Since I won't be able to make practices until the final week before Towada Aki Matsuri (Fall Festival) this year, I have to practice with the DVD I forgot to return last year. ^^;;
Practices started last Wednesday, so I should've started then, but I was lazy and didn't start until today--a full week late. @_@ Who knew you could forget so much in just one year? There's a good chance I won't be good enough to join this year, but even if I can't be on the float, I'll enjoy the practices (with the DVD and with everyone else in September).
Speaking of Aki Matsuri, this year it will be from Fri. Sep. 7-Sun. Sep. 9. The site doesn't seem to have been updated yet, but the address is: http://www.towada-kankou.jp/akimatsuri/
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Parents are usually right
I had an opportunity to participate in an exchange visit between Taiwanese junior high school students and first year students at a local Towada junior high school today.
It was a lot of fun taking pictures, observing how the (Japanese) students interacted with their guests and vice-versa, and helping to encourage conversation by speaking (in English) to both the Japanese and Taiwanese students.
Listening to the Taiwanese students and teachers' Chinese, I felt a little frustrated (with myself), however. Coming from a Chinese background, the words and sounds of the language were oh so familiar, but having given up learning Chinese after only one year of Chinese school (which I failed), they were also pretty much indecipherable.
About the only thing I could understand (apart from the really basics of the basic, like "thank you") was the part of their school song where they sang "Wo ai [school name]," meaning "I love [school name]."
After the school song they also performed a classic/popular Taiwanese song (most sang but some students played instruments--trombone, saxophone, violin and flute). I have no idea what the name of the song is, but I definitely knew it--and knew it well enough to be able to hum along pretty much from the get go.
Living in Japan (so close to China/Taiwan), I've definitely thought before that it would've been a huge asset if I could speak Chinese, but today I really felt a strong sense of regret that I never learned Chinese. Not just because it would be useful and/or make finding a job easier, but because I felt like I'd cut myself off from a big part of my heritage by not being able to understand/speak Chinese.
Listening to the song (the name of which I can't remember) I felt a strong sense of nostalgia. Thinking back to my childhood, I can remember watching Chinese dramas and movies (particularly action ones) with my mother and family. A lot of Chinese DVDs have English subtitles nowadays, but if I wanted to share them with, say, Japanese friends, I'd have to try to get along with reading Japanese subtitles (and my Japanese reading isn't nearly proficient enough for that). If I understood Chinese it would be no problem, but...
Way back in grade one when I told my parents I wanted to quit Chinese school (again, after failing first grade--so you can guess how indifferent of a student I was), my parents told me "OK, but you'll regret it in the future."
They were right.
It was a lot of fun taking pictures, observing how the (Japanese) students interacted with their guests and vice-versa, and helping to encourage conversation by speaking (in English) to both the Japanese and Taiwanese students.
Listening to the Taiwanese students and teachers' Chinese, I felt a little frustrated (with myself), however. Coming from a Chinese background, the words and sounds of the language were oh so familiar, but having given up learning Chinese after only one year of Chinese school (which I failed), they were also pretty much indecipherable.
About the only thing I could understand (apart from the really basics of the basic, like "thank you") was the part of their school song where they sang "Wo ai [school name]," meaning "I love [school name]."
After the school song they also performed a classic/popular Taiwanese song (most sang but some students played instruments--trombone, saxophone, violin and flute). I have no idea what the name of the song is, but I definitely knew it--and knew it well enough to be able to hum along pretty much from the get go.
Living in Japan (so close to China/Taiwan), I've definitely thought before that it would've been a huge asset if I could speak Chinese, but today I really felt a strong sense of regret that I never learned Chinese. Not just because it would be useful and/or make finding a job easier, but because I felt like I'd cut myself off from a big part of my heritage by not being able to understand/speak Chinese.
Listening to the song (the name of which I can't remember) I felt a strong sense of nostalgia. Thinking back to my childhood, I can remember watching Chinese dramas and movies (particularly action ones) with my mother and family. A lot of Chinese DVDs have English subtitles nowadays, but if I wanted to share them with, say, Japanese friends, I'd have to try to get along with reading Japanese subtitles (and my Japanese reading isn't nearly proficient enough for that). If I understood Chinese it would be no problem, but...
Way back in grade one when I told my parents I wanted to quit Chinese school (again, after failing first grade--so you can guess how indifferent of a student I was), my parents told me "OK, but you'll regret it in the future."
