6699 Project: Bad Combinations, Present for a Special Day, My Own Rules

Bad combinations, Present for a Special Day, My Own Rules

6699 is the typographical shape of quotation marks: “ and ”. This hand-made zine is a collection gathered by students in the English Writing class at Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University.

The following three themes were chosen by popular vote in November, 2022.

This is a collection of other wild ideas suggested by students.

https://bit.ly/3xm4Z3H

Tainaka, Neo 2 Yamashita, Mio .................................. 4 Soma, Yuki ........................................... 6 Takehara, Hikaru................................ 8 Kiyota, Karin .................................... 10 Yamada, Sakiko .............................. 12 Taihaku, Chisato ............................. 14 Okamoto, Yusaku ........................... 16 Mukai, Manaka ................................ 18 Kusumoto, Takaya .......................... 20 Kozu, Misaki ..................................... 22 Hayata, Ayano ................................. 24 Inoue, Shun ...................................... 26 Takada, Ryotaro 28 Shibata, Saki ................................... 30 Inagami, Maria ................................ 32 Matsunaga, Yuka ........................... 34 Enomoto, Haruna ........................... 36 Mizushima, Souichiro ................... 38 Fukui, Kousei 40 Hirata, Ayaka ................................... 42 Sakai, Kanon .................................... 44 Maeda, Sumire ................................ 46 Tomii, Kanaka................................... 48 Yamauchi, Saki................................ 50 Ochi, Shota 52 Ozono, Mayuko ............................... 54 Asai, Sonoka .................................... 56 Kakuyama, Hiroto .......................... 58 Tada, Mayumi................................... 60 Takabe, Daiki ................................... 62 Taguchi, Ayuka ................................ 64 Fujita, Hirohisa 66 Inui, Momoyo ................................... 68 Takegawa, Hidetoshi ..................... 70 Duncan Brotherton ....................... 72

Brave it out!

I chose the topic of bad food combinations. I’ll describe the impressions of eating these combinations. I wanted to know common item of feeling bad. And I thought that maybe I could be convinced the bad combination of foods might be actually delicious.

When I ate dinner, I tried four combinations using my favorite foods.

1 Japanese style parfait and pokes

The combination was terrible. First, I felt the sweetness of soft serve ice cream and a little salty. That’s nice. But later that was too salty. At the same time, I felt it disgusting.

2 Custard cream and okra

The combination was bad. The texture was sticky and mushy. But I somehow I could eat it.

3 Waffle, jjigae(Korean stew), condensed milk and bean paste

This combination of foods was the nastiest. The jjigae was spicy and salty, and the condensed milk and bean paste were very sweet. Jjigae, condensed milk and bean paste competed for the leading taste in my mouth. In addition, there was no spicyness. All the good things about jjigae vanished.

4 Earl Grey, soft serve ice cream, zhasai (Szechuan pickles) and edible spicy oil

The combination was disgusting. The zhasai were falling apart in my mouth with a bad texture. The Earl Grey smelled strange due to being mixed with everything else. But just three ingredients (Earl Grey, soft serve ice cream and eatable spicy oil) were not bad together.”

Tainaka, Neo

My rules

My topic is “Do you have your own rules?” My rule is not obsessivecompulsive. I have a little strange rule. My rules are my night routine and morning routine. First, I will introduce my night routine. My night routine has three rules. Firstly, I go to the toilet. Secondly, I warm my sleeping mask to body temperature. Thirdly, I drink a cup of tea while warming the sleeping mask.

The reason why these are my rules is as follow. firstly, I feel it’s meaningless that I go to the toilet after I drink a cup of tea. Secondly, I watched TV once, and there was this episode where a woman passed away. Her cause of death was Myocardial infection. She did not absorb any moisture before she went to bed. Thirdly, I drink a cup of tea while I warm the sleeping mask to body temperature because I want to waste less time. That is my night routine.

Next, I will introduce my morning routine. First, I drink a cup of tea because I feel thirsty every morning and my brain is awake while I drink a cup of tea. That is my morning routine. You might feel my rules are strange, but I think that my rules stand to reason.

Mio

Yamashita,

The most precious present

I chose “Present for a Special Day,” mainly because I want to know what everyone was happy to receive. The other is close to Christmas. This photo is of a cap given to me by my dear friends. I got this for my birthday when I was a sophomore in high school.

