Benefits of English Drama

I found that the grand prize was awarded to St. Paul's Production at the 69th Four-University English Theatricals. I wanted to see their "Moon over Baffalo".

On the festival day, I only wached the presentation, but it seems that the process of carrying in and out of sets is more moving and exciting. I want to check it next time.

I think there are many benefits in making an English drama. I can learn not only English but also friendship, communication, script-making, stage-effect, time management, leadership... in short, the life itself.

Audit week

This week, there is the audit by WCOM( World Class Operations Management) at the factory. And we have to do complete 5S around the workplace; top, under and inside of the desk, and shelves.

Well, why do we have to store such a pile of paper documents? Everyday I have to deal with production reports, roll records, unwinder & rewinder data, and so on. Perhaps such kind of my work will disappear in a few years by introducing P2...

It seems that there are some companies which have no fixed desks. Every employees has their own laptop, and sit the chair they like in the cafe-style office. Inevitably the paper documents decrease. Even the top manager has to work next to any employees, so there must be less hierarchy in such a web-like workplace.

The Japan Times

I decided to subscribe to The Japan Times.

...that's not true.

There is a Japan Times in the coffee room at the office, and I noticed that it is collected by a man and thrown away every day.

I asked him to leave for me, but he said he couldn't do it because there were many other members and collection hours was early morning.

So I asked the security guard at the front desk to leave it. He nodded! I got free Japan Times from now on!

...The problem is how to keep reading it every day.

Swim With the Dolphins

Now I want to read this book, "Swim With the Dolphins : How Women Can Succeed in Cooperate on Their Own Terms".

This is the interviews with more than 200 female managers in Amarica, featuring how traditional "feminine" virtues can be assets in the business world.

Of course I'm interested in the content, but not only the comparison of sharks with dolphins is interesiting, but also this title itself sounds nice.

Jacques Prevert

It is getting near to December, and the autumn leaves are starting to fall. Good time to listen "Les Feuilles Mortes" by Yves Montand.

This chanson seems to be a standard jazz song translated from French into English. Of course the original language is better.

These days I listen this song a lot to sing, but the first murmuring part (Oh! Je voudrais ... les souvenirs et les regrets aussi) is difficult to pronounce.

When I saw the lyrics card, I noticed that Japanese translation was made by Isao Takahata. Oh, I remember that "Les Feuilles Mortes" was written by Jacques Prevert, and Isao Takahata issued his anthology, the translation of "Paroles". Ah, I want to get it soon!

When I got into the French class by Naoko Ishikawa to study French poems at the university, I bought "Paroles". Now I can't read French though...

I want to study French poems again, after all.

Facilitator

Facilitator:

someone who helps a group of people discuss things with each other or do something effectively. (LONGMAN)

a person who helps sb do sth more easily by discussing problems, giving advice, etc. rather than telling them what to do. (OXFORD)

I want to be a facilitator.

Peter F. Drucker

Peter Drucker died November 11. He was 95 years old.

I've never known his name, but he seemed so famous among businessperson. He wrote lots of books on company management and created many phrases common in business today.

I'm so surprised to read his personal history. I'm ashamed not to have known even only his name. He had a relationship with so many well known historical people; Sigmund Freud, Karl Polanyi, Adolf Hitler, John Keynes, Marshall McLuhan, Erich Fromm...

I have to read some of his books. "The Age of Discontinuity" looks good.

Asian fashion

The sequel to yesterday... ?!

Next time I go to Yokohama, especially Chinese town, I want to stop by ROUROU, an Asian clothes store which started by Maki Hayazono.

She was a model at a Paris collection once. The inside of the shop looks so colorful!

Fashionable Wu Yi

Wu Yi is one of four vice-premiers of China. She got famous in Japan because she canceled the meeting with the prime minister Koizumi in May. She appeals to me because she is not only a great leader but also fashionable.

In my image, Chinese leaders are always far away from fashionable. They refused western culture in the past. Mao jacket occured to me in the first place. But she is different.

She is the most popular and respected female leader in China. She was named the second most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine for both 2004 and 2005, behind only U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

She is called by some Chinese media as the "iron lady", the nickname of Margaret Thatcher.

I want to know more about her.

