SECRETS by Bernard MacLaverty

In this short but poignant story Bernard MacLaverty introduces us to a young high school student whose great-aunt Mary, who lives with his family, is dying. The boy returns from studying at his girlfriend's house to join his relatives gathered at the house for the final vigil over the dying old lady. In a series of flashbacks we learn that great-aunt Mary often read to the boy as a child. Later, when he starts collecting stamps, she allows him to steam old postage stamps from a large collection of postcards she keeps locked in a desk in her room. There are also some packets of letters in her desk which the boy is not allowed to touch. Overcome by curiosity, the boy waits until his great-aunt leaves the house for Evening Devotions then goes into her room. Finding the keys in a drawer, he opens her desk and begins reading the forbidden letters. This is when we learn the great secret in the life of this reserved and dignified old lady who never married ....

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before the boy's great-aunt die, he did the unforgivable thing .what did he do??

Mary is his aunt, is dying.when she is good, she told him many fairytales very often. his hobby is collecting stamps.

when he steamed them,he asked her,"who is Brother Benigus? her ansered "he is a friend."

sunday evening, she went to the church to pray. while she pray,he came into the her sitting room. and he read the her many letters behind her back.......

according the letters, Mary loved bro.and bro loved too.but the war destroyed their relationship....

when she came back, she snapped,"what are you doing?"he was found. "get out!!" she shouted. it was the last words which she said him when she is living.

she died. he did the worst thing for her.

i sympathy for mary. because if i were her, i can'tforgive. i think that it was bad for her to read the letters. the letters were her the most important thing. it's like a precious thing for her. although she died, he should do something. he will not forget the unforgivable thing. he never.....

By kamekame

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We finally finished the story of secret. It never occurred to me that Mary had such a sad secret.

Wars break up everything even peoples' hearts. It made John and Mary be apart and John sick. They loved and needed each other.John kept writing to Mary from where he was during the war. They wanted the war to be over as soon as possible, then John can go home and see Mary.But the days keeps him watching dying people made him give up his love. It must have been very difficult decision for him and Mary.

If I were Mary, I could not tell about him to someone else. It is too sad to say it to someone and I want to keep the memories of him only in my mind.I don't want someone to make them dirty. That is why she did not forgive the boy who read the letters from John even though she said not to do it.

John and Mary never get married to each other but they kept on getting touch each other. I think Mary loved John until when she died. And John, too.

I think the boy should have said that he was so sorry for what he did. He might have been too young to understand what he did ti Mary. But he will know it in the future and keep feeling so sorry for it until he dies. He should.

We are so happy because we are living a peaceful country and most of us don' t have to worry about death.

I can tell there were a lot of people who lost people they loved a lot for the war. We should know and learn what happened in the past like the boy. And keep on doing something to get peace of world.We should never break out wars.

That is what we can do for the people who had sad life for the war.

By Miffy

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I didn’t have any clue what this story is about when I started to read it, but as I read it through and when I found that this story is about world war one, I found it difficult to read.
I never liked to read a book about war, I just couldn’t face the fact that thousands of people had been killed, for not their own will but their country’s. “Growing future” I liked to read it because that was fiction and no one’s life was taken away in real life. ( I still feel sorry for Patricia, poor girl will fine her rotten man in the trunk.)

I understand why the boy wanted to read the letters, he was full of curiousness and I thought that it was natural thing for boy to read the letters. What had happened was aunt Mary’s fault as she didn’t hide her letters from the boy. If I were aunt Mary I would have hidden the letters from the boy as I could easily imagine the boy would read them all. Aunt Mary knew he was a inquisitive boy, she should have hidden it somewhere where boy would never know, if she hided them, story would never started however.

I thought the relationship of Mary and Jon was absolutely beautiful like old films, they sit on the grass and talking to each other and nothing will separate them, but they were separated!

I didn’t realize what he meant when he said he thinks he should sacrifice something. The thought that he will sacrifice the love for Mary didn’t even occurred to me. Jon said that the war is beginning to have an effect on him. I still remember the French solder in the documentary who could not see the solder cap.(I don’t know if it was called cap.) his hands were shaking, I never saw anybody shaking like that. I think Jon was changed. He was killed in the war. His feeling was killed in the war, and it is strange that human being started the war, nothing else did. This story was not the fiction, (I don’t know if Mary or Jon existed or not.) lots of people were killed in the war, their body or their feeling, and someone would be crying for it. Still these days there are lots of wars are going on, lots of people die every day, may be someone is dying or was just dead now. I think if there wasn’t such thing like the war, they would have been married and lived happily, just because Jon went to the war every things were changed.


By Ayaka

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This story was really strange, i thought. But i can understand his feeling that wanna see thinks which was hidden from me.
At last he saw them and she knows that. She has never forgiven him.
I thought this is really interesting cos if i went to war (i know i can't because I'm a girl)and if i could come back japan and could see my boy friend(for him girlfriend) i will really want to be together. I thought its normal but for him it wasn't. But if he decided like that she had got no choese she just had to give him up.I though she wasn't happy about that.

