Alien Times September 2003
A Bit of Japanese: Sumimasen
This article was kindly submitted by Michiko Utami, a local Japanese teacher.
When your ears have become accustomed to Japanese sounds, one of the words you frequently hear is sumimasen. Sumimasen is often translated as 'I'm sorry', but it can also be used for 'Excuse me' and 'Thank you'.
Sumimasen is often used to make apologies. When you are late for work, it is good to say 'Okurete sumimasen'. (I'm sorry I was late.) Or when you make a mistake, 'Sumimasen. Machigaemashita.' (I'm sorry, I made a mistake.) You can show your regrets for what happened the other day by 'Konoaida wa sumimasen-deshita'. In the Japanese language, there is another word 'gomen nasai' which means 'I'm sorry'. However, 'gomen nasai' and its casual form 'gomen' are usually used with your family and friends and not to your superiors or people you don't know well.
When you keep elevator doors open for your Japanese co-workers, they may say 'Sumimasen', but not 'Arigato-gozaimasu'. (Thank you very much.) In such a situation, 'sumimasen' is used to express 'I'm sorry to trouble you'. In Japanese culture, many people say 'sumimasen' even when they have done nothing wrong, or when something happens that they could not have helped. Otherwise, people might think they are indelicate or a bit rude. On the other hand, saying 'arigato' could imply that you take it for granted that the person does this favor for you. So, it is often avoided when speaking to superiors and people you do not know well.
When you want to get someone's attention, you can also say 'sumimasen'. For example, when you want to order at a restaurant, put up your hand and say, 'Sumimasen!' Or when you want to talk to your boss, you start a conversation with 'Chotto sumimasen'. (Could I have a minute?) After sumimasen, it can be expected that you will make some kind of request. So, Japanese people sometimes just say 'sumimasen', omitting their request, and just wait for the listener to do some favor. If you are seated on a train and a Japanese person standing in front of you just says 'Sumimasen', it is your turn to react, probably to move over for the person.
There are some situations that this all-around word cannot be used, while its English equivalents can. For instance, you cannot use it to express sympathy. Therefore, 'I'm sorry to hear that' cannot be translated into 'sumimasen', but can be expressed as 'Sore wa okinodokuni' or 'Zannen deshita ne'. Another example is when someone praises you. If you speak some Japanese, you probably have had many chances to hear, 'Nihongo jozu desu ne' (You speak Japanese well) Here, you cannot reply with 'sumimasen', but talking like a Japanese, you would say, 'Sonna koto arimasen yo' (That's not true.) or 'Mada mada desuyo'. (My Japanese is not good enough.)
Now you can see how 'sumimasen' is useful in communicating with Japanese, and how it is difficult to translate even a simple word from one language to another. So, please do not be surprised when you offer some chocolate by saying, 'Please have some chocolate', and your Japanese friend says 'Oh, I'm sorry'.
Michiko Utami
New Shuttle Bus Service in Tsukuba
Beginning Sept. 1, a new bus service will begin that will supplement the free "Norinori" bus system (and regular bus routes as well). Called the "Tsukutsuku Bus", the service will consist of 4 bus routes from the Tsukuba Bus Center. The cost is only 100 yen (50 yen for children), and for 200 yen, you can get a day pass that allows you unlimited use of the shuttle system.
One route consists of a figure 8 loop along streets between Nishi and Higashi Odori. Beginning at the bus center, the bus goes north past Matsumi Park to the Medical Center. It then loops back down to the Bus Center going past Azuma Elementary School, and then it continues south through Takezono to Minami Odori and then back up past the International Congress Center up to the Bus Center again.
Another route follows Tsuchiura-Gakuen Sen to the west out to 408 (Ushiku-Gakuen Sen) and then takes a loop through Matsushiro to come back up to Tsuchiura-Gakuen and then back to the Bus Center. The third route goes to the east from the Bus Center to Higashi Odori and from there as far north as Amakubo, where it goes west, past the Medical Center to do a short loop in Kasuga. It then retraces its route back to the Bus Center. Each of these three routes take 20 to 22 minutes, with the Matsushiro and Kasuga loops leaving every half hour from the Bus Center beginning at 8 am and continuing until 7:30 pm. The figure 8 loop has two buses running from 8 am, leaving every 15 minutes, with the last bus at 7:45 pm.