I think this is the best present. That is why they picked it for me and gave it to me as a surprise. That was the first time I received a proper present from my friends. I remember being really excited. Looking back at the photos taken at that time, I thought it was the best smiling picture ever. Even when I see it now, I think I looked really happy at the time.

By the way, my favorite thing about this cap is the color and the cute bear embroidery. But I don’t use this cap. There are two reasons why; first, I have a strong desire to cherish it. And second, it honestly doesn’t suit my outfit. Even if I don’t use it, I’m happy to have it. Making me think so is the best present. I’m very grateful to my friends who gave me this. I wish I could go and hang out with them again.

Soma, Yuki

My special gift

My topic is ‘Present for a Special Day’. The best present I have ever received is a headband. It was given to me by Santa Claus for Christmas when I was in the second grade of elementary school.

I will share my memories about why it is so special for me. For me, Christmas is a very exciting event every year, and I was very much looking forward to it that year. Unfortunately, however, my mother had to be hospitalized for a short while due to circumstances. This meant that I had to have Christmas without my mother home. I was very sad and lonely.

That year, I asked Santa for a computer game. But, to my surprise, it actually came with a headband as an added bonus. I was really happy when I saw it, and as a young child, I felt it was a special gift for my lonely heart. Also, wearing that headband made me feel like I could have fun every day even when my mother was in the hospital. It is still my treasure. This is a story of my special gift.

Takehara, Hikaru

Present for a special day

The best present I have ever received is cuddly toy of Marie from The Aristocats. I got it from Santa when I was little. Marie is a pet cat owned by a rich woman who lives in Paris and has a pink ribbon in her white hair. It is over 50 cm long, white, fluffy and has a big pink ribbon.

When I was a kid, I loved Marie and cats, so I was really glad. Since I started sleeping in a separate bed with my parents, I was always with it when I slept. I also have a while cat at my house; it’s no exaggeration to say that I grew up surrounded by cats. Incidentally, my cat is still alive and well. When I was scared late at night or when I was sad and crying, I held on to my Marie, and before I knew it, I fell asleep. I don’t have any brothers or sisters, so it made me feel relaxed.

Now I like big cuddly toys and I have Chandu from Sinbad. It is a tiger. Maybe I like cats. Like teddy bears, stuffed animals may have the power to heal humans.

Karin

Kiyota,

My Own Rules

My topic is My Own Rules. I chose this topic because I wanted to think about my rules. I have never thought about my rules before, so I enjoy taking this opportunity to think about them. I thought about obsessive-compulsive behaviours. I don’t think I’m too obsessive, but if I don’t keep up at what I’m determined to do, I have the ability to drag myself towards the goal.

My own rule is not to forget to say thank you and sorry. When I forget to say this, I get really worried about not saying it. When that happens, I try to say thank you the next possible time I meet that person.

The reason why I stick to this rule is that the most important thing in my life is the relationship of trust with people. I think saying thank you and sorry is the most important way to get along with others. Also, if you don’t know each other well, I think people who can say thank you or sorry are more friendly and open minded. I can’t talk to people I’ve never met before, so I sometimes leave a scary impression on them. However, if I can say thank you and sorry, I think that impression of being hard to talk to will decrease even if a little.

For these reasons, I make it a rule to say thank you and sorry.

Yamada, Sakiko

What i want the most now

My topic is present for surprise day. The reason I chose this topic is that Christmas is just a month away, and I thought I would be happy to receive this gift at that time. I want just one AirPod as a Christmas present, because when I went to school, I lost the left ear of my AirPod on the train. I like listening to music. But listening to it with only one ear may hurt my ears. I want to listen to music comfortably, so I want the other AirPod back.

There are a lot of good things about AirPods. They’re different from wired earphones. Even if you have a lot of baggage, You don’t have to worry about your earphones getting tangled. And even if I change my smartphone, I can listen to music because there is no earphone jack. Since there are no wires, you can listen to music without worrying about disconnections. There’s also a function called noise canceling. There are benefits such as easier listening to music and better sound quality by being able to block out the surrounding sounds. In addition, You can make a call without holding your phone.

For these reasons, these earphones prove to be very useful. So I want to get the other ear back.

Taihaku, Chisato

The Peter Rabbit

The topic I chose is Present for a Special Day. The reason why I chose this topic is because there is something that I have really cared about for a long time.

The Peter Rabbit stuffed animal in the photo was a gift from my grandmother for passing the junior high school entrance exam. It was the first time in my life that I had to take an entrance exam, and for me as an elementary school, it was quite grueling, both mentally and physically. I still remember my mother telling me that my homeroom teacher was worried about me because of this.

