Recently, we have been using “Minecraft” in humanities class. I think it was a great idea to use Minecraft in class, because it was easy for us to replicate real-life monuments, but also in a fun manner. I think this project went very well, and was highly successful. However, we did experience problems when building. Structures were vandalized by anonymous players and it delayed some groups to finishing.

Judging by my creation, you can clearly identify the British Empire was powerful and had the resources and architects to build such buildings. Not only that, you could tell the British Empire was organized, as the building is symmetrical. I would change some sections of the east-front to make it more realistic, because it does not look the same, but also odd.

I learned new techniques for building on Minecraft, but also many facts about Buckingham Palace. It was hard building Buckingham Palace, but we experimented and all agreed on a design.

I think the idea of using Minecraft was a great idea, as it is both fun, but we can also learn a lot of things by researching. I think my collaboration with my group was good, as we all agreed on different designs and did not argue. I would like to use Minecraft instead of paper or drawing, because we can design each building in a 3D form. I think Minecraft would connect with other projects, if it involves architecture, because we can use Minecraft to replicate buildings.

Overall, I think my “VoiceThread” is detailed and my voice is clear and easy to understand. My comments were short, but explained the slide. I think my slides were very colorful and not blurry. I think my selection of pictures expressed each word well, but in a fun and exciting manner. I am proud of my selection of photos and being able to hand it in time.

All of my pictures are from Creative Commons. I was very surprised to find many pictures showing old Hong Kong.

I would like to make my comments longer and more detailed, but I think it turned out very well.

In the middle of the crest, I also have two Kotos above each other, which tells the audience I like to play the Koto.

My goals and future plans is to aim and target clay targets faster and more accurate, and also improve my sound when I play the Koto. My future plans is to study in an University in England and live there.

It was fun creating this and I really enjoyed drawing the shotguns and flags. I thought the flags and shotguns really made the crest standout and made it look powerful. After it was coloured in, I was really impressed. The colors went well together and was not overall flashy. The most hardest thing during this drawing was drawing the shield, and making it look symmetrical. Also, the stocks were very hard to draw, as I have only drawn stocks sideways, not diagonal and crossing each other, but I think it turned out well.

I would love to do this again in the future!

I hope you like my drawing!

Coat of Arms

The front of Tokyo National Museum

We left the school at 8:30am and went on the JR train to Ueno. The museum is located walking distance from
the station. This was my first visit there. (http://www.tnm.jp/?lang=en) During the train ride, I was wondering what the
museum would look like, and what it displays. I thought it would be a modern museum with lots of different
screens and explaining what the item comes from and other historical things. Instead, the outside of the building was
an old fashioned Japanese building design, with a huge roof and a pretty large entrance. However, inside the building,
it had an European design staircase and had large rooms containing the artifacts.

I chose to study about the Japanese kimono because I sometimes wear it when playing the koto and
was interested in the history because it is so different from modern wear.

The kimono is a Japanese traditional garment worn both by men and women. Its shape is like a “T”.
The earliest kimono was influenced by the Chinese Han clothing and this was as early as 5th century AD.
The kimono is made of silk, wool, cotton, linen, or synthetic material. The silk is very colorful and usually
has interesting Japanese designs. There are many Kimono’s that have gold and silver lines over the design.
Designs on the Kimono were hand painting back in the old days. Kimono is complimented by using the Obi,
or belt. The Obi is also often made out of silk. The obi supports and holds the Kimono which is tied around the
person’s waist.

Although the kimono was everyday to formal wear in the old days but more convenient Western clothes
replaced Japanese clothing as everyday wear. Now, kimonos are only for special occasions or by certain
people. I read that after the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake, kimono wearers became victims of robbery
because they couldn’t run very fast. I have worn hakama (male trouser version of kimono) for Shichi-Go-San
and when playing the koto – and I know how difficult it is to walk in those special sandals and how limiting
each step is in a kimono. I can easily understand why people shifted to European styled clothes.

When I spotted the kimono, I was surprised about how big it was. The ones I saw was made in silk with
beautiful intricate design. As I can only “see” this, I can only wonder how heavy it is. But then, all of the kimono
looked the same in size… Why? I have looked it up and I have learned that size does not matter
too much – kimono is made from rectangular pieces of fabric sewn together and held together by the obi
so height or body shape does not matter! On top of that, old kimonos can be recycled in various ways -
to make into different form of jackets (haori, hiyoku) or used for children. Damaged kimonos can be
taken apart and resewn. So versatile and economic!

The kimono would definitely fit into our humanities class on the Silk Road. From the name “Silk Road”,
silk was an important commodity in trade and I am sure silk was introduced to Japan during this time.
That is probably the reason the early kimono look very similar to Chinese style garments.

Japanese Kimono