2017 ~ お茶の間留学

2017年12月22日金曜日

2017年12月22日金曜日 -

Hussen: Je m'appelle Hussen et je viens de paris en France

Après plusieures années de réflexion, j' ai finalement franchi le pas à savoir que désormais je vis au Japon pour une durée indéterminée mais j'espère pouvoir rester le plus longtemps possible.

After many years of reflection, I finally took the step to move and now I'm living in Japan for an indefinite period of time. I hope to stay as long as possible.

J'ai effectué des études de finance et économie gestion à l'Université Paris X à Nanterre Université et entre temps j'ai également ouvert ma petite affaire, un snack qui est toujours en activité de nos jours.

I studied Finance and Management Economics at the University of Paris X Nanterre, and at the same time I also opened a small business, a snack restaurant that is still open today.

Pourquoi je suis venu au Japon ?

Why did I come to Japan?

Parceque après mes études je n'ai pas trouvé d'emploi dans mon secteur et j'en avais ras le bol de la mentalité française tellement lente à tous les niveaux.

Because after my studies I could not find a good job and I was fed up with the French mentality, which is so slow at all levels.

Je me retrouvais à faire un emploi que je n'aimais pas du tout et sous-payé par rapport à mes diplômes mais l'ambiance était bonne donc je suis resté un moment.

I found myself doing a job that I did not like at all and was underpaid, but the atmosphere was good so I stayed for a while.

Le jour où j' ai décidé d'arrêter je savais déjà que ma prochaine étape serait probablement le Japon, il était temps de franchir le cap. Alors j'en ai parlé à mon entourage et via le site BOOBOOSKI, j' ai trouvé un emploi à Niigata au Japon.

The day I decided to quit I already knew that my next step would probably be Japan. It was time to move on. So I talked to my friends and through the boobooSKI website I found a job in Niigata.

Le 24 Janvier 2017 je commençais ma nouvelle aventure.

I started my new adventure on 24th January 2017.

Il y' a beaucoup de choses que j'aime au japon. Beaucoup de respect et de bonnes manières, des paroles gentilles et tout le monde pense aux autres. La nourriture est très saine pour le corps et c'est un pays vraiment très propre ça m'a tellement surpris. Ensuite j'aime beaucoup les mangas et les jeux vidéos, j' ai passé mon enfance dans cet univers.

There are many things I love about Japan. People are considerate, have good manners and show respect for others. The food is very healthy and it is a very clean country, which surprised me very much. Also, I really like manga and video games. I spent my childhood in this universe.

J'aime les paysages japonais et son histoire, c'est un peuple qui à réussi à se bâtir tout seul sans l'aide de personne. Les japonais sont curieux lorsqu'ils rencontrent des étrangers.

I like Japanese landscapes and its history. The Japanese are a people who managed to build their country without the help of anyone else, and who are curious when they meet foreigners.

Je suis très content d'être au Japon, maintenant il va falloir en apprendre plus sur le pays, la culture et ses habitants car je souhaite m'intégrer.

I am very happy to be in Japan. Now I will have to learn more about the country, culture and its inhabitants because I want to get on well with people here.

Réflexion：reflection：熟考

indéterminée：indefinite：未定の

avais ras le bol：fed up with：うんざりしていた

mentalité：mentality：考え方

sous-payé：underpaid：薄給

franchir le cap：move on：別の場所に移る

paroles gentilles：considerate：優しい

réussi：managed to：成し遂げる

habitants：inhabitants：住民

2017年12月15日金曜日

2017年12月15日金曜日 -

Cody: The Aging American Infrastructure

America is a pretty great place. It's the land of the free. The home of the brave. It's been home to many people who have been responsible for advances in important and useful technology as well. But while it may seem like some kind of technological wonderland, the only places where this rings true are in the major population centers. You've got to remember that America is big. Really big. There's a lot of open space between the metropolises.

Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles are all densely populated, modern cities on the Pacific coast with access to things like fast internet, public transportation and great cell-phone coverage. But what about the places in between them?

