English Every Day! - Essay Writing: December 2012

The Too-Expensive Tip
by Y. S.

I traveled to the United States this summer. The trip was at an end and I went to Philadelphia to see the Philadelphia Museum of Art, famous from the movie, "Rocky." Rocky's statue stands in front of the museum, and many tourists were there. I also took several photographs there.

At that time, a man who wore a shirt with "Rocky" on the front appeared.

He said, "Can I take your picture?"

I had a bad feeling about this, but I wanted a photograph, so I said, "Yes, please."

I handed him the camera. When he had the camera, he demanded that I make a pose.

He said, "Next, jump! Next, let's do a pose where you fold your arms."

I agreed and made the poses. Whenever he photographed, every time, he said, "It's wonderful! I've never photographed such a picture as this!" He was very expressive.

I had a bad feeling about this for the second time. But he said, "I'm merely taking a photograph."

I said, "Really?"

He said, "Of course. Trust me."

I believed him and he said, "Last one." And the last pose was photographed.

When I said, "Thank you" he said, "Please, a tip."

Ah, that's exactly what I thought! So I asked him "How much?"

He answered, "Twenty dollars."

I was surprised. I thought it was too expensive for a tip. But I only had three twenty dollar bills in my wallet. I consented with bad grace. So .... I paid twenty dollars.

Next time, I had better follow my intuition I learned.
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I Am Still Friendly
by A. S.

This is a story from when I was 20 years old. Then I was fooled by the person I hate the most. Especially, I hate people who commit a crime. I had just started a part-time job at an upscale hotel. Among the staff, there was a woman who cheated me. Her name was Atsuko. Her age is over 40 years. She was a professional who had worked at the hotel for more than 20 years. I respected her because she was an experienced woman.

On month after I started, suddenly she said to me, "My boyfriend has been hospitalized. I need you to lend me some money."

I had no doubt at all because I didn't think this woman would lie. One month after that, she said, "My boyfriend was discharged from the hospital. We want to thank you."

We went to the dining area and I met her boyfriend for the first time. He was over 50. He said, "Thank you. I survived."

I said, "You're welcome."

But after a moment, he said, "Sorry, but please lend me ￥30,000 more."

Foolishly, I lent him the money. Then I was asked many times the same thing. When it was greater than ￥100,000, I finally talked to my boss. Then I found that her boyfriend was a man who used to work at the hotel, and that he also had a whopping criminal record. He was also asking other people to lend him money.

After that, the woman was removed from the workplace. The money came back to me. I still want to help people who are in trouble, but I think maybe I am idiot-friendly.
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Angry Dad
by T. K.

One day, my family, including my grandmother and me, went to Nikko on a trip. My grandmother loves traveling and she was enthusiastic and looking forward to our trip. My grandmother loves alcohol and she eats many sweets when we travel. She eats and drinks in the car. While driving in the sunlight, my grandmother made our trip pleasant.

There is a famous place called 'Iroha-zaka' in Nikko. The slope is a road that winds around the mountain. We were driving at that place. My mother and grandmother were seated in the back seat.

Suddenly, my mom said, "Stop the car!"

"What happened?" my dad asked.

"Grandma vomited!!!" my mom replied.

My dad screamed, "What?!?!?!?!"

My father helped grandmother from the car and cleaned the vomit from the vinyl seat. My father was very angry that grandmother soiled the car. And the plastic bag full of vomit was thrown away toward the bottom of a cliff, and our drive resumed. However, another accident happened.

My mom yelled, "Dad, stop the car!"

"What is it now?" my dad said, angrily.

Mom said, "There's something different about grandma's face ... Oh, my God!!!! Grandma's false tooth is gone!"

Dad cried, "What?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"

My father returned the way we came, climbed down the dangerous cliff, and found the plastic bag. The false tooth was in the plastic bag. Father was ill-humored all day long. But grandmother was enjoying the travel very much..
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Personal Computer
by N. M.

My grandfather lives in a neighboring town. He often goes shopping by car. One day, I had a phone call from him.

He said, "I bought a personal computer today, but it doesn't power on."

I thought the cause was the power cord wasn't connected. I said, "I'll go to your house tomorrow after school."

He said, "OK, thank you."

I want to his house the next day. I looked for his personal computer. However, there was only a display.

I asked him, "Where is your personal computer?"

He said, "Are you kidding? It's right in front of your eyes!"

I realized he was thinking the display was a personal computer. I went to buy a personal computer with him at the computer store later that day.
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My Terrible Memories about Skiing
by Y. S.

