Stanisław Lem

Stanislaw Lem, a great Polish science fiction writer, died March 27. He was 84 years old.

I know his name only by one of his works "Solaris" which was made into a movie by Andrei Tarkovsky in 1972. Speaking of Tarkovsky, "Sacrifice" came up to my mind first. I came to know this work by the book "Sacrifice" by Kunio Yanagida. In the movie, I heard the aria "Erbarme dich" from Bach's St. Matthew Passion. I was so moved to buy a CD of Matthäuspassion conducted by Mengelberg.

...Back to Lem, his books seem to have been translated into 41 languages and sold over 27 million copies.

Sakura

Yesterday, I visited one of my friends after work to see her new pet, Sakura. She is 2 and half months old Doberman.

My friend brought her from a dog breeder center in Chiba 2 weeks ago. Sakura was one of 8 puppies, and one of her brothers seemed to be brought by Miri Yu, a Korean-Japanese playwright, novelist, and essayist. Wow!

Now my frind leaves her to a traing center. It's like a mother leaving her child to a nursery school, isn't it? Yeah, these first weeks are important. Sakura can be a ill-behaved or good-mannered dog depending on this training time.

Sakura was so friendly, and she started to sleep on my lap immediately. How cute she is!

Doctor data

From coming April, I have to input Doctor data. Doctor is a section in the factory in which faults at the former process (printing, coating and slitting) should be found and corrected. I know its data is supposed to belong to TB line, and I asked for it. It seems to take over 2 hours to input that for one day.

From April means from next week! At this busiest last spurt time!!

Vocalise

The other week, one of my drama classmates asked to me to find a suitable music for the last scene. That night, I brought piles of my CDs from the CD rack, picked up and tried some of them.

This scene is so impressive. The past lovers' strayed souls are united and purified there. It leaves me the impression of great beauty, and great tragic farewell. It was difficult to find the right music which stirs such kind of feeling.

Then, I recommended her 5 pieces of music and we decided to use Rachmaninov's Vocalise.

A vocalise is a vocal exercise (often one suitable for performance) without words, which is sung on one or more vowel sounds. It has been adapted for other voice types as well as orchestral and solo instrumental performance.

You can listen it on the net here. Oh, it was used at the big hit Korean TV drama "Winter Sonata"? I didn't know that!

Samurai

There is a samurai in our drama and in the last class we were thinking how he appear firstly on the stage.

One of my members is so good at directing, especially acting, and I was very amazed by the way she pulled out the appearing movement as a samurai. "He was reborn here from the past era, like braking the shell of an egg." That kinds of direction was really new to me. Then our advisor told us like this; "After your appearing, Tsutomu (a leading character) is surprised and says "Sa-Samurai!", right? What is the simbol of samurai? I think it's sword. Can you use it effectively?" Oh, it is also wonderful direction!

After all, the samurai's appearing scene was completed. It's scary a bit, but I liked it because with blue lights and Onmyoji music, it must have impact so much!

I wanted to search and write about samurai, Bushido and Hagakure, especially the meaning of "Bushido is in being crazy to die" (武士道というは死ぬ事と見付たり) here, but I have no time now. There will be time to think about it again.

Theatre Museum

In Waseda University, there is Theatre Museum which was established in celebration of the 70th birthday of Tsubouchi Shoyo (1859-1935) and his translations of the complete works of Shakespeare. He was a leader in modern Japanese leterature, especially contributing to the development of the dramatic arts in Japan. He was also a founder of the Department of Literature of Waseda University, and edited the periodical Waseda Bungaku.

Exhibits were like this:

1F
*The World of Shakespeare
(Many Faces of "Shakespeare", Shakespeare Theatre Space, Shakespeare on Stage, and Shakespeare in the history of Japanese drama)

*Special Exhibition Room in honour of Nakamura Utaemon Ⅳ

2F
In the corridor, you can get a lot of pamphlets of plays!

*The Fortune and the Theatre Museum
I was surprised to know that the stage in front of this museum has often been used for actual plays! The epigraph says "Totus Mundus Agit Historionem" (Latin). It means "All the World is a stage."