It's quite a different story. In the small towns littering the path between those major cities, they are most often still using aged copper-wire lines for communication, which simply can't support high-speed internet like fiber can. Public transportation exists in the form of few and far between buses rather than railways. In America, railroads are primarily used for transportation of cargo, rather than passengers. Cell carrier relay towers are similarly sparse, often leaving areas of very poor or no reception for customers. Should you venture away from the city, or into a short tunnel, or perhap

s into a building with slightly thicker than normal walls you may find yourself cut off from　service.

Wiki

The problem is composed of many parts. The cost of replacing the old infrastructure is of course one of them. That cost is increased by the sheer amount that needs to be replaced because of the size of the country. On the other hand, behind the scenes you have companies and politicians attempting to control and throttle progress in the name of profit. Ages ago, when the railway companies sought to bring public transportation to the nation via railroad, the automotive companies bought them up and shelved any such ideas so that cars would remain by far the primary mode of transportation for the American people, and that accordingly their sales would flourish.

America is a pretty great place. But its infrastructure has fallen behind the times, and rabid capitalism is certainly not helping it catch up.

Metropolises：主要都市

densely populated：人口密度が高い

Littering：散らばる

copper-wire lines：銅線

relay：中継する

sparse：まばらに

Should you：～の際には

venture away：あえて遠くに行く

composed of：～から構成されている

throttle：抑圧する

sought to：～しようとした

shelved：見送りになる

rabid：過激な

2017年12月9日土曜日

2017年12月9日土曜日 -

Hello there,

wiki

My name's Phil and I'm from the UK. I'm from Northern Ireland, which is probably the smallest part of the UK. My hometown is very small and only 10,000 people live there. It is a very relaxed and laid back area with lots of beautiful green countryside.

I first came to Japan in 2013 after completing my teaching course and was really excited at that time to experience a new country and culture. I lived in Tokyo until 2015 and then left to be closer to home. This is what led to me teaching in Europe for a number of months.

After a short time in Europe, I realized that I really missed Asia and Asian culture. I think this is the reason why I decided to teach in China as I knew it would be a new experience for me. Also, I wanted to travel and see new places. I enjoyed my one year there and made some really good friends while traveling to different parts of China.

Towards the end of my time in China, I felt that I missed Japan and Japanese culture. My girlfriend is Japanese and I met her during my time in Tokyo. I came to Osaka with her in 2017 and so far have been really enjoying my time in a new city.

laid back：のんびりした

completing：修了した

lead to：～につながった

a number of ：何カ月か

Towards：～の少し前に

so far：今のところ

2017年12月1日金曜日

2017年12月1日金曜日 -

☆ハロウィン　コスチューム　コンテスト　結果発表☆

10月31日にNOVAお茶の間留学で行われました、ハロウィンコスチュームコンテスト。
こちらのブロガーでもたくさんの皆様にご投票いただきましてありがとうございました。

投票の結果なんと！海賊の衣装がバッチリ決まっていた、
スペイン語のベアトリス先生が優勝となりました！

ベアトリス先生には、NOVAからキックスクーターが贈呈されました☆
パチパチパチパチ～

今年は僅差で涙をのんだ他の講師たちも、
来年こそはと意気込んでおります。

引き続き、NOVAお茶の間留学をよろしくお願い致します。

2017年12月1日金曜日 -

Tony Purchase: An Anecdote

We collect things as we get older: friends and acquaintances; favorite books, albums, or movies; aches and pains. Whether beloved or bemoaned, they serve as proof of a life lived.

Our anecdotes are such a collection. They are acquired slowly and survive through meritocracy. A story that is positively received justifies its place in our repertoire. Over time, the best anecdotes get polished in the telling until they are little gems that we gift to the conversation. The cream of the crop.

Any collector can tell you that the longer you live with a collection, the more you need to curate it. Consider a museum. Only a fraction of the collection is on display. The rest is squirreled away until the time comes again for it to be trotted out of storage, dusted off, and enjoyed in the open again. Otherwise, museums would be hopeless jumbles of treasures, yesterday's interests, and forgotten trash.

As it is with the curated exhibits of museums so it must be with our anecdotes. When our stories have lost their audience we must let these stories go. They are just part of a collection after all.

