serving in prison in Bangkok. He was sentenced to serve 30 years in the prison. It is twice more than the author of this book, Fellows.

He said exactly same words with Ferrows. Both life was good enough before they started to take drug.

It made me think that taking drug is very horrible. Even people know that it corrupts life, they do take drug somehow. Both got caught in Bangkok and I'm living in same city. I hear many drug stories in here. To not my life corrupts, to not bring disgrace on my family, school, and Japan, I must not take drug forever.

Another thing that is common to both is they are trying to stop and save people from the hell of drug. Fellows wrote this book to tell how the life in prison is terrible and regret of being taking drug. The Japanese man is also doing same thing as Fellows. This is their job.

We are living in Thailand which has serious problem of drug. We don't know what will happens in future. To prevent the worst situation, to be able to prevent others, I think we have to discuss about the issue of drug more in school or among friends.

iPhone Girl

That was interesting to read the article called, "iPhone Girl."

I think it is okay if the iPhone with the picture has no problem but, it shocks people who pay huge amount of money and expected it as brand new. I infer that this is a one reason why world is interesting in her.

I infer about her why she became so famous in the world is that the picture was on the iPhone was so unexpected. I think the picture was kind of test in camera and it is the company's mistake to forgot delete the picture. Even so, people are attractive by unexpected things and want to know more about, what, who, where, when, why, and how. It is just a curiousness.

Another reason why people are so interest in this news is, including me, it surprises me that iPhone is made in China. I believed that it is made in U.S.A or U.K. I trust U.S.A and U.K more than China so I was shocked by knowing that the iPhone is made in China.

I infer by this article is the world is in peace now. I don't really think so, but why people are so excited in this new? It is just a human mistake and it sounds me that this happening is nothing significance. In the world, there are millions of people who can't buy iPhone and even food and they are streving. There are many wars and fights in the world still today. Why did medias focue on this stupid news? I know the consumers' feeling when they found the pictures in their brand new iPhone and it might make them super angry, but you are surely happier than people who are straving. Then why are you so angry by that? Why doesn't media work hard to report the news about the wars around the world? Even though, this news was in the category of entertaiment, but I infer that the media faces to wrong direction.

Using Reading Strategies

While I was reading "THe Telephone" with Mrs. Jo Ann and my classmates, I used two reading strategies which were

1.I analyze and evaluate the information in the text.
2. I check to see if my guesses or predictions about the text are right or wrong.

I read only two paragraph, 8th and 22nd, and I didn't read most of the story.
Therefore, I used the fisrt strategy. I didn't have much information about the book, so I needed to get the information as quickly and clearly as possible from the paragraph that I read.

In the 8th paragraph, it tells us how the village has thier own lives. It is the core of the basic information of the book and I need to know it for understanding further story.
It seems hard at first but I need to do it anyway otherwise there will be more difficult to undersntand the story later.

Second reading strategies that I used is checking my predictions are right or wrong. Before I start reading the book, before start reading the new chapter, or new paragraph, I usually predict the later story. Im not trying do it but Im doing natually.

The prediction is like a goal or aim. The one purpose to keep reading is to check my predictions are right or wrong. I dont want to stop reading because im curious of my prediction. But actually i do stop readign sometime when it is super boring.

This time, my prediction was correct and i became happy.

I know that the reading strategies helpe me a lot and there are some strategies that I need to be careful to use or concentrate to use.

But in my opinion, im using most of the strategies natually or unconsciois.

4,000 Days-No.1

24/8/08

I chose a non-fiction book called "4,000 Days" which was written by Warren Fellows.
This book is about an Australian man, who is the author, and he wrote this book after he became free by 12 years in prioson in Bangkok. He was caught by police because he took the drug.

The book cover seemed me interesting and this is one reason that I chose this book. I can feel the gloomy mood by the cover. There are many lines and each five lines are carved to count the days on the wall.

I read the first part of the book, prologue and the first chapter "CHANGE."
While Im reading this book, it is hard to image the author's situation because the life at inside prison is never famililar with me. However, I don't want to image it. For example, the prisoners sometime ate cockroach and insects and thier excrement. But it tells me about the another world and which I really don't want to step in.

There are many words that I don't know it means. However, because of it is a non-fiction book, it is easier to pridict the word and this is why I chose the non-fiction story. From this time, Im trying not to use the dictionary as much as possible for my English practice. But sometime I need such as when I found the words that means special.

Kazu