*Tsubouchi Shoyo Memorial Room
(Shoyo in Atami, Translation, Ethic Education, Theatre Research, Plays for Children, Buryo, Bungei Kyokai, Dramaturgy, and Literary Works)

*Folk Performing Arts
(Kagura, Dengaku, Huryu, Traditional Festival & Performing Art in Japan)

3F (Japanese Theatre)
*The Ancient Age
(Gigaku, Sangaku and Bugaku)

*The Middle Ages
(Dengaku, Ennen, Noh and Kyogen)
I tried to wear a Noh mask "Zou-no-onna", a mask for a role of a noble lady. It was fun! I want to know what it's like acting with a mask.

*The Early Modern Age
(Kabuki and Ningyo Joruri)

*The Modern Age
(Shimpa, Shingeki, New National Theatre, Comedy, Light Comedies, Striptease, Girls Performance, Musical, etc)

*The Present Age (Contemporary)
I got to know there was a exhibit of Tobiraza here in 2002. I came here too late... Now there features Condors. In November there will feature Ibsen. I want come here again on this time.

It opens everyday 10:00-17:00, and it's free! You must check it once!

Hectic Saturday 3

3:30 Woke up

4:00 Studied Intensive Input

5:00 Aerobic Workout

7:40 Got on Gotemba Line

10:00 Arrived at Takadano-baba and went to The Tsubouchi Memorial THEATRE MUSEUM in Waseda University. I want to write about this another day. Today seemed to be held the graduation ceremony, and I saw many womens wearing hakama, long pleated culotte-like Japanese trousers.

12:00 Looked around second-hand bookstores and bought some books. I couldn't help buying some books here in a second-hand booktown, Takadano-baba. I bought 6 books (Sorry they are all Japanese ones).

*トルストイ　「イワン・イリッチの死」　米川正夫訳　（岩波文庫）
*安部公房　ドナルド・キーン　「反劇的人間」　（中公文庫）
*古井戸秀夫　「歌舞伎入門」　（岩波ジュニア新書）
*松本道弘　「上級をめざす英会話」　（講談社現代新書）
*三谷幸喜　和田誠　「それはまた別の話」　（文藝春秋）
*出戸一幸　「アラン・エイクボーン　挑戦の軌跡」　（新水社）

13:30 Took lunch

14:30 Took Intensive Input at Phoenix. Actually, right before I was going to listen again the dialogues, I noticed that I forgot to bring my MD! But somehow I could pass the whole Intensive Input and got A! Thanks, Mr.K!

15:40 Chatted with one of my former drama classmates

16:00 Left Shinjuku

17:30 Arrived at Gotemba. I found that I could go back home for only one and half hour with the express Odakyu Highway Bus! Wow!

18:30 Went to the pool and did some exercises

22:00 Went to bed

Personnel Changes

This morning I heard there would be personal changes in May which is related to Production Section. The factory I work for is one of foreign-affiliated companies, but there seems lots of personal changes in this spring like in ordinary Japanese companies.

My present boss gets to be a manager of production plan at Administration Section and the present manager supervising all of works at Admi Section (plan, human resources, etc) gets to be a manager of TB line at Production Section, it means my boss!

He is famous as a short-tempered person. I know he is clever, but I'm afraid of him from now. One of my friends who works in the same floor calls him "gorilla" or "bulldozer" secretly. I can imagine what kind of person he is.

I got to feel like that I should quit the work here soon, go to Tokyo and find a new job in order to study at a university again, if possible...

Speaking into the Air

I feel empty these days. No matter how much I throw balls, there's no answer. It's like a message which won't reach. It's useless. I feel empty.

It inspired me a short story. First I thought it was by Kafka, but it wasn't. It was by Herman Melville. Now I remembered I took an American literature class reading "Moby-Dick" by Melville. I used to try to find out what he would like to say in this work... Anyway, the short story is Melville's "Bartleby the Scrivener".

I don't want to tell the outline of this story here. I just want to tell that it is a story of man called Bartleby who had been working in the Dead Letter Office. Dead letters! I feel so sad remembering that he refused his work and repeated, "I would prefer not to." And I got wordless when Melville concludes the story saying; "Ah Bartleby! Ah humanity!"

