Ending Conflict

Everyone is looking for the answer to mediate and end conflict.


There are think-tanks, politicians, world figures, famous people, psychologist, counsellors, religious figures, etc are all getting on the game of ending conflict. 


To some, that is what conflict represents; A Game! To others a way to get into history, build a legacy, or some other personal (selfish) reason.


They are all trying to find the complex secret or system to end or resolve conflict in some way. Though the view of conflict may seem complex, in reality it is not so complex at all.


All conflict starts with a single grievance and then other grievances are added on the original grievance until there reaches the inevitable breaking point i.e. conflict. 


Whatever the single grievance may be, it  becomes a grievance when "A" believes that "B" has taken an advanced unfairly or unjustly. Whether this is true or not, is a mute point because if "A" believes it to be true then it is true.


All conflicts are the same and size is to most extent irrelevant.  From conflict between people to conflict between nations, it is all the same. 
Some may argue that the conflict has history but all history is, is a single grievance with multiple grievances added onto it over time (in many cases the original single grievance is lost).
Some would argue the conflicts between nations (size) makes them extremely complex. Well no, even between nations there is always that original single grievances on which multiple grievance get again added on.


At the end of the day it comes down to two people sitting down and having a simple discussion.


So if the answer to ending conflict is simple then why isn't it being used. It is because the first three things needed to end conflict are so hard for parties to do and in most cases refuse to do. 


What are these seemingly possible things:






* EMPATHY


* I AM SORRY 


* Give up saying: I AM RIGHT, YOU ARE WRONG




I will start with the last one first. 


Give Up Saying, "I AM RIGHT, YOU ARE WRONG".


If "A" and "B" or just one of them have this attitude nothing will ever be resolved and most likely it will guarantee more trouble and grievance. 


In all conflicts all parties are right and all parties are wrong. Reality means very little even with evidence cause if one of them believe they are right then for them, THEY ARE RIGHT. No amount of convincing or evidence will change this perception.


All parties are Right and all parties are Wrong so discussing these is in short a waste of time and energy.


Also each side has acted, reacted, acted, reacted again and again and again. So both of them are culpable and to blame for the conflict. They equally share responsible and blame because both allow the conflict to grow.


So that is the first step. We are all responsible! We are all to blame! Nobody is RIGHT! No body is WRONG!


Example One: Person "A" attacks you and tries to kill you. You defend yourself and kill person "A". Now you have a conflict with person "A's" family. Person "A's" family want justice for the death of their family member. From your point of view: you are right and they are wrong but from their point of view: they are view and you are wrong. Both points of view are true. So if both sides do not give up I AM RIGHT, YOU ARE WRONG then nothing can be resolved. 




EMPATHY


Now this one is tough because it requires you to forget and give up yourself, your personal feelings and your belief of what you perceive as true.  It requires you to place yourself in the other's position. To walk in their shoes, to see life as they see it, to feel life as they feel it.


It means to feel their grievance as your grievance. To feel their pain, their suffering as your pain, as your suffering.


The difficulty is in the fact that our emotions (anger, hate, distrust, contempt) make us otherize and, or dehumanized the other party. This leads to thinking that you can not relate to them, they are different, they are the enemy. Both parties are thinking the exact same thing of the each other. In conflict we tend to forget that we are all human, we all share the same DNA, we all laugh, cry and bleed. 


Example: Continuing with the scenario of Example One. Place yourself in the family's position and try to feel their loss, pain, anger and frustration at the death of their son, brother, father, husband.  Now the family place themselves in your position and feel the fear, desperateness, panic, and desire to live. Also the guilt you may or may not have over taking a life. 


By taking the other position we become a step closer and we understand that we are not so different.




I AM SORRY


The hardest of the three and the one where people may even prefer to die before they would say sorry. 


Now this "I am sorry" is not apologising for action. It is not apologising to things you believe to be right or just. Using Example One scenario, you are not apologising for the action defending yourself and taking the life of another person in the course of that defence.