Permit me an example. I have a story about meeting a clown, and his sock puppet dog, on a bus when I was twelve. It's a hilarious, heartwarming story of generosity and simpler times. At least it was thirty years ago. I haven't told that story in over twenty-five years. The clown was a local celebrity, but if you'd never heard of him, that context is lost. Since I was twelve, the perception of clowns has changed so much that the tone of the story is at odds with present-day sensibilities. Funny stories are only funny stories in the right time and place, and the time and place for that story is gone. So, down to the basement it goes. Not lost mind you. Just not for public display.

As participants in conversation it is our responsibility to curate our conversation, using current vocabulary and concepts that are shared and understood so that our meaning is conveyed most effectively, and this extends to our anecdotes as well.

To succeed as a conversationalist isn't simply a matter of mastering vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. Those are simply the building blocks, the raw material. By understanding who we are speaking to and tailoring the content of our remarks to them we can achieve communication. At it's heart communication is an intimate exchange. A joining of minds through ideas and information. Consider the word 'commune'. A verb that shares the same Latin root with communication. To commune is to be in an intimate state of receptivity, to converse intimately. Intimacy demands an understanding of who, or what, you are communing with.

Acquaintances：知り合い

beloved：愛される

bemoaned：悲しまされる

anecdotes：逸話/ネタ

meritocracy：能力主義

repertoire：レパートリー

The cream of the crop：厳選された

Curate：精選する

Fraction：分数

squirreled away：ため込まれる

trotted out：披露される

dusted off：埃を払って再び使う用意をされる

Otherwise：さもないと

Jumbles：ごちゃまぜにする

sock puppet：靴下で作った人形

hilarious：楽しい

heartwarming：心温まる

generosity：寛大さ

perception：認識

at odds with：～に合致しない

present-day ：現代

sensibilities：感性

participants：参加者

conveyed：伝えられる

extends：広がる

tailoring：合わせる

intimate：深い

2017年11月24日金曜日

2017年11月24日金曜日 -

Luke:　Budleigh Salterton

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When I was thinking about a topic for this blog, it occurred to me that I have written several blogs about my experiences in Japan but none about England, so I thought I ought to write one about England. To be honest, I've never really done any sightseeing in England so my options here are somewhat limited. I could write about my hometown, but that might not be very interesting. With all this in mind, I have decided to write about a pretty idyllic little place called Budleigh Salterton.

Every summer my family would travel to Budleigh Salterton for our summer holiday. It used to feel to me when I was young that we were traveling half way around the world. In hindsight, I think Budleigh Salterton is only around an hour from my hometown. Memories of these trips aren't exactly detailed, but I can remember flashes – flashes that I haven't thought about for a long time. I will do my best to describe what I can remember. Hopefully, it will turn out to be a highlights-reel.

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My parents don't drive (they've never driven a car), which may go some way to explaining why I’ve never driven a car, and for this reason a family friend used to drive us on our annual excursions. The earliest of my memories is of my dad's passenger-seat road rage; he used to shout and swear at any passing car that our driver felt had wronged us. My dad, as mentioned, has never driven, and is therefore clueless when it comes to proper road procedure, and it later transpired that our driver had always been in desperate need of very strong glasses. So looking back, it's probably safe to assume that it was our car which was at fault each and every time something happened.

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Anyway, it's strange to think about these trips now. I can remember so little about them but all of it is pleasant to think on. I can remember sulking for an entire day, though I can't remember why. I spent many hours under the bed refusing to come out unless my demands were met. I can remember 'the hill with three trees', which was not a proper place name; just a hill that looked from one particular angle to only have three trees upon it. I can remember walking to my dad's favourite pub for lunch, to this day he talks about the beer he used to drink at that pub. On the way there one day we saw a very large bull, with horns fearsome enough to frighten a matador. We crowded round the gate that separated us from the bull and watched it for a while. As we were watching, it began to pee and much to me and my brother's delight, it did not stop for what must have been around five minutes. Even years later in my house it was not uncommon to hear the words “remember the bull in Budleigh Salterton?”