Under such circumstances, I was very happy that I was able to endure various temptations and successfully pass the examination. Therefore, the stuffed animal that was presented to me at that time seems to be a form of my various thoughts and feelings up to that time. I was also unable to visit my grandmother in Fukushima during the examination period, so I felt even more strongly about this stuffed animal.

I think again that these circumstances, and the fact that my grandmother gave it to me, raised the sentimental value of this stuffed animal to the top of my list.

Okamoto, Yusaku

Dirty smartphone case

My topic is “Do you have your own rules?” I chose this topic because I was wondering if anyone had the same rules as me. My own rules are that I always clean my smartphone with a tissue with sanitizer when I get home and remove my smartphone case from my smartphone while I stay at home. Here are the steps. First, remove my smartphone case from my smartphone. Second, wipe my smartphone with a tissue with sanitizer. This time, I don’t put my smartphone case on my smartphone again. This concludes my own rules.

I started these rules because the coronavirus was going around the world. So, I use alcohol–based hand sanitizer properly as a preventive measure against coronavirus. We do this to kill germs on our hands.

One day, I thought that it was dirty to put my smartphone case—which could be covered in cold bacterium, coronavirus—on my smartphone that I touch with my hands while at home. And when I’m sleeping, I always charge my smartphone and put it close to my face. When I realized that, especially with the dirty cover, these actions were not clean, I started doing my own rules.

Mukai, Manaka

Homework my own rules

I never criticize others for their outof-control looks. The word “helpless” indicates that there is no room for improvement through effort or other means. For example, a short nose, short arms, short legs, or a large face. Even if plastic surgery or operation can improve their appearance, it requires more than a certain amount of effort, so I assum there is no way to do anything about it.

Things that can be improved with a little effort, such as sleeping habits, snotty noses, and clothes that are turned inside out, are considered important to work on. I think that jokes and teasing to appearance criticism. Even if the other person is OK with being teased or talked about in some ways, I know is not necessary to say it, so I never will. I also believe that even statements made in defense of others are criticism for their appearance.

A person who gives a warning to protect others may be satisfied that he or she has been justified and that the other person is reminded of his or her own righteousness. However, when you give a warning, you are saying that a person’s features are inferior. I don’t care how you subconsciously evaluate another person’s appearance, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to say it out loud.

Kusumoto, Takaya

Special Memory

I choose the topic “Present for a Special Day.” These photos are what I got for my birthday this year. They are a cake, necklace, bracelet and beauty products. I got these from my close friends at university.

The reason why these are so special to me is that they were chosen with all the hearts of my friends. It is difficult to choose something for me because I have nothing I want and nothing I particularly like. They took the time to chose these things for me. Thinking about that made me very happy. I wanted to cherish these things, the memories of this day, and my friends, ever since I received them. I realized that I am blessed with friends.

The reason why I choose this topic is that I immediately got the idea to write about this topic when I compared three topics. In addition, this year was a special birthday for me as I turned 20 years old. Presents make people happy and become memories. When I give presents to someone, I try to think of them and make choices so that I make them happy, just like my friends did to me.

Misaki

Kozu,

My Own Rules

Everyone has their own rules, and I wanted to review my own behavior, so I chose My Own Rules as the theme. I have two rules of my own. First, not to eat anything after 22:00. If I eat after 22:00, my stomach will be heavy, and I will not be able to live a healthy life. However, sometimes I get hungry after 22:00 and want something to eat. At that time, I watch gluttony and cooking videos on YouTube to distract myself and go to bed before I give in to my greed.

Second, I button every other button on my pajamas. Getting ready in the morning takes time. I want to sleep as long as possible and prepare smoothly, so I’ve been doing it since I was in elementary school. I think this action saves time because buttoning every other pajama button halves the effort. You might think I should wear pajamas without buttons, but the pajamas at home always have buttons. I think I’d prefer buttonless pajamas when I buy new ones, but until then, I’ll continue this behavior.

As you can see from above, I have my own rules. I think there are other rules besides these, so I want to take a fresh look at myself.

Ayano

Hayata,

Present for a special day

My topic is a present for a special day. I chose this topic because I have a favorite present which is the most favorite I have ever received.