This "I AM SORRY" is apologising for the pain, hurt, suffering, loss, frustrations that your actions have caused. 


It is NOT admitting or saying you are wrong, it is only saying I am sorry for your pain.


It is saying, I understand your pain, I feel your pain and I am sorry for the pain your are feeling. 


It is not a difficult thing but it is the most difficult thing of all because tend to confuse "Sorry" with the admission of guilt, blame or wrongdoing. You can feel you are correct in your action but you can say (be) sorry for the pain cause by your actions.


One would hope that you would come to understand that some of your actions were wrong and apologise for them but again this is note the purpose for this "I AM SORRY".


When we can learn to say sorry for the pain our actions or inactions have directly and indirectly caused we reach a place where true ending or conflict can begin and wisdom to avoid allow a single grievance to escalate into conflict.




Whether its a conflict between lovers, families, societies, social groups, nations, etc by utilising three simple tools "Give up saying: I am right, you are wrong", "Empathy" and "I am sorry" we can bring conflict to an end and stop conflict before it starts.


Thank you     

Saint Paul's (Rikkyo) University 立教大学

As some of you may know, on Thursdays I taught at Rikkyo University (aka: St Paul's) for a semester. I will be teaching there again starting this October but this time on Monday's and Thursday's.

Rikkyo is a very pretty university and has an English look to it. I recommend it for the visual pleasure of it.

I enjoy the classes I taught there and the students are wonderful. The course theme I selected was to discuss about a company that the students would like to work at someday in the future or they just are interested in a particular company.

At the end of the course each student had to presentation on the information we talked about in class and their research into the company they choose. All of the students amazing well, considering the fact that they had to study and prepare for exams & reports. I am very proud of all of them.

If I were to give an M.V.P. award, it would go to Ryousuke for the amount of research he did and the passion in which he displayed. I sincerely hope that he does try to join the company hr did his presentation on.

My final words to him, and for everyone is: "Nothing is impossible, but not to try must be impossible" and "Just try, the worst they can say is no". 

To all the students, I wish the the greatest success in your future endeavours and hopefully we may meet again.

Syrbastyian

(Above, some photographs of some I the students in my classes.)      

" Education and the PTA, Parents "

Education and the PTA, Parents:

The people, the systems and how they do more harm than good.

Why am I against the education system, the people in education and the PTA. Actually I am not, I just believe that the systems have failed or don’t work; the people don’t (really) know what to do, can not the see the problems in front of them or don’t try. Parents and the PTA, though they care, only interfere and create more difficulties.

In this I will discuss each, Education System and the PTA - Parents, and explain why I think they have created more bad than good. At the end of each I will then provide possible solutions and, or alternatives.

Note; that I will not go into great detail, for I am sure most people are well aware of the many problems in education and conflicts with the PTA-parents. Furthermore I do not want this to turn into a book or paper; there are many on the subject and most of them are not worth the paper they are printed on. Lastly I am not an expert and gladly so. Experts are the major problem with education because experts are limited by the knowledge of their field, which is base on one or two topics/themes. They can not see or think beyond their specific field and are therefore trapped in the box of their expertise. Plus experts can not be trusted for they have a self-interest in keeping things as they are because if things were to change, their expertise would be no longer needed. In addition, experts do not (more likely can not) deal in randomness – they only deal in bell-curves but life is not a bell-curve, life is random and full of black-swans but that is a topic for another discussion. 

My hope is that my words will provide food for thought and as a springboard to actually create solutions and new ideas to elevate education to the next levels not only for the benefit of children and teenagers but also for adults returning education or to further their education.

Let’s start the emotional storm and the part that will get people angered the most: The PTA; namely parents.

Yes I know their intentions are only for good and they just want the best for their children, but this is the point: “They only want the best for THEIR (own) child or children.

Every topic and, or problem discussed by them is only view from the perspective of what is best for their own child. They do not, more likely cannot, see the points in a collective sense, that is what is best for all the children in the school (district). In this the PTA -parents place restrictions on what the teachers and schools are able to do, and greatly interfere with the education of not only their own child but all children.

