ESL Resource Teacher Ruth Hoenick writes, "Atwater Elementary School in Shorewood, Wisconsin is a diverse community of students. In our school of almost 600, we have more than 100 students from 28 countries, speaking 14 different languages."

Turkmenistan Periwinkle skies Climbing Alps of Ashgabad Feeling powerful. Irna Mehtiyeva, 6th grade. Somalia Sunset in desert Giraffe, cheetah walking slow Hot Somalia. Mohamed Hussein, 2nd grade. Saudi Arabia Dark Half-Moon Sea Beach Tall palm trees are sharp and smooth Beautiful Red Sea. Faisal Al-Timsah, 3rd grade. China High timeless mountain Sparkling stream trickles slowly She Ma Shen mountain. Yuan He, 5th grade. Russia Light Russian dah-cha Catching cold, scaly lizards Laughing, joyful times. Vitalia Dosta, 4th grade. Quiet St. Petersburg Six million gold fountains Great Peter's palace. Evelina Pashkova, 2nd grade. Azerbaijan Baku summer joy Capture stinging bees in jars Boiling sun beats down. Zaur Sosunov, 6th grade. Iran Rich Caspian land Seagulls floating in warm sky Humid Persian air. Farbod Pourvash, 5th grade. Colombia Hot Colombia Hike near little mountain house Joyful with my Father. Sebastian Laverde, 2nd grade. Bosnia Cool water swimming Bosnian sun sparkles hot Dad taking pictures. Mejreme Zuka, 3rd grade. India Looking at warm waves Fish swims in shiny ocean Breezy, sunny beach. Suhith Bayana, first grade. Ukraine Squeaky, striped balloons Red-nosed, big-shoed juggling clowns Russian circus joy. Alex Nebrat, 4th grade. Belarus Lovely Minsk Round Square Singing birds on tall trees People watch parades. Vitaliy Tufel'd, 3rd grade Venezuela Blazing sun burning Flee passionate Caracas Georgeous cool mountains. Jean Paul Contramaestre, 6th gr. Guatemala Hot sun is shining Smooth grass feels slippery Running with my dogs. Julian Toralballa, 1st grade Korea Bright lanterns hung high Korean rice on lettuce Spicy kimch'i treats Solbi Ihm, first grade.

In the daily life of a Westerner, food is generally associated with hunger, taste, and fullness. Living a rush-rush existence in the city, one does not usually pay much attention to one's eating habits, beyond the common notions of cleanliness and good manners, such as not speaking with one's mouth full when consuming a meal. Yes, "consume" is perhaps the best way to describe it. If one eats merely to fill the stomach and satisfy one's taste for the sweet, the sour, or the spicy, the process can hardly be called truly "eating" by Japanese standards. It lacks complexity. The Japanese tabemono, i.e. "things to eat" are not merely food. Satisfaction from food is expected to be not merely physical but also psychological-the color, texture, shape and size of the food, together with those of the plates on which it is served, is supposed to provide a "feast for the eyes" and for the stomach. Potato chips, steaks, pizza, and other non-Japanese foods are of course, excluded from this general rule. It applies exclusively to the "classical Japanese" and "modern Japanese" cuisine.

Dishes are almost never big; in fact, things are always brought to the table in very small portions. One finds one's table covered with miniscule plates and pieces of fish, cheese, meat, vegetables, tofu, and beans, all cooked differently, all distinct.

The design, color and shape of the food and plate should not just fit together but also represent something. For example, a red leaf would be present, whether real or representational, if the meal is served during autumn. Often the food on the plate represents a contrast of the soft and the hard, the still and the moving. Food is, of course, never served alive, although often it is uncooked and fresh. A colorful example would be red-and-white shrimps arranged with yellow yolk to form what would be very much like a chrysanthemum, with one or two real leaves added in order to strengthen the likeness.

