We had the choice of two topics, either talking about a controversial societal issue that is prevalent in America and possible solutions, or talking about something that is popular in America but not so much in Japan, and explain why. I did have a controversial topic in mind, but the character limit was 600 characters so that our speech wouldn't go too long. People who had started writing before me were having a tough time writing a good, detailed speech with such a tight limit, so I changed my mind at the last second and I ended up writing about cider mills. In Michigan, we have tons of these and I've always just taken them for granted, but earlier this fall some friends and I went to a cider mill. One friend who was from Ohio (our neighboring state to the south), we completely surprised by the cider mill. She said she had never even heard of one in Ohio (I'm sure there are some though, maybe just not as many as here). So I looked into it a bit, and I found out cider mills exist only in a bit over a dozen states here or so. Apple cider isn't solely an American thing, in Europe, historically cider has been popular, but cider mills as tourist destinations have sorta become an iconic thing in America.
I do have a video of the speech for you guys to see. Of course there are some mistakes, but I take pride in knowing I was the only one not to use note cards. I'm sure everyone else memorized theirs, but I think they fell into that trap that if you bring notes up with you, you end up constantly looking at them and reading from them. I knew that would happen to me too, so I just...didn't make any XD. Good thing my topic was pretty easy. There were people who talked about mock trials, technology dependency, the American school system, and a lot of other elaborate things. Even though mine was simple, I'm proud of it because I think I did a good job presenting it, comparatively, and it was easy for everyone to understand, and only 9 new vocab words. Also, I hate public speaking. A lot. Especially in Japanese. Which is why I have about 1,000 heart attacks every time I have an oral exam. In fact, I don't actually remember giving the speech here, that's how terrified I was, I just blocked it from my memory. It was even worse because you could see yourself on a giant tv in the back on the room. **shudder** so scary. Ok, but anyway, I'll post the video. I'm not going to sub it, but I will write a translation underneath so if you're curious as to what I said. I hope you enjoy this! Hopefully I can actually return to writing this blog regularly in the future ^_^
Apple Cider and Cider Mills
Autumn in the season for the most delicious food. Since it is the apple harvest time, apple cider is very popular in fall. The drink apple cider is not the same as the Japanese soda called "cider". Apple cider is unprocessed apple juice, but it does not taste the same as apple juice. Since cider is more natural, it spoils easily, and can only really be drinken in the fall. Cider is made in cider mills. In Michigan, there are over a hundred, several of which are rather famous. For example, in my home town, Rochester Hills, Yates Cider Mill has appeared on the Food Network channel and other "Best of" lists. Because of this, it's become more famous, and now in the parking lot you will see many licence plates from different states the visitors are coming from.
At cider mills, not only do you drink cider, but often cider mills will have their own attractions. For example, you can buy pumpkins, go apple picking, ride horse drawn wagons, have fun in corn mazes, and moreover there could be a petting zoo.
Every fall, I go to the cider mill at least once. There, I always buy fresh cider and donuts, and then dip the donuts in cider and eat them. Apple cider is my favorite drink, so that combination is very delicious. Historically, cider has been America's most important drink. A long time ago, instead of water, people would drink cider. Even today, apple cider is loved throughout the country. If you go to a cider mill too and drink America's beloved cider, I am certain you will come to love cider too.
notes: For those of you who don't know, cider in Japan (and Korea), is like what we call sprite...actually, the flavor is more like 7up. They do have other flavors too, but essentially it's just a type of soda. I'm not quite sure where this comes from, because historically, since the middle ages, cider has always referred to fermented fruit juice, most commonly apples. Also, I don't know why I didn't say this in my speech, but maybe people are confused as to why cider was the drink of choice and not water. Actually, in the colonial days, the water was not safe for drinking. Cider is really easy and inexpensive to produce, so that was usually what people would be drinking. If there are any other questions, feel free to ask.
Mary
Location: Dorm room
Mood: Procrastinating. Avoiding studying for finals XD
Listening to: Salvation for a Proud Nation - Immediate Music
Japanese for the day: 一番好きなのは＿＿＿です。ichiban sukina no wa ______ desu. My favorite one is _____. --> so if someone asks you your favorite food, drink, brand, choice for something, etc, just fill in the blank.