To illustrate the point: In many countries’ primary (elementary) schools, and to some extent in middle-schools as well, there is a policy of “no winners or losers”, every student must not be made to feel that they have a greater or lesser ability than their fellow students.

Fine you say. Where’s the harm in this? - The harm is in the fact that life is not like this. In life there are winners & losers, haves & have-nots, talented & untalented, and the intelligent & unintelligent. This is dramatically demonstrated quite soon once children enter high school and they learn, with the brute force of a hammer to the head, that life is not equal and definitely not fair. So while parents think they are helping and protecting their own child, they are actually not.

This no winners, no losers philosophy/policy is not only about sport or physical education, though in these areas the idea is just as damaging, it is in all aspects of primary/elementary school education for example:

• In lowering the amount of information and work assigned in the classroom.
• Giving (too) easy to accomplish homework assignments, setting no homework and, or allowing homework not to be done. 
• Lowering the passing percentage/grade for classroom administered tests, end-of-term/semester exams, bi-yearly exams and end-of-year/final exams.
•  By lowering or reducing to zero the amount of (minor) negative experiences, which will benefit the child later in life.

This is only one example of parents good and well meaning intentions that, in the reality of life, do more harm than good. And this is from level-headed parents. “Monster”, “Devil”, “Demon” parents investing all their efforts to protect their children from every negative aspect and wrap the children in protective padding, are the ones who do the greatest damage their children’s (future) life and to a greater or lesser extent their lives of other children as well. The names for these types of parents is justifiable because they high-jack education for the own cause and frighten people away from taking real-world actions that will improve education for all. Actually they should be called terrorist because, like terrorist, their activities paralyze education and their thinking is insanely fanatical. 

I do understand their need and desire to only want the best for their children, but this tunnel-vision focus blinds them many many wonderful opportunities to improve education for all, which in turn can only benefit their children.

Finally, the focus points of the PTA / Parents {the actions they the parents would like / want the teachers and schools to take} only are on the immediate and, or short term needs of their children. How short, either only from the year the child is in (e.g. Grade 5) to the time the child will be in that school. Indeed this immediate / short-term focus would be funny, if it did not serious consequences because what they decide is best to do in one moment they will decide it is not the best the next moment. This brings us individualising; parents with two or more children rarely think about the education of their children as a group (unless they are the same age). It is not that they can not think about how education applies to all their children, it is just that they tend to think about how education applies to each child on an individual bases. Unfortunately, and what usually happens is that what they think is best for one child may have negative impacts on the other children and vice versa.

So am I proposing that parents should not be involved in schools and education?

Well no and yes.

In the actual education of their children the PTA / parents should not be involved or have their involvement limited to only a support capacity.

Homework, projects, assignments and extra-curricular studies/activities; in these areas parents are extremely important for the child’s learning as a support mechanism to provide encouragement and as a resource or knowledge-bank for the child.

The actual education and teaching of their children NO!

The only exception is those in home-schooling or in distance-learning. For these situations parents actually have a separate role as teacher. The roles of parent and teacher must be separated as much as possible i.e. when they are a parent, they ARE a parent and when they are a teacher, they ARE a TEACHER. They must try their best to keep the two roles separated; even the language they use must be divided between parent language and teacher language.

Every other non-educational area, parents are a must and their involvement is greatly needed in supporting teachers and the schools. This could something simple like buying a ticket for a school raffle or more significant such as fund-raising to help the school finance educational trips/excursions, building/ground maintenance, buying new/replacement material/equipment, assisting teachers and schools with non-teaching duties, etc.

In these and all other non-teaching/educating roles, duties and activities the involvement of parents is a must for without parents, schools would crumble and could even die. Plus parents provide that essential connection to the community that all schools must have to give a sense of identity, social bonding and togetherness.

