Chie
My Grandfather Died
On May 29th, my grandfather on my mother's side died because of disease. He had been in hospital for half a year, but his disease was very severe and he was not strong enough to undergo an operation so that doctors had no way to cure him. Though he underwent anticancer drug treatment, he got weaker and weaker day by day and, at last, he died.
I was very surprised and sad when I heard this news, but I had little realization because I didn't want to believe it. On the 30th, I went back to Nara to attend his funeral. When I saw his face lying still in death, I had a full realization and his face reminded me of the good days he and I had. He was strict with his children and grandchildren, so I was often scolded by him. But now I realized it was his love.
He often told me about his youth. He survived wars and experienced hard times. I liked listening to his stories. But now he can't scold me with love or tell his brave stories any more!
I'm shocked about his death. Have you had a similar kind of experience? And how did you get over the grief? Please tell me!
A cappella
The word "a cappella" means singing without any musical instruments. Originally, a cappella began among Christians. Recently, however, a new style of a cappella has appeared, which is called "contemporary a cappella." In this style, present-day pop music is performed only with the human voice, that is to say, even the sound of bass, drums and percussion is done only with the human voice!
I often listen to a cappella music and go to a cappella concerts because listening to such songs makes me happy and relaxed. I think the human voice has the power to heal. I recommend a cappella music to anyone who's feeling tired.
There are many a cappella groups, of course. One of the most famous will come to Japan in June. The group's name is Rockappella. I will go to their concert with my friends, and I'm looking forward to listening to their songs.
Academy Awards
On 23th March, 2003, the 75th annual Academy Awards were held in America. Though I don't go to see movies very much, I took a great interest in this year's Academy Awards because the Iraq War broke out before the event. I watched the Awards on TV. Because of the war, the ceremony was very simple, and many actors and actresses made speeches about the war. I was very impressed by Nicole Kidman's speech. She won the award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.