2/28/07
Hi Michelle,
Nice to meet you through this way.
I am Wei Min, once a Pan Pacific Program student in Punahou last summer.
I live in Hong Kong, the southern part of China, but actually I am a Malaysian.
You can ask what you want for your... project??
I'm free to answer you everyday.
Looking forward for everything
Aloha
Wei Min
2/28/07
Hello Wei min,
My name is actually spelt with one L (Michele). But anyway, nice to
meet you!
So you came to Punahou last summer? That's pretty cool. How did you
like it here?
I've never been to Malaysia or China before, but I'm planning to go to
China (Shanghai i think) over spring break. I'm super excited about
that. Have you been to Shanghai? My trip is actually supposed to be
to Japan, so I'm only going to spend 2 days in China unfortunately.
As for the project, I'm not exactly sure what Mrs. Shigemitsu wants us
to do. When I find out, I will let you know!
So could you tell me more about yourself?
I'm 17, fluent in japanese, and live in Waikiki. Lets see... my
hobbies/interests are watching movies, going shopping, dancing, and
listening to music. How about you?
I look forward to working with you,
Michele Kawate
3/01/07
Hi Michele,
Sorry for the wrong spelling of your name. =P
I do like Punahou alot!!! It's a big size school as I have ever seen in my whole life.
So you are going to Shanghai~ That's really cool!! Then going to Japan... awesome~
I've been to Shanghai~ Like when I was 6 or 7... It'll be fun for the 1st comers like I used to do.
Some of the Pan Pacific (PPP) students were from there too. More students are from Japan~
As I see your name... I'd thought that you are a Japanese girl... and might know Japanese, cuz of the Hawaii Culture. That's what I learnt there~ =D
Kumu Carol is giving me more and more e-mails for other partners... and I was shocked...
But it's really fine meeting new friends, though I don't think that I a socialable =P
I'm only 16.. just have my birthday last month on the 9th~
I'm not fluent on any foriegn languages.. just Chinese, English and Putonghua.. another kind of Chinese.
I just know some Malay...
My hobbies... sports sports sports... I am in my school's Volleyball, swimming and badminton teams...
I like playing and I often don't listen to classes... ha~
I do like music~ I play guitar~ but not that good~ ka~
I'd been to dancing classes... I do like it.. I quit cuz there's no time for me to attend more hobbies..=D
Waiting your replies~
Wei Min
3/02/07
Hey!
Don't worry about the spelling. Everybody spells my name incorrectly
because its more common with two L's.
Yea, Punahou is pretty big. I got lost on the campus the first time I
went there!!
and Happy Belated Birthday to you! We're about the same age I guess.
I'll be turning 18 in September though.
I think it's so cool that you can speak four languages. I think here
most people speak only one or two languages. Although I have a
Taiwanese friend who can speak English, Taiwanese, Mandarin, and some
Cantonese. I actually used to take Spanish, but I quit taking it two
years ago. So I can barely speak it now.
You have so many hobbies/activities.
So about the literature. I'm not really sure what I want, but do you
have some legends or myths? That would be cool. You can send me
whatever you have or whatever you think is really interesting. Thanks!
~ Michele
3/02/07
Four languages.. but not really good at it... I seldom talk at school,
I'm sort of a quiet boy.. I think... =]
I would like to learn other languages too... it's so fun to have different languages and you can know what people are talking about.
High school's really so frustrating... I do hate being in highschool, I can't really have time to learn the stuffs that I do wana learn. But it's good for bullying the junior students~ ha~
So, it's just after the Chinese New Year in China~ it'll be interesting for you to know what we will do during the Chinese New Year~
Chinese New Year seems to be a family gathering holiday for all of us, we usually do clean up at home on the day before Chinese New Year. As we uses the broom, we cannot swip towards our main doors, we should always swip from outside to inside of the house.