What to do – For the children? As I previously stated, parents’ greatest beneficial role for their children is in supporting the children. Once a child has left the school grounds, parents must step up and become an active part of their child's studies. For example, ensuring that homework, assignment and projects are done. They must tie the completion of these to real world remuneration, benefits and bonus rewards: Giving extra pocket-money, a day off from household-chores, more mobile phone/computer game time and, or a special treat for finishing all their tasks of the week/month, etc. Or a decrease in pocket-money, more household-chores, no mobile-phone/ computer games for a week and, or groundings, etc. In these, parents will not only provide positive task-completion focus and motivation for the child to actively further their own education but also advantage their children with invaluable life lessons.

What to do – For the schools? Again as mention before, parents can get involve (and must be involved) in the schools by helping the schools financially or by volunteering to do duties / activities, take on responsibilities to help the schools in many ways large and small.

What they must avoid is dictating or corrupting education and what is taught in the classrooms for their own special wants. Remember, education is about learning/teaching large variety of things, which will expand the child’s knowledge, help to be creative / innovative & think in new ways, and most important give them the necessary skills to deal with and, or succeed in the real (globally-connected / competitive) world.

Education is NOT what the PTA or parents deem appropriate because of some social, culture, economic and, or religious bias / prejudice. These bias of forcing what is deem appropriate (usually by a small but vocal and influential number of PTA-members / parents) or blocking particular subjects has major consequences and by doing so only limits children in acquiring the needed skills for real-world-life. If parents want these other things to be learnt by their children then the parents themselves can teach that in their own homes.

In conclusion, parents’ and the PTA’s tunnel-view of only focusing on the needs of THEIR own children and not all children as a whole coupled with their narrow focus on the immediate to short-term benefits have had negative impacts on education. In addition these, the forcing and, or blocking curriculum changes to meet the PTA / parents limited / shortsighted world views only disadvantages the children in learn the skills to meet real world challenges in their adult-future. This started when the first PTA’s began to get involved in education and has become ever increasingly intrusive, disruptive, corrupting and had dumbing effects on education. While I understand that parents are only trying to their level best to ensure that their children receive the very best education possible. Their demands / requests / wishes on actual education and teachers only results in creating negative affects and damage the very education that all children need.

So this brings us to the end of the first part on Education & the PTA, Parents. In the next part I will discuss the failing education system and the people in the system.

I hope that I have provided some food for thought. Please keep a look out for the next part.  I very much look forward to your comments and thoughts.

By Syrbastyian Amaya Vzampfyier

La MUMEI ROU - むめい狼

La MUMEI ROU - むめい狼, 

This a very good restaurant.

The food is wonderful:  A mixture and fusion of Japanese and European tastes.

The atmosphere and décor is relaxing  and pleasing

They have three seating positions; Open area, wooden booths with a rustic look and at the counter where you can watch the excellent chefs cook and prepare dishes.

I highly recommend this place.

They are located in Tokyo, Nerima-ku, Nerima. It is about 3 minutes from Nerima Station.

The telephone number is: 03 5949 3921

The fax number is: 03 5946 3920

There address is: 1 - 22 - 6 Nerima, Nerima-ku, Tokyo, 176-0001
176-0001 東京都練馬区練馬1丁目22番6号

Check out this website for more info: http://www.ekich.net/project/lunch/mumeirou.html

Replead of the statue of limitations of Murder: No Rest for the wicked

“ No rest for the wicked “

Japan recent passed a new law rescinding the statute of limitations on Murder. Now those who take the life of another person will be hunted down until the end of their days on this earth.   They will have nowhere to hide, and forever will have to worry and stress about being captured, arrested, trialed, convicted & sentence to imprisonment or capital punishment (the death penalty).

Consider the situation before the law was changed, where the victims (or I should say the victim’s family) may not get the justice they deserve and need. Image that one of your love ones has been murdered and the police through lack of evidence, stupidity and, or laziness can not find the murderer before the limitation. The murderer having successfully avoided capture was now free to talk about their crime, write books, movies or appear in the media and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

Why it has taken so long for lawmakers to propose and pass this law?

Why have the police not pushed for the statue to be abolished before now?

Is it because they did not care, was it because they were/are lazy?

