Kyoto-Nara EU Association

Hi,there!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
BONNE ANNÉE!
明けましておめでとうございます。

Do you know the Japanese old adage
"New year's day is the key of the year.（元旦は一年の鍵である＝一年の計は元旦にあり） "

How did you spend your New Year's day?
And have you decided your New Year's resolution yet?

This month, our English club's theme is "What's your New Year's resolution?", and each member showed their own goals or resolutions for 2014.

Me? My resolution is to get up earlier in the morning and make my days longer than 2013
Yep,I've been thinking about my themes for 2014 since the end of last year.(Ongoing.)

Old things have ended, and a new chapter has just begun.

**************************************************************************************
Feb's English Club is on 12th! 18:45-20:45
Details will be followed later.
**************************************************************************************

This time, we altered a part of our plans(Ms. Aleksandra was absent), and welcomed Ms. Inger and Mr. Jon McDonald as guests.

Ms.Inger is Danish and has came to Japan from Cambodia.
She's worked there as psychologist, and studied how Buddhism heal victims of severe psychological trauma.
And as part of her study, she'll join the session of "Naikan remedy(内観療法)"in Nara. The word "Naikan" is coming from Zen(禅), related to Buddhism.

Jon has also majored Philosophy and Theology in university,so our discussion may have somehow more religious or introspective touch than usual today.

Japanese culture has been intimately related to Buddhism or Zen in our history.
However, it's not easy for many of us to explain/understand Zen exactly.

This English club was very good opportunity, I think, to try to know and understand our own culture, and the composition...elements, pieces of our history.

On this day, one of the questions I asked to Jon is
"What do you think the best way to improve my English writing skill? "
(Because he thinks to be a writer.)

He said like this...
"Just practice, write sth everyday, try to express yourself in English, discipline..."
That's why I'm writing this article

Thanks!

**************************************************************************************
Feb's English Club is on 12th! 18:45-20:45
Details will be followed later.
**************************************************************************************

★DATE: Wednesday 8th 18:45-20:45@No., F5 Nara Seibu Kominkan
So near from Kintetsu Gakuenmae Station, South Exit.


★THEME: "What is your New Year's resolution?"
Have you decided it?
January is the key of the year....

★MODERATOR : Ms. Mari Oyama (Thanks!)

★GUEST:
Mr. Jon McDonald
I can give you some information about myself. Now I teach English and live in Honmachi. I'm from the city of Portland, Oregon, on the West Coast of the United States. I went to school in California, and I studied history (歴史), literature (文学), philosophy (哲学), and theology (神学). I know the most about Greek history and Western philosophy and religion.

Aleksandra Hanczewska
I'm from Poland and right now I'm studying in Nara Women's University in Faculty of Letters.
Befor I came to Japan I studied at the University of Trier in Germany.
I studied there Japanese Studies and Economics. I can speak Polish (native language), German, English and right now I want to be better in Japanese language.

★CHARGE:
Member 1,000yen,Non-member 1,500yen
Europeans & Native English speakers will be invited(free of charge).

★INFORMATION:
info@eurokn.com

No reservation needed!Join us!

★DATE: Wednesday 11th 18:45-20:45@No.1, F5 Nara Seibu Kominkan

★THEME: "How was this year for you?"
Did you have a good year?
Did you go anywhere as a trip?
Anything is
Please talk about what happened on you this year.

★MODERATOR : Ms. Haruka Fujii (Thanks!)

★GUEST:
Ms. Hanna Frenz from Germany!

Message from Hanna
I live in Germany. The name of the city is Trier.
It is in the west ofGermany, really close to luxemburg.
I study japanese language and sociology at my university in trier.

Trier is surrounded by the cities Saarbrücken, Koblenz and Luxemburg;
only 30min till Luxemburg; called the oldest city in germany;
many roman architecture; river "Mosel" flowing through; famous for wine; around 100.000 inhabitants.


★CHARGE:
Member 1,000yen,Non-member 1,500yen
Europeans & Native English speakers will be invited(free of charge).

★INFORMATION:
info@eurokn.com

From Atlanta, Georgia , the United States. Currently reside in Osaka.
Education
Graduated from Georgia State University in July, 2003. Studied Japanese language and International Business. Participated in a student exchange program at Kansai Gaidai University for one semester from January to May, 2003.
Professional Experience
Returned to Japan in August, 2007 as an Assistant Language Teacher for the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. Presently employed as a full time English instructor.
Promote Japanese traditional culture. Cooperate with the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Yamamoto Noh Theater. Translate traditional Osaka performing arts into English. Translation projects include ozashiki-asobi at an ochaya, rakugo, kodan, rokyoku, and nankin tamasudare. Introduce traditional performing arts at Yamamoto Noh Theater in the event "An Evening of Traditional Osaka Performing Arts" English version.

Interests
Study kodan as an amature. Started training under Kyokudo Nanryo IV in February, 2013.
Practice Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu Iaido.
Travel around Japan to learn more about Japan's history in the Edo and Bakumatsu Periods. Interested in Miyamoto Musashi, Shibukawa Shunkai, Sakamoto Ryoma, and other historical figures.

Hello, everyone!
My name is Haruka Fujii. I am a new staff of Kyoto-Nara EU Association.
Nice to meet you!

At this month, we welcomed Mr.Edmond to English Club.
He's from Italy.He speeched about classic music and Mozart and Salieri for us.


