Blog #6 Something important which we can notice after illness

Long time no see, everyone!
I`m really sorry I couldn`t write any blog recently :( Actually I`m suffering from hair-loss and took blood test at doctor office. And I may have collagen disease...So I have to visit bigger hospital on next Tuesday. I`ll try to catch up with you as much as possible!!!

I don`t have any news to tell you sadly so I`m writing now what I felt after I got illness.
As we are young, it may be natural for all of us to be healthy. Being heavy sick must be rare for young people. I was also thinking that being healthy is very natural for me. But after I started suffering from hair-loss, I noticed something important. Being healthy everytime isn`t natural at all. So we must appreciate everything which compose us. I was very depressed at first. But I think I`ve stronger a bit after I noticed that :)

Have you had any illness except cold? If you have, how did you feel then? or did you learn something from illness?

Asami

Blog#7 inter college negotiation competition

 I joined “negotiation and laws seminar,” and in December, 3 and 4, our seminar joined Inter College Negotiation Competition. The purpose of this competition is that students get negotiation skill which is useful in business scenes through imaginary problem. This competition was 10^th anniversary, and 19 universities including 上海交通大学 and Australia team joined it. Therefore, it seems that this year was bigger than before.

     In Inter College Negotiation Competition, on the first day, we tried the arbitration problem. On the second day, we tried the negotiation problem. There are 2 types of teams, Japanese team and English team. I joined English team. The problems are here.

     I would like to explain the summary of problems. In the arbitration, there are 2 disputes and each dispute has 2 issues. In the first dispute, Red corporation contracted Blue corporation in order to develop the system in a factory. However, some problems happened. Therefore, the launch day was delayed by the problems. Also, Red corporation bought “Blue tester” from Blue, but the ability was not good as Red expected.

     In the second dispute, Blue and Red made contract with Brown corporation to develop the lithium-ion battery satisfying Brown. However, Red and Blue failed to supply the lithium-ion battery due to failing to procure electrolyte. Therefore, Red and Blue couldn’t get profit and cost for developing the batteries was wasteful. In both disputes, Red and Blue sued each other for asking the other party to compensate damage.              

     In the second day, we tried the negotiation problem. In this problem, Red and Blue was trying to make the join company to get the contract with a nation for developing the water management system.

Our seminar took a long time in order to prepare this competition, but we could not win a prize. However, I could get a good experience. Therefore, I want to make the most of this experience for next year competition.

Motoki 

#7 Thinking about the Japanese pension plan

    As every Japanese knows, Japanese must have paid some money for the pension once a month since they become 20 years old. If he has paid that, he gets the right to get the disability pension. If a breadwinner has paid that and dies, his family can receive the pension for a bereaved family. Then, when he has already paid that for 25 years, he get the right to get the old-age pension. The system should become a relief for us to live.
However, it is an anxiety about our life and future now, because there is no positive proof that we can receive the old-age pension. The pension which the old people receive is what we paid. The birthrate in Japan is seriously dwindling. Though business is so slow, the money we have to pay goes up every year. Somehow, the finance of the system is hard now and we feel the crisis over collapsing the system.
   Should we, the students pay that? I became 20 years old this year and I also worried about and was so interested in the system, so I studied about that. The Social Insurance Agency insists on the advantage in the system but I couldn't get any positive proof that it can last soundly. However, I pay the pention now because I persuaded myself that it was for expressing my gratitude to those who brought up me  (I think those are all old people.) and it's not for my old age. To tell the truth, the money (it is 14660 yen once a month now.) is heavy for me. You may think that we should pay that because we may have a chance to receive the disability pension. Yes, we may get a terrible accident or sick, but we also has insured and paid the social insurance premium. The disability pension isn't so important, isn't it?
What do you think about the pension plan?

Hoh

#6 My favorite book

    I forgot to post on the blog!! My mind has already been in the winter vacation xp
It is so cold, isn't it?
I know a right book in winter. The book is The Makioka Sisters written by Junichiro Tanizaki.
It is so famous and called Sasameyuki in Japan and it means light snow.

    In the novel, there are four beautiful sisters and their family.
It is a good old family and we can know how the people in the Meiji Era lived. They always kept up appearances. For example, when Yukiko, the third daughter received an offer of marriage, she dislike the man but she couldnot decline the offer easily, because the impression of her on the society might get bad. They managed to keep the impression of the main branch of their family good.
Getting along well with neighbors were thought to be important to live in old Japan. Now, we have many lifestyles and don't have to mind the society like old people.