The fourth bus is an express bus that simply shuttles people between the Bus Center and the Tsukuba Branch Office near Route 125 to the north of the city (base of Mt. Tsukuba). Its purpose is different as it is to serve as a quick way for people to get into the center city from the north. It does not stop anywhere in between, but is designed to connect people who use the Norinori buses as well as those who want to park and ride. Parking is free at the Branch Office, and so for commuters, this offers a good option for avoiding traffic and parking problems in the center city. The trip takes 30 minutes, and with a 10 minute layover at each end, the bus only makes 8 round trips a day, with the first leaving at 6:55 am from the Branch Office and the last bus from the Bus Center leaving at 6:25 pm.
The buses are new, low emission vehicles with easy access for wheel chairs and people with handicapping conditions. There is even going to be a service (in Japanese) that you can access from a keitai phone to find out if the bus is on time or not (locomobi.jp/k/tsukuba). The complete map is available at locomobi.jp/tsukuba At present, the schedule is not up on the site, but presumably it will be by September.
Tim Boyle
Kanji Dictionaries
For those who do not yet know the whole Joyo list, kanji dictionaries can be very useful when they have to decipher a text!
The July issue featured a dictionary that lets you find the kanji you need from its English meaning, this month's dictionaries let you find the meaning of the kanji you meet.
How to index kanji characters
Unlike alphabets that have a very limited set of characters and for which it is easy to define an order [or even many orders as for the hiragana that can be sorted either by the iroha order (following Kodo's poem) or by "consonant order" (a, i, u, e, o,...)], there are too many kanji characters to define a fixed easy-to-remember order. So different dictionaries may use different indexing methods.
Some Japanese dictionaries order the kanji by their pronunciation, using the consonant order, but this requires that one already knows the pronunciation of the kanji and is useless for foreigners learning Japanese.
Another widespread indexing method relies on the kanji radicals. There are 214 radicals in the Japanese language and they can be ordered by their number of strokes. Kanji can then be ordered by radicals and within a radical, by number of strokes.
For Japanese language learners, an other useful indexing method relies on the pattern of the kanji (do the kanji have 2 vertical or horizontal components? Does one part of the kanji enclose another....) This is known as the SKIP method.
When one knows the pronunciation of a kanji, it is possible to search the kanji in the "On-kun" index which orders the kanjis by their pronunciation (and as a kanji can have different pronunciations, it may appear more than once in the index). Almost all dictionaries have this index.
As ordering is different from one dictionary to another, each dictionary explains its ordering.
The Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary
3900 Yen, 1008 pages
The use of the SKIP method by this dictionary makes the search of unkown kanji very easy especially when the radical is hard to identify. A few numbers are associated with each kanji like its Unicode value (very useful if you have to type kanji with a non-japanese Keyboard), its radical (so that if you had not been able to identify the radical, you can see what it is and learn for the next time) and its Joyo list number. The most common words using this kanji are then given. The compact size of this dictionary makes him an ideal companion when traveling around Japan. This dictionary also gives you the stroke order of the kanji, making it easy to write it down.
The Kanji Dictionary
8500Yen, 1748 pages
This dictionary is very complete and includes many place names and rare kanji. It is the only one in which I have been able to find both kanji used for Mount Tsukuba. The appendices of this dictionary provide many useful information such as kanji used in geographic names or in family names, kanji of famous Japaneses persons or companies. It also includes a section on chemical compounds (useful when you have to decipher what is in the bottle you just found in your lab) and a section about the calendar signs. This is certainly the most complete of all the dictionaries I have seen.
How to decide which dictionary you need
Before you want to buy a dictionary, you should try to answer the following questions:
"Am I able to recognize radicals easily?"
For some kanji, radicals are easy to find, not for some others.
"Do I prefer a complete dictionary with almost all kanji characters or a lighter, easier-to-carry dictionary?"
Carrying a 3kg dictionary is not always easy, but in a smaller dictionary you many not find the kanji you encounter in temples or shrines (for example).
Nicolas Delerue
Free Consultation Services for Foreign Residents
029-857-1870
The City of Tsukuba offers free information services for foreign residents of Tsukuba. You can ask for advice on issues such as visa or residence status, human rights concerns in your workplace, marriage, taxes, insurance, legal information, etc. You can also ask for help with issues in your daily life. Advice is available in English (Tues), Chinese (Wed), Japanese (Tues/Wed), Korean (Wed), and Thai (Tues) from 10am to 4:45pm. You may call, write, or have a direct meeting with one of the counsellors (appt. necessary). Call 029-857-1870 for more information.
Tsukuba City Hall
Helpful Hints: Gynecologists
A recent query to the TAIRA mailing list resulted in some good recommendations for gynecologists in the area.
