Bright moon on mute frost…colors creep to
the basin…seeking silent friends
(B.A., Yugawa)
International Association News
Upcoming Events
Business Bus Tour! (November
9th)
WORLD TOUR 4 (November 14th)
Global Forum (November 23rd)
Hello Aizu (FM Aizu, Tuesday
at 6:30p.m. & Friday at 8:20a.m.)
Marutto Teleport (FM Aizu,
Thursday at 6:20p.m.)
Nihongo Salon (Tuesday afternoons)
As you may know, we at the
AWIA provide translation/interpretation services. Be sure to
check out our new regulations below!
World Tour 4
In honor of the ideals which formed the basis of the creation of
the Dr. Noguchi Africa Prize, and in an effort to bolster relations
between Japan and Ghana, three Ghanaian groups will visit the
prefecture as part of a JICA research program. On Sunday
November 14th we will welcome one of these groups,
and host a morning of cultural communication at the Chuo
Kominkan from 10:00a.m.-11:30a.m. We welcome you to come hear about Ghana, its people, and cultural
traditions. Please reserve your spot with us by November
13th.
Business Bus Tour
The AWIA will conduct a business bus tour on Tuesday November
9th,
during which we will visit places where foreign nationals are
employed. The goal of this activity is to help foster a sense
of purpose in the development of paticipants’ personal
language study goals and provide the image of an adequate role
model towards which to strive.There is a 25 person limit. Please
register by Sunday November 7th. For details concerning lunch,
the meeting place, etc. please contact us.
Visitation Schedule:
York-Benimaru, Monden Branch (9:10-10:10); Onyado Toho (10:30-11:30);
Apita(12:00-13:00, free time and lunch); Takeda General Hospital
(13:30-15:30).
Global Forum 2010
This event will occur on Tuesday November 23rd from 1p.m.—4p.m.in
Koriyama at the Big Palette Fukushima Building (in the Chu Kaigi-shitsu
on the 3rd floor) and will feature a shakuhachi performance and
arts talk by Mr. Bruce Huebner (check out his website at "http://www.shakuhachi.com/D-Huebner.html"
to find out more about him), and presentations on the lives of
immigrants
and foreign residents in Korea, the conditions
of non-Japanese
children in Fukushima, and “Alluring Fukushima and Its
New Business Possibilities From The Eyes Of Non-Japanese”. Registration is necessary to attend. To reserve your spot, please
call the
Fukushima International Association at (0245) 24-1315.
For a map to the “Big Palette Fukushima
Building” from Koriyama Station, please stop by the AWIA!
AWIA Language Volunteers Meeting
This is a group of people dedicated to using language to better
our community. We'd love to have you join! Some of our activities
include: community living assistance, language workshops,
tour guide workshops, and translation. Come join us as we develop
a tour for the castle. You don’t have to be fluent in Japanese
to join at all, and we need as many speakers of different languages
as
possible,
so if interested, please
come! We
will meet at the AWIA on Sunday November 28th at 10:00a.m.
Translation/Interpretation Services
The AWIA happily provides
translation/interpretation services. In
order to continue such services in the face of increased demand,
we have changed our regulations* concerning translation/interpretation:
1. Concerning requests for documents to be translated,
we must know what kind of document(s) will be translated, and for
what
specific purpose
such
document(s)
will
be
used before we can decide to accept or reject a translation request.
2. As the number of staff members available for translation
is limited, translation requests for "regular translation
orders"
must be made a minimum of ONE WEEK BEFORE THE DOCUMENT
ITSELF IS NEEDED.
3. Requests for "rush translation
orders" will
be considered on a case by case basis and acception or rejection
of
such requests
will be determined by the document's difficulty, staff availability,
and the date
it
is needed.
4. Fees are charged on a case by case basis. Please
consult with us.
5. We provide translation/interpretation between
the following languages: Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean. For
languages
other than these, please consult with us.
6. We accept consultation concerning interpretation
requests, however, we ask you to consider the following:
1. Date(s)
and approximate duration of appointment(s).
2. Nature of appointment/ gender sensitivity (would
you prefer a woman/ man acting as your interpreter?)
3. Meeting place.
* Please understand that we may not be able to meet
all requests as a result of translator/language availability, or
the nature of the request.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Membership Fees for 2010
Thank you for supporting us through your membership. This is a friendly
reminder that we are currently accepting the AWIA membership fees for
2010. Please
drop by and pay them if you haven't already. If it is unfeasible
for you to continue with membership, please inform us and we will remove
you from the list. We greatly appreciate
your support, are delighted to have you as a member, and hope you
benefit from our services.
Community Talking
Every Tuesday and Friday AWIA hosts a small English segment
called “Hello
Aizu” on Wakamatsu’s own 76.2FM. This year, we’ve
decided to get out and introduce the community. Every other week
we’ll feature a different guest for a four minute mini-interview. Anyone is welcome, but all guests must meet one of
the following conditions:
1. Have some sort of international experience (traveled, lived,
or done foreign exchange in another country, learning another language,
taking an international cooking class, etc.)
2. Be a native of another country.
3. Be able to speak simple English.
If you’d like to appear on the show, or recommend someone,
please contact us! We need YOU!!!!
“Sekai Marutto Teleport “on
FM Aizu
Check out the AWIA on our new radio slot! Every Thursday
at 6:20p.m. we feature a different guest to speak on a theme of their
choice, whether it be about their favorite recipe, music, or experiences
in Aizu or abroad. If you’d like to be featured (or know someone who should),
let us know!
Nihongo Salon
This year the AWIA will provide a space each Tuesday
from 1:30-3:30p.m.
for those who have questions concerning or those who wish
to brush up on their Japanese. Please come with specific
questions, or specific topics you want to speak about. Our volunteers
are ready and willing to help. There is no fee.
We hope to see you there!
Nihongo Hiroba
The AWIA offers a tutoring space for foreign national
children at 10:00 a.m. on Sundays of each month.
The purpose of this space is to provide assistance to those children
who might be having difficulty with their schoolwork, particularly
in regard to Japanese language expressions and explanations. Students
also have the chance to make friends and socialize with others
who face the same language difficulties, and practice speaking
their native/other language. We encourage you to come with your
homework, and any questions you might have.
Language Exchange
What’s a language exchange? A language exchange is when two or more people
who speak different languages meet to speak and practice their non-native language.
As not everyone has the time or resources to join a formal language class, why
not learn at your convenience in a relaxed atmosphere? If interested, please
inquire with us. Please remember to specify which language(s) you’d
like to practice.
Order-made Programs
Though we try our best to offer programs and events that are both enjoyable and
appealing, we are unfortunately unable to offer large-scale events which suit
the individual tastes of all. It is for this reason we offer order-made programs.
If there is an event or activity you are interested in learning about, or participating
in, please contact us so we can see about setting it up. Please keep in mind
that feasibility varies with each specific program/ event proposal.
November