idyllic ：牧歌的な

Budleigh Salterton ：

In hindsight ：後から考えてみると

highlights-reel ：見せ場を釣り上げる

passenger seat ：助手席

road rage ：野次/罵声
clueless ：無知な

when it comes to ：～ということになると

transpired ：わかってきた

desperate ：たまらなく

sulking ：駄々をこねる

my demands were met ：要求が通る

bull ：雄牛

horns ：角

fearsome enough to frighten a ：闘牛士を怖がらせられるほど恐ろしい

crowded ：群がった

pee ：おしっこをする

much to mine and brother's delight ：僕と弟が大変喜んだことには

2017年11月17日金曜日

2017年11月17日金曜日 -

Hugh:London, London, the City of Dreams, is just as good as it seems

Picture the scene: Heathrow airport, drinking a can of cider, listening to Aerosmith's “Back in the Saddle Again.” London, I was back. There's nothing quite like going back to your home country, the sounds, the smells in the air, the noise, the delays on the trains...“this train will be held for a short time, in order to regulate the service.”

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I think the main thing about being home was eating my mum's amazing food… every breakfast was kidneys plus a wide variety of food. However, there were so many additions to my trip… going shopping at Sainsbury's and Tesco for my favorite foods to satisfy my appetite… walking around Central London and remembering why I love being in such a multi-cultural city... looking at some unfamiliar buildings, for example, The Shard (which is the tallest building in Europe) and some old traditional buildings, for example, The Tower of London, Tower Bridge and Big Ben.

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Can you imagine seeing a double-decker bus drive past a mounted police officer and seeing a punk rocker, all in the same place? There is so much diversity in London and it can be truly exhilarating. It's a common misconception that food in England is terrible! Okay, okay, the quality of food may not be on the same level as Japan, however, it's not all about fish n' chips. If you're out and about, why don't pick up a saveloy sausage (with or without batter) or head down to Brick Lane and get a chicken tikka masala? Contrary to popular belief, this curry was not first concocted in India, it actually originated from an Indian restaurant in Glasgow, Scotland.

Regulate：調整する

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kidneys：腎臓

multi-cultural：多文化的な

mounted：馬に乗った

diversity：多様性

exhilarating：うきうきさせる

misconception：思い違い

it's not all about：それだけではない

out and about：出歩く

saveloy sausage：フィッシュアンドチップスの店でも売られているスパイスの効いたソーセージ

Contrary to：～とは裏腹に

concocted：工夫して作った

originated：～を起源に持つ

2017年11月11日土曜日

2017年11月11日土曜日 -

David: The best food is in Australia

''Throw a shrimp on the barbie'' or so I hear a lot of tourists say in Australia, although most Australians call them prawns not shrimps. Regardless, Aussies love their barbecues and we love our food. It just so happens that Australia is one the best places in the world to go for food lovers and I'll tell you why. Not only can you enjoy barbecues while you're seeing the sights, but also full course meals and snacks. Food is something that you cannot miss while you're in Australia.

Let's start from the grill. Barbecues are almost as common as there are weeks. Japanese like to go to izakayas and relax, and Australians like to go to barbecues and relax. Beef, pork, chicken, lamb, along with healthy sides of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and potato... we'll eat anything that can be raised or grown on a farm. Seriously, you can bring anything to a barbecue! This includes any sauces or condiments that you feel are necessary to enhance the flavor of whatever it is you're eating. Some restaurants that serve barbecue will even serve kangaroo, although it's more of a try-it-once-in-your-life thing. After you've had your fill of meat and salad, you can move onto the dessert.

Someone will have already put out the dessert from the beginning so you can enjoy some snacks while you're digesting the meat. In addition to your standard potato chips and lollies, you can try lamingtons (sponge cakes with a thin outer layer of chocolate covered in coconut), Anzac biscuits (crunchy cookies with the baker's choice of nuts and toppings), and Tim Tams (chocolate biscuits that just melt in your mouth). You have to balance all the salt and grease from the meat with something sweet and there will be no shortage when you're in the land down under. As a matter of fact there is no shortage of any variety of food, even if you tire of barbecues.

