About housing in Kumamoto and MN

1.      Introduction

Everyone lives in a house and there are many kinds of houses. They differ not only by the type of house but also inside the houses depending on circumstances and places people live in.

This report is about housing in Kumamoto, Japan and Minnesota, U.S. It was done by Google questionnaire directed at college students who live in Kumamoto and Minnesota. It was taken on June 3, 2013 in Kumamoto and September 4, 2013 in Minnesota. There were 89 people from Minnesota (55%), and 73 people were Americans, (45%) survey said.

2.      Questionnaire results

In Kumamoto, according to Fig. 1-a, 19 people (22%) answered they live in a one-story house, 34 people (39%) live in a two-story house, 7 people (8%) live in a

 

Fig. 1-a What kind of housing do you live in? (Kumamoto)

condominium, 23 people (26%) live in an apartment, 4 people (4%) live in a three-story house, and one person (1%) lives in a dormitory.

In Minnesota, according to Fig. 1-b, 6 people (9%) answered one-story house, 47 people (69%) live in two-story house, there are no person who live in condominium, 7 people (10%) live in apartment, 3 people (4%) live in three-story house, 4 people (6%) live in dormitory, 2 people (2%) live in another kind of house, this survey said.

 

Fig. 1-b. What kind of housing do you live in? (Minnesota)

         People in Kumamoto live in different type of houses like one-story house, two-story house, condominium, apartment, three-story house, dormitory.　On the other hand, most people in Minnesota live in two-story houses. Only a few people live in apartments and no one lives in condominiums probably because American family is big and to buy a house is part of the American dream.

             The next question was “Are your bath and your toilet in the same room?” In Kumamoto, according to Fig. 4-a, only 8 people (9%) answered bath and toilet are in the same room. 81 people (91%) answered they are not in the same room. In Minnesota, on the other hand, according Fig. 4-b, 63 people (90%) answered that the bath and toilet are in the same room. 7 people (7%) answered that they are not in the same room. It is just the opposite result. American people does not custom to immerse in bath because America is not rich in water[m2].

 

Fig. 4a-b. Are your bath and your toilet in the same room?

             

In Kumamoto, according to Fig. 5, 37 people  (41%) answered they had a garden with trees, 34 people (38%) answered with flowers, 27 people (30%) answered with grass, 12 people (13%) answered with vegetables/fruit, and 30 people answered they had no yard or garden. In Minnesota, 52 people (71%) answered they had a garden with trees, 43 people (58%) answered with flowers, 56 people (76%) answered with grass, 20 people (27%) answered with vegetables/fruit, 5 people (6%) answered they had no yard or garden.

Fig. 5. Do you have a yard or garden?

              In Kumamoto, 30 people did not have a yard or garden, but in Minnesota, only 5 people had no yard or garden. As for yards with grass, American answers were twice as high as the Japanese answers probably because gardening is a hobby of many American people.

To heat their homes, in Kumamoto, according to Fig. 6a, 30 people (35%) answered space heaters (electric), 16 people (18%) answered space heaters (gas or propane), 23 people (3%) answered central heating, 31 people (36%) answered wall air conditioners, 2 people (2%) answered none, 5 people (6%) answered other. In Minnesota, according to Fig. 6b, 7 people (10%) answered space heaters (electric), 10 people (14%) answered space heaters (gas or propane), 49 people (66%) answered central heating, 5 people (7%) answered wall air conditioners, there is no person who answered none, 2 people (3%) answered other.

Fig. 6a. What kind of heating do you use? (Kumamoto)

   

Fig. 6b. What kind of heating do you use? (Minnesota)

     On the other hand, for cooling, according to Fig. 7a, 29 people (34%) in Kumamoto answered they use electric fans 48 people (57%) answered wall air conditioners, 5 people (6%) central cooling, 1 person (1%) answered none, 2 people (2%) answered other. In Minnesota, according to Fig. 7b, 13 people (18%) answered electric fans, 14 people (19%) answered wall air conditioners, 45 people (62%) answered central cooling, one person (1%) answered none, and no one answered other.

Fig. 7a. What kind of cooling do you use? (Kumamoto)

Fig. 7b. What kind of cooling do you use? (Minnesota)

  For heating in Kumamoto, electric space heaters (34%) and wall air conditioners (37%) are used a lot. In Minnesota, central heating is the most used heating system. Two people in Kumamoto have no heater, but there were no person like that in Minnesota probably because Minnesota is very cold. In Kumamoto, wall air conditioners are most used for cooling, and the second most popular is electric fans. They occupy 90% of the answers. In Minnesota, 62% use central cooling, and the rest use wall air conditioners and electric fans. Also, there are few people who have no coolers. In Minnesota, many people use both central heating and central cooling, but people in Kumamoto doesn’t use it much at all.

