What's New at Kyoto NHK ESS?

Presenter: Mr.Sugiuchi

Hours of sunlight has gradually become fewer and I guess not only me
but many people are having hard time getting up in the morning.
Yes, winter has arrived and 2011 is around the corner. Am i only the
one who feels that the last New Year day was just couple weeks ago?
In the next practice, I would like to discuss New Year day since I
thought it would be interesting to share your customs with other
members. For instance, ozoni is almost different in each family and i
always found interesting to when I hear about it.
The practice would be as bellow.

Genre: Free Talk
Title: New Year
Description:
1. Make 6 groups.
2.Read the hand-out and recall how you normally spend on new year day.
If you don't have any idea, may be the following keywords might help
you.(15min)
-TV program(NHK Kohaku)
-Toshikoshi-soba
-Family gathering
-Osechi(special selection of dishes during the New Year celebration )
-Ozoni(How is your Ozoni in your home? Red-miso? White-miso?)
-Moshi
-Bell ringing(Buddhist temples all over Japan ring their bells a 108
times to symbolize the 108 human sins)
-Postcards
-Hatsumode
-Otoshidama(How did you spend it?)
-Special custom in your home town
-Games(Kite flying, Sugoroku, fukuwarai, top(koma))
-Hatsumode
3. Share with your group members.

Hope you could have a nice talk with your group members and have a new
idea to spend this coming New Year.

Best regards,

Presenter : Ryuichi Tanaka

Genre: Talk and Presentation

Title : Where do you recommend in Japan?

If you had guests or friends from overseas, where would you recommend in Japan for them? Your friends have a couple of free days in Japan and they want to go to your most recommendable place....

Discription :
Groups of four or five members.
1, Each member writes the draft
2, Present your plan in the group
3, Choose the best of group and prepare
"One-minute commercial" for that
4, The commercial time for each groups

Before the practice, please decide on a place where you will recommend and gather some information of that ( when, access, what's interesting....) It would be helpful if you could bring some pictures etc. The place is not necessarily famous.

Hope you will enjoy this practice!

Presenter: K.Nonaka
Genre:Translation & Talk
Title:Jewish quotes

Percentage of Jewish population to the world's population is small, but many　business successful persons and Novel Prize winners are made up of Jewish.
Let’s learn their wisdom from Jewish quotes!

First, I will introduce some Jewish quotes in Japanese. Please translate these quotes into English. This is not an examination, so it is OK to teach each other in your group. It would be great to exchange opinions on how to translate. When your group finishes translating, let me know. I will give you English translation.

Second, please talk about how you think these quotes. Also, if you have favorite quotes, it would be great to introduce those.

Regards

【Practice Report】
10/2
Mr.Nakamura "News English"
出席者：28名
(New Comer 2名:Ms.Imagome, Mr.Yamaguchi)

10/9
Mr.Ishizaki "How do you explain Japan to foreign people"
出席者：21名

10/16
Mr.Yamaguchi "translation"
出席者：28名
(New Comer 2名:Ms.Maeda, Ms.Onoe)

10/23
Mr.Yamamoto "A Desert Isrand"
出席者：26名
(New Comer 2名:Ms.Yamamoto, Ms.Kery)

10/30
counterplan "Let's talk in two circle"
出席者：24名

【Topic】
10月は参加スタッフがとても少なく、ご協力頂いた皆様には大変ご迷惑をおかけ致しました。
この場を借りて、お詫びとお礼を申し上げます。
今年は人数が少ない上ほぼ社会人スタッフで、更に景気回復の影響か？忙しい時期が続いております。
何かとご不便をおかけする事もありますが、ご理解・ご協力のほどよろしくお願い致します。

また先日のESS内でも個々にお声をかけさせて頂いてますが、後半プラクティスを「我こそは！」と思う方は是非スタッフまでお願いします（＾＾）
スタッフに目をつけられると「やだな～‥」「何をしたらいいか分からない‥」「盛り上がらなかったらどうしよう‥」など、
色々不安になられると思います。
しかし逆に考えれば、自分のやりたいプラクティスを作る事ができるチャンスです。

私も先日合宿にて自分のプラクティスを担当させて頂きましたが、
世間であまり知られていない両親の故郷について、皆さんに知って＆考えてもらいとても嬉しかったです。
個人的趣味を絡めてもよし、情報発信をかねてもよし、メンバー同士の交流を深めるテーマもよし、
ESSの本分である英話交流ができるテーマであれば、万事OKです。

もし分からない事があれば、気兼ねなくスタッフや周りの方に質問してみて下さい。
よろしくお願いします。

【Practice Report】
11/6-7 Camp
Mr.Takai, Mr.Oku, Mr.Yoshida, Ms.Nakata, and Nakahira.
出席者：24名

11/13
Staff "What's New?"
出席者：29名

11/20
Mr.Inoue "World Statistics"
出席者：20名
(New Comer 2名:Mr.Nagamachi, Mr.Okazaki)

11/27
Ms.Iwasaki "Presentation&Listen"
出席者：25名

【Topic】
先月は合宿などであっという間に過ぎていったイメージがあります‥
あれからもう一ヶ月経ったなんて、信じられません。
参加していただいた皆様、どうもありがとうございました。

さてなんだかんだともう師走、皆さんは年末年始のご予定は立てていますか？
私は正月はなるべく着物を着るようにしています。
正月以外、着る機会って案外ないのです。
ですが！
来年のNewYearPartyでは、着物組が参戦予定です！
僭越ながら、修行中の身の私めが着付けさせて頂きます。

Summer Partyでは二次会がボーリングで浴衣着付け申込ゼロという悲しい結果に終わりましたが、
正月気分で着物を着たいあなた、先着５名まで受け付けます。
詳細はあとのNew Year Party案内で！
To be continued...

Presenter: Mr. Yamamoto

Let's look back on the year 2010.

The situation around us is pushing up tensions, which we haven't experienced in the past few decades.
Economic crisis have already swept all over the world, and now East Asian region is going to be confronted with a serious security crisis.

Now, how do you summarize the recent situation around you ?
Today's practice is a kind of an annual event fur the last time of the year, which has somehow continued since a long time ago.

Pick up a couple of memorable events that have happened to you this year and also impressive news fur this year.

Themes for today,
1.How have you spent this year ?
Unforgettable events to you, your personal experiences in 2010.
2.How do you summarize the year 2010 ?
World affairs, recent social phenomena etc.

Enjoy talking about the last practice for the year for the benefit of better coming year 2011.

Kamsa hamnida(Thank you)