Shoji Clinic 029-836-0405
It seems that the most popular gynecologist for foreign clients is Dr. Shoji. His clinic is located in Yatabe (about 2km from the city office). Dr. Shoji has excellent English, he is highly professional, and people say that he "makes you feel comfortable". One of the local residents believes that Dr. Shoji has delivered 70% of the foreign and dual-culture babies in the area. He is also very knowledgeable about non-maternity related gynecological issues, so you can see him for a regular checkup as well. (FYI: He won't do abortions.) His wife is a pediatrician, so you can continue going there after your child is born. It has been suggested that because of Dr. Shoji's fame, he charges a bit more than the average clinic.
Hashimoto Hush Clinic in Tsuchiura
Tsuchiura Ladies Hospital 029-821-0068 300-0043 Tsuchiura Chuo 1-14-22
This maternity clinic is located about 15 minutes away from Tsuchiura station by foot (about 15 minute drive from Tsukuba Center). They are experts in delivery related matters (including abortion). They provide excellent service, but the clinic is extremely busy, so you may have to wait for 2 hours. It is not certain whether or not they have an English speaker on staff.
Hospitals
Also, I have been to the gynecologist at Tsukuba Memorial Hospital (TMH) and Tsukuba Gakuen Hospital (TGH). The one at TMH was a woman and I have seen both a female doctor and male doctor at TGH. All were fine. I am not sure how much English they could speak, as I spoke to them in Japanese, but most doctors generally know many medical words in English. If you could bring along a good dictionary -- and, if possible, a bilingual friend to help you translate -- it would be good.
Tokyo Medical and Surgical Clinic www.tmsc.jp 03-3436-3028
If you don't mind making a trip to Tokyo, this clinic might be an option. It is located next to Tokyo Tower on the second floor of the Mori building. The doctors are fluent in English and Japanese. Some Chinese speakers are also available. They do not accept Japanese National Health Insurance, but because of that, a visit to this clinic can be kept extremely confidential.
Shaney Crawford
Helpful Hints: Recycling Large Appliances
If you need to get rid of an air conditioner, refrigerator, TV, or washing machine, you have two options: sell it or recycle it. Japanese law does not allow you to just throw these items out. You can sell them to a local recycle shop (Ishimaru, Hard Off, or any number of smaller vendors) or you can find an individual buyer through your friends and neighbours or the TAIRA mailing list. If you are unable to find a buyer, please read the following for instructions on how to recycle these four items.
If you bought the item new from a store, you can take it back to the store. The store will send the item to the manufacturer to be recycled. You will have to pay the following fee:
Refrigerator: 4600 yen + shipping + tax
Air Conditioner: 3500 yen + shipping + tax
Television: 2700 yen + shipping + tax
Washing Machine: 2400 yen + shipping + tax
Some stores will accept the appliance whether you bought it there or not, so please ask.
If you bought the item used, or the original store is far away or has closed down, you can take it to the Clean Center yourself or have it delivered there. The Clean Center will then send it to the manufacturer for recycling. In this case, you will have to go to the post office, fill out a form, and buy a recycling ticket. If you can transport it yourself, you can take it directly to the Clean Center once you have completed the paperwork. If you are not able to transport it, please contact an authorized waste management company for assistance. They will charge you a fee for the pick up and delivery of the item. Phone numbers of authorized waste management companies and more information about this process can be found at the City Hall.
For more information, please see these sites.
Tsukuba City
www.city.tsukuba.ibaraki.jp [E/J]
www.city.tsukuba.ibaraki.jp/english/news/0105/6.htm [E]
Recycling Ticket Center
www.rkc.aeha.or.jp [J]
Ministry of the Environment
www.env.go.jp [E/J]
Shaney Crawford
Matsuri Tsukuba
Tsukuba has two major festival each year, the International Fair in May, and the "Matsuri Tsukuba" on the first weekend in September (this year Sept 6-7). The fall event centers around a major parade on Saturday evening along Tsuchiura-Gakuen Sen in the center of town between Nishi Odori and Higashi Odori. A number of spectacular "Nebuta" floats will be paraded along the route first towards the west and then back along the other side of the road to the East and back again. The "Nebuta" floats are brought out after it has gotten dark so that the internal lights glow brightly. Basically made of thin strips of wood covered with colorful paper, lights inside the floats shine through to make a spectacular impression.
In order to get a good view, you should try to pick out a spot fairly early, around 5 pm or so. A number of interesting groups proceed along the parade route as a preliminary to the unveiling of the Nebuta floats at dusk. Along the bicycle path between the Expo Center and Takezono Park, numerous vendors sell the typical carnival items, and so you can even get your dinner before the main event.