If i was that boy i will say sorry and try her to forgive me. Even if she didnt forgive me i will not leave it like he did. Than he will think about it forever till he die.

Anyway this story was really difficult to think but it was really interesting

By BKL

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I thought the boy shouldn't have read Mary's letters from
John because I think that secret was probably the only
thing to keep Mary thinking 'We(John and Mary) have the
special relationship though we are not a couple any
more...' But the boy had spoilt that... I know he was just
a small child(I don't remember his age,,,) and curious so
he really wanted to read them but he really should have
given up when Mary told him not to read!! And I think he
should have apologized to her again before she died. She
might have waited for him to apologize... From this story,
I learned that I mustn't do the things which other people
don't want me to do. If I don't do that,I won't make
people angry!(Not always, though,,,) I wish I'd never make
people angry!!

(QUESTION123)
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I felt that I couldn't understand this story fully. But I under stood Mary's heart.

During the World War, Mary fell in love with John. They could read the letters from lovers because John might be a commander. And they planed to get married.

But, the war shanged his mind. He decided to become a brother.
I thought Mary have should very sad. His letter was big secret for her.

But her great nepew saw it. Her anger was so great and deep.

The kid saw it because hebwas interested in "John". And he knew that nis great-aunt hasn't get married. He has never heard about a man from Mary, so he wanted to know about "John".At last, he was hit by her...I think it's good for him.

I hoped that John and Mary ware married for themselves.

5.19 Koh

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I'm going to tell you my opinion of the story "Secrets".

At first I thought this story is just telling about love story of the boy's great aunt.

But it wasn't the happiness love.

I think I can't wait if someone who are close to me went to war and didn't come back for long time.

I could'nt understand why she could wait.

I don't have experience of the war and havn't reality of that. So I could understand why boy want to know about his great aunt and more curious to find her secret. I think I'll do samething that boy read aunt's secret.

But I also could understand aunt's side. If I have some secret, I felt same as the boy's aunt.

I thought secret must be secret. But some times we felt more free after secret come out by someone.

This is my opinion of this story.

(Gonbe)

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When we started reading the story "secrets", I thought what is secrets? But it emerged. I could understand why he hadn't been beside his great aunt whenshe died. It's bad thing to read another person's letters,but I think hecouldn't help reading her letters.So, I might understand he read someletters. However, if I were Mary, I can't allow him, because these lettersare most importantly for her.I will hit him like Mary and I will shout him"Go away right now ,You are unreasonable. It's too terrible." These letterswere valuable and her religion, because John was a man she loved the bestwhether they would get married or not. I could satisfied why she weremaiden. I thought she was distinguished women ,because she kept maiden byshe died. She didn't get married other man despite the fact that she foundJohn couldn't get married her.Also John is greaat man. He wrote a letterlike this " I must do something ,must sacrifice something to make up for thehorror of the past year."I was impressed by this phrase. In spite of heloved Mary he became a monk brother. His all letter to Mary movedme.Forexample " The only thing that remains constant is my love for you."I feel greater sympathy with for a boy. He made a mistake, but he wereashamed it. I think he should have apologized to Mary firmly.I think hegrieved about Mary's death terribley. I hope Mary forgive him....
This story was sorrowful for me.

(Paul)

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I quite liked this story. Until I read this story, I was thinking thatchildhood is wonderful time. But after I read this story, I understood thatchildhood sometimes annoy somebody or make feel bad. Child entertains lots of query, and keeps on asking, push out boundaries,learns, understands, doesn’t understand. and because of these, child oftenget in troubles. Sometimes, the lessons are painful, and that pain willlinger on into your adulthood. In this story, the pain to this boy was the death of his great-aunt Mary.Once, when he went into her room, he found letters in the pigeon-hole.Luckily, she wasn’t there, so he read those letters. When he was reading,she came back. She referred to him what he was doing. The boy said that hedid nothing, but she found out that he was reading them. She was talkingquietly, but because her eyes were blazing, he could understand she wasangry at him. Then she struck him across the side of the face, and told himto get out of her room. He put the keys on the table on his way out. Whenhe was getting out of the room, she called to him. She said that he isdirt, and that he will be always dirt. Also, that she won’t forget aboutthis till she dies, and won’t forgive him about this ever. I think it was really shocking to the boy that Aunt Mary called him dirt.And to make him more shock, she died. After her death, he asked to hismother if she said something about him before she dies. But his mother saidthat Aunt Mary was saying nothing. Which means she didn’t forgive him anddied? He felt hardness in his throat, and when he felt that, he put his headdown on his books. Tears came into his eyes for the first time since shehad died, and he cried silently into the crook of his arm for the woman whohad been his maiden aunt, his teller of tales. Maybe , she might forgivehim. If I were him, I think I’ll be really shocked if my aunt calls me “dirt” and that she won’t forgive me till she dies.