I was very poor at playing sports when I was young and I never liked doing any sports. I have gotten only one A in physical education class in school, and I usually got a C or a D. Then one day when I was 13 years old, I went to ski camp for a middle school trip. It was for 3 days, and I participated in that camp with my two friends. It was my first time to ski, so I was looking forward to it.

On the first day, I was taught the basic skills of skiing, like how to fall safely and the ideal posture for skiing. It was so difficult for me to hold a position like the 'A' shape to slow down and stop. My friends had skied before, so they could do it easily. I tried to do it, but I couldn't do it well, and the first day ended.

On the second day, I continued to practice the basic skills, like making the 'A' shape. But my friends and the other people who knew the basic skills could take the lift and slide freely.

"It's so fun! Come on!" they said.

I also wanted to take the lift, but I couldn't do that until I completely mastered the basic skills. I tried very hard, but I couldn't do it completely. While my friends and the other people took the lift many times, I had to learn the basic skills for another day. I felt bad because only I couldn't ride the lift, even though I had paid for a lift ticket.

Finally, tragedy happened on the final day. I still couldn't make an 'A' shape, but I could take the lift because it was the final day. I took the lift and felt good. And when I got off the lift, I had to go down skiing with the other beginners. An instructor directed us to slide to some spot, and if we all arrived at that spot, we could go to the next spot. The other people could do it well, but I took a lot of time because I couldn't turn and stop without falling down. So finally it took more than 1 hour to slide from the top of the hill to the bottom, when it took other people only 5 minutes!!

When I arrived at the last spot, there was nobody there, and I went to my room alone. In the room, other people were preparing to go back home.

The teacher said to me, "Why are you so late? You will make all the people depart late! You don't have time for lunch. Prepare quickly!"

I was very sad. Nobody waited for me, and they already had eaten lunch without me, including my friends! And for three days, I could ride the lift just one time! And then I was scolded by my teachers. From that time, I have decided never to ski again.
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A Failure
by K. S.

This story is when I was a first year student in high school. The students were prohibited from obtaining a motorcycle license by school regulations in my high school, but I obtained one in secret.

One day, a teacher spoke to me during physical education class. He was the students' life coaching teacher who was feared by the students.

"Hey, Kazunari, come here!" he said.

I asked him, "What?"

He said, "I'm examining your belongings now."

I said, "OK."

I went into my classroom with my luggage from the gym with him. He asked me on my way to the classroom, "Do you have any bad thing? Cigarettes? Drugs? A motorcycle license? Everything OK?"

I said, "I have no problem."

He immediately started searching my clothes, the inside of my bag and my wallet. I thought I didn't have to worry. I didn't bring my motorcycle license to high school because I heard from my friends that he sometimes makes a bag inspection.

But suddenly he said, "What is this?"

He took out the paper which I got with the motorcycle license from my wallet.

I shouted in my heart, "Oh, my God! I forgot to throw it away!"

He said, "Did you obtain a motorcycle license?"

I said, " ... I'm sorry. Yes, I did."

After all, I was made to clean his room as a punishment after school for two weeks. While I was cleaning his room, I said in a small voice, "Shit! I screwed up!"
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Don't Tell a Lie to Go Snowboarding
by T. N.

I want snowboarding last winter with my friend, Yuuki, who is a firefighter.

He said, "I took paid leave to go snowboarding. I told my boss I'm going to my friend's wedding. It's a lie. Ha ha!"

We enjoyed snowboarding all day.

He said to me, "Let's compete to see who is faster! 3! 2! 1! Go!!!"

I was winning until the middle. But at the end of the race, he overtook me very fast. He couldn't control his speed, and he fell hard. The race was finished and I was the winner. Meanwhile, he had disappeared in the snow.

I said, "Where are you?"

He said, "Here! Here! I can't stand up!!"

I called rescue. He was taken to the hospital with a broken arm.

The next day in the office, he was asked by his boss, "How was the wedding? And why is your arm broken?"
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Time Slip
by T. M.

I like liquor very much. I go drinking approximately three times a week with a friend.

"Let's go to the bar today," he says.

"Of course," I reply. Such a conversation is a daily occurrence. This is natural in my daily life with my circle of friends.

This story happened in Oct. 2012. It was my birthday. My university friends wanted to celebrate my birthday. We went to a bar in Kamata that they recommended and we celebrated there. I got a present and I was praised to the skies because of my birthday. My friends treated me, and more. I was very happy. However, the happy time did not last long.

I was overwhelmed by the liquor. Whenever I had a drink, my friends said, "You are so cool!" and "You are very strong!"