Tim Boyle
Science Projects for Big Kids
Strange weather this summer!
While the Europeans countries were roasting under unusually high temperatures, the weather in Japan was unusually cold. What happened? The weather in the temperate latitudes of the northern hemisphere is regulated by west winds (winds going from west to east). These westerlies explain why the western sides of the continents (California, British Colombia, western Europe,...) have milder temperatures than the eastern sides (Japan, Quebec, New York,...). For example, although the city of Aomori (Northern tip of Honshu), New-York City (US) and Naples (Italia) are at the same latitudes, winter are much cooler in New-York and Aomori (eastern side of the continent) with heavy snowfall than in Naples where snow is not often seen. For some reasons that are still to be understood these winds stalled during this summer bringing a hot summer in western Europe and a cold summer in Japan. This unpredicted phenomena shows that there is still a lot to be understood in the world climate.
The highest unmanned airship flight
This summer a team of scientist in Hitachi sent an unmanned scientific airship to an altitude of 16.4 km above sea level. This airship was used to collect air samples but could also be used as a cheap alternative to low altitude satellites (300 km above the sea level) for broadcasting or monitoring the earth.
Male-female human embryos
The Center for Human Reproduction of Chicago (Illinois, United States) has produced human embryos with both male and female cells. The experiment tried to determine how genetic information can be inserted at an early stage of the embryo development. All embryos were destroyed after 6 days. Although this experiment raises many ethical issues it is legal in the United States as long as it is not funded by public grants.
Flipping bits
A team of Japanese researchers has found that it is possible to reduce the magnetic field required to flip bits in a magnetic storage device (such as a computer hard disk) by coupling the magnetic field to an electric field. This could help to increase the number of bits per unit of surface stored in an hard disk. More details at physicsweb.org/article/news/7/7/10.
Stronger steel made in Tsukuba
Researchers from NIMS (National Institute for Materials Science) in Tsukuba have found that by reducing the amount of carbon in steel to 0.002% (instead of 0.08%) they can increase the strength of the steel by a factor 100. More details at physicsweb.org/article/news/7/7/14.
Nicolas Delerue
Foreign Buyer's Club Order
TIS FBC order week: September 14 to 20
Twice a year, the Foreign Buyers Club offers a special deal to schools, with any orders made within the order week being eligible for a 5% rebate to the school. Catalogs are available at the school and the Tsukuba Christian Center. There is also free delivery to your door. All you need to do is to write "Tsukuba International School" on the space provided on the order form, and FBC will donate 5% of your order to TIS. FBC has a huge collection and even if the item you want is not in the catalog, they may still be able to get it for you. Their web site is www.fbcusa.com
Tsukuba International School
Conseils de lecture (Book Reviews)
Les 500 Kanji de la langue Japonaise qu'il faut connaître
Ellipse, 24,50 Euros, ISBN 2-7298-0542-7
Ce livre présente les 500 Kanji les plus utilisés dans la langue Japonaise et donne pour chacun d'eux leur sens principal ainsi que quelques mots courants les utilisant. Chaque Kanji est accompagné d'un guide pour permettre de l'écrire. La prononciation des Kanji et des mots les utilisant est donnée. Pour les nouveaux arrivant ce livre ce révélera un outil d'apprentissage très utile pour apprendre à lire les signes que nous côtoyons tous les jours. Les 500 Kanji sélectionnés pour ce livre sont les plus courant et en les connaissant il est possible comprendre une grande partie des textes que l'on rencontre quotidiennement.
Nicolas Delerue
Japanese Classes: Fall 2003
The Tsukuba Information Center is currently enrolling students in its Japanese Language Classes. The classes will focus on the functional aspects of the language. You can hear and learn vivid Japanese. (Sponsored by the Ibaraki International Association Tsukuba Office)
- Eligibility
Applicants must be foreign residents living in or near Tsukuba whose schedule allows them to attend class regularly for 6 months.
- Levels
The Introductory Class is designed for those students learning Japanese for the first time. The Beginner I Class is for those students who can read hiragana and katakana and who can engage in elementary conversation. The Beginner II Class is for those students who have studied Japanese for more than 6 months using hiragana and katakana.
- Details
From October 7 (Tue) 2003 to March 2 (Tue) 2004 / 17 classes
Every Tuesday from 9:30am to 11:30am, at the Tsukuba Information Center (1-10-1 Azuma Tsukuba)
- Participants
About 25 students for Introductory class
About 15 student for Beginner I class
About 10 students for Beginner II class
- Cost
Students will pay 1500 yen to cover the cost of teaching materials (for the entire 6 months!)