(doubleY)

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I like to collect stamps, too.

My father often gives me many stamps.

The boy peeled stamps off envelopes by steam, but I always them soak
in water for a few minutes.

I think this story was really difficult.Both of them are miserable.
Mary have kept her searets for a long time.

She never said anything to anybody about her memories of John.
So, I can understand her feelings.

If I were Mary, I would get angry with him.

I think she never forgive him.

But if I were the boy, I might read Mary's letters, out of curiosity.
He was just a child. I can understand his feelings, too.

This is a very sad and difficult story.
Anyway, I hope war will never happen again.

(yuzu)

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This story is about the secret that a boy’s great-aunt, who never married, used to have a fiance but he went to the war and he changed and they finally didn’t get marry although they loved each other. Why they didn’t get marry was that he decided to be a father after the war. I think he felt a lot of things and he experienced things like having people and mates dying around him and surviving in the terrible situation during his duty in the war.

The boy whose great-aunt is Mary was not allowed to read or even open the pigeon hole which had got her secret letters in it. But he opened it and read the letters. I think he couldn’t stop reading them because of his age and his curiosity. He was very little at that time. She came into the room where he was reading them and she got cross with him.
She never forgave him as she didn’t say anything about the accident and she died. He regretted what he’d done but he would never be innocent.
If I were him, I would’ve regretted a lot like him but I might’ve asked her what happened to her and her fiancé at latest before her death because I wouldn’t have been able to get the secret out of my head. However I think he was right. Her past is so mysterious and I don’t think teenagers like him and me understand how she felt and what exactly made her fiancé become a father so I don’t think we should poke our noses into her memory. And I guess he knew that he shouldn’t have done it. That’s why he didn’t talk to Mary about the accident.

It means that he was a quick-witted boy or he felt things deeply or at least more deeply that I would’ve done.

I can imagine if I were the boy but I can not imagine if I were Mary because in this safe and peaceful life, I probably won’t experience such a sad love story. But I am long for the story because it’s like a film although I still don’t want to experience such a story. I really enjoyed this story so I would like to read this kind of stories a lot more in English.

(Flick)

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For me,this story was strange.first, the story is when Mary is dying, then it goes to the past, and then back. Maybe this story moves as the main boy looks back.This story is his side.

Because the boy is very nervous about Mary's death, I thought the boy and Mary were really good each other like friends even though they are bit far as grand-aunt and grand-nephew. I don't understand why Mary doesn't forgive the boy and why she wanted keep the secret. She could(should) tell him the terror of the war or something important. But she didn't want to and the accident happened.

This time, I noted the relationship between Mary and the boy, but some noted about John and Mary I guess.This story was interesting.

d18

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i wil tell you about my impression of the story -SECRETS-
first, everybody has some secrets, but this secret is very serious.. i felt pity for great-aunt mary because she loved jahn for a looooong time. she was single in all her life. if i were her, i absolutely could not do that like her. waiting waiting waiting for a boyfriend... because i want to get married!!! im sure that she loved him very very very much!!! but he became a Brother because of the world war 1. i can swear, if a war break out just now, i would hate it very much. it will take my boyfriend out from me.i appreciate this peaceful world, but in the middle east, such as iraq and palestine, there are often break out many wars and civil strifes. oh and also religious wars... im so happy now, but people who are in these countries are not... many women has own boyfriends and husbands in this peaceful world, but they have to separate from their boyfriends and hasbands...like mary.

second, about the boy who is very curious. he saw some privete letters of his great-aunt. these letters are very very precious memories to her, but he saw them, when she went to church... it was really bad act,i think. but he was so young!! if i were her, i might forgive him.
third, as for john. i can not understand definitely why he became a Brother. why did he sacrifice her?? we learned he got very angry against the war. i think he could get married her because he did not break out the war. the government did!!! why didn't he choose a life,kinds of 'happy-ever-after' if he had got married her, mary would not have been a single for all her life. i really want to ask him...

finally, we do not know much about wars which broke out before our birth, and we also not interested in them. but we still have lots lots lots of problems between japan and china, korea and south east asia, such as indonesia and malaysia. through this story, only thing that i want to say is that young people in japan must think over how awful wars are...

by L4DYL

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i'll talk about "SECRETS".
the woman whose name was mary was dying for some days.she was great-aunt for one of the boy, who was a main character in this story.

he had just left his girlfriend's house after getting to call from his house, because he and his girlfriend had been studying for A-level together.lots of relatives of his great-aunt were standing around her bed, and had been praying for her...she is dying on her death bed, namely, her condition was very bad.it was in the evening as a proof, there was finding all the lights spilling on to the lawn.so, it means she was going to dye SOON-a sense of purpose.

her relatives were catholic which was from had tried to wrap her fingers around a crucifix in the sentence.it was terrible to listen to her noise for him,,,ireses were dying because she was in bed couldn't change water and couldn't look after them.