    I like the book very much, because the mood is beautiful and lively. I think you should read it in Japanese to enjoy the mood fully. It is because the expression of the all scenes are so beautiful and we must find the beauty of Japanese, the language. Then, the characters are from Osaka and they speak in the dialect called Osakaben. I like the expressions peculiar to Osakaben.
Then, I am interested in the movie now! The novel was made into a movie and judging from the amazon site, the movie is also good! 
 Have you ever watched it or read it? ...Or do you know any other good novel?
I am going to read many books in the winter vacation. (Now, I am reading "Crime and Punishment" written by Dostoyevsky. The story is very crazy and my mind may get to be crazy!)

Hoh

thanksgiving

  last month, one the thanksgiving day, we had a thanksgiving party on my friend's home. I met a lots of friend there. nearly 25 people come to this party so the tiny living room beacome very crowed. but we still have a lot of fun.

  the roasted turkey is the star of the show of this thanksgiving dinner. we stuff it with bread cubes, veggies, nuts, etc..

  we also made kind of gravy whih potatoes as sauce and I poured tons of this gravy on the turkey, the taste was very good.

  

here is the turkey. 

shengjie sun 

Blog#5 Money Ball

I watched the film “money ball” yesterday. This movie’s main actor is Brad Pitt. I wanted to watch this film when I found it in TV CM, because I like both Brad Pitt and baseball.

I would like to explain the summary about money ball.

The main theme is how to reconstruct the player of Athletics, which is baseball team. And it is necessary for Athletics to do it, because three star players resigned Athletics and join Yankees. Further Athletics didn’t have enough money to get talented players in order to fill them.

Therefore the general manager, who is acted by Brad Pitt, tried to find new solution. That is the new baseball style based on statistic . He met a fat man who graduated from Yale University and was good at economics. His logic of baseball convinced GM, so GM tried to do that.

But their idea was not common in traditional baseball idea. So the director and the headhunters complained his way, and didn’t follow GM. Sometimes he tried to solve it by firing headhunters and player who had great ability based on traditional idea and was liked by director. Finally he succeeded to make good mood team and win the league by new way.

After the season, the GM became very famous as a great GM, and was scouted with really high pay by the Redsocks. But he rejected that offer because he could not achieve World Champion, he would try to do it.     

I would like you to watch this movie. Because it is a movie for not only baseball but also business like how to manage a team and to solve problem.  

Further Brad Pitt is very cool. If you have spare time, why don’t you watch it?

Motoki

Blog #?: running a Age ice store

  In the beginner of this month, during our university festival, my circle are running a store to sale fried ice-cream which they called Age ice.

this is my circle store↓↓↓↓↓↓↓ 

 This is so called Age ice↓↓↓↓↓↓.   the cup seems much bigger then itself..

After 3 days operation, the total sale are about 150,000 yen but the final profit are only 1800 yen? so we can buy a hot pot for our circle.

 I just do not get it. How is that possible？

Shengjie Sun

Blog #4 P-phone

According to Sankei newspaper on the 9^th of November, P-phone, which is developed for police officers, flourished in 8^th of this month in order to arrest a swindler. http://news24.jp/articles/2011/11/09/07194117.html

This swindler tried to earn money by deceiving old lady. He approached her by pretend his son. And then he told her that he was being suspected of tax evasion and he needed money to clear the doubt. The next day he also said her “I cannot go to receive money because I’m busy now, so my friend will go to receive it instead of me.” When she tried to give this swindler money, her husband doubted him and took a photo of him. Soon after her husband took the photo, the swindler ran away without receiving money. This couple called the police and gave this photo to them. The police officer sent the other policemen by P-phone and finally the swindler was arrested.

This is the summary of that article. According to this article, P-phone is good at sending mails and images quickly and together and GPS function tells where the police officer. In the big earthquake in the last march, P-phone was useful in order to rescue people under the debris by sending images.

In my opinion, this P-phone maybe useful in the disaster like this March, because in that time we could not use cellular-phone due to the huge access simultaneously. But about the case of this article, is it really needed? I think normal mobile phone is enough to solve this swindler’s case. It seems that P-phone is spread in the local area. But I doubt how much it is and how much it costs to develop. In my view, the Japanese officers waste money to buy such products. Anyway I’m glad about not cheating money from a old couple!

