January 11th, 2008

(I took these photos at Awaji service area on New Year Day!!)

1. Tell us about your New Year. Add a picture.

I saw the New Year sunrise at Awaji Service-area in Awaji Island. I went there with my husband, Takao, my friend, and his girlfriend. It was very special because the couple is going to get married this fall. He is our longtime friend and the same age as mine, 45 years old. He’d been waiting for a long time to meet the right partner and found her last year on the net! When they asked us to see the first sunrise with them, we felt very honored and grateful. The sun rose so beautifully among the mysterious clouds in a cold air. It became the most memorable New Year in our lives!

2. Now go to the Project Britain website and answer these questions about New Year in Britain:
1. Hogmanay is the name for New Year in which country?
Scotland.

2. In which city is the New Year’s Day parade held? Can you find a photo of this year’s parade?
London.

3. Whose birthday is on January 3rd, and what famous book did he write?
JRR Tolkien, author of Lord of the Rings.

4. Whose birthday is on January 5th? Why is this person’s birthday in a British calendar?
It’s the birthday of the tenth and final Sikh prophet-teacher in 1666 C.E. Guru Gobind Singh.
introduced many of the customs that Sikhs practice today including the 5 K’s.
The British calendar needs to be balanced religiously because a lot of immigrants live in the U.K.
So there must be a lot of Sikhs in the UK.

5. Whose birthday is today (January 8th)? What is he famous for?
Elvis Presley’s birthday. He became famous for singing with both black and white spirits.

6. What is Al Hijra and why is it on a British calendar?
Al Hijra is the Islamic New Year begins on the day Prophet Muhammad left Mecca to travel to Medina in 622 CE. It is the first day of the month of Muharram.
A lot of Muslims live in the UK, so Al Hijra needs to be on a British calendar.

7. Who reached the South Pole in 1912 on January 17th?
Robert Scott and his party.

8. Whose birthday is on January 18th? What famous book did he write?
AA Milne, author of “Winnie-the-Pooh”.

9. Who died on January 24th, 1965? What is he famous for (write ONE thing).
Sir Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the UK 1940-1945 and 1951-1955, died on this day. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953 for his own historical writings.

10. What do you think about this calendar?
It provides us a wide variety of information.


3. Find an interesting news article and blog it. (Here are some news articles I found recently.)
"They're Palying My Song. Time to Work Out."
It tells about music that motivates you during exercise.
I think music is not only for listening to, but also for living with. Do you have any favorite music that suites every scene in your daily life? Music for waking up, breakfast, walking to the school, lunchtime, chatting with friends, dinner, or studying.....

When I stayed in NZ for 3 months in 2002, I listened to Hillsong's music on the way to school. Their gospel songs motivated and encouraged me a lot!!


4. Visit some of your classmates’ blogs and either leave a comment, or write a comment on your blog.

I left my comment on JessiCao's blog about her hometown!