My favorite present is my guitar. My mother bought me it for my 19th birthday. I played the bass guitar in high school, and I thought that I wanted to play the guitar in university. So, I found out about playing the guitar on the internet and books. At that time, my mother said that she had never given me a big present so far, so she would buy it for me. I was delighted to hear those words, and I became more interested in guitars. I went to the music store with my mother and my friends who know a lot about guitars. Then, I bought a red guitar at that store.

This photo is from the school festival live in November 2022. I was able to perform live in a gym with a lot of people. I would not have been able to do this live performance if I had not received the guitar as a gift at that time. I am very grateful to my mother. I think that I want to keep using this guitar.

Inoue, Shun

My memorable present

This article is about my memorable present. A memorable present for me is a birthday present that I buy with my best friends. What I mean is, when a best friend’s birthday is approaching, everyone including the birthday person goes out to buy a birthday present together. We always ask them what they want on their birthday. Then, the birthday person says they want something they can afford, and we all go to the store to buy it. It’s a lot of fun to go shopping for birthday presents with my best friends. The things I received as a birthday present are an electric eye mask and a waterproof speaker. I am very happy to receive a birthday present. Also, we gave my best friend the aroma sticks he wanted and I went shopping for more things than I can remember. Doing this is very important to me, and makes me feel happy.

Also, I realized that not only buying a present that others don’t know about but also asking what the other person wants in advance before going to buy it can make the other person happy.

From now on, I would like to cherish the gift of a special day for example, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, birthdays, wedding anniversaries, baby showers, new job celebrations, and so on.

Ryotaro

Takada,

Present for a Special Day

I got an espresso machine from my parents that I can make latte art with for my 20th birthday. We can make espresso and steam milk with this machine. And we can make latte art by pouring steam milk into the espresso.

I got this machine because there is a commercial espresso machine at my part-time job. And I make latte art coffee using this machine. So I’m practicing to make it and I want to practice latte art at my home. Additionally, I want to drink freshly brewed latte art coffee anytime. For these reason, I got an espresso machine from my parents for my 20th birthday. I choose this topic because I don’t think that many people get this present for their 20th birthday. Normally people get a necklace, bag, wallet, and so on. And a 20th birthday is special. It is an age to became an adult and a turning point of life. So I think it is rare to get an espresso machine for 20th birthday.

Actually, I got the present before I didn’t think carefully about what I really wanted. I was very happy to get that, but I’ll be thinking carefully about my Christmas present.

Saki

Shibata,

My own rule: I can’t close the door completely

How do you close your door? Slowly? Or do you close the door quickly because it is a hassle? I am the latter. I have a short temper and don’t want to spend time even opening and closing the door. However, even though I close the door in this way, I cannot stand the loud noise that the door makes when it closes. I have relatively good hearing, so the noise of this door closing is very disgusting for me.

As a result, I have developed the habit of leaving a small gap so that the door does not close completely. The picture expresses such a situation.

I chose this topic because I thought this “my rule” was neither too specific nor too vague. I’m sure that everyone has experienced it at least once, and it would be hard to find someone like me who cares too much about it. And no matter how many times my parents tell me to “close the door completely,” I can’t break this habit, so it must be some kind of obsession I have. That’s why I gave this answer to the topic.

Inagami, Maria

My Own Rules

In my brain, I think of myself as a flower garden. This is because I have loved Disney Princesses ever since I was a child, and I still have romantic admiration for them. Therefore, I have a rule that I listen to Disney Princess songs while applying makeup every morning.

Disney Princesses are not only cute, but they also have a sense of self. For example, Ariel always wanted to go to the land world someday, and she was able to make a deal with a sea witch and marry a prince despite the dangers. Cinderella was bullied by her stepmother and sister-in-law, but she kept dreaming that she would meet her destiny one day, and she was able to get married to the prince. In this way, the Disney Princesses have such strength that when I listen to them in the morning, I feel energized to work hard all day long.

The best reason to listen to Disney Princesses while putting on makeup is because I think it makes me prettier. Just as there is magic in princess stories, I feel like listening to the song casts a spell on me that makes me cute. I think that the best makeup for girls is to think of themselves as cute. My own rule exists to help me think myself as cute.

Yuka

Matsunaga,

My favorite present

My topic is Present for a Special Day. The best present I have ever received is my AirPods. I got it from my family on my 17th birthday. I chose AirPods as the best present I have ever received because I thought it made my life better.

