The interview test regarding world heritage sites

I’m on my way home from Tokyo now, writing this article. I had the interview test in English today. I think it went well because I prepared for it enough.

A member of staff said over 50 examinees participated in the interview test at three designated places in Japan. This time, I decided to take it in Tokyo.

Once I got the place, which was a school, a member of staff led me to a waiting room. After a while, another staff came to the room and asked us to go to another room. We, the examinees, moved to the room for the interview in pairs. In the room, there was each paper on each table for us. You can choose the one task out of two. The one is the domestic topics concerning world heritage sites and tourism, and the other is the foreign ones. I picked the domestic one because I found it easy to answer the questions.

The interview test itself went well. I talked about the death of a prominent RAKUGO storyteller, Danshi Tatekawa, a hotspring in my prefecture, Hiraizumi city, which was registered as a world heritage site lately, and the world heritage site in Japan that I would like to explain to the examiner. Let me guess. Things went well.

I’m going to know the result next month. I can’t wait.

Something scary is hiding in the dark

I’ve been busy working since last August, however, I become occasionally allowed to obtain a relaxed time. Playing computer games is one of my favorite pastimes. I’m sure you already know it because I uploaded several footages in which I was playing some computer games. I bought a new game at Akihabara in last September. That’s what one of my favorite ball-by-ball player on Nico Nico Douga(one of online broadcasting program like YouTube) played and broadcasted. I actually knew what the ending of the game was going on, though, I just felt like playing it.

DEAD SPACE is the one.

This game was launched in 2008. The descriptions in the game were so terrible and grotesque that it was not allowed to be sold in Japan. You can obtain only the imported one. Of course it’s not the one translated in Japanese.

Here’s the outline. In 25th century, people were out of the earth in order to gather materials that were already run out there. One day in 2508, distress signals of SOS from a huge mining ship ‘USG ISHIMURA’ were gave out. USG Kellion, a ship, was sent in order to research and solve the problems. Isaac Clarke, who was an engineer to USG Kellion, was in worry watching a footage from his ex-girlfriend, Nicole, who worked in ISHIMURA. USG Kellion had hardly docked with USG ISHIMURA when an explosion took place on USG Kellion. Isaac and other crews had a narrow escape from the explosion and landed ISHIMURA. There was no hint in ISHIMURA that any crews of ISHIMURA existed on the ship. Instead, something terrible was waiting for Isaac.

The word ISHIMURA is totaly a Japanese word. You can see several chinese characters in the game. The development staff of this game are said to have respect for a prominent game: Biohazard(Resident Evil). Also, the atmosphere in the game is so similar to those of the movie ‘Alien’ or ‘The Thing’.

As I wrote above, I know what the ending is going on, but my heart can’t help pounding with fear. It’s a very interesting game.

I’ve been trying to record my plays and upload them on YouTube. I’m so glad if you enjoy them.

Something ‘outstanding universal value’ that you must hand down to the next generation

I’m going to take an interview test next Sunday in Tokyo. I have to talk about world heritage sites at the interview. This time on this blog, let me write an article about UNESCO, world heritage sites, and the grand meeting at which the international treaty, commonly known as the World Heritage Convention, was ratified.

Something happened around the Nile Valley about fifty years ago. The construction of Aswan High Dam led to the threat for numerous ancient Nubian treasures. The passions to protect invaluable treasures and artefacts there transcended national interestes and pride. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) kicked off the first international campaign, which was to safeguard such treasures and artefacts in grave danger. That was the first activity to initiate the world heritage convention.

In 1972, UNESCO called sites which should be preserved Cultural, Natural, and Mixed Heritage sites. The member states of UNESCO ratified the international treaty generally known as the World Heritage Convention. 148 countries are registered as members to date. We have 936 registered heritage sites on the earth as of June, 2011. In Japan, 16 sites are registered as the sites so far.

The World Heritage Committee, the subsidiary organization to UNESCO, is the one who certifies world heritage sites. Member states which ratified the convention hand in a recommendation to register sites in their countries as the world heritage sites. The states can submit the application once in a year. The World Heritage Committee deliberate over the claim if it is adequate or not.

As I wrote, over 900 world heritage sites are all over the world. Itsukushima Shinto Shrine in Japan, Machu Picchu in Peru, Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay in France, etc. are where I would like to visit someday.

Nothing is more terrible than ignorance. Koichiro Matsuura, a Japanese, was the former Director-General of UNESCO, who was the very person to trigger the USA’s back to UNESCO. He reformed UNESCO from within.