Nothing more hopeless than speaking into the air.


Links (English):
Bartleby the Scrivener - Wikisourse
VOA Listening Library - Bartleby
The Role of the Dead Letter Office in Bartleby the Scrivener

Links (Japanese):
Bibliography of Herman Melville
Hatena Diary Keyword: Bartleby
An Essay regarding Bartleby
A Weblog Article regarding Bartleby
A Translated Essay regarding Melville

Bedrock Bathing

Wednesday is the only day I can do something after work. I'm so busy on Monday because I have to finish inputting data for Production meeting. On Tuesday, I go to the pool to do some exercise. I have to take PC training on Thursday and Friday.

So today I went to Nankai-Yakusoukan, a Chinese herbal hot spring to take a bedrock bathing. Bedrock bathing is very popular among Japanese women these days. And I have wanted to try it once someday. You can sweat all over with this bedrock bathing!

Contact Lens

Today was a national holiday (the Vernal Equinox Day), so I did chores which I can't do weekdays; going to a bank, post office, city library etc.

In the morning, I drove to Gotemba Premium Outlets to see some spring clothes. It has been a couple of years since I was working there. At that time, I worked at two places; here as a cashier and a Chinese restaurant as a cook. That was the time right after I quit the college... I have waisted a lot of time until now.

Anyway, after window shopping, I went to an opticean's to see contact lenses.

a small round piece of plastic that you put on your eye to help you see clearly (LONGMAN)
a small round piece of thin plastic that you put on your eye to help you see better (OXFORD)

I promised my friend that I would wear contact lenses if I could lose 10 kilos of my weight! And I decided to buy them before I make it. It's easy for me to accomplish somthing with a clear goal. Actually this was not the first time to wear them. When I worked at a beef barbecue restaurant, I had to wear them because of the manager's taste (it's queer, isn't it?).

As the last time I wear them, it took much time to wear contact lenses. I wish I would have bigger eyes...

Friends in need

On my way back from the school on Sunday, I mailed some members on how to proceed the class, especially acting practice.

In the official class hour, I want to do acting practice because it is the only time to use the stage, but we also need to spend time to do Talk & Listen and characterization. But not every member can join the extra meeting in the afternoon. And in order to make the audience understand the story... it is the most difficult problem.

Those members answered me immediately and share these present problems with me.

"Friends in need are friends indeed!"

Leader's meeting

There was the leader's meeting on Sunday afternoon to decide the order of the performance on the presentation days and allocate practice rooms during only-drama weeks.

Our team couldn't get good order of performance, 18:20- (Sat) and 12:40 (Sun). It is because our Intensive Input score was not good, second lowest.

I know we have to put up with that, but I was so depressed. I don't know why. I have tried to finish Intensive Input on Saturday, and go to the school earlier than anyone on Sunday to prepare our class and share time with members, but it didn't work as I thought these days. I felt my effort couldn't pay off especially this day.

When I talked with my advisor in Sunday evening, I complained this situation and members. How foolish. This won't do us any good. Anyway leader is responsible for any result.

I remembered other thing now. My former drama class leader also attended the leader's meeting, and she reported the timetable of using the stage for practice on presentaion days immeadiately after the meeting. She is quick to move. As for me... I couldn't afford to think about other groups. How selfish. Now I understand how tough the leader is. I like her personality and kindness. And I really respect her.

Hectic Saturday 2

3:00 Woke up

4:00 Studied Intensive Input

5:00 Aerobic Workout

7:10 Left home and walked to Gotemba station

7:40 Got on Gotemba Line

10:00 Arrived at Kaminoge and went to Goto Museum to see the exhibition "Revived Genji Monogatari Emaki". When I got there, it had aleady a long line for entering the museum. There were so many "ladies and gentlemen" who seemed to lead a leisurely life. I bought a book which describes the process of reproducing the complete scroll of the Tale of Genji. I want to read the whole story of Genji Monogatari in a modern Japanese translation first. Maybe it's better to go to the city library.

12:00 Took lunch at Uncle Sam's Sandwich. I happened to find this restaurant and I really liked it! There are about 50 varieties of sandwiches, and I tried a sandwich with cheese, avocado and tuna. I want to go there again!