there was the sound of woman weeping, which meant she was dead.
she had got a cameo ring on the third finger, she didn't married.to keep a little pigen-holes used to be very popular in ireland and u.k..(pigeon always go back their house.its amazing!! because if i were them, i might be able to do it, but, i'm not sure , if, i were a pigeon.)

when they were praying for her, mary was making a strong noise, was shrinking and dignity.(she was srtong woman.)it was painful to see her.he want to sitting room and she was dead..

when he was young, she had read books for him and he knew a cameo ring was from mary's grand

when she left, he had read her letters which were from secret pigeon hole. in other words, he didn't tell her he'd read.and they told him, john couldn't keep his mind usually, when he just can keep it normally, he was thinking of her because he and she had been engaging since he left her to world war 2 as a solder.however, he gave up to marry with her because he was going to be brother-brother john.that's why the name on the envelops were john and there were lots of letters from him.she found out that he'd been reading her letters.i think this story is sad ans also, i don't know and can't decide which person i should sympathy because if i sympathy for mary, she felt what a shame that he'd read them, or if i sympathy for him, he did regret that he'd read.....",

nkj

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aunt mary went a bit too far to hit him, but she may well angry in this situation, because the boy read her private letters while she went out.

nobody is wanted to read their letters. not to pry into the affairs of others is a tacit approval for us. if i were the boy, i wouldn't have red her letters, and if i were mary, i wouldn't have hit him and said that his action was wrong.

mary's boyfriend , john was a soldier , so he had to go on battlefield. his colleagues and friends died with weapons. he didn't want to fight against enemy. he always wished the world peace , so when the world war finished, he decided to become a brother. maybe mary intended to marry john because they loved each other, but she accepted his decision. i wonder she was so sad. she loved him, so she treasured lots of letters from him like him.

everybody have some secrets. it is no good to interfere in others. i also learned the cruelty of war. they needn't have fought each other. i think john always was in mary's hearts.

(milaha)

THE AICHI EXPO

STUDENTS' COMMENTS:

On 29th April, we went to "Aichi Banpaku" as a school trip.There were lots of groups, families, puples and tourists though it was like a summer day.It seemed hard to line and wait for the turn for long time in the sun.It must be boring as well. So I didn't line. Instead of making lines,
I took some picuter with the staffs. They were all kind and pretty. The dresses they wore were interesting, too. Of course I took a picture with "MORIZO".He was so cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But he didn't talk...I've never heard his voise.
Like this way I spent the day with Maoko&Hakuto,Maoko suggested to us to go to Ireland one.I enjoyed it.And then, we went to U.K.'s Italy's and so on..l.We could go into Japanese Pavilions.But Iliked to go there.I enjoyed all the day.
(d18)


Aichi expo was great!!! We could see the world in Aichi! There were lots of countries and I'm sure every one loved them! Also there were lots of foreigner. Some of them came there for the true and the others came for their jobs. Most of them spoke Japanese bet some of them couldn't. Even if they don't speak Japanese we could speak English so that wasn't problem!
There were too many people and we couldn't see things well but still it was great!
We had to wait to get in to each building. Sometimes we had to wait for 2 hours!

Also there was lots of students as well. They came there from all over Japan. I thought I was really lucky because Aichi is not so far from Hamamatsu and we could come back just for one day!!! I think this is great!!! But actually I wanted stay over there with my friends. If i could do that it's gonna be fantastic!!!!

Anyway Aichi expo was great and really interesting i guess everyone should go there there and see it! There will be more and more busy!!!!
(BKL)


On 27th of April, the whole school went to “Aichi EXPO”. We left schoolat about eight o’clock. It took us about half and an hour to get there.When I got out from the bus, I couldn’t believe that it was still April.It was soooooooo hot!!!! It was almost like summer! I could feel my skinwas getting burned.Whatever, we had to walk about fifteen minutes to EXPO from the parking.When we stopped near the entrance, each of us got the admission ticket fromteacher and after that, we could go anywhere freely with friends. I hadexpected that there would be so many people, but there were more peoplethan my expectation, so I was quite surprised.First of all, we went to “The Earth Tower”, the biggest kaleidoscope inthe world. We went in to the line and waited for about fifty minutes. Well,usually fifty minutes seems long, but we were talking, so I didn’t thinkthat it was that long. Anyway, finally we went in to the tower. We lookedup the top. It was a huge kaleidoscope. It was so amazing. It was sobeautiful. It really touched my heart. I really liked here.After “The Earth Tower”, we walked again to “Wonder Wheel”. This wasan exciting one, too. I rode on this with Rie. It was so amazing. We couldsee the power of imagination combined with the dream of unfetteredmobility. From ancient to contemporary times, this has been an essentialelement in the evolving drama of human activity. This journey travels fromprehistory to the present day and into the future, focusing on eight stagesin the pursuit of the human of ever-expanding mobility. This was quite niceattraction, I think.Next, we went to “Italy Pavilion”. It was okay though. When I saw thecar covered with chocolate, I was sooooooooo surprised, and the smell wasso good. That was the most impressive one at this pavilion.Finally, we went to buy some souvenirs. I bought cookies to my family, andtwo towel handkerchiefs (one for my sister and one for myself), and a clearfile for my sister.Then, we went back to our bus, and came back to school. I got so tired, soI was sleeping whole the way to school. I was so tired, but I had club today….. I got tired more and more. I can’t tell how I got tired this day. ButI really enjoyed “Aichi EXPO”. Because we didn’t have enough time, wecouldn’t see all the pavilions, so I want to go again.
(doubleY)