There are two main reasons for this. As the first reason, AirPods are wireless earphones, and unlike wired earphones, there are no problems with tangled wires and they can be used immediately, nor are there problems with the wires being disconnected. And the second reason is I can spend the time comfortably, even in a crowded train. AirPods have a function called noise canceling that blocks out the surrounding sounds. With this, even when I am depressed in a crowded train in the morning, I cannot hear the surrounding sounds and can only hear my favorite music, so I can go to school with a happy feeling. Without AirPods, I wouldn’t be able to go to school every morning.

For these reasons, the AirPods are the best gift I have ever received, and I will continue to use them.

Enomoto, Haruna

Bicycle Present

My topic is “Present for a Special Day”. Because the best present I have ever received is a bicycle. The occasion was Christmas, and I got it from my parents.

It is so special to me for the following reasons. Firstly, this is the first time in my life that I rode a bicycle. I could not ride the bicycle at first, so I struggled. I practiced riding the bicycle with a little help from my parents. I feel like I am getting good at riding the bicycle from practice. I felt so happy to be able to ride the bicycle. Secondly, I enjoyed riding the bicycle to a lot of places. I like to relax and take my bicycle out. I can go to a lot of places by riding this bicycle. I was so excited to ride the bicycle. It was interesting for me to ride.

This picture is of me. I was about 5 years old. I could not find a photo of me riding the bicycle given to me from my parents. I could find a photo of me riding another bicycle. In any case I practiced riding the bicycle in the photo.

Souichiro

Mizushima,

Present for a Special Day

This picture shows my room. My room is filled with memories of my boyhood, of the past ten years. I got my own room for the first time when I moved to Osaka 10 years ago when I was nine years old. I had ever had my own room before, so the experience was one of the most uplifting and happy I had ever had. At that time, I was still using it with my younger brother, and the nights we spent alone together, playing with, were invaluable gifts.

Furthermore, the gifts have enriched my life. I have bookshelves lined with books, a desk, and a closet. These are the things that have strongly shaped my current sensibilities and outlook on life. They are only rectangular spaces, but they are filled with memories of the process that led to the creation of the person I am, and they also enclose the surface of the person I am today.

Therefore, I am deeply grateful to my parents for giving me this gift. I am sure they also very happy that I grew up with this gift.

The reason I chose this topic is that I believe that gifts make the giver as well as the receiver happy. So, I want to focus on someone else’s happiness, not just my own.

Kousei

Fukui,

Present for a special day

Ever since I was a child, I have liked to receive presents. It makes me happy to exist, and it makes the special day more special day. So I choose this topic.

I received a make up box at Christmas when I was six years old. I never had any make up accessories, so I was really happy and excited.

I really wanted it because I saw the movie Toy Story 2. The scene of the movie made me excited. I liked the scene in the doll repair shop when the staff repairs Woody. He brought a big repair tool box to repair him. It was a very surprising box, when he opened it, a lot of drawers with mechanisms came out. I really wanted one when I saw it. So I asked Santa to give me a make up box with mechanism like it.

It was so cute. I played with it every day. I put a lot of make up tools in it. For example, manicures, lipsticks, eye shadows and more. Since then, I started to be interested in fashion, and I was able to increase my hobbies.

I threw it away and don’t have it now. But I still have the memory of it.

Ayaka

Hirata,

Don’t swallow it

The topic I chose is “My Own Rules”. There is a reason why I found it difficult to answer the others; I don’t have a present that I treasure, because most of the gifts I get are consumables. Also, I couldn’t think of any bad food combinations, and I’m not the type to be adventurous with food.

My own rule is that I don’t swallow my saliva from the time I wake up in the morning until the time I brush my teeth. Sometimes this time is 5 minutes, and sometimes it’s 30 minutes. But I never swallow it. When I was in elementary school, I heard that when I wake up, my mouth is as dirty as a toilet bowl. It was very shocking news for me when I was young. And so, the rule began.

Last of all, it’s about why I took this photo. I was very worried when I took the picture, because it’s very difficult to express the rule in one picture. One idea was to take a picture of myself brushing my teeth. But I absolutely hated being in the picture. Therefore, I decided to take a picture of the cup, toothbrush, and toothpaste that I always use.

Sakai, Kanon

My best present for a special day

The best present I have ever received was a picture book. This is a Christmas present I got when I was five. My parents (also called Santa Claus) gave it to me.

The reasons why this is special is because the heroine of this picture book is me and there were letters from the other characters and my parents in this book. The content of this picture book is shown as below.