- Registration and Interview Date
September 9 (Tue) from 1pm to 3pm. (First come, first served.) Please come to the Tsukuba Information Center to fill in the application form and have a short interview with an instructor.
- Contact
Please contact Chikako or Tomomi at the Tsukuba Information Center.
TEL: 029-852-6789 (10am to 5pm); FAX: 029-852-5513; E-mail: www@info-tsukuba.org
Tsukuba Information Center
Free Mini Kanji Class
A free mini kanji class is being given as part of research about learning kanji. You will learn approximately 30 essential kanji during 4 sessions, October 1 - 6 @ the University of Tsukuba. Contact: kanjiresearch@hotmail.com for details.
University of Tsukuba Students
Enjoy Japanese Cultural Arts and Crafts
Ikebana
Ikebana is a traditional Japanese art. The general style is to fill a wide-mouthed, simple vase with water, and place flowers on the kenzan, a plate with a lot of thick needles pointing upwards. Students of the Ikebana Class of the Ibaraki International Association Tsukuba Office will be displaying their works of art in the Tsukuba Information Center. You will be able to have a look at many fascinating arrangements by the students who come from around the world.
Dates: September 13 (Sat.) 10:00 to 16:00
September 14 (Sun.) 10:00 to 15:00
Chanoyu
Chanoyu (the way of tea) is the traditional etiquette of preparing and drinking tea when one has guests. In the tea ceremony, a special powdered tea, different from ordinary Japanese tea, is used. The powdered tea is put into a special teacup, hot water is poured into it, and it is whipped with a bamboo whisk till it foams. Students of Chanoyu Class will offer you this special green tea along with sweets for free.
Date: September 14 (Sun.) 10:00 to 14:00
Origami
Do you know about any traditional games played by Japanese children? Many children used to play "hanetsuki", a kind of badminton, "koma", a spinning top, or "takoage", kite flying on New Year's Day, though they are not as popular nowadays. Other games include "ayatori", a game using a looped string around one's fingers, "otedama", beanbag tossing, and "origami", folded paper. Among them, origami is a simple but very creative activity in which a piece of square paper is folded into various forms, such as animals, boxes, and vehicles. If you have not tried origami yet, why not come along and start with a simple figure? You can take your works home and show them to your family.
Date: September 24 (Wed.) 14:00 to 16:00
Tsukuba Information Center
Ikebana Class
Are you interested in learning ikebana as traditional Japanese culture?
FOR: Foreign residents in or near Tsukuba
DATE & TIME: 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Wednesdays from 9:40 am to 12:00 noon
PLACE: Tsukuba Information Center, Tsukuba Center Building (1-10-1 Azuma, Tsukuba-shi)
INSTRUCTOR: Ms. UNNO, Mitsuho (Kyoto Koryu school)
COST: Free instruction (Flowers, vases & tools NOT included.)
THINGS TO BRING: Flower fee 1300 yen, flat vase, scissors, towel, small bowl, & plastic bag
HOW TO REGISTER: Drop by and submit an application form at the Information Center.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: 029-852-6789 (10:00-17:00)
*** You can start at any time. Come and join us! ***
Tsukuba Information Center
Tsukuba Events
There is an exhaustive and updated list of things to do in Tsukuba (including exhibitions and concerts) at tsukuba.free.fr/events/
If you want to receive a weekly list of events by email, register with our mailing list at tsukuba.free.fr/events/subscribe.php
We need your help to keep this list as complete as possible. If you know of an event we forgot, email me at nicolas@alientimes.org. (We reserve the right to decide which events we will publish.)
Nicolas Delerue
Webster
We seem to have been hit by a great number of viruses lately. (I got 68 copies of one virus on August 27!) By now everyone should have a virus checker, a spam filter, and maybe even a firewall on their computer. Just in case you don't, here are some recommendations to get you started.
Virus Software
Norton AntiVirus www.symantec.com
McAfee www.mcafee.com
Others... Yahoo Directory - Computer Viruses and Worms
Spam Filter
Cloudmark www.cloudmark.com
Others... Yahoo Directory - Email/Spam
Firewall
Zone Labs ZoneAlarm www.zonelabs.com
Others... Yahoo Directory - Encryption Software/Firewalls
Shaney Crawford
T1 Communications Community Donation Program
Support Tsukuba International School and Save Money!
