How to Write a Novel

Haruki Murakami described his way to write a novel in his new book. Take a lots of time for writing and do your best as much as you can. That was his advice on writing a novel. 

After he finishes the first draft of the novel, he rewrites again and again, over and over until he thinks there are no room for improvement. 

Time is the most important factor for writing a novel, he said that again and again. 

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Subscribing TIME

I'm thinking about renewing my subscription of TIME magazine, even though I'm not a good TIME reader. In fact, I've been subscribing the magazine more than two years, but I don't read an issue cover to cover. 

It's hard to read the magazine within a week for me, but it's worth to do it for an English learner, so I'll continue to subscribe it again. 

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North Korea Switches Time Zone

Pyongyang has announced that their time zone will put back by 30 minutes on 15 August. 30 minutes? Why on earth they have to set back 30 minutes? Isn't it inconvenient? I can't understand what they are thinking about. 

"The wicked Japanese imperialists committed such unpardonable crimes as depriving Korea of even its standard time while mercilessly trampling down its land," the North's official KCNA news agency said.

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TIME Couldn't Come

Two weeks ago, TIME magazine didn't come to my house. A mailman dropped the issue into a rain paddle and got ruined. That was June 8's one. 

The mailman came to my house a week later and apologized for the matter. I thought the issue was skipped for some reason, but it was just ruined. Then he offered to replace the ruined one. I agreed. 

I waited for the another one and it delivered, but it was June 15 issue. It's ok, but I had to ask the post office to replace it again. 

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Air Bags and Seat Belts

The TIME issued air bags. 

Air bags have been saving lives since 1973. But after 20 years, air bags disappeared in the U.S. because the Big Three thought that air bags wouldn't cost-effective. 

Now, many cars equipped air bags, but there are some problems. For example, air bags don't adjust any height of people. Short persons often get troubles. 

An expert said that air-bag technology is mature and it has sort of done what it is supposed to do. More important matters that save your life is to fasten seat belts. In America, air bags saved 2,213 lives in 2012, but seat belts saved 12,174 lives. 

Don't forget to fasten your seat belt and hope you drive safely. 

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Person of the Year

TIME magazine has chosen the Ebola Figfters as 2014 Person of the Year. The fighters, doctors, nurses and others, mainly come from Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and they are from all over the world. 

Ebola is a fatal infection desease. Currently 6,346 people out of 17,834 cases have died in this epidemic. More than 99% of infections have originated in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and the virus traveled to many part of the world including Germany and the U.S. 

Fighting Ebola seems a war. We have to thank the fighters. Without these brave people, Ebola would have killed more people all over the world. 

"To not do that is kind of a shame", one of the doctors said. 

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This Week's TIME

I've read a TIME's article about Japan. It said that Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had to decide to call a snap election now because if he waited the election until 2016, the LDP would get a result in worse. The rival parties are disarray that would help Abe's victory. 

It also said that Japan is still the world third largest economy and a healthy Japan is good for the U.S. and the word. 

The economics is so difficult to

understand to me that the only thing I can do is to watch and wait the result. When the election is over, the new Diet members should work together for a bright future. Everyone wants hope for tomorrow. 

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Special Issue

The last week's TIME was a special issue. It was thicker than usual. I wasn't aware of that so, I was wondering TIME hasn't come this week.

I think why TIME skipped this week is because of the Fourth of July, American Independence Day. Many Americans might take their holidays around this time.

Abe in TIME's 100 People

TIME magazine has chosen Japan's Prime Minister Abe as one of The 100 Most Influential People. They say that his politics were designed to defeat deflation, ignite consumer spending and restore economic dynamism. I think it's worked well for major companies but not for individuals because the sales taxe rose in April. I think it might decrease consumer confidence and the economy might be slow down. 

Vocabulary

I'm learning English. One of my problems in learning English is lack of vocabulary. When I read TIME magazine, I find over twenty unfamiliar words only in a page. Only I can do is check the words in the dictionary. Just do it! 

TIME X 2

I've subscribed TIME magazine but I didn't get the last week's issue. I thought I had to ask their office but two TIMEs arrived today. The last week's one and this week'a one came here at the same time. How come this happened?

I can't read the magazine cover to cover in a week. How can I read that much? The snow in Kanto area made this happen?

Children's Books

I've been reading TIME everyday. It's good for deveroping my English skills but I sometime feel tired of reading it because the articles in the magazine 

are hard to read.

When I feel tired or it I read children's books instead. I feel relax myself while reading that kind of books. 

Now, I'm reading Louis Sachar. He writes funny stories. I really like his books.

TIME

The first TIME magazine this year arrived today. I've been reading the magazine since last June. I should read cover to cover but it's hard for me but I'm trying to read it as much as I can. 

One of my New Year's resolution is to read TIME 2,000 pages this year so I have to read at least 6 pages a day. If I read 2,000 pages of TIME, my English reading skill would improve so much.