Motoki Ono      

Blog #4 Letter, old way to communicate?

   Hello everyone :)
This time, I want to write about a way of communication.
   Some of my friends would already know that I have many pen friends in foreign countries. In last autumn, I started using the website  japan guide for making pen friends in foreign countries. To explain about the website a little, you can meet foreigners from all over the world who are interested in Japan. You can post your own ad on which you`ve written your personal date like name, hobby and so on. And to see your ad, foreing people who are interested in you send you message. And same like, you can send messages to people who you`re interested in.
Well, the reason I started using this website is that I was just interested in having pen friends and wanted to exchange emails or letters with them for long time. I hoped to find real friends in foreign countries.
   Actually I have a German friend who have kept in touch with me for more than 4 years. But she is doctor and sometimes too busy to write me backs soon. Though she is very good friend of mine and I love her, I wanted to have more pen friends who can talk with me often. That`s also a reason why I started using Japan Guide. After I started using Japan Guide, I`ve got so many messages from people in all over the world. As my major is German, many German people contact me :) I can`t count how many people I`ve met exactly on this website. But real friends are just some of them, I think. I hope I can keep in touch with many of them!
   Now I`m exchanging letters with almost all of my pen friends. I can contact on emails,too. But letters are more personal way to communicate, I think. It`s really nice feeling to find letters in my mail box when I came home :) haha
   Some people say to me that "Wow! You are exchanging letters. Not emails?"
   I can understand what these people think. They think that letters are a kind of old tradition to communicate in the times. Emails are more common, you know.
   What do you think about letters? Is it just an old tradition. Or should this way of communication exist in email-times?

Sorry, it`s Asami who wrote it.

#4 The school festival!

    From 4th to 6th November, the university festival was held. I belong to the Rakugo club and Tokyo Hole Project (a new comic club), so I told rakugo stories and did a comic dialogue in the festival. It was so enjoyable!
    On the eve, I took part in a costume parade. We disguised as the girls who boys disliked or were afraid of. They were a horrible ghost, a Japanese girl in 2000 has a tanned face and a white lip called Yamanba, a retiring grind, a modern girl who believed herself as a princess in the animation world, a hoodlum, and a Japanese ghastly apparition called Hanako in a toilet. I disguised as a woman at the Japanese disco in 90s. I wore a jacket with padded shoulders, swelled my hair like a crest, and danced enthusiastically. We walked around the Mejiro street. Of course, no boys talked to us! haha

    On the second day and the third day, we performed a comic show in front of the Hojin hall. We didn't only do a comic dialogue but also did a gymnastics show. Can you find me in the picture? I am the left person with a giraffe mask. On the show, we finally became  animals and danced wildly. The dance was so hard and we might look crasy. haha

I was so shy but I learned to get into my role during the shows. The festival got to be a valuable experience for me.
What were you doing during the festival? Did you enjoy it?

Hoh Saito

plan for next trip

After watch that documentary which I mentioned before, I feel that I really want to do such things like travel across a lots of countries. because I will back to China next year，when I come back to Japan, I don't wanna go directly, I will try another route, 

go south。。

like this

China>Vietnam>Laos>Cambodia>Vietnam>South Korea>Japan.

and I think I will try to get a free ride if it's possible.lol 

Blog #3 The movie I watched

  Last week, I watched a French comedic movie "Zazie in the Metro" in Waseda Shochiku Theater, Takadanobaba. The theater is a little different from the usual theater. Not new but good movies are put on the screen and they are showed as the double bill. I like the theater because I can watch an unique movie whenever I go.

  From 22nd October to 28th October, "Zazie in the Metro" and "Elevator to the Gallows" are showed there.
The movies were directed by a famous French director, Louis Malle. I was so impressed in "Zazie in the Metro" because it was so good, so cute and fantastic! The image is the DVD's cover taken from the Amazon site.
  It  was first put on the screen in 1960. The name of the main character is Zazie. She is a little girl living in the country. She is talkative and mischievous. She came to Paris with her mother but Zazie was left with her mother's brother there because her mother meet her new boyfriend. All Zazie want to do in Paris was to get into the Metro but it was on strike so she walks around the station and meet many funny people. It is very unique and happy so I think everyone must be happy after watching the movie.
  I found from the old movie that really good movies are really good movies whenever we watch them. I want to look for such really good movies as long as possible! Do you know such an old good movie?