it was a sunny and hot day, so i took off my jacket,,,
on 26th, i promised with mayuka that lte us catch same train in the morning.however, iu missed it which was coming 6:52 in the iwata sta..i texted and said to her that i was sorry i couldn't take a same train...she texted back to me and said that not to be in a hurry, you've got prenty of time, so you would be fine to catch next train.

anyway, i want aroung with mana, yui.t, and ayano.we went to lots of foreign country's houses, and i've got lots of stamps which are vietnam, indonesia, bruinei darussalam, thailand, kingdom of saudi arabia, qatar, new zealand, kingdom of bhutan, uzbekistan, tajikistan, yemen, iran, kyrgyzstan, kazakhstan, and usa.we went into "yumemiru-yama".it was very interested rather than enjoynable.we fascinated the performance which included and performed about environment and scienence.oh, i have a funny,,,no, disgusted thing.when i wanted to wash my hands before eating lunch, i wanted to find a toilet for washing them.i couldn't qiute find it, so i walked around and around, finally, i found it where was quite far from a bench which we had sat down.and then, when we finished eating lunch and starting to walk, i found a toilet which wa nearby a bench,,,i rather think i should have have been and walked around nearby it,,,how silly i was! can you imagine it??
we wanted to go and enter popular houses, but, waiting time was so long, so we gave up, instead, we went to lots of places.it was pretty good, i think.
(nkji)


I went to EXPO in Nagoya on my school trip 27 April. All the students and most of the teachers of my school went there with eighteen buses (I’m not sure but I think they were eighteen). We had a very hot day but we had to wear our school uniform so it was quite hard for us to stay cool, not sweaty. But it was a lovely day as well. We were very happy because it didn’t rain at all.
It wasn’t my first trip to the EXPO because I went there with my friends from England in Spring Holidays. My first impression of EXPO was that the place was huge and it was full of people. And this time, I felt the same impression again. There weren’t only the other High School students like us, but also there were so many old people and Primary School students.
One of my shocking incidents was the High School students and the Junior High School students looked much older than us, UMINOHOSHI students. They were wearing their school uniforms but they weren’t wearing the uniforms properly and most of the girls were wearing make up. I’m not saying that I didn’t like it because what they wore were their choices. I’d just like to say that I found the difference between students in Nagoya and in Hamamatsu. I thought Hamamatsu was a big city but there are more cities bigger than that.
By the way, the pavilions I visited in EXPO were the Italian Pavilion, the Pacific Islands Pavilion, the Central American Pavilion, the Bulgarian Pavilion and so on. My friends and I tried to find a Brazilian Pavilion because my friends were in charge of Brazil in our class exhibition of our school festival, Beritas Plaza but there wasn’t one so we went to the Central American Pavilion in stead. We were able to see various kinds of plants that we could’ve not seen if we hadn’t been to the America so that was interesting.
I was in charge of Italy so we went to the Italian Pavilion and there were a lot of interesting things. We found the car made of chocolate! The car was the same size of a normal car of Fiat, the Italian car brand and amazingly we could smell it being covered with chocolate because it was real! A guide explained to us about the chocolate car and Fiat, and the place called Torino where Fiat’s main company was in. Have you heard the football team called “Juventus”? The team is based there! I knew the team but I didn’t know it was based on Torino. I thought Juventus was the name of a place! The guide also told us a big news; Torino and Nagoya are becoming sister cities next year. How exciting is that. Now I really want to be a resident of Nagoya! Anyway, I learned a lot of things from the Italian Pavilion and the guide was very cheerful and friendly to us.
The other pavilions were also very interesting. I think that was because we could’ve not seen or even known various things about various countries in our daily lives. We learn a lot about the U.S.A and the major countries in Europe at school but not much about minor or small countries in South America or in Europe or in Asia or in Africa. So going to EXPO and visiting various countries’ pavilions is a good opportunity for not only getting knowledge of the countries but also feeling different cultures. There are a lot of foreign guides and they are all friendly so it’s amazing! That was why I enjoyed the day in EXPO so much.
(flick)


