Hard Work for Our Biggest Projects

Before beginning this semester, I decided to give my presentation about Tanabata, which is known as the Star Festival, with Saori.K and Yuki.K. We have been working together on this one thing. During this experience, I have cried many times hide from everyone because it is difficult to know a small topic deeply in spite of my expectation and pressure from feel the approach of our presentation day. Also presentation made me sleepless and stressful. Therefore I felt big release after presentation and got the GREATEST memory.

When we came back here, we were all given a 5 paragraph essay to write about deep our topic. It was such a heavy load for us. First of all, we started to decide three subtopics and did lots of research on our own topic. My topic was Tanabata Decorations. Although I focused on my topic and wrote what I thought was enough, my teacher never said OK easily. Every time I got new information and share with my partners so I rewrote and rewrote and rewrote my essay many times. Then I thought I would be writing my essay forever. Moreover giving easy explanations to Americans like my teacher was difficult, so I needed to transfer to easy words and easier explanation. Then my partners always helped me. They were great partner a whole of the world. I was happy to work on together with them.

As soon as we finished writing our essays, our teachers gave us the assignment of making a homepage and a power point presentation about own topics. Using PC is my weak point so I struggled with these assignments until the deadline. When I was confused about them, Ron who is my writing teacher and the teacher most familiar with technology at MFWI helped me in the class and also in his free time which were saturdays and sundays even night. If he wouldn't my writing teacher, I wouldn't had done such a great job. I am VERY thankful for Ron’s help all about my presentation.

Right after I prepared both of them, I moved on to practice giving a presentation. It was first time to give such a like presentation which is in front of about 100 American audiences. I was so upset and depressed when I heard the number of audiences would come to listen. We studied sigh posting, posture, punching, stress, pronounceation and so on. All of them were for the first time to study so I practiced hard on own presentation using those things with many people, many times by going to office our, RAs and Extension students. They not only listened and gave some comments but also supported my mentally. All of Extension students might be nervous like me. I know every Extension student has been working hard with sleepless. Did you sleep enough every day? Of course, NO! right? I went to sleep around 4 a.m almost every day. You, guys, could be like me... Moreover I was very stressful until presentation day. I got irritated about everything and trouble with any people. I didn't want to join tutorial actually, so I was in trouble with my RA, who is Lolo, because of my bad attitude. However she understood about my feeling so she forgive me. She really support me by cheering me up, chatting fun something. Without her, I would got more trouble.

On December 10th, which was the last of third day, we gave a presentation. I was so nervous the reason was not only that day but also we had in super bad and incredible accidents so far include that day. We couldn't ready our slides until the beginning of presentation so we were in a terrible panic. Our slides was ready by the beginning of our turn because Mark, Ron, Lolo and Ai helped us so much. I am VERY thankful to them about that.

Our turn had came. Saori. K and Yuki.K did well!!! Their voice was very strong, clear! I didn't think they was nervous as me. I felt confidence from them. They did good job. While they was speaking, I tryed to stand confidence but it was very difficult because I was the most nervous a whole my life. I said " I can do it, I can do it" in my brain repeat and repeat. BRING IT ON!!! Saori pass me my turn. My legs, hands, voice, all about my body were shaking. In addition my heart beating rapidly. I couldn't controlled them. I skipped some phrases but it didn't matter because audience, especially my host mother, friends, smiled and laughed at me by saying some fun phrases later. It got rid of nervous from me almost all completely. Gradually I enjoyed it. My biggest plan, which audiences make wish with us, successed! Audiences seemed enjoy it. I was very happy to see that. After that, I enjoyed giving presentation perfectly!!!

As soon as I got out the Assembly hall, I have burst into cry, my partners alos cried. Host mother, friends came to me and hugged me. While I realised I was supported by many people, and I felt comfortable and pleasant and cheerful. On the other hand, I noticed finishing our great project means our life at MFWI is finishing so my tears mean happiness of finishing presentation and sadness of closing to the end of extension program. I am grateful to my friends, Lolo and I am more grateful to teachers and my greatest partners. I want to say thank you to everyone, who supported me, here again, from my heart. I had super great friends. If I didn't get such a great friends, my success would not here. I haven't done such a experience so far, so it will remind my mind forever. Now I have spend a few days from the day finishing, so since then I'm being empty. I'll enjoy a rest of day at MFWI by running out of my energy.