There are 2 big reasons why TIS would like you to consider using T1 international and domestic long distance, direct dial services.
1. You can make up to 80% MORE SAVINGS when you use T1 to call internationally or domestically compared to NTT, KDD, etc. and get the exact same high quality connections. (Don't worry! T1 is not an IP or callback service.)
2. You can support TIS by designating TIS on the T-1 application form provided below (i.e. A generous percentage of your monthly telephone usage will be donated directly back to TIS). Instead of spending big bucks (or rather yen) for ads which only help magazines and newspaper owners, T1 Communications has created a program that allows community service organizations like TIS to help themselves. (Isn't this the way it should be?)
While you, our TIS supporters, save more using their excellent services, "we" as a group can automatically generate a significant and very generous residual donation that will help TIS provide a better international school for the children here in the community.
T1 registration is FREE. They don't have any monthly charges or additional charges. You can also dial NATIONWIDE in Japan any time of day for only 7 yen per minute! If you're calling Hokkaido or Kyushu on a weekday, that's a huge savings. Their international rates are ROCK-BOTTOM. 15 yen per minute to the United States or Canada 24hr x 7 x 365, and they have 24hr on-line consolidated billing details and call records you can access for FREE.
Check out their web site (www.t-1.co.jp/index1.html) for more information, BUT...don't forget to use the TIS APPLICATION FORM to support our school. TIS will get a list of names of those of you who have registered with T1 to support TIS, so we'll surely be thanking you again in another letter soon.
Tim Boyle
Chairperson, Board of Advisors, TIS
Information about the Tsukuba International School can be found on www.tsukubainternationalschool.org.
Tim Boyle
Tanoshimi Terebi
Here's a list of TV shows that are in English (or occasionally other languages). Please note that this schedule may be incorrect, or the TV companies may change their programming. Enjoy!
September 2003
| 1 | Mon | 1:30pm Saturday Night Fever Ch12 |
| 2 | Tues | 2:03am Rattled Ch4
1:05pm The Trials of Rosie O'Neill Ch5
1:30pm Grease Ch12 |
| 3 | Wed | 1:33am 10 Things I Hate About You Ch4
1:05pm Party of Five Ch5
1:30pm Two of a Kind Ch12
8:00pm Star Trek Voyager Ch5 |
| 4 | Thurs | 1:05pm Murder, She Wrote Ch5
1:30pm Blow Out Ch12 |
| 5 | Fri | 2:05am Holy Man Ch8
7:00pm Miles From Home Ch5
9:00pm The Distinguished Gentleman Ch4 |
| 6 | Sat | 3:10am Great Balls of Fire Ch12 |
| 7 | Sun | 9:00pm Eraser Ch10 |
| 8 | Mon | 1:30pm Airport Ch12 |
| 9 | Tues | 2:33am The Colony Ch4
1:30pm Airport '77 Ch12 |
| 10 | Wed | 1:33am The Rookie Ch4
1:05pm Party of Five Ch5
1:30pm Medusa's Child Pt1 Ch12 |
| 11 | Thurs | 1:05pm Murder, She Wrote Ch5
1:30pm Medusa's Child Pt2 Ch12 |
| 12 | Fri | 2:05am Delerious Ch8
2:25am Rudy: The Rudy Giuliani Story Ch 12
7:00pm Raising Arizona Ch5 |
| 13 | Sat | 3:10am Breathless Ch12
9:00pm Rules of Engagement Ch8 |
| 14 | Sun | 9:00pm Home Alone 3 Ch10 |
| 15 | Mon | 9:30am Lonely Planet Ch5 |
| 16 | Tues | 2:18am A Father's Betrayal Ch4
2:05am Deep Space 9 Ch8
1:05pm The Trials of Rosie O'Neill Ch5
1:30pm Days of Heaven Ch12 |
| 17 | Wed | 1:33am Freejack Ch4
1:05pm Party of Five Ch5
1:30pm Primal Fear Ch12 |
| 18 | Thurs | 2:23am Almost Heroes Ch4
1:30pm Mermaids Ch12
9:00pm Kiss of the Dragon Ch12 |
| 19 | Fri | 1:33am Twice in a Lifetime Ch4
2:05am Rio Bravo Ch8
2:15am Dune (TV miniseries) Ch12
3:27am High Tide Ch10
7:00pm Explorers Ch5
9:00pm What Women Want Ch4 |
| 20 | Sat | 3:10am Cutter's Way Ch10
3:10am Against All Odds Ch12
9:00pm Les Rivieres Pourpres Ch8 |
