Against my will, I try hard 
                      to lift my heavy eyelids and smile at another tough and 
                      uneventful day. There have been some problems lately and 
                      now I only fall asleep at dawn. My head is dizzy and I let 
                      its weight rest on the desk. Then came the shrill of the 
                      recess bell. A friend walks over. "You're putting on weight 
                      'cause you're always dozing off! Don't sleep so much. Then 
                      you can be lean and slim like me!" he jokes and passes by 
                      me. Another bell to let us know the lesson is over. The 
                      same friend calls out to me. "Hey, the car is here! Wake 
                      up!" He hits me on the shoulder on his way out. The morning 
                      classes are over. Another friend brings me coffee and asks 
                      me anxiously. "Is anything wrong with you? Did something 
                      happen to you?" I am very lucky because there are always 
                      friends around me who cheer me up and help me when I'm troubled. 
                      It is very hard to keep up academically with the high school 
                      curriculum if you are not paying attention or miss a class. 
                      It is too hard to catch up later. My friends know of this 
                      fact and are concerned about me. I have studied very hard 
                      this way, with my friends' help in times of need. One day, 
                      my Japanese teacher gave me some information about Japan, 
                      telling me to take a look if I am interested. When I browsed 
                      through it, I was astonished. I have heard before that the 
                      Japanese education system is completely different from the 
                      Chinese system. I am not very good at Japanese, but my longing 
                      to go to Japan became stronger and stronger. I wished to 
                      experience the free atmosphere among the students in Japan. 
                      In addition, I wanted to see some of the sights such as 
                      Mount Fuji and Disneyland. Moreover, I want to experience 
                      how the Japanese language is actually used and compare it 
                      with my own Japanese. Consequently, I decided to participate 
                      in this project with support from friends.
                      
Since I found hope, I became more energetic and started 
                        to put more effort into my Japanese studies and took the 
                        Japanese class with a refreshed mind. I have always worked 
                        hard towards my goals, but now I want to do my best for 
                        my future and to go to Japan. Even if I cannot go, I will 
                        keep up my hard work. To build a good foundation for my 
                        future, I try not to waste my high school years. Go Ailin!!