Is it because they were taking money or other favours from organized-crime groups, who would be very much in danger of this law change?

In any case, the law has been change and this is a great, No! a tremendous, advancement for Japan and for the many victims, who can not get justice for themselves, and the families of the victims, who now can have the knowledge and comfort that whomever killed their love-ones will be hunted down for as long as it takes to bring the murderer to justice.

More importantly it means that those victims of murder, who have no family, no friends, no who will push their case will also may get justice. This is the most important point of the new law change that without anyone to fight for their cause will get the honour and respect they deserve. People who have no-one and who are murdered, their life means something, they are not nothing, they mean something, they do count.

   

Japan, The Constitution & The United Nations

International Law v.s Domestic (National) Laws:

(Japanese Constitution v.s. United Nations – Resolutions/Membership participation)

The role of Japan in international conflicts is a paradox of laws, rights, ideas and philosophies.

Firstly the constitution of Japan (namely article 9.) forbids Japan from participating in acts of aggression against another nation and from maintaining a military force that could participate in such acts. However Japan is a member of the U.N. And therefore as a member it is duty bound to take in some part U.N. Military mission. This is further compounded by the that Japan also wishes to become a member of the U.N. Security Council.

So Japan has a problem and some choices to make before it can full adult member of the world society.

(A) Japan chances it’s contitution so that Japanese law allows it to participate in all U.N. (military) mission fully and completely under the rule of the U.N.

(B) Japan keeps their constitution basically the same but provides only financial and, or logistical support to U.N. Missions, which what Japan basically does at present.

(C)  Japan becomes a truly neutral nation like Switzerland, resign from the United Nations and  just confines itself to purely humanitarian activities, which require no military support and, or participation.

  

Option “C” seems the best choice for Japan at the present. It avoids many the complicated issues, especially those with it’s past history with China and Korea, furthermore if Japan chooses to become a neutral nation then China and Korea have nothing to comment or complain about, and makes their concerns about the past a non-issue.

The Cove, Green Peace & other Warmongers

May I ask why as Americans (and increasing Australians & New Zealanders as well, sad really becoming like Americans) you try to force other cultures to conform to what you deem is acceptable.


Japan and the other whale/dolphin eating nations have been fishing these food resources for over 1000 years. Their fishing activities have had little (basically no) impact on either whales or dolphins numbers. In fact it was the western countries (the U.S.A., Canada, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, western European countries, etc) greed that decimated the whale/dolphin numbers, not as falsely stated the whale eating nations.


Furthermore, that attacks on Japan have a strong element of racial, Sweden and Norway hunt whales too but I guess since they are white it is ok for them, considering the makers of "The Cove" and members of Green Peace also other groups tend to be WHITE MIDDLE-CLASS (in many cases: ignorant) moralizing missionaries.


Questions, should India start making documentaries about Americans (Westerners) eating and mistreatment of cattle and how cattle are treated as  only materials and a manufacturing process, now that would be interesting.
Or how about Muslims, Jewish campaigning and to show their disgust for westerners eating pork.


It is just other form of racism or prejudice, food-racism, basically we (westerners) don't eat it so other people/cultures shouldn't be allowed to eat it as well.


America! think before you talk. And learn to respect other cultures, your culture is good but it is far from perfect. Westerners seem to have the belief that they are the saviors of the world and are here to teach and force other cultures to change, what they deem to be inferior, barbaric &, or primitive, ways.
No consideration of the cultural, social, economic destruction their actions may cause  or their impact on the local communities.
No! these so-called earth-friendly groups just come to some place and tell, demand, the people there to stop/ change a practice because it is wrong (wrong in western eyes). Now, isn't this just high arrogance.


Yes! these groups are WAR-MONGERS because their actions are attacks and if they were done on a country to country level, they would be considered acts of war. These groups also physically attack local communities and people (fishermen, farmers, hunters, shopkeepers, eating-places) who are only trying to making a living to support their families. Then when the local people defend themselves against the attacks, perpetuated by the so-called earth-friendly groups, these groups complain. The groups seem to think that it is ok for them to attack anyone but it is wrong for local people to defend themselves from the physical and verbal attacks.