Hoh Saito (I missed writing my name ! oh! haha!)

Blog#3 Part-time jobs of students

Good evening everyone,
How are you? Today I`d like to write about part-time jobs of students.

Now that many students have part-time job after their classes. The reason why they work would be various. Some work to earn some money for going out with friends, some work to earn money for studying abroad and so on. Of course they are really reasonable reasons.

I think working while they are students becomes very great experience. Before they start working  after graduation, it`s good to know what "working" is like. They can also learn what it is like to "earn money" and how they should behave in society as an adult. In working they have lots of chances to learn polite expression, in Japanese "Keigo". This surely helps them with preparing for job interviews. Many people would have these impressions about part-time jobs of students. They are all good points,right? Or do you have any different good points? If you do, please tell me in your comments.

This time I want to talk about some bad points of part-time job.

Recently getting part-time job has become difficult for students. As for me, before I got current teaching job, I had to apply for lots of jobs but wasn`t be hired for long time. I don`t remember exactly, but I applied for more than 10 jobs. How about you? Were you hired soon after you started applying for jobs? I don`t know exact reason why it`s difficult for students to get part-time jobs. But I guess, one reason is recession. And the the other reason is that students are too busy to work a lot and can`t adjust their schedules to the provided working schedule. So employees are reluctant to hire students as a part-time worker. What do you think of this trend? Even though students want to (or have to) earn money, they can`t get job easily. Students can`t get opportunity to learn social skills before they start working.

And one more thing,
I think students are tend to be too much busy at part-time jobs. For example, if they work as cleark of shops or waiter at restaurants, many of them must work on weekend. And some employees demand so long and busy working schedule.  So even though students want to concentrate on their school lives, they sometimes have to dedicate their time to part-time job. I don`t think it`s good. The priority of students should be studying and their club activity even though they need to earn money. What do you think? 

If you have other bad points of part-time jobs of students, let me know in your comments.

Take care,

Asami

To Berlin by Thumb

This weekend I watched a documentary about two guys go to berlin by hitchhike.
They start at Beijing and keeping go west by hitchhiking, before I watch this documentary I never thought that people can go this far just by hitchhikin.
of course this two guys can not found a car go straight to berlin, during this trip, there are hitchhiked nearly 90 cars or vans. but they aslo take train and airplane only in the case they had to.
 if u are interesting in this documentary or wanna watch it you can search it by 搭车去柏林 in google.

by Shengjie Sun 

Blog#2 Lion King 3D

One week ago, I watched The Lion King 3D in Shinjuku Wald.
As we know, this movie is one of the most famous movies in the world. The Lion King was broadcasted in 1998. But we still already remember it and actually it was revived as 3D movie.

In my view, the story is not so creative, comparing with the other Disney movies. But the individual characters and great musics make the original world view where the nature and wild animals live.

In the characters, I like Pumbaa, which is a warthog and the best friend of Timon. His movement is very commical and sometimes slapstick. He makes us very fun.
And the music called circle of the world has magnificent scale. So it moves my mind.

About reviving 3D, that effect is not so big, considering the movies which are made for particulary 3D. But the strength of image is stronger than original one. And the color becomes more clear.

I have never seen the play of The Lion King. I would like to see it. Have you ever seen it?


Motoki

Blog ♯1 A new movie "Moteki"

Hoh Saito
Hello, everyone.
I saw the new movie "Moteki".
Did you see it? Are you interested in it?
It's a Japanese comedic and love movie.
The leading role was Mirai Moriyama.
He is not so handsome but he always performs well.
In the movie, he acted as a dolt who dreamed of having affective sex.
The trouble is that he is particular about girls and he likes only pretty girls.
One woman falled in love with him and declared her love for him.
And though he didn't love her, he made love with her.
Then he gave her many dirty words and she cried.
He always complained about everything and I dislike him.

However, the story had a happy ending for the leading role.
Why could he get the happy ending? I couldn't understand that.
I said that I hate him but I know such some boys around me.
Then he may be a common Japanese boy, I think.
What do you think about modern Japanese boys? haha

It's the trailer.