I’m Santa in this book. I deliver presents to children in a town with a teddy bear on Christmas eve. The heroine, me and the teddy bear feel so happy when they look at smiles of children who get some presents they wanted. Then she learns that it is fun to delight people. Finally, the teddy bear goes home to Finland with a promise that they’ll meet next Christmas eve, and never forget each other.

This present is important because of its memories rather than itself as an object. I can feel that I am loved by my parents when I see this present. I have my mind set on loving my family every time when I see it. That is why I choose it to the best present for a special day.

Maeda, Sumire

Eat first food for breakfast

The topic I chose is My Own Rules. The reason I chose this topic is that I want to look back at my life, and find my hidden habit. There are several types of fruits in this picture. It has something to do with my rule.

My own rule is that I always eat a mouthful of fruit first for breakfast. There are three reasons why I have this rule. First, my family’s breakfast always has seasonal fruit. Second, I have no appetite in the morning. Third, I can eat fruits even if I don’t have an appetite. For those reasons I have my rule that I eat a mouthful of fruit first for breakfast. Occasionally, there are no fruits for breakfast, so at such times I drink soup because the liquid is easy to take in.

The fruits for breakfast in my house change depending on the season. For example, in spring I’m served strawberries, in summer peaches, in autumn grapes and pears, in winter oranges, and though out the year apples and kiwifruits.

Finally, when you eat breakfast well or you have no appetite, I recommended eating fruits first!

Tomii, Kanaka

Happy christmas presents

The best present I have ever received was three big stuffed animals. I got them for christmas when I was seven. I them as a present from my parents pretending to be Santa Claus. However, that year Santa Claus didn’t bring me presents while I was sleeping on Christmas night, but a young man who delivered the presents during the daytime before Christmas. When I was watching, my parents told me, Santa Claus has to bring presents to the other children on Christmas Day, so instead, Santa Claus asked a young man to deliver them to you earlier than everyone else. As a 7-year-old, I believed it and thought that Santa Claus was very busy, working hard to send presents to children all over the world.

I was really happy that my parents put a lot of thought into preparing to make me happy. And, the stuffed animals were characters that I really liked at the time, and the stuffed animals were so big and cute that I couldn’t hold them at the age of seven, and they were like a treasure to me.

I still have those stuffed animals in my room, and every time I see them, I am happy to remember these episodes.

Saki

Yamauchi,

One Ballpoint Pen

My topic is Present for a Special Day. The reason why I chose this topic is that I like exchanging presents with someone. And the present will remain in my heart as a good memory.

This photo shows a ballpoint pen that was given to me as a gift about seven years ago. It was a sudden gift on an ordinary day, but it made the day special for me. The person who gave me it was a boy of the same age who lived near my house. He was my closet friend at that time. Of course, I still consider him one of my important friends. He probably knew that I liked stationery. I was so pleased. I like the ballpoint pen so much that I have not used any other pen in the last seven years. When I’m struggling with my studies, it cheers me up.

For me, this ballpoint pen is like a bond with him. I have never seen him since I was in university, but every time I use this, I’m reminded of him. I will participate in the coming-of-age ceremony this year. I will see him again and I’m sure that we will rekindle our friendship.

Shota

Ochi,

Present for a Special Day

I chose the topic of present for a special day. This photo is the piano sheet music I received as a present. I was given this sheet music when I was in the third grade of elementary school. I wanted to play a certain song, so I asked Santa Claus to give me this sheet music for Christmas. I remember writing a letter to Santa Claus and leaving it by the window.

The song that I wanted to play was “Kiramekuhoshitachinorondo.” I wanted to play this song because I heard my friend play it at a recital and I thought it was very beautiful. This song is inspired by twinkling stars. There are many sounds that represent stars shining. I remember it was so much fun to play this song while imagining the stars twinkling. I love this song so l practiced it for a long time.

This sheet music brings back a lot of memories of those days. I have good memories of the days when my parents listened to me play the piano. I chose this topic because I have a lot of memories of this sheet music. This present is still a special treasure.

Mayuko

Ozono,

My special and memorable present

My special present is a Fairy Box. It is what I received from Santa on December 25, Christmas Day. This is played by putting stickers and completing the box. Christmas is a special day, so I think all the presents I received are special. However, I have a reason why this present is even more special to me, and I will show you why.

The reason why this present is so special is because it is something I did not really ask Santa for. When I was 9 years old, I had asked Santa for a Nintendo 3DS software called Animal Crossing: New Horizons. A week before Christmas, I upset my mother. I don’t remember why I upset her, but I remember she told me that Santa Claus would not

come. I believed Santa really existed and would bring me presents. So, every day until Christmas day, I kept praying to the stars for software. However, that wish did not come true. What I received instead was this Fairy Box.

