In my lifetime about 1/n long, there are two things I can be proud of. First, I won the first prize in a Japanese speech contest. Second, I passed level 1 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test this year. It is the first time that a first year student at our school could make such a score. On the other hand there are embarrassing moments also. The worst one was when all the students gathered at the school's s playground to do some exercises. The teacher called me and asked me to perform the exercise routine in front of everyone. I will never forget how embarrassed I was. What about you?

I have many hobbies, for instance, cooking (you can't do it, can you?), fishing, music, and animation. Maybe you enjoy one of these things also; however, I really enjoy sports. Most of all I love basketball. Someone once said, "Basketball is your life." They may be exaggerating a little, but basketball is part of me. Do you know "KG?" [Kevin Garnett of NBA—Minnesota Timberwolves]. He is my favorite player. He is so talented, almost like a basketball god. He dribbles almost to the line then suddenly turns around to shoot, and he never misses. He is so cool. When we play with our classmates I often imitate his moves. I could never be as cool as him, but a friend told me that I was "just like KG." I was really happy because it made me feel like I could become a star player. Of course I know I still have a long long way to go because I am still in China and he is in the United States. I am only 175 centimeters, but he is 216 centimeters tall. The things I like about him are not limited to his techniques. I also admire his mental strength, the fight to never give up. In last year's final game there were only four or five seconds left until the end of the game. KG's team was two points behind, and the opponent was going for the free throw. His teammates looked dispirited. Some of the fans even started to leave their seats, but he was the same as always. When the opponent missed the two shots, KG got the rebound. He dashed and made a three point shoot and led the team to a turnover victory. When the crowds cheered with joy, I recalled his favorite words, "impossible is nothing." The situation in that game can be expressed exactly in those words. Since I am "just like KG," I started to adopt his motto.

People who know me well understand that I am pretty emotional. My feelings can change quickly. I can be like a roaring lion or a timid kitten. I can be influenced easily by my surroundings. When our Physical Education class got cancelled due to rain, I became so annoyed that I took it out on a friend, but he just listened. He would never comment, but instead behaved as if he was listening to my story. Sometimes when I get bad grades, I avoid my friends and do not speak to anyone, but none of them get angry because they know me inside out. I realize that such behavior to friends is not good. I can suddenly start doing strange things without warning. I think my mother passed on this characteristic to me. My mother is just like me. My father is a kind person who almost never gets angry. He always tells me to be kind to others. Incidentally, all my friends happen to be kind people! Among them are those who always get straight A's and those who are happy just to get a passing grade. In China a student is evaluated entirely on his grades. I think this is not a good custom, but most adults judge students this way. Apart from grades, my friends share similarities. They are simple and direct. If they have something to say, they will not bottle it up. We do not hide things from each other. My life now consists mainly of studying and bonding with friends and family. I think this is a suitable way of life for students. For example, the only time I talk to my parents is when I run out of pocket money. My friends and I relate to each other like brothers because we are the same kind of people.

Were you impressed by my moving story? If so, I will tell you a joke. One day a rabbit came to an electronics shop and asked if they sold any carrots. The store clerk said "no." The next day the same rabbit visited the store and asked the same question. "This is an electronics outlet. We do not sell vegetables," answered the clerk., but the rabbit came to the store again and again. On the fifth day the clerk could no longer endure it and pulled out the rabbit's tooth with pincers before it could say anything. The clerk thought the rabbit would never visit the store again, but the next day, the rabbit came again and asked, "Do you have any carrot juice?" Ha, ha, ha. Did you like the joke? I am happy to have met you and hope that we can be friends.