Happy New Year. On New Year’s Day, I went to a shrine with my family in the morning and prayed for a good year. Waking up early was a little hard, but the cold air felt fresh and clean. It made me feel that a new year had really started. There were many people at the shrine, and everyone looked happy and calm. The lively mood was very New Year-like and left a strong impression on me. After praying, I drank amazake. It was warm and sweet, and it made my cold body feel relaxed and comfortable. After that, I went to my grandmother’s house and spent time with my relatives. Many family members gathered there, and the house felt very warm and cheerful. There was a lot of food, such as sushi and sukiyaki, on the table. Everything looked delicious, and it was hard to choose what to eat first. I enjoyed every dish, and I ate more than usual. While eating, we talked about recent events, school life, and old memories from the past. We laughed a lot, and time passed very quickly. Some relatives were people I do not see very often, so I was happy to talk with them and hear how they are doing. Spending time together with my family and laughing was very fun and meaningful. I felt once again that New Year is a special time. I was able to start the new year in a positive way, and it became a New Year I will remember for a long time.

Sooner or later, we definitely face some hardships in our lives, but different people have different attitudes on these problems. For the people who experienced some tough times in their chidhoods are always very strong-minded when they grow up. No matter, what diffculties they meet, they can keep looking on the bright side. They have a specific character that they never complain anything, all they do is to slove the problems. In fact, I am one of them. Each time, when I face some bottlenecks, I make sure that I am clam. I usually recall the same situations appeared in my past days. It can encourage me to believe that everything will pass. The only thing I should do is to be patient and figure out problems as possible as I can. After experiencing successfully sloved some diffcult problems, nothing can be a big deal in my life. So, difficulties can be treasures in your life, not stumbling blocks.

How was everyone’s year-end and New Year holiday? I spent a wonderful and memorable time with my friends. We welcomed the New Year together, which made the moment feel even more special. After the countdown, we went to a shrine for Hatsumode, the first shrine visit of the year, and drew omikuji to see our fortunes. It was exciting and a little nerve-wracking to read the results, but it was a fun way to start the year. Later that night, we went for a drive toward the ocean. Driving late at night, feeling the cold air, and listening to music with my friends created a peaceful and unforgettable atmosphere. It felt like time slowed down, and I truly enjoyed being in the moment. On New Year’s Day, I went to a hot spring with my friends. Since it was extremely cold at the beginning of the year, soaking in the warm water felt amazing. The hot spring helped me relax completely and recover from my tiredness. My body felt warm, and my mind felt refreshed. That evening, I went to another friend’s house, and we had a Stranger Things watching party. Have you ever watched Stranger Things? I was sad that one of my favorite series had come to an end, but the final episodes were incredible. The story was exciting until the very end, and I enjoyed every moment of it.

Nowadays the AI's influence are increasing. On the one hand, it has a lot of advantages such as saving time, creating something cool, for example it can find what you need in a short time or create perfect presentation for your job. On the other hand, it has some disadvantages like people stop thinking, creating. Everything are getting automatic. Some jobs will be replaced such as shop assistant, receptionist, jobs are connected with creating or IT.

Today, I will talk about my studies during winter vacation and spring vacation. I have many assignments at university, including reports and tests. Some reports require me to summarize what we learned in class, while others ask me to think about a topic and write my own ideas. I have two French tests and three English tests. This year is my final year of studying French, so I want to study hard and get good results. For English, I want to study little by little and improve my skills steadily. I usually feel sleepy at night, so I try to study early in the morning after I wake up or study a little during the day. I want to enjoy my winter and spring vacations, so I plan to choose some days to go to the library and focus on studying. I like studying while listening to music, so I want to do my best while listening to Ghibli music. I am interested in study methods, so I would like to know if there are any study methods that you often use and would recommend. Personally, I think studying before sleeping is effective. I have actually experienced that when I look at English vocabulary before going to bed, I can naturally remember the words when I wake up in the morning, which I found very interesting.

During the New Year holidays, I spent a lot of time with my family, and it became a very special memory for me. At the end of the year, we went to the Yoshimoto Theater in Makuhari. It was my first time visiting that theater with my family. The comedy show was extremely funny, and we laughed from the beginning to the end. I felt very happy because it had been a long time since we enjoyed something together like that. At night, we watched the Kouhaku Uta Gassen on TV. There were many singers I didn’t know, but it was still interesting to see different performances. I enjoyed watching the show with my family while relaxing at home. On January 1st, we ate traditional New Year’s food called osechi. Each dish has a special meaning, and eating it made me feel the start of a new year. After that, we went to our first shrine visit of the year. The shrine was crowded, but the atmosphere was peaceful. I prayed for a healthy and happy year. On January 2nd, we visited my grandfather’s house. We ate osechi again, and it was very delicious. I was happy to spend time with my relatives. Later, we made an apple pie together. It smelled wonderful while baking, and when it was ready, everyone enjoyed eating it. Sharing homemade food made the day feel even warmer. Overall, my New Year holidays were full of laughter, good food, and family time. I hope I can make many more happy memories this year.

Can you guess what this idiom means? 🤔 My best friend is visiting this weekend. I haven’t seen them in a year, so I’m going to cook their favourite meals, buy them a little gift, and basically "spoil them rotten"!

Happy New Year ! 🎠 2025 was a particularly memorable year in my life, one where I grew tremendously. Looking back, I'm proud of how much I challenged myself and how many dreams I achieved. The biggest highlight was finally realizing my long-held goal of studying abroad in Korea. Living in a new environment pushed me to grow more than I ever imagined, and every day brought fresh excitement and motivation. Another major achievement was passing the Korean Language Proficiency Test. Although I felt anxious at times during the process, seeing the results reaffirmed the importance of steady, consistent effort. I also challenged myself with the TOEIC, taking the exam with a mix of nervousness and excitement. Through these challenges, I connected with many new people, encountered diverse values, and experienced a year where my world significantly expanded. Looking ahead to 2026, I want to cherish and maintain this momentum. My primary goal is to improve both my Korean and English while "enjoying the process even more." I want to build my skills naturally through daily conversation and practice, not just for exams. I also plan to fully commit to job hunting, moving forward confidently in the efforts I've built up so far. May 2026 be a year filled with growth, excitement, and new challenges. And I hope to get closer, bit by bit, to becoming a better version of myself. I want to live each day remembering to be grateful for the people I meet and the experiences I have.

There is a funny joke says that if one is starving, he has only one problem, but if he has enough money and food, he has endless problems. It's the beginning of the new year of 2026. Many of us have might set some goals for this year. Next, we will try our best to achieve them. Then we definitely set some new goals for 2027, and so on. It's really great to enjoy the excitement of achieving a goal, but we always feel tired in other times. Maybe you think that what I talked above is not related to the topic. In fact, I just express that many pains actually come from our strong desires. It's just like the character in my joke. When a preson tries his best to get enough money, he would feel bored and lose goals of his life. In that case, he might do something very special which normal people can't do. These things become his new goals and can help him to be different from others, such as eating a fin of a shark. He may feels great, but he is just a joke in other's mind. No trade no killing is absolutely right, but what we should do to prevent the trades? The trades come from human's desires.

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