           As to the age of their house, In Kumamoto, according to Fig. 8, 10 people (12%) answered less than 5 years old, 13 people (15%) answered 6-10 years, 39 people (45%) answered 11-20 years, 17 people (20%) answered 21-30 years. 5 people (6%) answered 31-50 years, 2 people (2%) answered more than 51. In Minnesota, no one answered less than 5 years old. 6-10 years old are 9 people (12%), 23 people (32%) answered 11-20 years old, 22 people (31%) answered 21-30 years old, 11 people (15%) answered 31-50 years old, 7 people (10%) answered more than 51 years old.

Fig. 8. How old is your house?

   In Kumamoto, 11-20 years was the most common answer, about half. The others were less than 5 years, 6-10 years and 21-30 years. 8% of people live in houses which are more than 31 years old. On the other hand, in Minnesota, 11-20 years and 21-30 years were the most common answers. Though there were few people who answered their houses were more than 31 years in Kumamoto, twice as many people in Minnesota answered they live in houses more than 31 years old. Also, there are no people who live in houses less than 5 years old, probably because used houses are popular in Minnesota.

3. Conclusion

            Through this report and my experience, I learned about differences between American houses and Japanese houses. In each country, people live in houses which suit the environment. For example, most American people use central heating or cooling because their houses are big.

From observation, it seemed that American people like to decorate houses and gardens more than Japanese. In Japan, there is no grass in gardens compared to America, where most yards have grass, flowers, and trees.

[1031 words] 

My speaking questionnare

We did a questionnaire about diet. Today, we talk about result of a questionnaire and what we know by it.

1.    Have you try ever diet?

     First, this is a graph indicating the percentage of people who have been done diet.

We thought that most of people have been done diet but only about half of people have done it. By gender, about half of girls have been done diet and most of boys have been done it. I was surprised that only half of girls have been it. I thought it’s because slender girls or girls who have never been gained weight have not to do diet. There were some people who don’t diet in real but be conscious of avoid being fat.

2.    How many times have you try ever diet?

Next, about number of times on diet, more than half of experiencer of diet have been it more than three times. The rest are one or two times. I think because they have no success with diet, there are many people who have been diet more than three times.

3(4). How long have you kept diet?

     And then, about time keeping diet, more than one month is the most, second is less than one week and more than three months. I thought most of people are less than one week but many people have kept diet more than one week or three months. In fact, person who have no success with diet have to continue it, so I thought how long keep doesn’t matter.

4(6). How many down weight?

     About how many down weight, the top answer is about 3kg. Second is 0 or about 5kg. There were a few people, including who go down weight about 10kg. Everyone may think person go down weight 10kg is the most great, but It ain't necessarily so. It is difficult that slender person from the beginning go down weight, but fat person can be easy to go down weight than slender. 

[338 words]

My report of ''Last of Mohican''

I was interested in nature and brutality of The Last of the Mohicans. The beauty of many in this work

Nature appears new. In addition, a lot of the brutality of such dispute as contrasted to such nature occurs too. And, I have to express a lot of things in the natural in this story.

Allowed to emphasize the brutality, nature represents the feelings. Things like guns and brutality are merely contrast to nature, respectively, are each other to emphasize each other. The forest mysterious wide rich and brings out brutality of conflict, the misery, I have made it a more vain. In this story, there were many scenes that nature depicted heart. For example, when Nathaniel goes to the directions Alice us, it was a bright forest, such as air is clear, such as representing the love and hope of our Alice. However, where the British Army is surrounded in Huron, as if scared naturally though, uneasiness such that what British troops are in the way I opened surrounded by forests and overgrown dark nature was fueled distrust. Fear even when Nathaniel we are being chased by Huron in a cave behind the waterfall, in a dark image of the cave, that's caught up in enemy is increasing. I think that when Alice jumped off a cliff, spectacular nature gave me rather than herself as well, and those that represent a natural depth of love psychology and Alice. That tall steep mountain road has emphasized the force of battle bravery of Uncas-headed alone to help Cora and Alice, and the depth of the hatred of Chingachgook to fight Magua. What contrasting darkness and nature, the same is true also of Native American, two Magua and Nathaniel. Nature is inseparable from life for two persons. Beautiful nature is telling the love for their hometown. Image of natural Nathaniel received may represent the spirit and rich lofty, but more cruelty that has been highlighted by natures, that is Magua is darkness, it is the darkness that has been highlighted by Nathaniel. They would so much different, yet the same Native American is emphasize the difference more natural effect.