"I'm going to the restroom," I said, and I left the bar.

I fell down after I left the bar. My feeling was very bad, and I couldn't stand up by myself. The outside was very cold. I blinked my eyes, and suddenly I lay in my bed at my house all too soon. The outside had already become bright, and it was twelve noon when I looked at the clock.

I sat at the washstand for a while. My mother looked at my face and said, "What happened to your face?"

I said, "Don't be rude! My face is fine!"

Then I noticed my face was covered with graffiti when I looked in the mirror. I cried, "Nooooooooooooo!"

While I was helplessly drunk, someone scribbled on my face. Later, I heard that I repeated this soliloquy: "The refrigerator ... is cold ... the refrigerator ... is cold!" However, I do not remember it at all. It seems like I totally fell into a time slip.
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In McDonald's
by A. K.

My mother is 41. She is a scatterbrain, so we have trouble sometimes. We often squabble.

One day, we went to McDonald's. We were thinking about the menu. My mother decided her food and drink and waited for me.

"OK, mom. I decided what I want," I said to my mother. We went to the front of the cash register.

"May I help you? Please give me your order," the shop assistant said to us.

"I'd like a shrimp burger, French fries M size, and a ginger ale," I said.

"OK, please tell me your order," the shop assistant said to my mother.

She said, "I'd like a lecon bettuce burger, French fries M size, and a cola."

The shop assistant and I looked at each other and I thought, "What's a lecon bettuce burger?" in my heart.

Then I noticed her mistake. My mother mixed up "le" and "be."

"Mom, what's a lecon bettuce burger? Don't you want a bacon lettuce burger?" I asked her.

"Oops! I said that?" my mother asked me.

"Yes, mom," I said. The shop assistant smiled a bit.

My mother looked embarrassed and ordered again. "Sorry ... please give me a bacon lettuce burger."

I wanted to burst out laughing, but I couldn't because I was a little embarrassed too.

This story is a true story. My mother often has trouble like this. Maybe I take after her.
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My Father and Our Dog
by M. A.

Many years ago, a drama was broadcast in summer vacation. It was a drama about a puppy. The dog that appeared in the drama was very cute. My sister and I begged my father to get us a dog. And then a dog was added to our family. But my father did not like dogs.

"Wash your hands! You touched the dog," he shouted.

I answered, "Sure."

My father often complained about the dog. He said, "There is dog hair everywhere! The dog is too noisy! The dog hair sticks to my suit!"

One morning, I heard a scream.

My father yelled, "Oh, my God!!!!!"

My mother and I said, "What's up?" We went to the foyer.

My father cried, "He pooped on my shoes!!!!!!"

My mother and I laughed.

I said, "The dog doesn't like you because you are always angry at him."

My father apologized to the dog and they went for a walk.

15 years later ...

They get along very well, and they have a walk together for about an hour. Fifteen years ago, my father was very severe, but now my father talks to the dog in a tone like he's speaking to a baby. Our dog is most emotionally attached to my father. My mother says sadly, "Even though I am the one who gives the dog food every day ..."
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I Want to Become a Beautiful Girl
by M. G.

I committed a blunder when I was 5 years old just before Shichi-Go-San. There was a cream in a square box on the table in the living room. It was white and sticky. I painted my face like when mom puts on makeup. But the smell was intense. Then my mom came into the room.

"What are you doing?" my mother said.

I answered, "I have to put on makeup."

"That's not used for makeup!" my mother said angrily. I was stunned. I couldn't understand why my mother was so angry.

"I want to become beautiful just like mom," I said.

Then my mom said, "This is not for putting on your face, it's for putting on bread. This is margarine!"

I was crying with my face covered in margarine. It was a terrible plight.

My mom said as she gently wiped my face, "Let's put foundation on your face next time."
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I Can't Open My Mouth!
by H. W.

I went snowboarding with my friends in 2010. We enjoyed snowboarding all day long and stayed overnight in a hotel. We were very tired, but we enjoyed ourselves and stayed up late at night. The next morning, we got up early to go snowboarding again. However, since we were up late at night, we were half asleep.

One boy tried to get up and he was going to brush his teeth. He was looking for toothpaste, and he put his hand on a tube on the table. He asked, "Whose toothpaste is this? Can I borrow this?"

One of the girls, still laying in bed, said, "Certainly."

When we were watching TV, a groan was heard from the washstand. We were surprised and turned around. The boy who was brushing his teeth was rinsing the inside of his mouth violently.

I asked him, "What's the matter?"