First we went to Global Common 6. There is 12 countries of Southeast Asia like Vitnam, Indonesia, Thai land etc... I thought Banpaku is very large place and we can't see all pavilion. Next we went to Corporate pavilion zone. Many corporations like Toyota, Mitsubishi, Hitachi were participate in Banpaku, We wanted to go JAVA Wonder Wheel Pavilion, but there were many people in line to go in. So we gave up to see it. Then we walked around the Corporate pavilion zone. Every pavilion formed a long line and many people were waiting. After all we went to Mountain of Dreams. It was science water show. This show was 3D, so we wear glasses. I thought this show is good educate for kids. And then we went to Global Common 1. There is 14 countries of Asia for example Korea, China, Iran, Nepal, Yemen etc... I had fun in Yemen pavilion. I took a picture with Yemeni. Sometime I was confused about difference of each countries, but I think I got understand it little bit. Then we went to Global Common 2. There is 8 countries of south north America. We went to American pavilion. We waited for 15minute to go inside. We saw a picture projected to a big screen. They talked about Benjamin Franklin who was famous politician in America, and they talked about "Nature's Wisdom". I want to see that show one more time. It made me think about relation of nature and future.
We had only 5 hour to stay in Banpaku. So we didn't have much time to see all pavilion. My dad said that he went to Osaka Banpaku 35years ago, he said he had fun to see a moon's stone, and he want to see how difference Aichi Banpaku is. So I thought Banpaku is very fun place for any age. Meybe I will impress same feel as my dad after next Banpaku set up in Japan. I had very good time in Banpaku.
(gonbe)


I went to EXPO 2005 AICHI JAPAN. It was my first experience. I knew EXPO 1970 OSAKA and The tower of sun, but I didn't know what EXPO is. I found a little of it.
At first, I wanted to go to the pavilion of TOYOTA and HITACHI, but I couldn't go there because of crowd. In other place, there are many people and procession. I was so displeased at that. And few bench to sit and eat made me annoying. It was very discomfort.
But, the pavilion of nation was so interesting. I went to the United States, Mexico, Middle America and Northern Europe's pavilion. Especially, Middle America's pavilion exhibited a lot of historical materials. I shot these material to use our display. The huge meteorite was so big and the ornament which made of gold was beautiful.
Thie EXPO had good side and bad side. I didn't go to the pavilion which I wanted to go. I want to go there again.
(Koh)


There were lots of people at the EXPO .When I came back to home , my mother told me that
a radio announcer had said " There were about eighty nine thousand people at Aichi EXPO
today . " The weather was so wonderful . I even felt hot .
At first , we ( Yurie,Yukiko,Rie and Mayuka ) went to see a huge kaleidoscope .While waiting ,
we talked a lot , so I didn't feel it was hard .Anyway ,I was hot .
A huge kaleidoscope was so_so .I prefer smaller one (ordinary one) to the huge kaleidoscope,
but I wanted to know how to make the huge kaleidoscope . As you know , we have to turn
a kaleidoscope , when we want to see it . However , of course we can't move the bulding ,
but the pattern of the huge kaleidoscope changed .
After that we rode wonder wheel and saw some vehicle designs for the future created by
Japese students .Those were really unique . It was just unfotunate , we could not see main
Pavilion like robots and mammoth .
(incredible)


The international exposition in Osaka had been held before I have been born,
so I was looking forward to go to the international exposition in Nagoya.
(The mascot charactor, Morizo and Kikkoro are very cute.)
The weather is perfect for the excursion, if anything, it was too hot !!
I want to see "the mammoth", "the thousand year - clock" and "the tower
of the earth".
The clock, called "the thousand year - clock", was made in the last days of
the Tokugawa shogunate, about 150 years ago.
The clock has several superiority.
It can indicate the lunar calender and the solar calender at the same time.
And, in the lunar calender, the summer time and the winter time are adjusted
automatically.
Each function perfectly synchronize !!
I was very surprised that the man, Hisashige Tanaka who was called Edison of
Japan, made the clock without complex machine about 150 years ago.
So, I do want to see the clock.
But, the area was very very laege and there were many many guest.
So, I couldn't find out the clock.
It's my great disappointment.
I went to the global common of Asia, America and Southeast Asia.
The pavilion of U.S. leaved some impressions on my mind.
The research of Franklin Benjamin was very interesting.
I have never been abroad, so, the excursion was good experience to know
many culture of other countries and to learn to take a broad view of things.
(yuzu)


there is my emotion of the expo 2days ago.in a word, it was fantastic!!!!!!!i was really looking forward to going to irish pavilionand i went there as soon as i arrived at nagakute, whichwas the BAMPAKU KAIJO(....actually, i went to the giftshop first so the irish pavilion was the second place iwent.) i found it great because there were a lot of thingsi saw in ireland and they reminded me of my irish life!!!in particular, i was moved by somehigh(?)-crosses(high-cross is irish and a type of cross)they were not real ones but they looked just like them!! iwas really impressed!!after i went to the expo, i started to miss irelandagain!! i wish ireland were near japan and i could gothere whenever i want. but i will try to go there as soonas possible and until then, i will keep in contact withthe people i miss, i'd like to see!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Question123)