They were right.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
2012 Oirase Roman Park Festival
奥入瀬ろまんパーク フェスティバル
Oirase Roman Park Festival
Date: Sat. Jul. 7-Sun. Jul 8, 2012
Time: 10:00-17:00
Location: Oirase Roman Park （道の駅奥入瀬) 奥入瀬ろまんパーク
(Venue's Google Map 会場の地図)
Admission: Free
Giveaways：
Sekihan (white glutinous rice with red adzuki beans) 赤飯
Sat. Jul. 7 11:30 Hitoyasumi-kan 一休館前
*First 150 people 先着１５０名様* Okara (Soy) Donuts おからドーナツ
Sun. Jul. 8 11:30 Hitoyasumi-kan 一休館前
*First 50 people 先着５０名様*
Nomu (Drinking) Yogurt のむヨーグルト
Sat. Jul. 7 & Sun. Jul. 8 12:00 Miraku Koubou 味楽工房
*First 100 people 先着１００名様*
Events Schedule:
Sat. Jul. 7
Towada Chuo Hoikuen (Central Daycare) Kids' Dance
とわだ中央保育園キッズダンス
10:30-12:00 Ｍｉｒａｉｋａｎ 味蕾館前
Chainsaw Art チェンソーアート
11:00-12:00 & 14:00-15:00 Special Corner 特設コーナー
Harley Davidson Shijou-kai (Test-Drive Event)
ハーレーダビッドソン試乗会
＊Admission Fee Charged 有料＊ 13:00-14:00 Waterworks Park Fountain 親水公園噴水前
Yosakoi よさこい
14:00-15:00 Ｍｉｒａｉｋａｎ 味蕾館前
Sun. Jul. 8Kennan Dentou Geinou (Southern Aomori Traditional Performing Arts) Festival
県南伝統芸能フェスティバル
10:00-13:00 Outdoor Stage* 野外ステージ
(*Or Towadako Kominkan in the event of rain 雨の場合十和田湖公民館)
Chainsaw Art チェンソーアート
11:00-12:00 & 14:00-15:00 Special Corner 特設コーナー
Harley Davidson Shijou-kai (Test-Drive Event)
ハーレーダビッドソン試乗会
＊Admission Fee Charged 有料＊ 13:00-14:00 Waterworks Park Fountain 親水公園噴水前
Ucchan Mika-chan Live
うっちゃん ミカちゃん ライブ
14:00-16:00 Ｍｉｒａｉｋａｎ 味蕾館前
Oirase Roman Park Festival
Date: Sat. Jul. 7-Sun. Jul 8, 2012
Time: 10:00-17:00
Location: Oirase Roman Park （道の駅奥入瀬) 奥入瀬ろまんパーク
(Venue's Google Map 会場の地図)
Admission: Free
Giveaways：
Sekihan (white glutinous rice with red adzuki beans) 赤飯
Sat. Jul. 7 11:30 Hitoyasumi-kan 一休館前
*First 150 people 先着１５０名様* Okara (Soy) Donuts おからドーナツ
Sun. Jul. 8 11:30 Hitoyasumi-kan 一休館前
*First 50 people 先着５０名様*
Nomu (Drinking) Yogurt のむヨーグルト
Sat. Jul. 7 & Sun. Jul. 8 12:00 Miraku Koubou 味楽工房
*First 100 people 先着１００名様*
Events Schedule:
Sat. Jul. 7
Towada Chuo Hoikuen (Central Daycare) Kids' Dance
とわだ中央保育園キッズダンス
10:30-12:00 Ｍｉｒａｉｋａｎ 味蕾館前
Chainsaw Art チェンソーアート
11:00-12:00 & 14:00-15:00 Special Corner 特設コーナー
Harley Davidson Shijou-kai (Test-Drive Event)
ハーレーダビッドソン試乗会
＊Admission Fee Charged 有料＊ 13:00-14:00 Waterworks Park Fountain 親水公園噴水前
Yosakoi よさこい
14:00-15:00 Ｍｉｒａｉｋａｎ 味蕾館前
Sun. Jul. 8Kennan Dentou Geinou (Southern Aomori Traditional Performing Arts) Festival
県南伝統芸能フェスティバル
10:00-13:00 Outdoor Stage* 野外ステージ
(*Or Towadako Kominkan in the event of rain 雨の場合十和田湖公民館)
Chainsaw Art チェンソーアート
11:00-12:00 & 14:00-15:00 Special Corner 特設コーナー
Harley Davidson Shijou-kai (Test-Drive Event)
ハーレーダビッドソン試乗会
＊Admission Fee Charged 有料＊ 13:00-14:00 Waterworks Park Fountain 親水公園噴水前
Ucchan Mika-chan Live
うっちゃん ミカちゃん ライブ
14:00-16:00 Ｍｉｒａｉｋａｎ 味蕾館前
Monday, April 30, 2012
Help others to help themselves for FREE!
New users to Kiva can get a free $25 loan to give to a deserving low-income entrepreneur! All you have to do is select your borrower and sign up for Kiva! It takes less than 5 minutes, but it can make a lasting impact on the life of a borrower and his/her family/community. So please sign up for a free trial of Kiva!
What's Kiva?
What's Kiva?
We are a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world.What is microfinance?
Microfinance is a general term to describe financial services to low-income individuals or to those who do not have access to typical banking services. Microfinance is also the idea that low-income individuals are capable of lifting themselves out of poverty if given access to financial services. While some studies indicate that microfinance can play a role in the battle against poverty, it is also recognized that is not always the appropriate method, and that it should never be seen as the only tool for ending poverty.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