He said, "What is this? My mouth was stuck!! And he showed us the tube he had borrowed a while ago.

One friend looked at it and said, "I use that glue to attach my false eyelashes!!!"

Hearing that, the boy got angry and said, "You said it was toothpaste!!"

However, the girl was also angry, and she said, "It's expensive!!"

We heard and laughed at the conversation of the two people, and they laughed, too.

Even now we all laugh at this funny story. When you borrow toothpaste from a woman, be careful!!
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Am I a Bad Girl?
By K. A.

I and my friend were talking about a game. The game is about a murder in a sealed room and the students solve it. At the end they find out who is the instigator of the crime. I had already finished it, but my friend hadn't finished it yet.

"How do you like the game?" I asked her.

"Well, I played halfway through chapter3," she answered me.

"It's really interesting! Nobuyo Otake, who was Doraemon's voice artist, says such cruel things! I can't imagine anyone being so mean!" I said.

"Yeah, me too! This game's voice artists are magnificent actors." She seemed to be enjoying the game.

"Most of them are famous anime character's voice artists," I told her.

"And the story is very good," she said.

We were absorbed in talking about the game. But suddenly the time came.

"Who is the instigator of the crime? You know it, don't you? I'm interested in the game. I want to play now!" she was excited.

"Yes, I know. You cannot image who is the instigator of the crime. But I knew who it was because her face was different from the magazine and her life was all too brief! And I knew she had a twin sister, so I was sure that she was replaced by her sister!! ... Oh no!!!!!" I noticed that I had revealed the instigator of the crime.

"..." she was silent.

"I said the instigator of the crime, didn't I? Did you know who it was?" I asked her.

"..." she still said nothing.

"I apologize," I said.

"... OK, I didn't hear anything," she said. She forgave me.

"I'm really sorry to say that she was the criminal!" I made an apology to her again.

"... You ... shut up!!" she barked.

She was very angry. So I bought her a meal to apologize. And then we didn't talk about the game anymore. I reflected on what I had done.

But just between you and me, I felt good about the exposure, and when she heard who the instigator of the crime was, her face was very funny. And this is top secret ... actually, I deliberately told her who the instigator of the crime was!! Am I a bad girl? But I will not do it again because I don't want to pay for another meal.!!!
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The Three Things You Need to Be a Good Waitress
by H. W.

A good waitress can satisfy customers with the proper reception. By my experience at my part-time job, I learned it. Now I'll introduce the three required things for being a good waitress.

First, it is important that you always smile. A customer will also have a smiling face if your receive your customers with a smile. Even when you're busy, it is very important to always greet the customers vigorously.

Second, notice the customer's surroundings. If you do so, you can find the customers who are likely to want something. Before you are called, you should speak to a customer yourself. If so, the store functions smoothly, and you can make the visitors glad.

Finally, you need good communication. You need to have a little friendly conversation with a customer. The visitor who enjoys conversation with you will probably come to the store again. For a waitress, communication is very important.

The three things you need to be a good waitress are a smile, care to surroundings, and communication. A visitor will be your fan if you can make him feel natural. And if you master these three things, they will be useful in other ares of life as well.
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I Changed in Canada
by M. K.

In spring of 2011, I left Japan and I arrived in Regina, Canada. It was the first time for me to visit Canada, or to have a long stay in another country. This study abroad was a very important and great experience for me because I changed in many ways on this trip abroad.

At first, I had many problems. For example, I could not use English very well. I did not like talking to people I had just met, so I was weak at making friends. Also I could not talk with my host family very well when I arrived in Regina. When I went to class, it was so hard to make friends there. The students in that class were mostly Japanese, but I could not adapt myself to them. I could not make good friends in class when the class started, but my English was so poor, so I had to get someone's help.

At that time, I thought it was a good chance to change myself. From the next day, I said, "Good morning" to the students in the next seat in the class! And if I had a problem, I asked for help from the next seat's friend or the class manager. If I was invited for lunch, I always accepted.

After the first semester, I could not pass the test, so I could not step up to the next grade. My advisor said, "You should have more confidence," so I tried more things and I got confidence. I made a lot of friends at the University of Regina and every day I talked with them. Gradually, I became more comfortable, and I went to many places. For example, I went to a lot of restaurants, I went to karaoke with friends, I want to many parties at friends' houses, I went to bars, and I went to movies! I got many stories because I experienced a lot of things!

Now I like to talk with many people and I can talk from the first time we meet! I am thinking it was so boring before I went to Canada, and now my life is shining! I am so happy and enjoying life now!
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