I received Christmas presents every year until I was in elementary school. Although I don’t really remember what I received, I clearly remember this present. At first, I was depressed that it wasn’t the present I wanted. However, as time went on, it became my favorite. I have kept it on my desk ever since I got it. This is not a bad memory, but a precious one for me. The Fairy Box is still with me as something special.

These are the reasons why this Fairy Box is special.

Asai, Sonoka

The Best Gift

I chose a present for a special day as my topic. Those presents are basically something important to remember. My Iphone8 is the best present I have ever received. I got it as a Christmas present when I was 15.

My mother gave it to me in case I had to call my parents to report the result of the entrance exam to the board where the successful candidates were posted at the school. It was inconvenient to keep in touch with my friends at junior high school because most of them had their own smartphone. They used them to chat with each other. After I received an iphone8, I exchanged contact information with my friends and classmates. Some of them I keep in touch with, even after graduation. Smartphone and SNS make it possible to have relationships with many old friends and acquaintances. Also, by looking at the stored photos, we can look back on all the past memories.

I have used my iphone8 for several years and now, even though I use a new smartphone. I still use my iphone8 to research and watch videos on YouTube. I think smartphones are especially impressive and special because many people around the world have them. They have made a huge difference, and it is becoming commonplace to use them in our daily lives.

Kakuyama, Hiroto

Present for a Special Day

I introduce my camera as a present I got for a special day. I got this camera from my parents on my 19th birthday. I went to buy it with my parents. At first, I was going to buy a sigle-lens reflex camera, but I bought a mirrorless camera in the end. That’s because a mirrorless camera is lighter and easier to operate than a single-lens reflex. I often take and review pictures because I forget memories easily, but I can remember them by leaving them as pictures.

Normally, I take pictures with my smartphone, but l use this camera when I go traveling, such as to Tokyo and Okinawa, or I have a basketball game for my club. Basketball players move very fast during the game, so it is hard to take a picture clearly with a smartphone. However, I can take a picture more clearly by using this camera because it can configure the controls in detail.

I don’t have enough knowledge and technology about cameras, so I want to study them more to take better pictures. Moreover, I intend to get my parents to buy one more lens on my 20th birthday. By using it, I’ll be able to zoom more and take a focused shot.

Tada, Mayumi

Present for a special day

I chose the topic of Present for a Special Day. I want you to see the left page. These are all the special day’s presents I have ever received. The reason why I chose this topic is it’s a good chance to remember the presents which I got. I often fail to remember who gave me presents. If I forget my birthday presents, my sister and my mother get angry with me. I want to remember my birthday presents to prevent a similar incident.

The best present I was ever given was wireless earphones. My mother gave it to me for my birthday. The reasons why I like this present the best is because I like to listen to music, and they sound good. I was impressed that there are no wired to get tangled.

Other presents I recalled are my PS4 and a wireless guitar system. I was glad to get a PS4 because I wanted to play video games. My parents gave it to me it as congratulatory gift for entering high school. I was delighted that my mother gave me a wireless guitar system for my birthday because I wanted to play the guitar wirelessly.

Maybe the gift you wanted is the one you will never forget.

Takabe, Daiki

Present for a Special Day

Cooking utensils are the best present I have ever received. I got them as a birthday present on my 6th birthday from my mother.

I was surprised by this present because I had only received toys and accessories for children at that time. But after I got this cooking utensil, I began to cook little by little, imitating my mother. At first, I cut my finger and failed, but after cooking several times, I got better.

I can’t use it now because it was a cooking utensil for children, but I still keep it at home. Also, I think it’s important to do housework such as cooking early on. Now I love cooking, and I think I owe this to my mom. I’m grateful to my mother. I received many other presents from my mother, but I feel that gifts that are useful to me are special. Since I live alone, I often cook, but I still have a long way to go, so I will do my best to make delicious food.

Taguchi, Ayuka

Present for a Special Day

I chose the topic Present for a Special Day. The happiest gift I have ever received is the ballpoint pen in the photo on the left. For me, this ballpoint pen is the only one in the world. No ballpoint pen can be substituted.

