Notes:
calisthenics [柔軟]体操;
neighborhood 近所，近隣;

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Since the summer vacation started, the children in my neighborhood have been going to the local shrine every morning. Many go with their parents. A lot of senior citizens gather there, too. Everyone gets to the shrine by 6:30 in the morning so that they can do radio calisthenics. Did you know that the first exercises on the radio began in the U.S. in the 1920s? Then people started doing them in Japan. After that, the Americans stopped. That’s why I didn’t know anything about radio calisthenics until I came to Japan. (by Prof.Douglas Jarrell)
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Last year five friends of mine, our English teacher and I read the book “Tuesdays with Morrie” in English. Through the year, we read it slowly and carefully, and sometimes we discussed it. The book is about Mr. Morrie. He had a disease, ALS, which means his body muscles got weaker and in the end he couldn’t even breathe. Of course he must have been really distressed, but he kept loving his family, his friends and…his life. He accepted his condition with his beliefs. I was moved by his way of living and his words. In addition, I was glad to have such an opportunity to read it with my friends and the teacher. I really enjoyed the seminar, and I want to thank them for the opportunity. (written by student  Kobayashi, edited by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
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