Located just close to human nature and nature speak for themselves human psychology. The darkness that covers it with nature, is not only the important elements that make up the The Last of the Mohicans, the important meaning to support the theme of the work is also given. Respectively, is shown symbolically good and evil, by looking at natures, lessons logical, psychological, and dark nature, get the truth. Magua you do not have to say Nathaniel that far from feelings spirit that has the belief and confidence, it is not shaken, skeptical, cruel manner, and darkness, this two people is a symbol of darkness and nature of this work. These two people are symbolic, even Native American at that time, there has been image of barbaric violent, and those who do not even have that thing. It can be said from this symbol, and breathed new wind like put the image of the good also Native American.

[516 words]

My report of ''Pigmalion''

"Pygmalion" is a drama of George Bernard Shaw, which was premiered in 1913.In this work, it can be said that from his own experience in from Ireland, criticism of the class system of Bernard Shaw only has been treated. Problems with language will be able to stand out among them. I want to take up in connection with what is surrounding the class. At a high level, and linguist Higgins is a genius of phonetics daughter Eliza selling flowers, and shed Hometown anyone from the speech, I met some freak coincidence, and stormed into his house, this work is a way of speaking of lady ask to me to Professor. Begins-rich experiment in spirit dwell in her home, to correct the utterance ghetto her. Then it is spoken Eliza that could be seen as a lady at the party. First, Begins is a linguist can be shed from the land of the people from the words that people speak, but at that time, this means that you had a close relationship language, class, and region. I think sometimes stage of this story is that London, class issues and language that said they had seen many. Two cock - the word has been used in this work but this term is considered to be both a local dialect, the poor, without education in general, and low status from. This word was used as symbolically, in this work, and probably wanted to tell criticism of class and also words. Begins Professor is a high status to teach manners and words used to Eliza. This means that those of high social status know the education, but I think I suspect that means that those of low status, such as Eliza do not know education. In addition, in order to raise tailoring to the lady Eliza, Begins Professor changed the look of her clothes and hairstyles and first. High-grade dress, accessories, it just only, once you have from people who see her for the first time, she was like a lady at all. This thing, a thing called class can be said that could determine just looks. Further, it was able to be a lady Eliza that was transformed with only changing the word to use, would be to say that the language may be similar appearance. It is Eliza who can be seen with stunning lady, but look at the Pickering and Colonel Begins Professor, his is a doll made by the professor, now the bet is over, but to keenly aware that there is no place for him here is not obtained, and go out of the house of Professor. This represent class was covered up have no meaning. It can be said that as described above, those separate classes are sometimes referred to as just words and apparel. This is, would not that Bernard wanted to tell the most. Why were able to separate the words class and it looks just good. I think it's the strongest part of the criticism of class society of Bernard. 

[508 words]

My report of ''Romeo and Juliet''

Story two people who fell in love forbidden that follows the tragic fate At a high level.

Romeo and Juliet was born in Capulets and Montague hostile to each other. Romeo confesses love with love at first sight to Juliet, but I did not know that Juliet is a Capulet house at that time. But Romeo loved Juliet even after coming to know the facts. Two people will be reciprocal love them. It is forbidden love exactly. It is the love of these two people, a profound change in the fight of both families.

It was forbidden, but conflict of both families will violently for, Makyushio is a close friend of Romeo was killed. Hatred to Capulets gradually have increased, Romeo kills Juliet's cousin who killed Makyushio. Juliet show disgust for Romeo to hear it, and doubt the Romeo, people that I loved and Nante kill a human, but still of that was able to love the Romeo, and because there was a great love also so think.

It was a clan hostile to each other, but two people would have been torn to. If it is not forbidden love, that two people are torn, or you can become dire consequences also would have been no. A thing called love is forbidden rocked big the fate of two people, I have made it even more be sad. In order to coordinate the misery of the last two people both of Romeo and Juliet that will die, Shakespeare might have been the thing forbidden. If you love living in openly around, never would have been two people passing each other, to die misunderstood. By adding the image of abstinence, show a bigger love of two people more, and have made it tragic. It created a thing that everyone does not want that two of Romeo and Juliet die, you have betrayed it beautifully. People than just to see this story, vain, it is only with the tragic sadness.

You betrayed people's imagination, Shakespeare was impressed the impact of the work to the people. I myself was shocked to this work, and this story has gone burned firmly on the head. And he is also such a sad love, Shakespeare might have been appealed to the people.

[377 words]