13:00 Went to Kinokuniya Bookstore to buy Nikkei WOMAN and Eikaiwa Jyoukyu.

14:00 Took Intensive Input at Phoenix

15:30 Talked with my advisor about the leader's meeting

17:00 Met one of my classmates and talked about our drama over dinner at Plate Siesta.

19:00 Left Shinjuku

21:30 Arrived at Gotemba Station

22:30 Went to bed.

Ibsen 2006

The year 2006 is the anniversary of Henrik Ibsen's death. He is an extremely influential Norwegian playwright who was dubbed "the father of modern drama". He was largely responsible for the rise of the modern realistic drama, and is the most frequently performed dramatist in the world after Shakespeare.

Lots of events are held all over the world under the title of "Ibsen 2006". Japan has also some events related to his anniversay. All I know about Ibsen is only "A Doll's House" which I read so many years ago. If I have a chance, I'd like to see "Rosmersholm" by Engeki Syudan En.

Tate

In our drama Nocturne, there is a scene two samurai fight each other with their swords. We call it "Tate (殺陣)". Tate is a traditional form of Japanese entertainment best explained as choreographed samurai sword-fighting for the stage or the screen.

Tate and Chanbara are very popular now, and there are lots of classes to learn Tate in Tokyo. I think this is because there has been many movies related to samurai these years; Last Samurai, Kill Bill, Zatouichi, Tasogare Seibei, Mibugishiden etc.

There are some actors in Japan who is good at Tate, and Seizo Fukumoto seems the most popular actor among that. He is known as kirareyaku, the person who loses the sword fight. The film Last Samurai brought him before an international audience in the role of the silent samurai.

If you can't afford to learn Tate in classes, you can learn it by a book or on the web! But it is the best way to learn it from Tate-shi (殺陣師), the person who teaches Tate.

White Day

You know, yesterday was "White Day", and I got a lot of sweets! Wow! Nice day! Full of happiness!!

There are many mens in Production Section, so ladies in Production Section could get more presents than they gave on St. Valentain's Day. We are lucky!

But I'm on a diet now... These days, I try to take no dinner, go to the gym twice a week, and do aerobic workout every morning. I don't want to waste this effort. Do I have to put up with eating these sweets? I think it's okay to take a bite during the coffee break time at the office.

The most happiest thing yesterday was that my former Pakistani boss who had transfered to the factory in Korea remembered ladies in Production Section and took the trouble to send us candies as White Day's present! He is so kind!

Witty remarks 7

*Happiness is a mystery, like religion, and should never be rationalized. (G. K. Chesterton)

*Everything in life that we really accept undergoes a change. (Katherine Mansfield)

*Love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction. (Saint-Exupéry)

*It's possible to love a human being if you don't know them to well. (Charles Bukowski)

*Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning. (Albert Einstein)

*The most imcomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible. (Albert Einstein)

*Imagination is more important than knowledge, for knowledge is limited while imagination embraces the entire world. (Albert Einstein)

*Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind. (Albert Einstein)

*The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know. The more I realize I don't know, the more I want to learn. (Albert Einstein)

*You'll never have a quiet world till you knock the patriotism out of the human race. (George Bernard Shaw)

*Woman's instinct is often truer than man's reasoning. (anonym)

*When one door of hapiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us. (Helen Keller)

Get out of the Script

The English Festival is held in coming April, 15th (Sat) and 16th (Sun). It means we have only just one month until the presentation!

Now our drama team does run-through in the class and everyone try to memorize their own lines. The other day, I read through the script and recorded it, and now listen it again and again. I find that it's a good exercise. Unless I pronounce lines clearly while recording, I couldn't understand that meaning later. Above all, I can imagine the situation while listening, and find unclear expressions. I can't do it with the script.

I want to get out of the script. I know our drama Nocturne is so well-structured story that actors tend to reproduce Nocturne as it is on the script. But it limits our imaginations and possibilities on the stage. My former drama class advisor called those things "magic". Yes, we need the right magic!

In order to get out of the script, we must get our own characters deeply, and really understand each situation and main message. It must be difficult.

And in order to get the right magic, there should be a good atmosphere among members in which everyone can say any idea or opinion.

