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The Keika Chronicle 1

A Warm Welcome! The November 2020 New Teacher: Ángel Issue Hello students! It is very nice to meet you. I am very excited to teach you English! My name is Ángel (ア ンヘル), I am from California, USA but I was born in Caracas, Venezuela. I am 26 years old and have lived happily in Japan for 4 amazing years. What is in this issue: My Passion: Films

Since I was a kid, I have always loved the art of

filmmaking, especially directing, script writing and cinematography. I believe that a good film must have A New ALT! both a good narrative and a compelling visual element that establishes the mood and atmosphere of the film. As a matter of fact, my major in college was film. American My Top 3 Films of All Time

1. Birdman (Or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. 2. Steve Jobs, directed by Danny Boyle. 3. The Shining, directed by Stanley Kubrick and written by Stephen King.

My Favorite Director: My favorite director is the one and only Stanley Kubrick! His cinematography and brilliant use of Mise-en-

The Keika Chronicle 2

scène are outstanding. His films are not only films but transcending experiences. Kubrick masterfully uses lighting, set design and the score to create captivating stories. My two favorite films from Kubrick are The Shining and 2001: Space Odyssey. Last but not least, of the things that makes Kubrick my favorite director, is the fact that all his movies are so different from each other and also have different genres!

Tips for Learning English: Like you, I am not a native English speaker, I had to learn English in school and it took a while. I completely understand how hard it is to learn it, that is why I will give you my Top 5 Tips to Learn English:

1. Create an English environment. 2. Practicing English doing what you like, watching movies or listening to music in English is a great way to learn vocabulary. I used to play a lot of video games in English. 3. Make friends with people who speak English. 4. Shadowing with movies or music. 5. Make many mistakes!

About Venezuela: Venezuela is located in the northern part of South America! On the north we have the Caribbean Ocean, one the west we have Colombia, on the right we have Guyana and on the South we have Brazil. Venezuela has the world’s biggest oil reserves and we also have the record for most wins in the Miss Universe contest. In addition, we have tons of delicious food, friendly people and beautiful nature. Our official language is Spanish (Castilian) and we love baseball. Last but not least, we also have the tallest waterfall in the world, it is called Angel Falls and it was featured in the Pixar movie “UP” (カールじいさんの空飛ぶ家).

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Food & Family Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated on the last Thursday of November every year in the United States. This year, it is on Thursday, November 26th, 2020. It is a day for “giving thanks,” or being grateful for what you have. It is the busiest travel time in the U.S. because people go home for a weekend of food and family. Americans eat more food on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year! The day after Thanksgiving is called , a day where stores have large sales. It is the busiest shopping day of the year in the U.S.A. and it is the start of the Christmas shopping season. gives people the chance to get the sales online after the holiday weekend has ended.

A Difficult History

President Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving into a national holiday in 1863 to try to unite the country during the Civil War. He wanted all Americans to come together and remember sharing, friendship, and brotherhood. He called upon the story of the Pilgrims, early Europeans who forcefully came to America, and the Indians already living there, sharing an autumn meal together after fighting. However, this “First Thanksgiving” in 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts was truly not about “Pilgrims and Indians becoming friends” as I was taught in school as a child because before and after that time, Native Americans were treated very badly by Euro- Americans. Even now, they are still fighting for equal rights in their homeland. Since 1970, Thanksgiving is even called a National Day of Mourning by the United American Indians of New England (UAINE). It is a sad day to remember what their people have suffered since Europeans came. It is important to note that African Americans were also being treated badly during the First Thanksgiving and the Civil War, and even now they continue to fight for equal rights in 2020. It is our responsibility to learn the truth about our history, even though it is painful. If Americans want to celebrate Freedom from Want, like the famous Norman Rockwell painting in 1943, then everyone needs an equal place at the table.

Thanksgiving is more than this! The Keika Chronicle 4

Thanksgiving Day

On Thanksgiving morning, there is a famous parade in front of Macy’s Department Store in New York City with Broadway performers, marching bands, famous singers, giant balloons, and more. It is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Later that day is the famous National . Local and professional teams all over the country have American football games called “Turkey Bowls.” There are also many marathons usually called “Turkey Trots.”

Thanksgiving Dinner & Dessert

Thanksgiving dinner is a huge meal that families cook all day. Much of the food is special for the autumn season. The main dish is roast turkey, but smoked ham and roast chicken are often cooked too. Recently, vegan and vegetarian options are increasing. Traditional side dishes are mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, , and . Salad, squashes, soups, and bread rolls are delicious too. , apple juice, wine, sweet tea, and various other drinks are common. People from the U.S. have roots all over the world so many families will include food from their own cultural background as well. Perhaps some Japanese American families eat traditional Japanese food with their Thanksgiving turkey!

My favorite Thanksgiving dessert is with whipped cream on top! It is a soft, cold dessert. I recently had a piece at Starbucks, here in Tokyo. Please try it! American apple pie is also popular because autumn is apple season. I love warm, cinnamon apple pie with cold vanilla ice cream on the side. XOXO, Sheila