Every little thing in my ordinary life 54

It’s been a long time!
I hope readers who used to frequent this blog still remember me It’s been a long time, guys. How have you all been doing? Me, my typical works, our new business, attending as an interpreter, a RAKUGO recital in Sep., playing a new computer game, an English exam, illnesses, a bunch of things continuously happened to me. I think it would be an good time to write an article here.

Our new business just kicked off
I’m not sure if I informed you of the exact day on which we started our new business. We have already done, actually. What we have been trying in Kagoshima(the prefecture where we do our new business) is definitely different from what we have done before. Totally new experiences have been bothering me, though, I have really been feeling I’m now in growth as a business person. I’ll let you know what happened to us in Kagoshima in another article, someday.

A RAKUGO recital went well
Last September, I had a RAKUGO recital in Tokyo. Personally speaking, it went well.

I, this time, played a drama about a love affair between a wife and a sales person, which was the title named ‘kami-ire(wallet)’.

The story is a comical one, like this. A wife just sent a love letter to a sales person who regularly visited her husband. The sales person didn’t think it was a good thing, but he came to see her as she demanded at a night the husband was away. The wife insisted to do the THING with him, but he tried to refuse it. With women’s wise technique, the wife had finally reached for the top of the mountain of him(lol) in one way or another. The bad sign, however, just appeared right after the right time. The husband just came back home at the right moment the wife and the sales person were about to become one. The sales person had a narrow escape and went back his home unwitnessed. But he noticed he left his wallet behind the wife’s bedroom. What was worse, he still kept the love letter the wife wrote in his wallet. What if the husband found the wallet and read the letter?

One of the most famous and prominent RAKUGO storytellers, Kokontei Shinchoh, also played this drama. I do like him. That’s the reason why I decided to try this play.

The RAKUGO teacher just gave me a DVD of the recital. I must say ‘thanks to my natural loud voice’. I could hardly hear what some of storytellers in the DVD were saying. Their voices were too small and inaudible!

My next stage is going to be held in March. I’m now getting on a new play.

Rotating the bowl in drinking Japanese tea has my brain rotated

I, as I said, am a member of voluntary guides around the place where I live. The group has been keeping exchanges with other guides’ groups in other areas. A session was just held last July, in which volunteers in Inuyama took us a guided tour. This time, let me show you one topic from the tour: not detailed but minimal ways to drink Japanese traditional tea.

I just made sure correct and polite procedures on drinking Japanese tea before writing this article. Let me say I’m sorry at first. I just gave up reading articles explaining the proper ways to drink Japanese tea. You find it difficult to understand all of them. The processes are so many and complicated. Moreover, there are a lot of traditions on how to drink Japanese traditional tea, and the various traditions have different styles. I ended up making it simple.

First, you need to make sure which side of the plates and the bowls that you are given to is the frontside, which is called sho-men in Japanese. Basically, the side that you are facing at the first time when the hosts serve is the frontside of the plates or the bowls. Hosts show you the frontside so that you enjoy appreciating it. The thing is that the frontside of the plates or the bowls is just the spot you appreciate, but the one you put to your lips. What should I do, then?

You need to hold up the bowl with your right hand, and cradle the bottom of the bowl with your left hand. Now, the frontside of the bowl is looking at your face. Rotate the bowl in clockwise direction. Two times at a right angle. The frontside of the bowl and your face should be pointing out in the same direction. Now is the time you sipped. ‘Bottoms up!’ is the worst choice you make. The word ‘sip’ is an absolutely adequate expression while you are drinking Japanese traditional tea.

After you finish drinking the tea, you have to rotate the bowl again: two times at a right angle in counterclockwise. Then, the frontside of the bowl should come back to you and smile at you calmly. You can appreciate the beauty of the craftsmanship of the bowl again. After that, rotate the bowl again so that you show the host the frontside, and put it down on the floor. With some words like ‘gochisousamadeshita‘, your exotic adventure will finish. (As a matter of fact, I just omitted several processes from the proper ways. I think you should copy the ways that someone else is doing at the time you try it in real.)

You can taste some Japanese cake when you drink Japanese traditional tea. Make sure which the frontside of it is.

This is the tea that I tasted in Inuyama.

I’m just indicating the directions in which you have to rotate before/after you sipping tea. I showed you wrong information before. I corrected it.

This tea ceremony house is designated as the national treasure in Japan.

The tea ceremony house has a beautiful garden around it.

I would like you to appreciate the sounds that waterdrops make. This musical instrument is called suikinkutsu, under which a porcelain bin is buried and it echoes with waterdrops. The sounds will make you relieved.