What's New at Kyoto NHK ESS?

Hello there, ladies and gentlemen! (^.^)/
This is the announcement for the latter activity on Feb. 7th.

Presenter: Inoue Motomi

(1) Genre: Ttanslation

(2) Title: “Lucky items (Engimono)”
(3) Description:

1. Make some groups.

2. I will hand out material of Japanese lucky items.

3. Translate it in your group.
Maybe you should translate it in turns, but if you have another
good idea, it is OK to do in your way.

4. Present a part of your translation before all.

I hope you all enjoy the practice.

Cheers! (^^)/

Dear ESS members

This is the announcement of the practice on St.Valentine's Day.

Even if we are not Christian, so many people enjoy Valentine,
Halloween and Christmas as seasonal events in Japan.
On the other hand, we like to go temples and shrines not only
for praying to God but also for sightseeing. Don't you think it is
strange that various religion is adopted in Japan?

Let's talk about religion in your daily life!

◆Genre: Discussion

◆Topic: Religion in your daily life

examples of subject
・Do you believe in any religion?
・Do you have any religious custom?
・Have you experienced religion except Buddhism and the Shinto?
・Do you have any religious custom or event that you want to try?
And why?
・What kind of action or thinking makes you realize that you are a Buddhist or something?
・What do you think about religious taboo?

◆Procedures:
1) make some groups as usual.
2) discuss in each group
3) please make a presentation about interesting story
by representatives of your group.

The instructions as follows.
※Please DO NOT criticize a member of the other religion in your group.
※Please DO NOT persuade a member to get religion.

I hope you will enjoy it.
See you!

Kaori Tsujii

I am a sento-lover.
Even now I love sento very much. Without sentos ,I cannot live.
Sento history begins in the 6th century. It was the time Buddhisum arrived in Japan.
Some early temples had baths for the cleaning of Buddhist statues, or for the monks themselves to use. A few centuries later temples began to allow the public to use their baths. Bathing became popular among common people. At the end of 12th century bathing facilities began to open as private business. This was the beginning of sento.
Sento became popular during the Edo era. (1603-1868) Building of the private baths was prohibited as a measure to prevent fires in the city of Edo.
Many senntos were built. Sentos remained popular after the Edo Era. Many families continued to use sentos until around the 40th year of Syowa .(1965~1974)

Title: I am a sentou-lover.

Discussions
1) How often do you go to sento?
2) Talking about the episode about sento.
3) Nowadays a large number of sentos closed, and I remember those happy days in Syowa era.　Sentou-owners are usually old. Should we protect our culture, sentos?
4) Do you know Hunaoka Onsen? (船岡温泉、八雲食堂：2000円民宿＋居酒屋)


Procedures:
1) make some groups as usual.
2) discuss in each group
3) please make a presentation about interesting story
by representatives of your group.

BY Takeo (Staff)

Announcement of practice on Feb.28

1. Genre Reading and discussion
2. Title "Advice column"

1) Divide the whole members into 6 goups
2) Reading (15 minutes )
3) Group discussion about the settlements of troubles
( 40minutes )
4) Each group presents the summary of the group discussion
( 10minutes )

Various kinds of advice columns in American newspapers are very interesting and useful for us Japanese, because they tell us what kind of problems American society has, and we can learn their way of thinking, their culture and habits. Of course we can learn how to express ourselves in English.
Here, I’ll carry six American’s daily troubles from the Asahi Weekly. They are adapted and simplified. More detailed ones will be delivered at the next session.

Please try to shoot troubles beforehand by yourself.

1 How to protect our garden from mischievous children who live in our neighborhood.

They walk through our flower gardens and climb on our newly planted trees.

2 A couple in our social circle blow their noses at the dinner table every time they sit down. How can I stop their habits.

3 My son has got married recently. The couple’s eating habits are atrocious. His wife cooks nothing but high fat and sugar food. I want to help them. How can I develop better eating habits for them? How should I advise her?

4 Is it OK to plug your cellphone into an outlet at a restaurant, grocery, department store, etc.?

By MR.Oishi