April 4th

Because April 6th was the first day of the long weekend, I went to my internship on Wednesday on April 4th.

Since my professor and other grads student had conference at the other building, I was working in my professor's office by myself.

I kept researching about the relationship between asthma and earthquake, but it is hard to find credible source to actually present in front of many people. What I found was all from some regular housewives or other not academically incredible people.

March 30th

I went to the internship and there were three other grads students again with my professor!

We shared some questions that we were working on and also came up some other questions that we will consider in the future.

Recently, since there are always some grads student, I do not work over there; we mostly share our new informations and questions and I listen many interesting facts that grads student found.

By sharing our thoughts and new information for each projects, I realize that Japan is not as polluted as other part of the world so that it doesn't have any big problem that I can find easily.

For example, in Terrain, the air environment is so bad that we cannot see 10m away from us, which lead heavy, awful asthma symptoms; this fact makes the terrain interesting to research and allows us to find many information.

In actuality, I often struggle finding interesting fact about asthma in Japan.

Hopefully, by May, I can have decent amount of interesting facts to present for symposium.

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Currently, I took the question that Peggie pointed out before about the relationship between asthma and earthquake in Japan and research on it.

It seems that there is a connection between asthma and earthquake because shaking the building causes spreading the dust from the houses.

POSTER FOR FINANCIAL AID OF ASTHMA IN TOKYO

This is the poster for financial aid that Tokyo prefecture made to help people who suffer financially to see doctor and to pay hospital charges for asthma.

People who are eligible have to …

1) continuously live in Tokyo for at least one year (for under three years old, at least six month)

2) have bronchial asthma or some related illness (under 18years old, this aid apply to those who have bronchial asthma, asthmatic bronchitis, chronic bronchitis pulmonary emphysema or some related illness)

3) join the health insurance

4) do not smoke

This description was used until 2008. From August 1^st, 2008 Tokyo prefecture changed the recruitment and expanded age range of the bronchial asthma from under 18 to all age.

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Title: The number of people who are authorized to get this financial aid past ten years from 2010

From 2001, even though the number of people who get this financial aid decreased in 2007, it is keep increasing and in 2010, 85,575people get this aids. In 2008, as I mentioned above, the number of people suddenly increased because of the expansion of age range.

In order to spread this aid, Bureau of Social Welfare and Public Health put advertizing in homepage, giving posters, put ads in the local magazine, put ads in TV and radio, established counseling agency (from April 2008), put poster at the subway station.

I don't know how to upload the pictures...

3/23/2012 Skype with professor in California

Today, two grads student, who research about the air environment and asthma in Terran and California, and my professor had skype meeting with the professors in UCI!

My professor invited me to join and observe/listen the meeting. Two grads students made their research powerpoint and presented what they learned and what they thought about the connection between the California and Terran.

Since I did not have the background knowledge of neither Terran and California, it was hard to follow but there were many things to learn from their thoughtful conversation and the powerpoint that grads students made.

Also, before the meeting, my professor's assistant looked though first summary of what I learned and checked my work. I'm going to post that on next blog!

3/2 Missed Internship

Because MArch 2nd was the last day before spring break, and also because my flight was on that day, I could not go to internship.

I am excited to go to internship tomorrow after school!!

February 24: Debate workshop

On February 24th, my mentor held workshop for junior high school students including her daughter. It was whole day program. In the morning, students went to many department and learned different subject that can improve the environment. By using the knowledge that they gained from morning workshop, they prepared for debate.

The debate topic was whether the country should keep continuing to dig the whole and make tunnel for getting oil.

SInce I had school on that day, I joined this workshop when the kids alreadt prepare for the debate and ready to start debate. Mostly, the debate was controlled by the grads student from many departments.

Before I went there and listened their debate, I thought since it is the debate by the junior high kids, it would be somehow childish? discussion. However, thier debate was super/extremely well done and I was amazed by how they had their own strong perspective and use their knowledge to convince other side of people.

They talked confidently and calm. I learned many things from them that day. I was impressed by the abilities of junior high school students and felt kind of shame of me because my debate in high school was much worse than me...:( But it was good to be there and hear many relevant opinions from them!

2/17/12 Exchanging each new knowledge

On February 17th, I met other grads students again with my mentor and discussed our development in research.

Each of us learned many things about our topics, but we needed to start considering what we will to talk about in symposium.

Even though I cannot go, these grads students and my mentor will go to California sometime this year and they will interview workers who work at the factory, company, and organization that help to crean the environment or produce pollution. Just only listening to them is exciting enough to learn many connection between each companies and environment which eventually effect on the cause of asthma.

I gradually get to know these grads students, so we can exchange our idea and thoughts more smoothly than before, which is nice to work at college where no one was my friend.

The grads student who Iran always brings the news that I have never heard and the pictures that I haven't seen before. Since Iran country itself neglects controlling the air pollution, she told me that country hardly allow citizens to claim about pollution and bad environment.

When I research about Asthma and environment in Japan, I try to look for interesting, eye-catching news that no one ever heard; however, I am struggling to find those news...

I hope I can find some news that I can show in the symposium in May.