Minty's adventures in Sunderland

Exams!

2006-05-28T20:16:00.000Z

Konnichi wa minna-san!

I have been busy with exams. Last week I had English Language exams and general studies exams. I am good at English so I am hoping to get a grade A. I am just hoping that I can pass general studies.

I still have to take exams in philosophy and environmental science. But there is a holiday first. I have a week to study for these exams.

I have been thinking a lot lately. I think that I chose the wrong subjects this year. :( I would like to take the year again. The people in my classes are all 17, 18 or 19 anyway. I will be 17 next year, so it will be a better age for sixth form college. I would like to take psychology, English literature, graphics design and guitar next year, and finish my photography and philosophy courses.

It will mean another year before I can come to Japan. But it will mean I have two years to plan moving to Japan.

But! My father told me I must not resit the year. He would like me to quickly finish sixth form, and then go to university and get a job in science. My mother says I can do what I like, but she wants me to have a job too, to make money as well as studying. So I don't really know what I will do. What do you think I should do!?

Also, yesterday was a very fun day for me. I went to the university in my city. We made a radio show! It was not broadcasted on the real radio, but it was recorded. I was a radio presenter and we played music and talked, using the proper radio equipment. I wish I could have taken a photograph.

Today I went to see my father. He lives very near by. We watched TV. He said he will buy me an MP3 player. ^^ It will be my late christmas present.

Oh, and I joined Friendsgate. ^^ But I have not worked out how it is used yet.

Camera!

2006-05-19T20:47:00.000Z

I have been very busy with my schoolwork lately. I handed in my art work. They told me that it is good enough to pass, but I will probably not get a C. I am dissappointed. I should have worked harder ne.

I also handed in my photography work. I love photography! They think I will get a very good grade. The sensei asked me to visit her on wednesday. She will help me enter a big competition! :O I'm so excited!

So today I will talk to you about photography.

I am studying photography at sixth form college. I am taking an AS level- that means Advanced Subsidary level. It is worth half of an A level. If I get 2 A levels I can go to university. This year I have studied 6 AS levels. It is more than anyone else in the college! But the work is so hard and I am not doing very well. Next year I will continue three or four of the subjects and make the AS levels into A levels.

We had three projects this year. My first project was about Portraits. I made a self-portrait. Look! (warning: it is not for the faint-hearted).

The second project was called 'A Sense of Place'. We had to take a photograph of a place. I decided to make my own place! I really like Alice Through The Looking-Glass. Have you read it? You probably know the story. It is a giant chess game. I took three photographs. It is meant to look like the chess pieces walk away from the board when nobody is looking, and then they fight for real. The door knocker is the door that leads to the chess world.

The third project was our exam. We had to combine text and image. These are my images. The text was "The Vine that Bears Truth". Actually, I wrote it in Japanese on the display. ^^

Well, those are my photographs. I hope you like them ne. ^^ ~Minty xxx

Bentou!

2006-05-13T19:17:00.000Z

After reading Tenshi-san's blog about making Makoto-chan bentou, I thought 'I would like to eat bentou too!'. But I did not think it would be possible. Today my mum went out shopping, and guess what she found! A shop selling bentou! It was so biiiig, there was enough for three of me to eat. Look!

I was very excited about eatting it. The chicken and rice were especially delicious.

Today I have been very busy, with my art books. I need to give my teachers three of them next week. But I have only done two! Oops.

Konnichi wa

2006-05-12T08:53:00.000Z

Hello, I am Minty, welcome to my new blog!

Well, what can I say? I am a 16 year old living in England, and I am obsessed with Japan.
I have been slowly learning Japanese for nearly two years, but I'm still not very good at it. I like to watch anime, read manga, and listen to Jrock. I also like drawing, writing stories, photography, designing clothes, playing guitar and piano, and talking to my friends online or offline.

Anyway, that is all that I can think of to say. Thankyou for reading! I hope we can become good friends.