Nicholas' Journey to Japan

 こんにちは！ さくらまつりがすきでした。わたしはコンサートをみました。わたしもおんがくをはなしました。コンサートのあとで、たべものをたべました。 I really enjoyed seeing the more advanced Japanese classes perform. Since I want to continue learning Japanese and plan to take Elementary 2 after this course, I enjoyed seeing the progression in skill that is possible with continued studying. It was motivating to know that the hard work does pay off. I also liked that the performance gave our class a chance to connect further, and it was fun working as a team to learn the song. みなさな、ありがとうこんにちは！

 こんにちは！ わたしはブルックスさんのうちにいきました！きんようびのよる､シェンギリスのコンサートにいきました。どようびに、がっこうにかえりました。それからにちようびに、わたしはえいがをみました。 ありがとうございます！

こんにちは! I recently watched the Japanese movie Grave of the Fireflies, which follows two kids named Seita and Setsuko as they struggle to survive fire bombings and famine in Japan at the end of WW2. This is without a doubt the saddest movie I've ever watched, and it truly highlights the devastation of war and its effects on civilians. While history tends to focus on the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the fire bombings of many Japanese cities like Tokyo and Kobe were just as destructive. After recently traveling to Tokyo, it is difficult to imagine how at least half of the city had been destroyed by firebombing. I highly recommend this movie, although it really is extremely sad.