Coaching

These days I'm interested in coaching. I want to get one good book on coaching.

I heard that "Co-active coaching" ("Coaching Bible" in Japanese edition) is good one. I wish I could read it in English!

It seems that there are famous lines of coaching in this book;

"The client is naturally creative, resourceful, and whole.
The coach does not have the answers; the coach has questions."

I'd like to believe that "every human being is naturally creative, resourceful, and whole."

Amazing Google!

I'm one of the enthusiastic Google users. There's no single day without using Google. Once in a while, I come across fun Holiday Logos when I use Google. This seems to be designed by Dennis Hwang, a 23-year-old Korean computer artist in the United States. I like this kind of witty and playful design.

I want to play with Google Earth, a 3D interface to the planet, but I can't do it because I hasitate to say that I still use dial-up.

How to get along with difficult person

Everyone has their difficult person to get along with. I found an interesting site which tells us 5 points not to have that kind of person.

1. Think as if I were in their shoes.
2. Put their negative points into positive phrase (reframing!).
3. Get the situation as a game.
4. Change myself before expect their change.
5. Think businesslike.

Well, it's easier said than done...

Feel depressed

I feel a little bit depressed now. Maybe the cause is the talk with my boss yesterday.

Yeah, introducing the new system is good thing, but I have no chance to participate in the project. Of course, no wonder I can't join it. I'm just a temporary worker to just input the data. I have no right to do it. I can't join the meeting in the morning and evening... But this year, I join in the project which is aimed at calculating the waste data more quickly and accutately. And I was supposed to start the new input with Access from December. I feel happy because I'm involved in the work with challenge to improve the company. But things has changed before I knew it. The project has stopped. If I worked overtime a lot and tried to get used to the new input way with Access, it would be a waste of time considering the P2...

Well, it is not worth while thinking about it too much. Work, save money, and study abroad!

P2? Weighing scale?

These days, I hear these sounding like magic words a lot at the office, but I've never know what they mean. So I asked my boss when I left the office.

I thought they meant Factory Automation in the end. But it seems an introduction of new technology more than I expected.

It seems that P2 is a step for R3. (Of course I don't know what it means.) I heard lots of new words but almost all has gone! I want to leave something here to study later.

http://e-words.jp/w/SAP.html

http://www30.sap.com/japan/index.epx

http://www.microsoft.com/japan/business/sap/default.mspx

http://www.keyman.or.jp/search/kikan2/a_30000556_1.html?vos=nkeyadww10000462

http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/249-2428573-3053122

XP!

I've used Windows 2000 at the office, but I get to use Windows XP from today! I'm already familiar with XP at home, so it's suitable for me.

But I forgot to leave my word registory... and it took about an hour to get used to the new style today.

Karaoke Party

I had a great time with my workmates at karaoke today! There were 6 ladies from every section (Production, Purchasing, Administration, Maintenance, Quality Assurance and WCM) of the factory! Wow!

My song list of this day is...

"The Loco-motion"
"Money, Money, Money"
"Mais Que Nada"
"Irresistiblement"
"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"
"Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town"
"We Wish You a Merry Christmas"
"Poupee De Cire Poupee De son"
"La Bamba"
"Genghis Khan"

I want to hold another karaoke party within this year!

The Greatest Speeches of All-Time

The other day I found this CD at the counter of the bookstore, and I bought it on the spot. I've been looking for this kind of CD!

It has 13 speeches including John F. Keneddy: "Inaugural" and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. : "I Have A Dream".

I have an English speech book, but it has no audio materials. I've already learned Kennedy's speech at a web site, and there are many sites introducing speeches (American Rhetoric , The Speech Site and so on), but I wanted to get a CD including famous speeches. Great!

Four-University English Theatricals

On Sunday afternoon, after taking the placement test at the English school, I went to Shiki to watch dramas produced by university students. This event is held by Four-University (Hitotsubashi & Tsuda, Keio, St. Paul's and Waseda) E.S.S. Association.

I watched "I Hate Hamlet" by Waseda Production and "Broken Glass" by Hitotsuda Production.

I was so impressed with "Broken Glass". I felt something pain in my heart. I felt something called like silent passion of the writer. Then I moved to tears. The theme was so deep and it made me think of identity.