yesterday,it was a very good weather,but it was hot. we went to EXPO JAPAN, AI CHIKYUHAKU! it took about 2hours by bus.there were a lot of people there and croweded. because they queued to get ticket of these pavilions. as soon as we arrived the gate, we unfolded the map and dicided where we'll go.
at first, we went to "Taiyou no tou(sun's tower)". there is a very big kaleidoscope which is the biggest in the world. because of a good weather,kaleidoscope was shining! it was very beautiful. before we see it,we queued 50minutes.
after that,we had a lunch on the bench. it was a early lunch. after lunch, we went to "Tenransha(Ferris Wheel). we queued 80minutes. but we talked all the time,i didn't feel that waiting time was so long. it was just hot. the ferris wheel is not common. we can ride as see video. it is very enjoyable and interest. everyone can enjoy!! i want to ride again.
after riding,we went to "Global Common". there are many countries pavilions. we saw Italy and Spain. we wanted to see Germany,we couldn't. Germany was the most popularin the global spot,yesterday. if we wanted to see the spot,wa have to wait over 2hours. so we gave up...so,we walked around. and we ate ice screm. i ate strawbwrry one. and we bought some souvenirs at the shop. i bought for my family. the shop was so crowded,too.
we left there at 3:00. i want to be there more times, all day long!!! we needed more times. i want to go EXPO more 2times. next time,i'llsee other pavilions. especially,"TOYOTA" and "Mammoth Laboratory". we had a very very good time. so i'm so happy.
(kamekame)


I went to Korean pavilion at first, and we visited American pavilion, African pavilion and so on, I thought African pavilion was very nice and it was worth visiting there. American was pretty nice, it was full of mechanical things and I quite enjoyed that. Korean was nice as well but I didn?ft really see the point of the things they?fd chosen. Inside was very dark and all the women were wearing the traditional Korean clothes ?gch?fima-chogori.?h They all looked really nice. There were quite a lot of small TV which were showing Korea, there were lots of things but I kind of thought that it didn?ft really have the attraction to make us see the all the things.
I really enjoyed the African, there was a lots of things came from Africa (according to the writing, ?git is came from Africa.?h)
I enjoyed the shopping in there, I didn?ft buy anything but it was good window shopping.
I also drunk the African coffee and it was really strong but it was ok.
I enjoyed the Bannpaku very much. I want to go there again with my family next time.(with my grand mum as well and ask her to buy something for me.)
(Ayaka)


On 27th of April,I went to the expo in Aichi. When I knew there would be a expo first, I did not expect it to be such a great one at all.
As you know, it is very attractuve and beautiful. It is a place where we can learn a lot of things at the same time.Like how we should coexist with cars, cultures of other countries and the possibility of Japanese high technology. But unfoftunately, only 5 hours were not enough to be satisfied to visit it.It was too busy and wide to move smoothly So, I'm going to go there again. (If I have time) But I am very delighted that we vave such a wonderful thing near where i live. I want it visited by millions of people.
I thought it is great that making something all together. A lot of people suppport it in many ways from children to grow-ups. Even from foreigner. I hope this would be a lead for the world peace.
I took a lot of pictures of everyone.I have got them developped already. I have got lots of them of my friends sleeping face actually. On our way to school,almost of my class mates were exausted and sleeping. I'll be show it to them. I wonder they might get angry. But I think it should be fun. Because they are so cute!! They were just like angels even though they are very very noisy all the time. Somehow I was not tired at all.
Anyway today, I had so much fun!! I would love to visit there again.
(Miffy)


We went to the Aichi Expo by bus.It took two hours.When I arrived there,Iwas very surprised,because it was very large and there were manypeople.First of all I left for bottom of the Expo to enter the companypavilions. We found very popular pavililns "Toyota"and "Hitachi".There wereso many people that we could'nt go in. We decide that we enter the "MitsuiToshiba pavilion".We had to wait for two hours.We were waiting our turn. Itwas our turn to enter this pavilion after a just one hour.This pavilion canexperience image system appearing ourself on the screen.Fist we took apicture of my face and the scanner took tihs face in. We went to the nextroom. There was a big screen and the film was showed.We appeared on thescreen as cast.It was hard to find myself. When I found myself on thescreen,I laughed.I felt is that really me?We enjoyed it and admired great technique. I think these technique willdevelop more in the futher.Next we ate lunch and went to the global common zone.There were manycountry's pavilions.I'm interested in foreign country so I was happy. Weenter the Egypt,Belgium and of course Ireland. We could see differentcultures and history in each country. It was very useful for me.Aichi Expo had many interesting attraction.We could'nt go around all onlyone day.I was very tired,but I will go there again with my family.Next timeI want to see tower of the earth and I hope I can see the character"Kikkoro" and "Morizo"....
(Paul)


