maiko-san

As far as I can remember the first scene in my life is the green colored Keio-Line  trains chugging along the rice field in Hachioji. My mother gave me a piggyback. I was on her shoulder. Over the green trains I could see Mt. Takao in the westside. It was a very idyllic scenery. One day my mother took me to Kamakura, one of  the ancient  Japanese capitals, where my grandmother lived. We went by Enoden and dropped off at Inamuragasaki Station. Then we walked up the path. My grandmother's house was located at the top of the hill. She was the second wife for my grandfather. His ex-wife died ten years before. They lived usually in Kyoto, but from time to time come to thier villa in Kamakura to enjoy the pleasant warm weather on the seaside. I gather he married her, because she was a graduate of not only a prestigious women's college in Tokyo but also the ones in the United States. I recalled her teaching English to children in the neighborhood....

Today I'd like to talk about CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Language). The reason I chose this topic is that our NHK text is based on B1 level in CEFR. I wondered what exactly is CEFR? I wanted to learn CEFR from the bottom up. So, I searched it in Internet. Now, I'd like to tell you the results. CEFR is a guideline used to describe achievements of leaners of foreign languages across Europe. It was put togeher by the Council of Europe as the main part of the project "Language Learning for European citizenship." Its main aim is to provide a method of learning, teaching and assessing which apllies to all languages of Europe. The six reference levels are becoming widely accepted as the European standard for grading an individual language activity. As you all know in Japan we take it granted that the first grade in the STEP ("Eiken") and 990 scores in TOEIC test is a sign of the best English performer. Is that true? I compared CEFR to TOEIC...

According to a 2006 survey by national Geographic-Roper, nearly half of Americans between ages 18 and 24 do not think it necessary to know the location of other countries in which important news is being made. More than a third consider it "not all important" to know a foreign language, and only 14 percent consider it "very important." This reminded me of a world sales meeting, which I attended in America 16 years ago. One American asked me, "How long does it take to go to Hong Kong from Japan by car?" I was upset, "Drive to Hong Kong?"" I coudn't believe what he was saying. But I answered politely, "Since Japan is separated by the Sea of East-China Sea from Hong Kong, we take a flight and it takes usuually 4 hours." According to the National Science and Foundation, one in five America adults thinks the sun revolves the Earth. It's the alarming number of Americans who have smugly concluded that they do not need to kno...

Call me a snob, but Really, We're a Nation of Dunces Excerpts from Susan Jacoby Sunday, February 17, 2008 "The mind of this country, taught to aim at low objects, eats upon itself." Ralph Waldo Emerson offered that observation in 1837, but his words echo with painful prescience in today's very different United States. Americans are in serious intellectual trouble-in danger of losing our hard-won cultural capital to a virulent mixture of anti-intellctualism, anti-rationalism and low expectations. This is the last subject that any candidate would dare raise on the long and winding road to the White House. It is almost impossible to talk about the manner in which public ignorance contributes to grave national problems without being labeld an "elitist," one of the most powerful perjoratives that can be applied to anyone aspiring to high office. Instead, our politicians repeatedly assure Americans that they are just "folks", patronizing term that y...

Recently I had a complaint from my Swiss friend that she could not send me email with photographs, animation cartoons, Power Point slides and so on. But it seemed strange to me when I could receive emails with Excel files from Japanese friends at the same time. Anyway I decided to take a look into my computer. I found so many emails with added files not only in receiving tray but also in sending tray of Outlook Express Account. So, I started to delete them. As it took me a lot of time, I called up my provider. A woman at the service center told me that my email account is working in order as long as I recieve emails from the Japanese friends. But I was still curious. So, I made a phone call to a computer service center. The moment I talked with him over the phone, my computer got in trouble disconnecting internet. He said it has something to do with Security Software. Following his advice, I  deleted "Virus Buster" for a moment and c...

Last Sunday I went to an apartment where our Toastmaster's president, Jackie, lives in. She is an Assitent English Teacher (AET) as well. She confided in me that the problem of being an AET is that she findes it uninteresting, when Japanese teachers use her as she was a speaking robot. It was a Jamaican Party. There were 15 people. Three Jamaicans, a German, a Filipina and ten Japanese attended the party to celebrate Jackie's graduation from Texas Univeristy. She learned computer technology through Internet. I ate Jamaican food made of rice, Yakitori and bananas. It was hot and spicy. At the end of the party we huddled together and danced to the tune of Reggae Cliff. The Jamaicans are very joyful. I had lots of fun. Some time I'd like to visit Jamaica if I get a chance.

When I was a high school student, I used to keep a large Collie. His name is John. He had grown up on a farm of  International Christ University in Mitaka. When I saw him for the first time, I was sad.  John had only one ear. His mother had licked off his right ear. Every evening I walked him in the neighborhood. To begin with, we walked through the garden of Koenji Temple. Then we went to Koen Joshigakuin where a lot of coeds with dark blue uniforms were hanging around. John was happy to see them, because he wagged his tail. Like father like son, he loves girls with uniforms. After that we reached Route 7 highway, where many cars are coming and going. John walked somewhat  faster along the road. He seemed to be tired when we came back home. It's time for dinner. I served him breast chicken, meat and rice. He ate everything. Then I combed his hair. He cuddled up to me. He was a really cute pet in my family. One probl...

I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometimes despair over my body, the wrinkles, the bulging belly. But I don't agonize over those things for long. As I've aged, I've become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself. I've beome my own friend. If I go to a Karaoke Bar, I'd sing to the wonderful tunes of Neil Sedaka in the 60's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love. Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one. or when a child suffers? As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what your wife thinks. I don't question myself anymore. I like being old. It has set me free.

In my neighborhood I found three shops where I can enjoy spending my free time. Firstly, McDonald's. It's located near JR Fukushima Station.. You can drink a premium coffee at the price of 120 yen. Moreover if it's early in the morning, you can smoke up to 10:00 am. I like this McDonald's because I can work on a script for an English class on Thursdays. Secondly, a Karaoke bar next to McDonald's. For pensioners you can enjoy singing Karaoke with free beverage at the price of 160 Yen for an hour. Last but not least,  I'd like to introduce "Tsutaya" a video rental shop to you. You can rent old videofilms for one week at the price of 190 Yen. That's also a special discount price set aside for pensioners(over 60 yrs). I  rented a video, entitled "Dresden". Do you know where Dresden is located? It's located in the eastern part of Germany neighboring Poland and Czechhoslovakia. The second largest city after Berlin in the era of Nazi...

About five years ago I took a German lesson from Julia at German school in Kyoto. Julia was in her late 50's and a very up front kind of  person. Everyone felt easy around her. I liked her lesson, because she let participants talk about what happend to you last week for a few minutes in German. It was nice of her to correct our vocablulary, pronunciation and intonation. On top of that she gave us  clippings of  Heinlich Schliemann from the weekly magazine "Spiegel". A German language genius who struggled to master 14 foreign languages. She wanted to give us tips how we acquire foreign lagnguage. I cherish these useful clippings and I want to speak the foreign language like Schliemann. I owe to Julia my German knowledge. After school I used to drop in Matsuya to have lunch near Kawaramachi-Shijo Station. Matsuya is a beef-rice-bowl shop, where I ate a big chunk of rice t...