One might wonder which one of the many colorful dishes to begin with. In Japanese food, however, one thing is certain-what is served hot is to be eaten hot and what is served cold is to be eaten cold. It is that simple! Otherwise, you are free to begin with anything on the table and are not likely, in a traditional Japanese restaurant, to mistake the dessert for the main course. (The dessert will be served last, as is the drink, usually.) Even boiled or fried food is, at times, served cold, for when cold, it has its best taste and appearance. The most obvious example of cooked food served cold would be the world-famous tempura. If you find it hot, then you are probably in a cheap restaurant during lunchtime... Do not be surprised by obviously unedible leaves and flowers on the plate as decorations.

There are many Japanese foods that require a bit of explaining to be fully appreciated because, despite the striking colors of tabemono, their flavors are much more subtle. Tofu, sushi and tempura are just three of Japan's most famous dishes, among thousands. Perhaps not even many Japanese people can list all of the wonderful dishes to be enjoyed in the Land of the Rising Sun or all of the millions of things to be taken into account when appreciating tabemono.

Itadakimasu! Dig in!

-- Natalia Petrovskaia, 17,
Russian, Tokyo, Japan.

Starting with this issue, we have a new column-Health Rocks. Get it? Stones. Rocks. Ha, ha...are you laughing yet? Umm, anyway, "Health Rocks" will be about health, of course.

In the coming months, we'll talk about not only the health of the body, but also of the mind, spirit, and everything else in between. This is your space to share your ideas.

We'll keep our first ever "Health Rocks" short and sweet. So, without further ado...

What does "health" mean, anyway?

Many people think good health includes having a strong mind, body, and spirit. That's a tall order, isn't it? When we make healthful choices, we're saying "YES!" to living our lives to the fullest. Amazing. Being healthy is about being the best you can be.

There are many opinions about what's healthy and what's not; sometimes it can be confusing. To start thinking about your own health, you might ask yourself a few questions.

Think about it!

• How do I keep a positive attitude?
• Which of the three areas of health-mind, body and spirit-is my strongest?
• Which is my weakest?
• Does being the best I can be mean trying to be like everyone else?
• What does it mean to have a healthy spirit?

Share it!

Send us your personal stories, articles, and thoughts on keeping healthy.

You could use the questions above to get yourself started. What is your story? How do you keep a healthy body, attitude, or spirit? Send us an email or a letter.

Next Issue: Being Active.

"You're kidding," "I don't believe it!" "No way!" Those are things I hear all the time. So after awhile, you get used to them. The reason I hear all those comments so often is because I'm a twin, a fraternal twin (twins that don't look alike). Actually, my sister and I are different in almost every way possible. We look totally different, have different tastes in clothing, and like different foods. The difference in our personalities is what most people can't get over. You would think, since we are so different, that people wouldn't get us mixed up, but they do all the time. Even my family occasionally, but, like I said, after awhile you get pretty used to it. There are many ups and downs when it comes to being a twin. For example, if my sister and I are at school, and we get in a little argument, people think it's kind of funny. We just say to them, "If you were with your brother/sister all the time, you would fight, too." That and getting called by each other's names are really the only downsides.

There are many more pluses though. For example, my sister has a trundle bed, so in the summer I usually sleep in her room. It's like having a sleepover every night with your best friend! Plus, you always have someone to hang out with and talk to. What I love about being a twin most is that since we are the same age, we can relate to each other. If I have a problem with a friend, my sister knows her, too, so she will know how to help me solve my problem even better than my mom, dad, or brother. Also, if there is a test, it's always nice to have someone to study with who actually knows what you're talking about and what the teacher is like. Plus there is the constant game of who can get the better grades. For example, my sister and I are always trying to see who can get her name on the 100% board the most times.

People are always telling us how lucky we are that we're twins. I used to just nod my head and smile, but lately, since I've written this paper, I have really noticed how lucky I am. Before I think we both just took it for granted. I can't even begin to imagine what life would be like without my twin sister. It would be like losing an important part of myself. I was always fascinated by the quote, "Friends are like four-leaf clovers; they are hard to find, but you're lucky to have them." I guess I can say I was born with my four-leaf clover because my twin is my best friend, and I didn't even have to look for her! No matter what, no matter where, we would always be there for each other whenever one of us need someone through school, through careers, through marriages, through life. I've found that lucky four-leaf clover, and I'm not going to lose her.

-- Katie Senkoski, grade 8, Pine-Richland Middle School.