We do go to Chinese Temples. Some of them are really gordeous and beautiful. Families go to the temple and pray to the GODS~ we usually pray for our studies and the parents usually wants more money~ ka~
The most important thing is that at the night of Chinese New Year, the whole family will gather at one of their houses and eat together, being very warm and happy, they chat, they laugh, they gamble~
When it's 12:00am midnight, the firecrackers will be started and it'll be very fun...( though firecrackers are forbidden =D)
The next day we then go to different houses and get red packets. The red packets are given out by the ones who are married. It's the most thing that children wanted.
Day and day they play and it's so fun during the holidays with all the cousins and friends.
I think that's all about Chinese New Year~ if you know something about Chinese culture and you wanna know more, you may ask me. I'll do mah best to answer your questions=]
~Wei Min~
3/03/07
I wish I could speak more languages well. I would like to learn
Chinese. I tried, but my friend gave up teaching me because I couldn't
pronounce all the words. Theres so many different ways to say things
yea? I think your english is really good. When did you start learning
english?
I agree with you. High school is boring. Especially for me because
I'm a second semester senior and I already got into college. Grades
don't really matter anymore. I guess you don't have to worry about
college yet. So what kind of stuff would you rather learn than what
you're learning now? What subjects are you studying right now?
So about Chinese New Years, why do you sweep from the outside to
inside? And, what are inside the red packets? My mom and I go to the
temple too on regular New Years day and get our fortune told and we buy
amulet things. (they're called 'omamori' in japanese)
So, what do you like to do on weekends?
- michele
3/04/07
Ha~ learning different languages, some people makes them great and some don't.
I think this is about natural gifts and also how hard you try to learn.... I do think learning other languages is a hobbie... or maybe an interest.
My english's good? Thanks.. My family do speak English and when I first come to Hong Kong, my parents hired an English teacher... that we 'read' books together. I think I learned all these from the fairy tales.. ha~ =]
College.. I do needa worry now~
Cuz mah sis is already waiting for the College's learning package...
Then my mom do always look at me whenever a mail had arrived our home... I do hate that~
I chose the science stream... and now going for Physics, chemistry, biology, A. maths, maths, english, chinese and the whole one I love... Computer Literacy~ yea~
I would like to learn architecture and engineering apart from what I have now.
My school is the smallest school in Hong Kong.. I think... cuz we have no other choices of learning.. it's kind a traditional with no extra subjects... so.. it's more boring than what you have it now in Punahou~
My physics teacher.. sucks... so.. I don't really think all the subjects are alright.. kaka~
Oh... sweeping inwards is important during CNY, chinese do think that if we sweep the floor out of the door~ our luck will follow the dust going out of our house and we will all have bad luck~
Red packets carries money in it... and.. that's all.. yah~ I think that's a symbol of a person if he/she can give red packets out... it means that he/she is married.. If depending on the money... it'll be about the wealthiness of that person.
Ha~ lots of different thing can be known from a red packet~
Wow... I am having tests cycle now but I still don't study for them..haha~
Test cycle is my school's new rule and it's somehow good and somehow bad~
Good at it shortens the time of our lessons and also have two reccesses and a longer lunch time
Bad at the tests... ha~
Gotta revise before my mom bust me~
Tata
3/08/07
Hey,
Sorry I haven't replied for a while. I was busy with some stuff.
Your english is pretty good for learning from fairy tales and books. I
definitely want to learn another language when I have time.
So, you like the sciences. I like math and science too. My worst
subject in school is English. The major I want to pursue in college is
engineering or business. Although I don't know if I'm well qualified
to be an engineer.
Ohh I totally understand now why you sweep from out to in. And the red
packets are also something like what Japanese do for the regular new
years. We also get money (called otoshidama) from relatives. All my
relatives live in Japan, so I don't get any money. =(
You should study for your tests! What exactly is a test cycle? So if
you do good on them, you don't have as many classes? That's not fair!
I wish we had something like that. I barely study for my tests anymore
because I know I got into a college and I'm getting a little lazy. I
should study though.
So, could you send me some kind of literature? I think I need it for
class soon. it can be anything that you think is interesting.
Oh yea, also, do you have AIM or MSN chat?
- michele
3/12/07
Ooops...