First, do you know Salieri?
He is not famous in Japan, but he was an instructor of Liszt,Schubert and other famous composers! Moreover, the first Opera performed at "la Scala" was Salieri's.


Mr.Edmond said the classical music changed into romaniticism after the French Revolution. I didn't know that the music changes with history...it its my new discovery. I's interesting~ :)

You can find a new interest if you come to English Club.
Please feel free to visit us!

☆Next English Club☆
Date:Sunday 10th November 18:00~20:00 No.4, 5th floor of Seibu Kominkan
Charge: Member 1000yen/ Non-member 1500yen
Europeans&Native English speakers will be invited(free of charge)

Information: info@eurokn.com
Please don't forget next English club is on Sunday, NOT Wednesday! and time is also different than usual

When you hear the names of "Mozart and Salieri", what images come to mind?
Some of you remember the movie titled "Amadeus"...

Did Antonio Salieri really assassinate that Mozart?!
In the history, Salieri had already grown into a successful person in European music industry as a leader of King's Music in palace
when he was said to be the rival for Mozart...
and was also the great educator for Beethoven, Schubert and Liszt etc....Did he fear Mozart as a competitor?

In this month's English club, Edmondo(guest speaker:the expert of music history) may shine a light on it.....

■DATE: Wednesday 9th 18:45-20:45@No.4, F5 Nara Seibu Kominkan

■THEME: "What do you think about classical music?"

■MODERATOR : Ms.Yasue Tamaki (Thanks!)

■GUEST:
Mr. Edmondo Filippini from Italy.


...Message from Edmond...
The few person in the world are expert on Salieri's music so even if could be strange for beginners, I think is normal and is a good opportunity for enter into a different world for them.
I mainly I let listen music and explain when this two man cooperate and when not and why history it was so changed through three centuries

★CHARGE:
Member 1,000yen,Non-member 1,500yen
Europeans & Native English speakers will be invited(free of charge).

★INFORMATION:
info@eurokn.com

♫•*¨*•.，，♪INVITATION to the Noh theater in Nara.♫•*¨*•.，，♪
One of our members invite you to the free Noh viewing of the Konparu School at Nara Prefecture New Public Hall on 17th Nov.(open:12:30-)
http://www.shinkokaido.jp/event_detail/konparukai1117-2/

Please contact us if you're interested in.

info@eurokn.com
Thanks!

This month's report for Nara French Club on Wed. 18th September.This day we welcomed Dr. Jean-Claude Maswana(Congolese), the associate professor in Tokyo University(Doctor of Economics)^^♪

As you may know, there are two countries bearing the name of "Congo".One is "Democratic Republic of the Congo(capital:Kinshasa)" and the other is "Republic of Congo(capital: Brazzaville)"
(Kinshasa and Brazzaville are said to be the most nearest adjacent capitals.)
And Dr. Maswana is from "Democratic Republic of the Congo".
The country name has been changed several times and it used to be called as "Zaire" from1971 to 1997, so some of you have heard the name before.

This day he talked about the country's history, tribes, languages, politics etc...and the reason why he came to Japan, and why he won't go back to Congo...^^
The members posed him questions actively and Dr. Maswana kindly answered our question.
It was the great opportunity to listen to how things really are in central Africa.

★★NEXT NARA FRENCH CLUB★★
on Wednesday 18th October 18:45-20:45
Details will be followed later！

Hi,there!
Summer has past like a flash, and autumn has come in suddenly
How have you beeeen?

Well, this is to report the past EU English club on 11th September.
This time we welcomed two guests;one is Ms. Krystina (Czech) from Kyoto,and the other is Mr. Terry HSIEH from Taiwan.

Also we were happy that we had the colorful participants such as Japanese-Brazilian man who speaks Portuguese and Kansai-Ben(not English), the multilingualist from Hippo Family Club who is second-generation Japanese-Korean,speaks not only English but also Korean, Japanese and Portuguese....I'm not sure how many languages she can speak...!!
and Kevin who has recently started his own "MeetUpGroup" in Nara!
and other participants....Thank you all for joining us!

Krystina was really beautiful in Kimono....
and talked about her encounter with Japanese culture such as the Japanese Tea Ceremony.


Terry who talked about his life in abroad such as America, Ecuador and Turkey.He has studied abroad for his research of "Multilingualism"

And he said "We all have an access to be multilingualists"
The important point to master foreign languages is not to be afraid of making a mistake when you try.
And the most important thing is to have fun.....!!!

★☆★We have uploaded the album on Facebook★☆★
You can see without Facebook account.
Click HERE !!

★★EU English Club in October★★
On Wednesday 9th October 18:45-20:45
at Nara Seibu Kominkan No.4, 5th floor.
We'll welcome Mr. Edmondo Filippini, the expert of Music history.
Don't miss it !!

Looking forward to seeing you soon

■DATE: Wednesday 18th 18:45-20:45@No.1, F5 Nara Seibu Kominkan.
【No reservation needed.】
【With interpretation♪】

■GUEST: Dr.Jean-Claude Maswana from Congo.
He's the an associate professor in Tokyo University.The specialist in
international economics.

■CHARGE:
Member 1,000yen,Non-member 1,500yen
Native French speakers will be invited(free of charge).

■August Report on Facebook
→　HERE !!