Case in point; Greenpeace commit acts of piracy against fishermen, Greenpeace physically attack the fishermen and sometimes hurt them. Greenpeace deem these acceptable actions and consequences, but when the fishermen fight back; Greenpeace cry foul to the whole world.


Yes, I understand that these groups are trying to improve the planet in some way, but they are all hypocrites because they demand that people of other cultures, lower economics status, developing / undeveloped areas, etc change and, or stop their historical-traditional-cultural practices first. These groups should concentrate on their own countries/cultures first, once they have done that then may ask, yes ask, not demand that others join their cause. This will not occur though because these groups think they are somehow holy and righteous, that they the only ones who can save the planet and any person or culture that gets in the way of this must be destroyed. Of course, they would not say this directly, but this is their intended purpose.


Me, by writing this will most likely be attacked for my criticism of the so-called earth-friendly groups because like religion, the church (all forms) and (some) governments, any criticism must crushed and any type of opposition to their position must be eliminated i.e. they are right and just, everyone else who disagrees is Wrong, Stupid, Satan or Criminal.


I do agree that Japan should not call its fishing of whales, etc "scientific". No Japan should say: "We are fishing whales as a food resource and if you don't like it, well that is your opinion but we are not going to stop just (some) westerners have guilt because they cause most (if not all) of the environmental problems.". Basically, the to hell with you westerners and Two/One finger up to you.


Beside the international community can decide a quota system; stating how much each country can fish. I am quite sure the whale-eating countries would readily accept this. We as citizens of the Earth must respect all cultures and traditions, whether we like them or not.
There is room for all things. If these traditions and cultures naturally died out then so be it. But it must be because this is a natural flow of things, all cultures will die some day. We do not need to force the issue because we deem it wrong through know cultural perception.


One final point or should I say rant:
Don't you vegetarians and vegans start feeling all smug and self righteous. Your activities cause just much threat to animals and the environment as anyone else. Pray tell you may ask!?
Well since you consume planet matter and this material requires land and lots of it, which in turn requires the clearing of natural habitats that displaces and will endanger a large number of planet and animal species. It requires far more land to produce plant based source food than it does animal based source food. Plus the land need to grow the food is the same land that wild species also need.


Hydroponics I hear you say, well mmm, yes, actually NO. For minimal land use, yes you have a point. But as for water conservation no. True they recycle the water but that can only be done a limited amount of time before they need to add more "fresh" water. also they need to add nutrients to the water so the plants can grow and this comes for bio-waste: old food, vegetation and manure, the last one requires animals. And in all likelihood you people would start complaining about the treatment of animals to get the manure.


Warmongers, now why would I place such a description of these earthy-friendly groups. Well it is because be it directly or indirectly they encourage people to commits acts of violence just as surely as religion, politics and  national-pride as well as the leaders that represent these. Therefore they are no better than any other group that allows it's members, supporters, followers, etc that stand by and allow these actions to occur.


That is it everyone I have had my say. I leave you with a final thought.


NATURE does not care, Nature just keeps on moving.
Kill all the animal life; nature does not care,
Kill all the plant life; nature does not care,
Kill all the human life; nature does not care.
Nature just continues to move on.
It make no difference to nature.
And that is the point,
Nature Does NOT CARE.
Only we do, silly humans.


Syrbastyian (Amaya)

Chikako Yamashita, Photographic Art Work

One of my friends, CHICAKO YAMASHITA ( 山下千香子 ),  recently had a exhibition of her photographic art work. 


The title of the exhibition was " SHIMMERING " or " YURAGI ( ゆらぎ ) " in Japanese.

I really like her work and I believe that you too will also like her work.


Chicako also does commercial work as well, so if you want to get the perfect image or photograph for your business needs, wall art - decorative, personal request, etc then Chikako is the person you must definitely hire.


