Sunday, May 6th, 2018 (the last meeting at Joinus, which has been closed)
Morning session:
1) current English words in April 2018
2) shadowing: Learning Revolution
3) translation from Japanese to English using a movie "The Sting"
5 people attended.
Afternoon session:
Guest Speaker: Tim Ernst
Topic: "Take me out to the ball game"
A history of the game and colorful expressions used by American baseball announcers
Tim Ernst gave us an interesting talk about American baseball slangs, idioms and a bit of history.
He talked how baseball got started after the civil war between the States in 1865. About Abner
Doubleday who was given credit for creating the game, long after his death. Tim talked about
the great names of baseball like Shoeless Joe Jackson who played barefoot and was implicated
in gambling indictments to throw the world series in 1919.
Other great names like Ty Cobb, Cy Young, Jackie Robinson, Babe Ruth, Joe Dimaggio, Lou Gehrig
and Hank Aaron, the current legitimate home run leader. He also told us about the Japanese players
who have made their names known in the MLB. Ichiro, Nomo, Matsui, Tanaka, Darvish, Uehara and Otani.
Tim also taught us about the song, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and made all of us sing the chorus
using a real American league team's names. It was fun and interesting. Tim tells us this song is sung in
the middle of the seventh inning, known as the "seventh inning stretch" where everyone stands and strecth
their legs. He also taught us some baseball slangs and idioms like southpaw, homer, slugger, 4 bagger, a shot
in the gap in right, and Ump. All in all it was fun learning about America's favorite pastime!
8 people attended.
Sunday, April 1st, 2018
Morning session:
1) current English words in March 2018
2) shadowing: Learning Revolution
3) translation from Japanese to English using a movie "The Sting"
7 people attended.
Afternoon session:
Guest Speaker: Matthew Trojic
Topic: unpasteurized cheese in France
Summary:
I spoke about the value of cheese made from unpasteurized milk, from a gastronomical and health perspective. I compared
and contrasted the attitudes of the United States and France towards unpasteurized milk, and talked about how the U.S.
can learn from France's expertise in cheesemaking using unprocessed milk if it ever wants to allow for the sale of raw
milk and raw milk products on the federal level. I also went through the chronology of legislation relating to pasteurization
in the United States.
10 people attended.
Sunday, March 11th, 2018
Morning session:
1) current English words in February 2018
2) shadowing: Learning Revolution
3) translation from Japanese to English using a movie "The Sting"
5 people attended.
Afternoon session:
Guest Speaker: Matthew Trojic
Topic: equality for people with disabilities
Summary:
I spoke about inclusion for people with disabilities from the point of view of the Council of Europe. From their standpoint,
a perosn with a disability is someone who has significant obstacles in his or her everyday life. People with disabilites
make up 10-15% of the population on the European continent, and nearly everyone will experience disability in his or
her life at least once. I went over projects in place around the world to eliminate these obstacles, and the importance
of seeing this inclusion as a priority.
8 people attended.
Sunday, February 11th, 2018
***Today there is no AIS morning session (we have ACES meeting instead.)
Afternoon session:
Guest Speaker: Matthew Trojic
Topic: the COP 21, the climate change conference in Paris
I talked about the landmark United Nations Climate Change Conference, otherwise known as COP 21, that was held in the suburbs of
Paris in late 2015. I expounded upon the different challenges that we as a global society face when tackling climate change, as well
as the crucial roles that both China and the United States have to play in the fight against climate change, since they are the biggest
emitters of greenhouse gases.
11 people attended.
Sunday, January 7th, 2018
Morning session:
1) current English words in December 2017
2) shadowing: Learning Revolution
3) translation from Japanese to English using a movie "The Sting"
8 people attended.
Afternoon session:
Guest Speaker: Matthew Trojic
Topic: economic inequality, the gap between the rich and the poor
Summary:
I spoke about economic inequality in the developed world, with a focus on the United States. That economic inequality can be attributed to
the period of relative peace that the developed world has been experiencing since World War II. We delved further back to the inception of
agriculture in an attempt to explain the origin of economic inequality in modern society and the role that the invention agriculture had in
constructing that inequality. Now that people of different socioeconomic backgrounds are not as isolated from each other, it is difficult in
this day and age to match people's political preferences to their income level. The social issues that an individual may choose to espouse
is no longer dictated by class or wealth. This postmaterialism adds a whole new dimension to the combat against economic inequality. The
election of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States is slowing efforts towards true equality, as can be seen by his recent tax
cut for the rich.
11 people attended.
Sunday, December 10th, 2017
Morning session:
1) current English words in November 2017
2) shadowing: Learning Revolution
3) translation from Japanese to English using a movie "The Sting"
8 people attended.
Afternoon session:
Guest Speaker: Steve Shucart
Topic: my trip to Burma last summer
Summary:
My presentation on Burma started with a bit of background about my previous trip, thirty years before. Then I explained the reason for the trip;
a visa run combined with an exploration of the gem market. The presentation was divided into three parts. First I talked about a ramble around
the local neighborhood near my hotel and a visit to the famous Lucky Seven Tea House. The second part concerned my sunset visit to the Shwe
Dagon Pagoda and a talk with a young novice monk about the Rohingya situation. Finally I talked about my visit to the covered market and my
search for rubies and other gems.
9 people attended.
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