| 21 | Sun | 9:00pm Gohatto (Japanese movie, but try!) Ch10 |
| 22 | Mon | 9:30am Lonely Planet Ch5
1:30pm A Countess from Hong Kong Ch12 |
| 23 | Tues | 2:03am Point Blank Ch4
1:55pm Autumn in New York Ch12
9:00pm Ping Pong (Japanese movie, but try!) Ch6 |
| 24 | Wed | 1:33am Zero Effect Ch4
1:05pm Party of Five Ch5
1:30pm DNA: The Island of Dr. Moreau Ch12
8:00pm Star Trek Voyager Ch5 |
| 25 | Thurs | 1:30pm DNA II Ch12
9:00pm Platoon Ch12 |
| 26 | Fri | 1:33am Twice in a Lifetime Ch4
1:35am Meteoman Ch8
3:07am Tora Tora Tora Ch10
7:00pm Star Trek Insurrection Ch5
9:00pm The Peacemaker Ch4 |
| 27 | Sat | 3:10am Florida Straights Ch12
9:00pm Jurassic Park Ch8 |
| 28 | Sun | 3:20am Shallow Grave Ch12
9:00pm Die Hard 3 Ch10 |
| 29 | Mon | 1:30pm No Retreat, No Surrender Ch12 |
| 30 | Tues | 1:58am Shine Ch4
1:05pm The Trials of Rosie O'Neill Ch5
1:30pm Desperado Ch12 |
Ch1: NHK
Bilingual news is shown every day from 7pm and 10pm. ER is on at 11pm on Fridays. Roswell is on at 11:10pm on Sundays. Will & Grace is on at 12:20am (after midnight) on Mondays.
More information at www.nhk.or.jp/englishtop/program_list.
Ch2: Shopping Channel
www.shopch.jp.
Ch 3: NHK Educational
Some kind of children's comedy show or drama at 6:45pm Mondays to Thursdays and at 6:25 on Fridays. Japanese Traditional Performing Arts Saturdays at 12:30pm and Tuesdays at 5:25am. Sesame Street Saturdays at 7;35am and 4pm. Little House on the Prairie Saturdays at 2:50pm. Also Chinese poetry (in Chinese) Mondays to Fridays at 5am.
More information at www.nhk.or.jp/englishtop/program_list.
Ch4: Nihon Terebi (NTV)
This channel shows movies on Friday nights at 9pm.
www.ntv.co.jp/kinro
Tuesday mornings at 2:03am (approx)
www.ntv.co.jp/getsuyo
Wednesday mornings at 1:33am
www.ntv.co.jp/cinepa
Sometimes on Thursday mornings around 2am
www.ntv.co.jp/tokidoki
Ch5: Chiba TV
This channel shows movies on Friday nights at 7pm.
www.chiba-tv.com/eiga.html
They also have a number of other shows, but they are not on every week.
www.chiba-tv.com/kaigaitv.html
Ch6: TBS Terebi
www.tbs.co.jp
Ch8: Fuji Terebi
Golden Theatre Saturdays at 9pm.
Midnight Art Theatre Thursdays after midnight.
Star Trek Deep Space 9 on Mondays at around 2am (or later).
www.fujitv.co.jp/jp/movie/tvprog/main.html
Ch9: Local Cable (ACCS)
www.accs.or.jp
Ch10: Terebi Asahi
Sunday night movies (9pm).
www.tv-asahi.co.jp/nichiyou
Ch11: QVC Japan
www.qvcjp.com
Ch12: Terebi Tokyo
This channel shows afternoon movies four days a week (Mondays to Thursdays at 1:30pm). The movies are often old (1960s to 80s), but a new one occasionally slips through.
www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/telecine/oa_afr_load
After midnight movies.
www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/telecine/oa_thu_load
www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/telecine/oa_ngt_load
www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/telecine/oa_mid_cine
www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/telecine/oa_cin_club
If you would like to look up information on this month's movies, try the Internet Movie Database at www.imdb.com or Rotten Tomatoes at www.rottentomatoes.com.
Shaney Crawford
JALT Meeting: Learning to Speak English in Bob's World
Teachers trying to make the decision of whether or not to teach speaking skills in an "exam preparation" environment is always a difficult one. How much classroom time should we devote to a skill that is not on high school or university entrance exams? The answer lies in balancing students' needs and desires. Students' need to prepare for examinations, but their desire is to speak English like a "native speaker." This workshop presents effective ways to teach "Conversation Strategies," "Discussion Strategies" and assess speaking skills in foreign language classrooms.