Kimono dressing and Nichibu

A friend of mine (and also one of my co-wokers) living in Hakone has a daughter and she graduates elementary school this March. My friend decided to wear kimono on that day. "It's not good to wear kimono once in a while, because it seems like kimono wear me!" she said. In order to dress kimono well, it seems good to learn Nichibu (Japanese classical dance). You can have a chance to wear kimono if you learn Sado (Japanese Tea Ceremony) or Kado (Japanese flower arrangement), but Nichibu is the best because it helps you get how to not only wear but also fit and coodinate kimono. I wish I could learn Nichibu some day...

Picture Scrolls of Genji Monogatari

Revived Genji Monogatari Emaki, the exhibition introducing reproductive picture scrolls of the Tale of Genji, hels at Goto Museum in Setagaya(February 18 - March 26).

Picture Scrolls of Genji Monogatari is a national treasure which was made in the latter part of Heian period (12C). It is the oldest story picture rolls which has remaind until now. Five Japanese-style painter reproduced those scrolls with vivid colors using the newest scientific research. This process seemed to be broadcasted by NHK program. You can check one of restorations of Genji Monogatari Emaki on the net.

As I searched this exhibit, I feel like reading the Tale of Genji. In English if possible. There has been some editions; Suematsu Kencho, Arthur Waley, Edward Seidensticker, Royall Tyler, and the Diet Member Marutei Tsurunen has made translations. It must be interesting to read Japanese classics in English!

Small Booklet, but

My mother brings this small booklet "Tips at work" every month from the senior care home where she works on weekdays. My mother and I are fans of this booklet. It is a collection of essays day by day, like "Vox Populi, Vox Dei" in Asahi Shimbun. It is for a morning meeting at factories, published by Rinri Institute of Ehics.

Natural and reasonable things are written there, and I'm moved that those ordinary things are written everyday. The factory I work for also should take this booklet for the every morning meeting.

Overalls

Last Sunday, I had a party with my drama classmates at HUB. When it came to the topic of my role, someone recommended that I should wear a pair of overalls. My role is a modern young woman who is active, full of life, direct to say her opinion without hesitation. That kind of person might wear a pair of overalls. And I bought it (GLHEAET's one) just now after work! I don't know whether I wear this pants on the presentation days or not...


overalls [plural] AmE
heavy cotton trousers with a piece covering your chest, held up by pieces of cloth that go over your shoulders; = dungarees BrE (LONGMAN)

dungarees [pl.] (BrE) (AmE overalls, bib overalls)
a piece of clothing that consists of trousers/pants with an extra piece of fabric covering the chest, held up by straps over the shoulders (OXFORD)

Excellent!

Last week, there was 5S check by the factory manager at Production section and Quality Assurance section. I got nervous because he seemed very severe. He is Swedish, and I hear his nonstop questions like machine gun many times. Anyone who has to report him gets depressed and sick! at worst.

Well, here is the result. I got 7.5 point and EXCELLENT card! Woo hoo!

Actually, just before the check, I put away my personal belongings and snacks in my locker. And now those things are back in my drawer...

Aerobic Workout

I go to the gym twice a week but that's not enough. I have no time! I went to a ground near my house to jog after work once, but it was difficult to continue for me. What is the best way to lose my spare tire soon?

Then I remember aerobic workout videos which I bought before. That's it!

*Get Up and Dance! (Paula Abdul)
*Donna-Mite Aerobic Workout (Donna Richardson)
*30 days to Thinner Thighs (Donna Richardson)
*New York City Ballet Workout
*Latin Rhythm Workout (Kathy Smith)

I like Paula Abdul's "Get Up and Dance!" The steps are a bit difficult, but it's so fun. This is hip-hop! I want to master those steps, and of course lose my weight. I decided to add this aerobic workout to my daily routine in the morning.

Memento mori

Yesterday afternoon, after taking lunch with my classmates, somehow we started to talk about one's love, marriage, childbirth... a woman's life in the end. A Korean friend of mine said that she often thought of her death these days and what she should do now considering that. She recommended me to read a novel of Herman Hesse (She forgot its title. I remembered "Beneath the Wheel" "Demian " or ""Steppenwolf" by his name on that time) and "The Death of Ivan Ilych" by Leo Tolstoy.