Australia is a blend of cultures from all around the world. With each culture comes a unique cuisine and Australians welcome good food from anywhere. Huge Chinese yum-chas, countless Vietnamese shops, aromatic Turkish kebab stores, spicy Indian restaurants, high-class Italian gardens, romantic French cafes, even Japanese izakayas, and so many more from all over the world. Whatever you want, you'll be sure to find it in any major Australian city. The best part is you can always enjoy food without having to take any time away from sightseeing. So next time you come down to Australia, be ready to eat like a king!

Shrimp：小エビ

prawns：(大きな)エビ

Regardless：とにかく

grill：網で焼く

sides：添え物

raised：(家畜が)飼養された、(野菜など)が栽培された

grown：育った

condiments：薬味、調味料

enhance：高める・増す

try-it-once-in-your-life：一生に一度の経験

digesting：消化している

lollies：キャンディ

grease：脂

As a matter of fact：実際のところ

Countless：数えきれない

2017年10月28日土曜日

2017年10月28日土曜日 -

Lucy: British Education

There are many differences between British education and Japanese education. One of the first differences that many notice is the structure. In Japan, the most common structure starts from Elementary school, next is Junior High School, followed by High School and then finally, University. In the UK there are two different structures, and where you live decides on which structure you are entered into.

The most common structure in the UK starts with Pre-school. Children under the age of 5 years attend Pre-school (sometimes called Nursery) and it is here that British children begin their educational career. This is the stage of education where we learn the alphabet and how to count from 1-10. We also make a mess and even make pictures out of pasta!

Now this is where things can get tricky, depending on where you live decides whether you enter Primary or First school. 'What's the difference?' I hear you say. Well let me explain. In Britain school education levels are not by grades, by years. So, instead of 1^st grade, 2^nd grade and so on, we have Year 1, Year 2, etc. Now here is where it can get a bit bamboozling… Primary School starts at Reception (Year 0, if you like), starting at the age of 5 years, and continues onto Year 6 (11 years old). First School starts at Reception and finishes at Year 4 (9 years old). So you spend 7 years in Primary School, and only 5 years in First School! Wow! Now isn't that confusing?

If you went to Primary School, the next stage is Secondary School. This starts at Year 7 (12 years old) and finishes at Year 11 (16 years old). If First School was your previous educational platform, the next step is Middle School; Year 5 to Year 7. Then you move onto High School (Year 8 to Year 11). In Year 11, every teenager will sit examinations called GCSE（General Certificate of Secondary Education）'s. We don't hold graduation ceremonies at the end of High School like Japan, the only rite of passage event we hold after GCSE's is Prom. But hold your horses, there is one more step before University.

After Secondary or High School, you can choose whether you want to attend College or Sixth Form. College provides more practical courses, such as catering, child care or manual labor (brick-laying, construction, etc.). Sixth Form is the entry level before University. Sixth Form is levelled as Year 12 & 13. During those years, you sit two sets of examinations; AS-Levels and A-Levels. This examinations are similar in retrospect to Japanese University Entrance examinations, and the grades convert into UCAS points. In order to enter University, you have to accumulate a minimum number of these points.

Now, post-University can be a totally different story in Britain, compared to Japan. In Britain, graduate students have a lot of different opportunities they can choose from. In Japan, the norm is to begin applying to many companies before finishing University in order to find a good job. In Britain, students can choose from taking a gap year (sometimes before or after University) to go traveling, or work in a part-time job to save some money. Some students will go on to specialize at University by taking a Master's Degree, and pursuing further education. And some students join a company to begin their working career.

Mess：混乱

tricky：やり難い

bamboozling：当惑させる

Reception：幼稚園と小学校の間

Wow! ：うわー！

educational platform：教育の舞台

teenager：10代の子供たち

right of passage：通行権的な

Prom：ダンスパーティ

hold your horses：はやる心を抑えて

in retrospect：今から振り返って思うと

convert：変換する

UCAS points：The Universities and Colleges Admissions Serviceのポイント

accumulate：蓄積する

gap year：高校から大学、大学から大学院への進学までの期間

specialize：専門的になる

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