Presentation Sponsored by the Japan Association for Language Teaching
Title: Learning to Speak English in Bob's World
Presenter: Robert Betts
Place: Ibaraki University, Mito
Date: September 21 (Sun)
Time: 13:30--17:00 (Registration begins at 13:00)
The presentation will be followed by a Refreshments Time & Book Fair
www.kasei.ac.jp/JALT
Martin Pauly
September Events at Ushiku Nature Park
At Ushiku Nature Park, you can do birdwatching and enjoy some events in September.
September 7 (Sun) from 3pm to 4pm - Looking for the seven autumn herbs (aki no nanakusa)
September 14 (Sun) from 3pm to 4pm - Looking for grasshoppers and crickets
September 15 (Mon - National Holiday) from 3pm to 4pm - Looking for various kinds of fruit
September 21 (Sun) from 9:30am to 12noon - Birdwatching
Seven Autumn Herbs (aki no nanakusa)
In Japan, nanakusa refers to either of two sets of seven herbs: one consisting of the seven spring herbs (haru no nanakusa) and the other consisting of the seven autumn herbs (aki no nanakusa). The seven autumn herbs are used as decorative flowers at the time of moon-viewing festivities.
Getting to Ushiku Nature Park
Follow route 408 towards Narita. After driving about 20 to 25 minutes away from Tsukuba Center, you will find the Okami intersection (after passing an elementary school on the left hand side). Turn right at that intersection, and then, in about 5 minutes, you will be able to see Ushiku Natural Park easily.
All of these events are free! Have a nice time!
Yoneyama
Valuable Books Exhibition: University of Tsukuba
The Library at the University of Tsukuba will be holding an exhibition in honour of its 30th anniversary in Tsukuba. (The university as an entity has existed for 131 years, but it has only been in Tsukuba for 30 of those years.)
The exhibition will take place from September 29 (Mon) to October 10 (Fri). Admission is free. It will be open from 9am to 5pm on weekdays and 1:30pm to 5:30pm on weekends. Children of elementary school age and under must be accompanied by an adult.
Displays will include a page of a Gutenberg Bible, a world map by Joan Amos Comenius (1592-1670), L'encyclopedie, ou Dictionnaire raisonne des sciences, des arts et des metiers by Denis Diderot (1713-1784), Japanese poetry (waka) collections, hanging scrolls, and more.
More information (Japanese only):
www.tulips.tsukuba.ac.jp/exhibition/otakara
Shaney Crawford
Evening Forum: The Beauty of the Philippines
Ninomiya House, the JST foreign researcher's residence, presents an evening forum as a monthly event. We hope you will participate and share this special evening with us.
23rd Ninomiya House Evening Forum
Topic: The Philippines Evening - The beauty of the island Philippines -
Lecturer: Dr. Paulino Laude Sanchez (National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences)
Date: Friday, September 19th, 2003
Time: 18:30 - 20:30
Place: Ninomiya House Salon (9th floor)
Charge: 500yen per person (Drinks will be served)
Language: English
Chairman: Dr. Shigeyuki Kimura (Chairman of the Board of Directors of SNTT)
Contact Person: Ninomiya House Administration Office (Nishikawa, Moroto) at 029-858-7006 or ninomiya@jistec.or.jp
www.jistec.or.jp/house/news/evening_forum.html
*There is a limit to the number of seats. If you are interested, please contact Ninomiya House Office as soon as possible.
Ninomiya House
Love Indonesia!
INDONESIA is a country lying in South East Asia. It has more than 13,000 islands, and more than 300 ethnicities. The Bali and Java cultures are the most popular ones for tourists.
In order to promote Indonesian Culture for Japanese and foreign people in Tsukuba, the Indonesian Community in Tsukuba will perform *Indonesia Love Night 2003* in Tsukuba Centre. You are invited to see Indonesia Ethnic Dance (Jawa Dance) and Folk Songs.
It will be held on 13 September 2003, starting at 6pm.
Merah Putih Kai
Tsukuba Walking and Mountaineering Club
Meetings every Wednesday night at Hot Stuff from 9pm. Future walks and information at eve.bk.tsukuba.ac.jp/twmc.Please contact Tadashi Takemori at takemori AT eve.bk.tsukuba.ac.jp.
Ibaraki Hash House Harriers
Join the Ibaraki Hash House Harriers, the international drinking club with a running problem. Check our homepage at ibarakih3.infoseek.ne.jp and join the mailing list at groups.yahoo.com/group/IH3.