This drama was written by Arther Miller. The title "Broken Glass" seems coming from "Kristallnacht" (The night of the broken glass) in Berlin in 1938. In short, this is the story of Judaism, persecution, and husband and wife.

Sylvia Gellburg got a mysterious paralysis and stopped walking, and her husband, Philip, tried to find the reason. She was obsessed with the news coming out of Germany about Nazi violence toward Jews...

I found an essay and assignment of "Broken Glass" on the web. I want to know more this drama sometime.

Study by myself

When I turned on the radio in the morning, I heard a familiar female voice. Oh, she is Rieko Sugiyama! Does she teach French on the radio again this season?

When I was in the first year of the university, I listened her radio program. I majored in German literature, but I also studied many languages by myself. One of my favorite languages is French. I loved the pair of Rieko Sugiyama & Michael Ferrier. Her pronunciation was so lovely and sweet. I'd like to study French again, but I have no time now...

I'm going to start correspondance courses by the education program of the company from December. This term, I chose English writing intensive course by DHC and Counting course to get the awareness of costs by JMAM. I want to take System Administrator entry-level course, but that's too ambitious.

Ballroom dance review

One month has passed since I started learning steps of ballroom dance.
I want to write down the steps I learned not to forget them.

1. Jitterbug
[ryhthm: slow - slow - quick, quick]
*Basic movement
*Change of place
*Hand change (behind back)
*American spin
*Windmill

2. Rumba
[rhythm: 4 -1 -2 -3]
*Basic movement
*Hockey stick
*Alemana
*New York
*Spot turn
*Hand to hand
*Natural top
*Closed hip twist

Next week, I will learn Cha-cha-cha. I didn't think I could learn a lot of steps for this short term! I learn ballroom dance because I want to dance when I go to U.K. Well, ballroom dance is very popular now. There is a TV special program, the movie "Shall We Dance"... Oh, I want to check it soon!

Memo: international links

Reason for traffic jam

This morning, I thought I couldn't make it to record on a timecard at the expected time. The road was so crowded this morning. Why?

I found the reason. Taiheiyo Masters is held now!

Golf is very popular, especially female golfers (for example, Ai Miyazato and Sakura Yokomine) are so hot. I surprised to know that golf program gets higher ratings than professional baseball program.

Morning exercise

It's been 2 weeks since I started the morning exercise. My morning exercise is...

1. Radio (TV) exersice from 6:30 a.m.
At first, I do this exercise watching TV, but these days I do it with MD on which I recorded the program before.

2. Three minutes of aerobic exercise
My mother told me this exercise which was introduced at the TV program. I do it listening one of the skit of Family Album, U.S.A. Episode 4 is also the story about exercises. Good!

Well, can I get something? I can ged rid of a stiff neck!

Piles of cup noodles

I can get one cup noodle at the reception desk of the company when I work overtime more than two hours.

These days I work overtime about 4 hours every day, and it gets into the habit of taking cup noodles.

I hardly eat cup noodles after work, but I always get it because my brother is glad to get it home.
And it can be good food for emergencies!

Reframing

I learned this word "reframing" when I read one of e-zines called "Design Journal" issued by Praxcis Consultants.

This is a kind of a word technique to change the way of thinking positively. I don't know for sure but it seems one of Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) method.

For example,
"It's a too difficult task for me" → "It's a challenging work for me!"

I wish I could say something like this reframing without being aware...

I found an interesting list of reframing. It seems a list for primary school teachers to write something positively on students' report cards.

Fruity perfume

On November 3, a national holiday (Culture Day), my parents went to Kawazu Bagatelle Park and bought me this souvenir.

This is a deodorant spray for a room. I can smell fruity and fresh apple in the air! Thanks, mom!

She got to like that park. "There are variety of roses and you can feel happy. You must like there." She said.

Superwomen

There are two Japanese women selected as "Most Powerful Women in Business (international) " by a U.S. business magazine, Fortune, on October 31.

*Tomoyo Nonaka...Chairman and CEO of Sanyo Electric
*Fumiko Hayashi...Chairman and CEO of Daiei

On the same day, The Wall Street Journal selected "the top 50 women to watch in business" including 3 Japanese women.