When I was a young boy, this old ballpoint pen was given to me for my birthday by my grandmother who I loved. My grandmother passed away. Sometimes, I remember and cry when I hold this ballpoint pen. I have memories of playing with her in the park and taking her fishing. But when I hold this ballpoint pen, I feel that our hearts are connected, and it makes me think that someone is watching over me from somewhere. Sometimes, it makes me wonder if I’m really alive. If I have the chance to meet her again, I would like to say a lot of thanks. Time is cruel.

I still have it in my pen case on my study desk at home. I hope to keep it close to me for years to come. I want her to watch over me in the future. I will become a splendid pharmacist that everyone can be proud of. I love her forever.

Fujita, Hirohisa

Present for a Special Day

These clothes are the best present I have ever received. I received them on my 15th birthday. I got them from my two friends. I have known one of my friends since we were born. The other since we were the fourth grade of elementary school. The presents they got for me are so special to me because they were a surprise.

I want to write about the surprise event. On my birthday, we finished taking the routine exam in junior high school. I was very tired and sleepy, so I was sleeping on my bed. Suddenly, the door of my room opened and my two friends came in. They had a birthday cake. They used poppers when they entered my room, and I woke up because of the loud sound. I was very surprised. The most interesting thing that day was their outfit; they were wearing full black tights and a white mask.

I have never forgotten their outfit! I was surprised that they were already wearing full black tights when they entered the apartment. I have never forgotten the surprise event, so the presents is special to me.

Inui, Momoko

Video game and Family ties

My topic is Present for a Special Day. The best present that I have ever received is a Wii U. The occasion was for my eleventh birthday, and it was a present from my parents. I was very glad because it was the latest video game console in those days, and I had wanted it for a long time.

And I still clearly remember that I played it together with my whole family rather than by myself. It seems to me that my family ties strengthened by playing it together. Moreover, I invited friends to my house and played it together after school. Particularly, I remember that I played Mario Cart with a friend. That’s the reason why it is so special to me. In spite of my parents and sister were busy, they helped me play it every weekend. In retrospect, I really am full of gratitude for them.

I think that a video game is the best communication tool to bring a family together. We can have a fulfilling time by using brain and hands and communicating in order to win games. A video game can deepen family ties in only a few hours; is very fantastic for us.

Takegawa, Hidetoshi

I’m a Dish Demon.

I’m not the type of person who makes new years resolutions, but one year, just before the countdown on newyears eve, I made a resolution that changed my life, and now I have an UNBREAKABLE RULE in my heart.

It had been a crazy year. I felt like I was not winning at life. On that New Years Eve, I wanted more control in my life. Rather than decide something big like “work harder” or “exercise more”, I decided to start somewhere small, and very specific.

I decided that: If I ever saw any dishes in the sink, I would wash them and pack them away, THERE AND THEN.

No waiting. No “I’ll do it later” attitudes. I thought I’d make it my resolution, and see if I could stick to it. Now I am CURSED. My wife calls me the “Dish Demon”. Sometimes I wash dishes that she just got out of the cupboard and are still clean... because when I’m near the sink it’s like a demon takes over my body; I just start grabbing things and washing them.

Anway, don’t tell her; but I HATE IT when she leaves cups in the sink... ARRRARARAAGGGHH

Duncan Brotherton

Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University English Speaking Class 6699 Mag Project

Participants

Tainaka, Neo 2

Yamashita, Mio 4 Soma, Yuki 6 Takehara, Hikaru 8 Kiyota, Karin 10 Yamada, Sakiko 12 Taihaku, Chisato 14 Okamoto, Yusaku 16 Mukai, Manaka 18 Kusumoto, Takaya 20 Kozu, Misaki 22 Hayata, Ayano 24 Inoue, Shun 26 Takada, Ryotaro 28 Shibata, Saki 30 Inagami, Maria 32 Matsunaga, Yuka 34 Enomoto, Haruna 36

Mizushima, Souichiro 38 Fukui, Kousei 40 Hirata, Ayaka 42 Sakai, Kanon 44 Maeda, Sumire 46 Tomii, Kanaka 48 Yamauchi, Saki 50 Ochi, Shota 52 Ozono, Mayuko 54 Asai, Sonoka 56 Kakuyama, Hiroto 58 Tada, Mayumi 60 Takabe, Daiki 62 Taguchi, Ayuka 64 Fujita, Hirohisa 66 Inui, Momoyo 68 Takegawa, Hidetoshi 70 Duncan Brotherton 72

Published December, 2022: amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic Compiled by Duncan Brotherton (course instructor) Printed and bound @ Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University

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