投稿者: Aya Kobayashi
SMILE Vol. 25 January 5, 2019 (H31)
Heisei 31 (2019) Happy New Year!
Heisei 31 (2019) has begun. How have you spent your holidays? The new year’s day was a warm and calm day. I only wish that the new year will be like the new year’s day, a peaceful and bright future without natural disasters and war. The Japanese saying, “bonji tettei” means to apply thorough and careful attention to mundane tasks. Instead of doing special projects, by consistently and diligently working on ordinary duties, we may reach our goals and produce results. Doing “what is in front of us” may seem easy but working on it with utmost care and persistence is difficult to do. But this is why such method of working yields results. Realizing that there is no same day as today, doing your best within the daily tasks is important. Further, faced with today’s disasters and accidents, we must realize that the “ordinary” is actually not so mundane, and be thankful, without taking it for granted. I pray that everyone’s 2019 will be a bright year filled with smiles.
Please continue to support the JLSP activities this year. 続きを読む…
すまいる２５号 平成31(2019）1月5日
平成３１（2019）年 明けましておめでとうございます！
平成３１（２０１９年）が始まりました。皆様、年末年始をいかがお過ごしでしたか。元日は暖かい穏やかな一日でしたね。新年が元日のように災害や紛争のない穏やかで明るい未来へつながる年となりますよう願うばかりです。さて、「凡事徹底」という言葉があります。平凡な当たり前だと思われることを一つ一つ徹底的に一生懸命に取り組むという意味です。何か特別なことをするのではなく日々の当たり前のことを継続してやることが自分の目標の達成や結果を出すことにつながります。「当たり前のことをする」のは簡単でもそれを徹底的に一生懸命、継続して取り組むことはとても難しいことです。だからこそ、結果を出すことにつながるのですね。一日として同じ時はない今日を大切に、今見えている当たり前の日々の暮らしの中で自分にできることを精一杯取り組むことが大切だと思います。そして、災害や事故等が続く中、「当たり前」の暮らしが続くことが実は「当たり前」ではないこと、「当たり前」であることのありがたさや大切さをいつも心に、自分にできることを一生懸命続けていきたいものです。皆様にとりまして２０１９年が笑顔あふれる輝く１年になりますよう心から祈念いたします。
本年も補習校教育活動へのご支援、ご協力をどうぞよろしくお願い申し上げます。 続きを読む…
SMILE Vol. 24 December 15, 2018 (H30)
How was your year 2018? Hope you have a wonderful New Year!
This year passed so quick we only have 16 days to go. The more years that pass, the more I feel time passes faster. Looking back, how was your 2018? It may have been filled with fun activities with family, might have been the year you marveled at your children’s’ growth, or might have been a challenging year. We usually find out the Keywords-of-the-Year at the end of year. The Keywords-of-the-Year are trendy or “fad” words of each year. “Sodane-(Right?)” was this year’s word that the Japanese Olympic curling team spoke each other during competition. Also, the Kanji (Chinese character)-of-the-Year was released on December 12th at Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto. We tend to reflect on what happened around this time each year. As the Heisei period (Emperor’s reign) ends April 30th, 2019, many Japanese reflect, not only one year, but this 30 year era. Many key events have occurred including the 2011 Tsunami and nuclear disasters as well as an aging society with fewer children. As we welcome a new era on May 1, 2019, I pray this coming year will bring peace in the world without war or disaster. Thank you for all of your contributions to the Japanese Language School of Philadelphia. Please continue your support and help your school. Happy New Year! 続きを読む…
すまいる２４号 平成30(2018）12月15日
2018年はいかがでしたか？よい年をお迎えください！
早いもので今年も残すところあと１６日となりました。月並みですが月日の経つのは本当に早いですね。年を重ねるにつれ、そう強く思うようになってきました。さて、皆様にとって今年はどんな年でしたか。お子様の成長やご家族の楽しい出来事、大変なこともあったかもしれません。年末になると日本では毎年恒例の“流行語大賞”が発表されます。その年多くの人々の話題にのぼった言葉を選ぶものです。今年の大賞は、平昌オリンピックでカーリング女子日本代表チームが試合中に交わした言葉「そだねー」でした。また、その年の世相を表す漢字一字を選ぶ「今年の漢字」も１２月１２日に京都の清水寺で発表されました。このように、この時期になると大きなニュースや出来事、「流行語」、「漢字」などで１年を振り返ることが多いのですが、今年は特別に１年というくくりではなく「平成」という一つの大きな時代を振り返る話題が多くなっています。平成の３０年は大きな自然災害、原発事故、進む少子高齢化社会も大きな話題となりました。日本では２０１９年４月３０日に「平成」という一つの時代が終わろうとしています。そして、翌５月１日から新年号へ移行し新しい時代が始まります。ちなみに２０１９年の干支（えと）は亥年（いのししどし）です。干支は日本だけのものではなく、世界には日本の十二支とは別の動物の十二支を使っている国があるそうです。２０１９年が紛争や災害のない穏やかで平和な一年となることを願うばかりです。皆様、今年一年間本補習校の教育活動へのご理解とご協力、ご支援誠にありがとうございました。心よりお礼申し上げます。２０１９年もどうぞよろしくお願いいたします。 よいお年をお迎えください。 続きを読む…
SMILE Vol. 23 December 8, 2018 (H30)
Foster the ability to adapt to changes in various environments!