*Izumi Kobayashi...President of Merrill Lynch Japan Securities
*Yoshie Motohiro...Managing Director of Nissan Motor India
*Kazuyo Katsuma...Telecom analyst of J.P. Morgan Chase-Japan

I'm surprised to know that there are many Japanese women recognized their worldwide activities.

Escape from what?

Pyonta is looking outside at the window of the car. And some terrible accident had happened.

Friday morning, my mother gave me a drive to the office. Pyonta got on the car as he always does. He likes getting on a car.

On the way to the office, we noticed that there's no Pyonta in the backseat! We happened to forget to lock the window on this day. He must have put the button and opened the window and jumped from the car!

On this morning rush hour time... gosh!

I started my work, but my mother took day off and looked for Pyonta all that day. I was so anxious about Pyonta that I phoned my mother so many times during the work. But every time I called her, She said "No".

I couldn't finish my job on the fixed time. I finished my work around 9 p.m. and phoned my mother.

He finally came back! ...without knowing our worry.

Ella Fitzgerald

I'm lucky to know another female jazz vovalist. That is Ella Fitzgerald.

The English radio program I listen everyday has a part of English song at the end of the month.
I like it because I can learn a lot of English songs here.

The song of October was "Someone to watch over me" by Ella Fitzgerald.

The first time I listen Carmen Mcrae, a female jazz vocalist, I got the shivers. Her voice is a musical instrument itself, so colorful and crystalline. This experience made me curious to know femal jazz vocalists.

Ella Fitzgerald seems to be called "First Lady of Song". "Someone to watch over me"... If I could sing this kind of song gently, how sweet it would be. I want to listen Ella's songs more.

Imperial system

This week, the topic of the debate class (we call it "Are you ready class") was the Imperial system. Emperor system is good for the future of Japan?
.......................................................................................................

In my opinion, although there are many problems within the Imperial Household Agency, there should be Emperor in Japan.

The present emperor system has continued for long years. According to Japan's oldest history book, the first emperor, Jimmu, who is the great-grandson of Amaterasu, is said to have succeeded to the Imperial Throne in 660 BC. And the present emperor Akihito is the 125 th. We don't know why this system could have survived so long, but there must be some advantages.
.......................................................................................................

The opinion of Mrs. I (we call her "Mrs."), the teacher of the class and the principal of the school, was different from mine. She said we should abolish this system.

1. The status of the emperor is stated in the Japanese Constitution as "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people". The imperial family has no census register, no suffrage or eligibility to run for public office. It means they must represent Japan and Japanese, but they have no political power. They also don't have human rights we have. This is not fair. This is not democracy! For example, Crown Princess Masako, who graduated from Harvard University and had a career of a diplomat, had no fortune to get a boy to succeed to the crown, and got a serious disease from the stress.

2. The status of the emperor is similar to that of the Queen of England. In terms of the big power in the world, there are no U.K. and Japan. There are U.S. and China without the system of emperor! Although Japanese Imperial system has a long tradition, Japan can get the ultrapower again without the system.
.......................................................................................................

I know this system is not democracy for the imperial family. Even though it was recognized that Imperial system might not fully compatible with democracy, Japanese accepted the idea that political authority should be parted from emperor regretting the past mistake during the war.

And does Japan need to be the big power in the world? And I remembered that some president of the United States tend to seek their origin in Britain because they have no long history in the United States. People with power have a tendency to find their roots to show their justice.
.......................................................................................................

As I searched, the total Imperial household expenses on 2004 is approximately 6.9 billion yen, and about 324 million yen out of it is for the Emperor's family budget. They are paid from the State buget, which means paid by taxpayers!! Nonsense!!

...It got to be complicated. I believe there should be emperor mostly based on cultural reasons, but no need in reality, based on economical reasons.

Procrastinating

I found a right word for me now. That is,

"procrastination".

procrastinate: to delay doing something that you ought to do, usually because you do not want to do it; = put off (LONGMAN)

I know that procrastination is the thief of time, but sometimes procrastination is one of ways to cope with stress!

My overtime working hours were 90:15 on September and 62:45 on October... incredible.

I know now is time for saving money. Making a to-do list is crucial for me.