Blog #1 About Voluntary Year

 Hello friends, I`m Asami from film study class. Today I`d like to write about voluntary year.

 Have you heard of the word "voluntary year"? I`ve heard it from my German friend in her letter. She is going to graduate from high school, in German word "Gymnasium", in next year. She wants to study at university, but guess what, she told me that she is going to take "one year break" after her graduation!!! The "one year break" after graduation of high school seemes to be called "voluntary year" in English word. To say short, in foreign countries, especially in Europe, students don`t choose to go to university soon after graduation of high school.
As for the German friend of mine, she is going to have job experience at an office in her voluntary year instead of going to university. After the one year job experience, she is going to apply for university.

I just wondered and asked my French pen friend about the voluntary year. She is same years old as me and started going to university in last month. She told me that she also had voluntary year before she entered univrsity and experienced "au pair" in England. "Au pair" is a kind of activity of voluntary year but it`s only for women. Like her some women choose to stay in foreign countries and experience homestay there. And they take care of children of the house. This experience is called "au pair".
Recently the other German friend of mine also have started experiencing "au pair" in Italy. She is also going to apply for university or job in next year.

In Japan, we can never imagine students take "one year off " (voluntary year)after graduation of high schoo, right?
Normally we start going to university, college or technical school soon after we graduated from high school and some start working soon as well. Of course, there are many people who don`t (can`t) do that but only because they couldn`t be accepted by any of universities they applied for. And maybe there are some people who become "neet" in Japanese word. No one in Japan don`t try to take "one year off" to experience something important which we can`t experience by studying at university.

To hear about voluntary year, I think we really should have opportunity to have it in Japan,too. One reason is that it can be good way to visit foreign country and stay there not as a traveler. Recently I`ve heard that many young people hesitate to visit foreign countries for studying and experiencing foreign culture there. I think it`s very sad tendency. If we have a system of voluntary year in Japan, many students can choose to visit foreign countries. And second reason is that there must be something important which we can`t experience at university but we really should experience when we are young.
In voluntary year, people can do anything!! Some choose to work, experience au pair, just traveling far away from their countries.... They can do anything they want to do!!
What do you think to hear about the voluntary year? Do you think we should have it in Japan,too?

I`ve found a video of a girl who is experiencing au pair.

Looking forward to your comments!!

Asami Okumura

Blog#1 about trade

Motoki Ono

In the internationalization world, one of our interesting subjects is how to stand in advantageous position. According to Ann news, Japanese and Korean farmers held a symposium about the trade. One participant said "Korea is thinking FTA more seriously more than Japan. I have to do something after going back Japan"

 FTA is initials of Free Trade Agreement. Asian countries are being faced with decision about whether conclude or not FTA. Differing from EU, Asian each country has a original tax rate. And the tax rate influences the country's trade. There are advantage and disadvantage. Japanese government need to conclude the agreement evaluating the gain and loss.

According to September 15th Yahoo News, the Secretary of the Treasury in the US said "if we don't conclude FTA, the other country's company will deprive our market. in Korea."  From this news, not only Asian country but also the US think FTA is important to do business in foreign countries.

According to October 2th Nikkei newspaper, Korea which is competing with Japan finished to conclude FTA with EU in July. EU decreased the tax of Korean goods of export and Japan stands relatively disadvantage position. Further Japanese trading problem is not only tax but also strict restriction against import. Nikkei news expect EU understand Japan is impatient about FTA therefore they will not negotiate until Japan decide specific suggestions.

In my view, Japan has to conclude FTA with more countries as soon as possible because Japan is in severe position due to too strong YEN. Therefore Japan needs to improve the situation by using agreements even considering with handicap negotiations.
What do you think?
  

Black Swan

The most imprressive movie in which I watched in ths summer vacation.

Gakushuin Forest and Sea

I go to gakushuin university.

There is a seal in Gakushuin !!

Testing publishing Asami Okumura

 I`m a big fan of the restaurant and....him click here

                                         very delicious Shiratama Anmitsu in Asakusa "Umezono"

Motoki

Here

test

this is tree.

youtube

practice blog

Here is a sample photo - it looks cool and tranquil.

Here is a link to a nice place that I often go for lunch. It is called Osteria Hada
You should check out this funny video.

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Welcome to your blog!

I hope you like the design. This is the way to make a blog.
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Try out blogging today and get ready for your first blog next month!