I haven't been thinking about my death recently. It means trying to look my life backwards from the viewpoint of my death, right? I always look forward these days. I remember a phrase "Memento mori". This is a Latin phrase that is translated as "Remember that you are mortal," "Remember you will die," or "Remember your death". I learned this phrase when I read one of Shinya Fujiwara's books.

Memento mori.

Mitsuhiko Kuze

Mitsuhiko Kuze, a famous Japanese stage director and writer, died March 2. He was 70 years old. In 1970's, he produced family dramas including "Jikan desuyo" and "Terauchi Kantaro Ikka", and became the most popular TV producer.

I happen to remember the poem "Stop all the clocks" by W. H. Auden.

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

I'd rather know him by name of a writer. I'd like to read his books again to commemorate him.

Hectic Saturday

8:15 Left home

8:30 I found I couldn't get on Odakyu Highway Bus with a coupon ticket, because the bus was full and my ticket wasn't reserved-seat ticket!

9:10 Left Gotemba

11:00 Arrived at Shinjuku and went Information desk of the Bus to get my lost article. Last Sunday I lost my Japanese drama script on a Highway Bus! I was lucky to get it back!

11:30 Rushed to Jimbo-cho and watched "The Book of the Dead" at Iwanami Hall. I want to write about it sometime. I bought the booklet of this movie and the pocketbook which includes the original story "Shisha no sho" and "Shintokumaru" by Shinobu Orikuchi.

13:20 Took lunch

14:00 Took Intensive Input class at the English school

15:30 Left Phoenix and got to Kinokuniya bookstore to buy a book about kimono

16:00 Left Shinjuku

17:30 Arrived at Gotemba

18:20 Went to the pool. I lost my weight 3 kilos since I started exercise! I want to lose more about 5 kilos this month.

21:30 Now going to bed!

Romance

One of my classmates suggested the music "Romance" at the appearance of a character dancing beautifully, so I want to know what "Romance" is.

"Romance" or "Love Romance" is a traditional Spanish song for guitar. It became famous when Narciso Yepes arranged this song and used in the French film "Forbidden Games" (Jeux interdits) by René Clément in 1952. It also pushed the career of Narciso Yepes to the international level.

They spent too much money on filming to employ an orchestra for its music. So Narcio Yepes played guitar only throuhout the movie. That was the reason why Romance was used in the film. And that made this film so beautiful. An interesting episode!

Mamechiyo!

These years, wearing kimono is getting popular among Japanese young women. And Mamechiyo is a charismatic woman among such kind of girls who coordinates kimono and owns her antique kimono shop. You can read how to start your new life with kimono by Mamechiyo here (in Japanese).

Articles related to Mamechiyo:
*MamechiyoThe Art of Kimono (Magic Pony)
*Mamechiyo Bio (Magic Pony)
*Kimonos are hot (Trends in Japan)
*In skeptical quest of a boom (The Japan Times)

Hmm... I feel like learning how to wear kimono (kitsuke). Now is a good chance, but I'm busy! I'd like to master how to wear kimono by myself before I study abroad in the future.

Symposium

One day, while watching TV, my mother asked me suddenly, "what's the meaning of symposium?" I answered "a kind of meeting in English. Originally, it is called symposion in Greek. It means that people talk drinking alcohol." My answer was right?

symposium:
a formal meeting in which people who know a lot about a particular subject have discussions abou it (LONGMAN)
a meeting at which experts have discussions about a particular subject; a small conference (OXFORD)

I'd rather check Wikipedia.
Originally, the term symposium referred to a drinking party; the Greek verb sympotein means "to drink together". The term has since come to refer to any academic conference, irrespective of drinking.

Yes, I answered right!

I know the word "sumposion" because there was a magazine titled "sumposion" students issued when I was a high school student. The high school I went was a bit different. There were only one class by each grade, and each class was called α (alpha), β (beta) and γ (gamma), insted of 1, 2, 3 or A, B, C. Maybe it was just the chairman's taste.

Then, my mother replied, "So, we do symposium everyday, right?" Hmm, you can say that.