Yamazaki's Lessons

>LESSON ONE

Classroom Duties
Every class pitches in and helps keep the classroom clean. When its your turn to be On duty, this is what you must clean the blackboard, write in the class journal, sing a song, and dance.

>LESSON TWO

The Sloth
The sloth is an amazing creature. Visit your local zoo to see one in action. they might look lazy, but if youre lucky to might see one move at its amazing one hundred kilometers n hour speed!

>LESSON THREE

Badminton
A game played with two rackets, a net, and birdie, badminton is a dueling sport that dates back to Ancient Rome. Whoever lost was in really big trouble.

>LESSON FOUR

Emperor Penguins
The Emperor Penguin can grow to an amazing five feet, eight inches tall! Thats why they gave it the name.

>LESSON FIVE

Good-luck Charms
Good luck charms are popular when you want to get the guy or girl you like to ask you out, or you want to do good on the next test. But where did this amazing tradition begin? It began in china, where they would seal the good luck charm in a bag after it was made. These charms were incredibly big measuring about ten yards long. Since they were so big, people made bags for them to carry them around and dragged them everywhere they went.
Thats a lie! I never heard of that and I live in China!
Hee hee. You caught me. I slipped in one lesson that was untrue. Just making sure you were paying attention.

>LESSON SIX

Beach Volleyball
Beach Volleyball is a fun game to play in the summer at the beach. It began in Hawaii where they would play using coconuts. But since coconuts are heavy, there would always be a lot of injuries. In Ancient Egypt, its said that if a person plays until the end without dropping the ball, their love will come true.

>LESSON SEVEN

Suama Candies
A delicious snack, Suama candies (Japanese sweets made from mochi) used to be as big as the Kagami-mochi (large two-layer rice cakes as wide as dinner plates) they serve during New Years festivals. It took fourteen strapping men to eat just one of them! During the Muromachi Period (1333-1573), the candies were so popular that a bloody war broke out over them.

>LESSON EIGHT

Colds
Everyone hates getting a cold. But did you ever stop and think about how you get them in the first place? The average Japanese citizen believes that the cold is transmitted by viruses. But, recent studies show that its actually fairies who spread the disease. The research also indicates that only those with pure hearts can see the cold fairies.

>LESSON NINE

Chocolate
Everyone loves chocolate, but what if you were forbidden to eat it? Years ago, chocolate was very dangerous and children werent allowed to eat it. It contained a very powerful narcotic drug that made anyone who ate it feel giddy, then fall into a deep sleep. These were very terrible times!
I was surprised Yamazaki knew this. A law actually existed that prohibited people from eating the chocolate. In fact, for a long time in Europe, everyone under the age of twenty was forbidden to eat chocolate.
Right. Those who broke the law were in deep trouble.
Back in England, they had us study long and hard about the chocolate prohibition.
Eating white chocolate was an ever bigger crime.
As was eating almond chocolate.

>LESSON TEN

Cheers
Cheerleaders are great. They keep the fans going, cheering for their team. A long time ago, a Roman emperor was thrown into the ocean during a war. He made a nearby soldier wave for help, and the soldier waved, and waved, and waved. Thus the cheer was invented.

>LESSON ELEVEN

Strawberry Hunts
Everyone likes eating strawberries. And picking is just as fun if not more. The strawberry originated in South America where, in the old days, it wasnt easy to eat them. Back then, the strawberries had legs to run around on and therefore were hard to catch. If you wanted a strawberry bad enough, youd have to chase after it. Hence the name Strawberry Hunt.

>LESSON TWELVE

Bears
You see them all around. Girls giving teddy bears to those they love. But what about real bears? Originally, these land-dwellers were sea animals, and used to swim the seven seas in search of salmon. It was a voyage that spanned the world, from Alaska and the Arctic Ocean in the north, to Antarctica in the south. Also, the bear could dive deep down into the depths. The white marking on the neck of a Japanese moon-bear is so they dont lose sight of each other in the dark depths of the ocean.

>LESSON THIRTEEN

Cats
Did you know that cats are really aliens from outer space living on Earth? And not only that, but also dogs, birds, and penguins. And goldfish. Though, the goldfish aliens have a harder time since they need alien clothing that can be worn under water and for the small body, they weighed several tens of kilograms. But those aliens, known as Kesaran Basaran had some famous stories as well.

>LESSON FOURTEEN

Bazaars
In the old days, there were people living in Niagara Falls called bazaar. And since the waterfalls there go zabaa... zabaa... zabaa... za... ba... zaa... ba... zaar... they started to call it bazaar.

>LESSON FIFTEEN

Christmas
A long time ago, the trees were decorated outside peoples houses instead of inside. And they would hang all kinds of food from the branches. And since it is cold outside, all the food was served cold. For instance, the cake was an ice cream cake.

>LESSON SIXTEEN

Skiing
Years and years ago, people used to ski wearing wooden clogs since at that time they werent heavy.
Right. They were also about one meter long.
And not only did they wear them for skiing, they also wore them when there wasnt any snow.
It was pretty hard back then.
They needed to be able to run very fast while wearing them.
And held races in the spring to see who could run the fastest in their clogs.
In the winter, its known as the--
Clog Ski Champion.

>LESSON SEVENTEEN

Water Balloons
The beginning of the Edo Period brought out of the real feeling of summer to the people. And since in the old days they didnt have rubber, the balloons were made out of glass. Elegant people played without breaking the glass by thinking very carefully.

I hope everyone enjoyed my lessons! Join me next time when we find out how the maze got its name!