we went to Expo in Aichi the day before yesterday. it has a lot of fun,and i enjoyed.BUT there was very very very clowded,so we had to wait long time when we went in al pavilions,and in addition, it was very hot that day,you know...
at first, i went to 'daichi no tou'(=the earth tower). it takes 50 minutes to enter the pavilion. it was very hard for me to wait,but when we went in the room, and saw the kaleidoscope, it was very beautiful!!!! i lost my word... i have never seen such a wonderful and big kaleidoscope. it was amazing!!!!
next,we went to the Ferris wheel,and we waited 80 minutes..... but in the box, we were excited!!! what a beautiful view! if you go to Expo again, i recommend you to go to this wheel!!
im sorry i cant write anymore.... because in fact. i could not enjoy some pavilions very much... and i dont like waiting something, and in addition, i hate clowded places...hehe...
(L4DYL)

... AND A FEW WORDS FROM THE TEACHER:

I counted 400 coaches already in the parking lot when we arrived yesterday morning at 9.30, with new coaches arriving at a rate of about half a dozen every ten minutes. Each coach holds an average of about 40-50 people so that will give you some idea of the various groups (mostly students) that are coming in on a daily, hourly basis.

In addition to this there are packed trains running into the Expo station from Nagoya every 5-6 minutes, not to mention people who arrive by private transport. Numbers in Japan have to be seen to be believed.

The organisation of all these hordes of people is typically efficient, which is what one comes to expect in Japan. Nothing is left to chance and new arrivals are streamed and sorted by a benevolent version of Bergen-Belsen in which scores of uniformed staff arrange parking of buses and the progression of milling crowds towards the entrance gates.

In spite of the huge numbers, our school group of about 600 encountered very little delay.

Once inside, the sprawling size of the exposition grounds strikes you immediately. There are a minimum of three transportation systems in operation (possibly five) apart from the option of simply hoofing it.

Many nations of the world are represented in separate or shared pavilions (Oceania, the Caucasus, West Africa, the Baltic States, parts of South America, several others: Chad hasn't shown up yet so the other Africans use their booth as a coffee break area; the Ecuadorians are late, too, having recently thrown out their president). The pavilions are grouped in geographic clusters -- Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas -- and so on. Some of these national pavilions are thoughtfully designed and informative whereas others, frankly, are a waste of time and money.

The Irish pavilion was pretty cool -- literally so, since they had provided black curtains at the entrance and the air-conditioned interior had reduced light and a rather relaxing greeny-blue ambience. Considering the brazen blazing sun of late April in Japan this was a definite plus. The chief exhibit was a display of truly enormous high crosses arranged in a central circular chamber with a separate surrounding corridor wrapped around it. The walk-around corridor had brilliant graphics with Japanese (no English) explanations and some pretty chancy scaled-down versions of the Cross of Cong and the Ardagh Chalice, plus the Book of Kells. Any Irish person would know straight away they were fake ( a bit small, hmmm?) so I don't understand why we couldn't have made actual-size better fakes.

One brilliant idea was to set up a bank of reclining seats in a semi-circular alcove along one of the outer walls of the corridor. The wide video screen was up on the inclined ceiling. That was a stroke of genius. Everybody wanted to see what was going on, but there were only 20 seats. People waited for those seats. You could almost hear the sigh of relief as people sank into these comfortable seats and took a little break from the pandemonium and the heat outside. Whatever showed up on the video they were certainly well-disposed to watch it. And it was a good video, a lot of shots of Ireland from the air, with some great music which was ruined because you couldn't really hear it.

Overall, the most popular sites are the technical ones run by the major Japanese corporations. Why does this come as no surprise? These exhibits and multi-media shows were designed to impress and they certainly do. Japan, after all, is the host and 90% of the visitors are Japanese -- and possible future customers!! The queues were long and the projected waiting time, from 90 minutes to two hours, prevented me from visiting any of these places. I am sure they are fantastic and impressive -- and a great advertisement for the companies involved!

I took the overhead cable car from one side of the exposition grounds to the other. That was fun. It was a floating five-minute ride over the whole shebang with thousands of people below. It cost Y600 -- 4 Euros, $5.60 -- and this is one of the problems I have with the Expo. Why is it so expensive? The prices for everything, from simple transport to food, is extortionate. There are even rules prohibiting the introduction of certain kinds of food and drink which can be bought more cheaply outside.

Overall I was impressed, largely by the intelligent layout of the grounds and by the efficient (but rather overpowering) nature of the organising principles behind the way people were moved in and shunted about. At the same time, I was glad I didn't have to pay for travel and entrance fees (it was a school excursion) in addition to the money I spent on food, a couple of drinks, and transport within the site. It could be a very expensive day for an average family. Without wishing to appear overly critical, I gathered the impression that the Aichi Expo was designed for a mass public with access to a huge amount of disposable cash -- a public that enjoyed a bit of spectacle but didn't have to think very much about what it was seeing. Why not? This is the winning combination in Japan.