for Communications and Exchanges
www.geocities.jp/numazunewsletter/
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| Nice Numazu International Committee for Communications and Exchanges |
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| The NICE Committee is very active in promoting both local community and international programs. The NICE people are the welcoming committee for the exchange teacher program. They sponsor biannual trips to Kalamazoo and Numazu's Chinese sister ciy. Each fall NICE offers an English Speaking Guide Class, so that students may learn how to introduce Numazu to English speaking foreigners. I was able to teach this class for 10 weeks. NICE offers an annual public speaking contest for non-Japanese to speak in Japanese and for Japanese to speak in English. There were over 40 participates from a wide range of ages and backgrounds this year. NICE also hosts the International Exhibition, with booths from over 20 different places. The exhibition includes traditional dance performances and a variety of international foods. This past year the exhibition was very well attended and provided multi-cultural experiences for everyone. One booth, the most often visited one, features all things of Kalamazoo and Michigan. At the end of the year the NICE Committee sponsors a year end party. This is costume dress up event and it had more food than could be eaten by everyone. There were children, young people and adults. We were treated to music by a Dixieland band. They were exceptionally good. NICE is now preparing to welcome guests from Kalamazoo for a spring visit to Namuzu. NICE is very active year around. You may learn more about them by going to their newletter web site at: www.geocities.jp/numazunewsletter/ |
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| Guide Class Students listen to Bob Sensei | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| The NICE Committee created this Kalamazoo room with the help of many workers. Yes, we are wearing Kimonos, there was kimono fitting room for anyone to try on kimonos. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| This young lady is one of the many dancers at the exhibition. She performed on a small outdoor stage with the booths in a square around the open stage. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| This gentleman is hand grinding wheat flour to make soba noodles. It is blended with water to make a dough.Then it is cut in long narrow strips, boiled and served fresh at the NICE International Exhibition. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| These ladies in kimono attire are playing the Koto. It is a long stringed instrument that is played something like a dulcimer, but one plucks the cords with picked fingers. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| At the NICE Year End Party I was the game leader. I had them blow up a balloon and tie it to their ankle. The kids and all, tried to pop others' ballons without having theirs popped. It was hilarous to watch every one try. That's me in the flyfishing outfit, Connie was a fairy queen. The best costume was the black face mask, made all of feathers. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Fusako and Toshie Nakamura invited us to their Christmas dinner. We enjoyed a long evening of conversation and great food with our new friends. As you can see the table setting was quite ellegant. We had dried pressed squid,(almost like jerky), rice paper roll up sandwishes, pumpkin soup, and much more. As always, everything was presented with class and tasted so good. Pictured are Toshi, Connie, Fusako, Yoriko Sugiyama, Fujiko Tanaka and Shoko Hirao. |
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