Here are the links to her web-site and blog:


Web-site:  http://photofac.net


Blog:   http://photofac.exblog.jp





Here are some examples of her art: The photographs at the beginning of this (top, 2 female models) are fashion shots for a magazine and the one below are her own personal art (work). 

Here is Chicako's profile in English and Japanese:

Chicako Yamashita/ photographer＆writer

Profile
Born in Tokyo.
Completed the professional photographers’ course of TSG(Tokyo Shashin Gakuen/ Tokyo Photography School).
Studied video making at London College of Communication (Formerly named: London College of Printing), University of the Arts London.

Exhibitions
2006 group exhibition“Colors; Superb Photographers 022”,“2008 Prints Exhibition "（@ T’s salon, Tokyo）
2008group exhibition“2008 Prints Exhibition”（@CCAA Ramp-zaka Gallery, Tokyo)

山下千香子／ヤマシタチカコ　フォトグラファー＆ライター Profile 東京生まれ、横浜育ち。 東京写真学園プロコース本科修了。大学卒業後、会社勤めを経て渡英。ロンドン芸術大学London College of Printing (現London College of Communication)でビデオ制作を中心に学ぶ。帰国後は編集プロダクションにて主に映画関連の書籍・フリーペーパーなどの編集・取材・執筆を幅広くこなす。2005年に独立し、フォトグラファー＆ライターとして活動中。 Exhibitions 2006年 　グループ展「Colors～極上写真家022～」（東京・渋谷　T’s salon） 2008年 　グループ展「2008枚展」（東京・四谷　CCAAランプ坂ギャラリー）

Toeic Books

http://matsumoto.nichibei-shibuya.com/

http://emikotoeic.blog83.fc2.com/

A colleague of mine , Emiko Matsumoto 松本恵美子, at Nichibei Eigo Gakuin Shibuya school 日米英語学院渋谷校 has been working on some Toeic books for the listening and reading parts of the Toeic test. 

Ms. Emiko Matsumoto asked me if I could help with the books by checking the English for grammar, structure, vocabulary use and naturalness.

I was only too happy to do this for her because I had never done this type of book editing work before and also if someone who is going to write something to be publish I want me to help, I will assist them in any way I can.

So now the books are finished. 

The titles of the books are:

新TOEIC TEST 必達 550点 「リスニング編」 

新TOEIC TEST 必達 550点 「リーディング編」

or in Roman letters:

shin TOEIC TEST  hittatsu 550 ten" "Listening hen"

shin TOEIC TEST  hittatsu 550 ten" "Reading hen"

They are being published by Nippon Nikkei Keizai Shimbunsha 日本日系経済新聞社.

They will be on sale at book stores throughout Japan on the 22nd of November 2009, Sunday. 

The price will be 945yen each and there is a web-site in which you will be able to download the listening material and some other things as well.

I enjoyed doing this work very much and I hope that the books sell well, so you guys out there BUY A COPY even it you do not need one. Want a signed copy, then hey, get a copy and I will sign it and more importantly I will ask Emiko, the author, to sign it as well.

In all seriousness though, I believe that if you are studying for the Toeic test, interested in taking the test, or know someone you is, then you should get these books or recommend the books to the people you know; these books will help you to get a higher score in the Toeic test.

I am proud of the work done and hope that more work like this will follow. 

I would very much like to thank Emiko for asking for my help. I enjoy the work quite a lot. Also I am humble by the fact that Emiko had my name put on the front cover of the books under her name. This is a great honour, a wonderful surprise and I am full of gratitude.

Eventually I hope to be writing my own material but probably not text books but poetry or stories (fiction and non-fiction), then again I think that all my years of teaching have given me something to write about in a text book that may benefit people who wish to develop and improve their English communication skills. 

I have included some photographs of the (possible) covers. The covers will look something similar to these photos. My apologies for the low quality of the photographs, I took them with my mobile phone.

There you have it. That is what I have been doing recently. 

Buy a copy, it will make you feel good about yourself, lol.

Syrbastyian (Amaya)