April 09, 2008

 Apr 2008 Newsletter: Yumi's Monthly Note

Hello Everyone,

I am back from my business trip to Europe and Egypt. I attended our webcam activity in Vienna, and helped Viennese children to interact with kids in Tsu, Mie. Those children, joining our activities in Vienna, have really grown up since the last time I saw them. I heard that the number of kids, applying to our webcam activity, considerably increased. We have wondered if we might have offered plenty of fun to the participants of the last webcam activity. During the latest webcam activity, I found the fact: Japanese children often associate the color brown with chocolate; in Vienna, black is the color of chocolate. I also observed that they interpret the color of the sun differently.
In Vienna, children created their pictogram messages to cheer up their Kenyan friends. The situation in Kenya continues to be unstable. This is my prayer - May Kenyans get their lives back to normal.

I have a Pangean friend in Sweden, who lets me stay at her house whenever I visit Scandinavia. Her daughter moved out to go to college far away from home. My friend now lives alone with her two cats. She always welcomes me with open arms; her place makes me feel homey.


I worked in Europe tirelessly. One of professors at Mie University had introduced me to two faculty members at Lund University. I met them in person while I was in Sweden. In Malme city, I had an opportunity to explain our organization and projects to one of former chef judges. And then, I went down to Denmark. I stopped by universities and institutions in Copenhagen. In Amsterdam, I met up with Simon, who is a key person to operate our projects in Europe, and representatives of the media guild in order to discuss our project strategies. I was engaged in business activities during my stay in Paris. I enjoyed getting to know the professor at the University of Paris, introduced by instructors at Kyoto University. I visited UNESCO Headquarters to keep UNESCO staff members up to date in terms of our projects. Our main agenda was the situation in Kenya: we talked about our project plans for Kenya, as well as for other locations, productively and constructively.

From Europe, I flew down to Egypt and took my first steps on Egyptian soil. I was honored to meet the chef director of the peace movement organization, established by Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, First Lady of Egypt. At the Alexandria Library Museum, I had a chance to talk with the director of the science center. I was stunned by the museum: it IS gigantic and distinctive. The building is designed to offer study-friendly atmospheres. I think this type of facility can provide citizens with inquiry learning. I have some unimaginable stories of what happened to me in Egypt. If you want to know, please read my updated blog.

This is my April schedule: I will go to Seoul to hold facilitator training sessions, and then fly back to Europe. I've got myself into high gear to promote our projects in East Europe.

The writer of Pangaea Ring of this month is Mr. Yasutoshi Ando, a graduate student of Tokyo University, Japan.
He is a facilitator at Pangaea Activity in Tokyo, and a technical volunteer staff.

Well, bye for now!

Yumi

Posted by: kumakinoko | 3. Newsletter