Week 11, 14 Nov. Assignment 1 - Ears.

It is a story of a high school girl, Jojo.

Jojo and Mandy are seatmate and also best friend. Jojo has some hearing problem so that she cannot hear people clearly. Since their seats are in the last row and are at the corner of the classroom, Jojo’s hearing problem becomes more serious. All she heard is like people mumbling. Therefore, she can’t follow up what her teachers teaching so she asks Mandy to repeat and explain very frequently. Mandy is quite a patient person, she repeats for her everytime and never get annoyed or mad. Although she repeats for her everytime but it does not mean she permits her to continue her whole life in this way. As Jojo’s best friend, she always asks her to visit the doctor randomly. However, Jojo uses different excuses to refuse her advices.

Jojo is a very attractive and friendly person. She is that kind of girl have a lot of friends, no matter boy or girl. One day during the recess time, she is chatting with a group of friends. Her friends tease when she misheard something. However, the atmosphere is joyous and happily. Suddenly, some not so loud noises comes from outside the classroom. The noises is very low in volume, even some of her friend still don’t know what is happening outside the classroom. They shocked when Jojo tells them it’s the couple quarreling. The noise becomes louder gradually then they only realized Jojo is true. Suddenly, the couple enter the classroom. Their volume is louder than just now.

They stopped for a while to figure out what happening but then they continue their conversation because there is none of their business and they can’t help anything. At the same time, Jojo’s face turns pale and she stop talking. After a few minutes, the couple still quarreling. Jojo suddenly stood up from her chair and tell them she is going to toilet then she leave the classroom. She enters the toilet and sits on the toilet bowl. Her head starting aching. The quarrel sound of the couple keep floating in her head. She uses her hands to cover her ears tightly but the sound becomes clearer and clearer. But the voices changed. It’s not the voices of the couple anymore, it’s the voices of the people that Jojo used to know. Her parents’ voices.

A flashback appears in her brain. The time throwbacks to her primary school time. The time when her parents argue every day. The young Jojo covered her ears hardly every time when her parents quarreling but she still can hear that. So then she gave up covering her ears and she tried to ignore every sounds.

Ignoring the sound from surroundings gradually became her habit. Once she realized her bad habit, everything is too late. She can’t focus on hearing anymore but only sensitive to the sound when people quarrelling furiously. 

Week 10, 10 Nov. Assignment 2 - Momotaro Audio Story Telling

Here is the link for my audio story telling video :-

Assignment 2- Momotaro Audio Story Telling

Below is the script of this story:-

"It seemed a very long time to her to wait till her husband returned. The old man at last came back as the sun was setting, with a big bundle of grass on his back—so big that he was almost hidden and she could hardly see him. He seemed very tired and used the scythe for a walking stick, leaning on it as he walked along.

As soon as the old woman saw him she called out:

“O Fii San! (old man) I have been waiting for you to come home for such a long time to-day!”

“What is the matter? Why are you so impatient? Has anything happened while I have been away?”

“Oh, no! Nothing has happened, only I have found a nice present for you!”

“That is good,” said the old man. He then washed his feet in a basin of water and stepped up to the veranda.

The old woman now ran into the little room and brought out from the cupboard the big peach. It felt even heavier than before. She held it up to him, saying:

“Just look at this! Did you ever see such a large peach in all your life?”

When the old man looked at the peach he was greatly astonished and said:

“This is indeed the largest peach I have ever seen! Wherever did you buy it?”

“I did not buy it,” answered the old woman. “I found it in the river where I was washing.” And she told him the whole story.

“I am very glad that you have found it. Let us eat it now, for I am hungry,” said the O Fii San.

He brought out the kitchen knife, and, placing the peach on a board, was about to cut it when, wonderful to tell, the peach split in two of itself and a clear voice said:

“Wait a bit, old man!” and out stepped a beautiful little child.

The old man and his wife were both so astonished at what they saw that they fell to the ground. The child spoke again:

“Don’t be afraid. I am no demon or fairy. I will tell you the truth. Heaven has had compassion on you. Every day and every night you have lamented that you had no child. Your cry has been heard and I am sent to be the son of your old age!”

On hearing this the old man and his wife were very happy. They had cried night and day for sorrow at having no child to help them in their lonely old age, and now that their prayer was answered they were so lost with joy that they did not know where to put their hands or their feet. First the old man took the child up in his arms, and then the old woman did the same; and they named him MOMOTARO, OR SON OF A PEACH."