I often hear the word “abnormal weather” recently. “Extreme weather” is defined as “a weather that shows a significant bias towards the climate of the past 30 years.” (Japan Meteorological Agency) Cool summer, warm winter, hot weather, landing of large typhoon · hurricane, occurrence of floods etc. Global nuisance abnormal weather and serious damage caused by each country are reported on the earth scale.
Right now, Japan is in the midst of “abnormal weather”. Even though it is December, I have recorded summer days above 25 ℃ in various places. Within one week after this time the temperature will shoot down from summer day to midwinter, snow cover etc is also expected. In the United States, hot and cold waves, large hurricanes, floods, forest fires caused by high temperature and drying are frequent. Extraordinary weather is said to be closely related to global warming and environmental problems and has seriously affected our lives, health, environment and industry. I think that we should move our actions little by little to protect our lives and eventually to protect this earth
The big difference between cold and warm in our daily lives places a heavy burden on people’s bodies. The autonomic nervous balance is lost, it becomes easy to infect virus, it seems to be more likely to catch colds and flu. First of all, symptoms often appear when you are tired such as dullness and dizziness. I would like to use this doctor’s story, which is necessary to preserve physical strength with sufficient sleep and well-balanced diet for everyday life. 続きを読む…
すまいる２３号 平成30(2018）12月８日
様々な環境の変化に適応する力を育む！
“異常気象”という言葉を最近よく聞きますね。“異常気象”とは「過去３０年の気候に対して著しい偏りを示した天候」と定義されています。（気象庁） 冷夏や暖冬、猛暑、大型台風・ハリケーンの上陸や洪水の発生など地球規模で各国の異常気象とそれによる甚大な被害が報告されています。
今、日本はまさに“異常気象”の真っ只中。１２月なのに各地で２５℃以上の夏日を記録しています。この後一週間以内に気温は夏日から真冬へと急降下、積雪なども予想されています。アメリカでも猛暑や寒波、大型ハリケーン、洪水、高温や乾燥による森林火災などが頻発しています。異常気象は地球温暖化や環境問題などと密接な関係があるとされ、私たちの暮らしや健康、環境や産業などに深刻な影響をもたらしています。私たちの暮らしを守り、ひいてはこの地球を守るために私たちにできることを、少しずつでも行動に移さなければと思います。
日々の暮らしの中での大きな寒暖の差は、人々の体にも大きな負担をかけています。自律神経のバランスがくずれることでウィルスに感染しやすくなり、風邪やインフルエンザにかかりやすくなるそうです。まず、だるさや目まいなど疲れている時の症状が出ることが多いとのこと。この時期は特に十分な睡眠とバランスのとれた食事で体力の温存を図ることが必要という医師の話を毎日の暮らしに役立てたいと思います。 続きを読む…
SMILE Vol. 22 December 1, 2018 (H30)
It is already “Shiwasu” (Busy time of the year, December). Let’s close the year properly!
The last week was Thanks Giving Holiday. It was an important holiday that you get together with your family and appreciate “Food” and “Health”. I assumed that you also had busy holiday. I knew about Thanks Giving but I didn’t know about “Black Friday and “Cyber Monday”. When I watched TV about “Black Friday”, it reminded me the Japanese “Hatsu-Uri”. “Hatsu-Uri” is bargain sale that happens from New Year eve to New Year. During “Hatsu-Uri”, some of the items are half price and many people shop but the targeted item is “Fukubukuro”. In this bag, you will often find goods that are so much more than the price of the bag. Shoppers make lines before New Year for “Fukubukuro”. It seems like it will tell you this year’s fortune because you are excited not knowing what are inside and also saving you get. The Christmas sale starts from Black Friday and wait for the Christmas. We wait for spring with “Hatsu-Uri.” Both are important culture for US and Japan. Today is already December. December has another name, “Shiwasu” in Japan. “Shi” refers monks and they are busy preparing for the many events at the year of year. It is said that it comes from the phrase “toshi hatsuru “(the year comes to an end) that then turned into “shi hatsu”. Then it turned into “Shiwasu”. Anyhow we will close the year quickly. We should plan well and close the year properly while we can spend time calmly. It is getting colder, let’s be careful of getting cold. 続きを読む…