=P.. it's now my late reply.... sorry for that...
These days the test cycle's killing me..
Test cycle is my schools stupid thing that everyday in the morning there's one hour for the students to have tests on particular subjects... it's not fun with tests.. but it's fun with shorter period of lessons...
Yah.. i do have msn:
dracula_goh@hotmail.com
I like dracula for some time.. that's why i have this e-mail add.. But my dad then tried to kill me by liking such thing.. dracula... but.. i still use this e-mail to chat with him.. =P
Ooo.. leterature... you mean what literature? What kind of things you want me to write in that literature? Cuz.. I'd never wrote any literature before.. as I know.. But about chinese culture there might have alot to write on.. tell me what you wanna me to write on. I'll do my best when I know it.
Ha~ you don't get any red packets~
Nah.. it's alright... are you having your [family scholarship]? or do you apply for the other scholarships? Cuz.. I do wanna get a or some scholarship now.. as I am getting much and much spendy... but I don't usually shop... I just go out of my house whenever I know what I really need to buy that day and at that time... do you shop alot? or.. maybe do you spend alot?
This is an interesting question for foriegners to ask Hong Kong ladies... Hong Kong ladies shops alot and they don't limit themselves.. they buy it just for fun and to destress themselves. I think that's a waste of money and also a waste of time~ =P
So what do you usually do at home? I just go on to the internet most often and I dislike reading.. i think it's because I had far sighted since I was 8 and I can't really read things those are near.. if it goes long.. my eyes burns.... but it's true that I can look alot far from the others.. that's my problem of being a chinese and having a bad chinese language...
~weimin~
3/13/07
hey!
i hope ur tests are going good. how long do test cycles last for?
um, you don't have to write a story, but if you could find something
from chinese culture that would be cool. ... like a myth or something.
you could just translate it for me.
i was too lazy to apply for scholarships, but I got a pretty good
scholarship from one of the schools i applied to. and yes, i do like
to shop. shopping is so much fun.
at home, im usually on the computer, talking on the fone, or taking a
nap. (and homework of course)
oh yea, im going to japan from thursday, so i won't be able to respond
to your e-mails everyday. im going to try to bring my laptop and find
a internet cafe or something. but sorry if I don't reply for over a
week.
good luck with your tests!
- michele
3/13/07
Ha~
Going to Japan~ wow~
That's so fun.. going to Japan for study tour? Or for a vacation?
It's fine replying me late.. it's fine for me~
Have a good trip there~
A myth....
I'll try and get it from the internet.. =P Cuz it's too hard to think myself~
So just take care
Tata~
Wei mIn
3/28/07
i'm back from japan!
sorry i wasn't able to e-mail you during my trip.
japan was so cold. it got warmer (to about 15 degrees celcius) while i
was there though. how was your spring break?
- michele
3/28/07
Hi~
Wow... that's a long time already~
It's fine not replying while you're in vacation~ ka~
Cuz I am also busying on lots of affairs and projects for my school's open day~
Less than15 degrees celcius isn't cold for me~ =P
But cuz you're from Hawaii.. I think that's why you think that's killing you~ ha~
Glad that you came over the cold~
Spring break? Not yet.. We don't have a spring break but a long Easter break that lasts for 10 days exactly.. and that's great~
I think I'll spend my holiday in Malaysia and in Brunei, which is a place in Malaysia, but it's set up as a little country. People there are mostly like Malaysians, but also lots of Chinese. I mean Malaysian chinese, like me. Brunei is the place where my babysitter is there. I used to live there. In a wooden house. But now.. it's nearly gone.. cuz of the white ants biting off the woods.
Bought lots of things from Japan?
Do I have one???
=P (kidding~)
My school life's really boring now~ gosh.... everyday we have to listen to the same thing over and over again~
And I hate that english disgussion... it makes me feel sick...
Hong Kong is now getting warmer and humid... Can't stand that... everyday need to bath for more than two times~ =P
And take care~
~WeiMin~
and that's it for e-mails. he hasnt e-mailed me ever since.
