September 03, 2013

 Pangaea Newsletter for September 2013

Hello, everyone.

This is Yuki, Pangaea Newsletter editer.
It is September. I guess you are back to school.
Actually, my university is still in vacation.
I have been repeatedly complaining about the heat of this summer.
I am now earnestly hoping that the heat is cooling down.

Last month went so fast for the preparation of the 10th anniversary and the webcam.
I am sure we are continued to be busy this month, but I am very happy that
I can be a part of the 10th anniversary symposium.

Anyway, I have reiterated“10th anniversary symposium”twice already.
This month, "the 10th anniversary symposium" is taking place at last!
In this newsletter, I would like to tell you how amazing this event is!

I must not fail to note the August Webcam activity with Kenya and Korea!
It was my first experience. I was greatly inspiring.
Probably I was more excited than kids.
Let me report the event with photos.

------------------------------
Contents
------------------------------
+A glance at the 10th anniversary symposium!
+August activity report"Webcam activity"
+Others

------------------------------



------------------------------
A glance at the 10th anniversary symposium!
------------------------------
2013 Pangea 10th Anniversary symposium.
This super event commemorating the 10th anniversary of Pangea is with full of
highlights.

*****************************************
Highlight 1 ~10th anniversary event~
*****************************************

The event is taking place to commemorate the 10th anniversary.
Let’s review the Pangaea’s long, joyful and somewhat harsh decade with the
participants.

To carefully trace the Pangaea history, we have organized 2 sessions (1st and 2nd)
in total of 4 hours.
Not to mention about the talks by President Yumiko Mori and Vice president
Toshiyuki Takasaki, we will have the passionate messages from Pangaea supporters!

During the decade of our history, we’ve had many encounters.
We are expecting to see our supporters and ex-volunteers at the venue.
Let’s look back the progress of Pangaea indulging in nostalgia!!

And what the most important is the plans in the future.
Why don't you share it with us ?

*****************************************
Highlight 2 "Super-deluxe guests"
*****************************************
At the symposium, we will have great speakers who had contributed to Pangaea.

Mr. Walter Bender, Former MIT Media Lab executive director, Mr. Yasuhiko Taniwaki
Director-General, Cabinet Affairs Office, and more!
Super deluxe guests from various fields will tell us about their
thoughts around Pangaea!!

We will be able to hear from high figures with whom I, being the ordinary
university student, would never have a chance to meet!!
Those guests make 10th anniversary symposium special!!

I can’t find a better word than Great Excitement!
I am too excited to sleep at the night already!

*****************************************
Highlight 3 "Reception"
*****************************************
10th anniversary event is a great opportunity for us to gather at one place.
We would not end the event by just listening to speeches.
Don’t you wish to deepen our friendship after the session? So…

Why don’t we enjoy BBQ after the symposium!

Meet with people from various countries and backgrounds and get inspired.
I believe it is the true charm of Pangaea.
Pangaeans from Japan and from the globe will be participating in this event.
More encounters ever before are waiting for you!

BBQ after the symposium will be the goodopportunity for us to deepen our
friendship and to tighten the Pangaea ring!

I am hoping to get great inspirations through the symposium and the reception,
and leap with Pangaea!!

------------------------------
August activity report~Webcam activity~
------------------------------
It has been a while since we had the Webcam activity before.
This time, we had connected Japan, Kenya and Korea simultaneously.
The activity was such a fun and the time flew so quickly.

It was my first Webcam activity in my 1 year experience with Pangea.
Since president Yumi and Vice president Toshi were absentfrom Kyoto side,
I participated with the mixed feeling between excitement and anxiety.

On the day of the activity, we played “KOETSUNA”and“Match game”
(KOETSUNA is tug of war by the loudness of the voice).

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=528598127211357&set=a.141268505944323.33092.130325790371928&type=1

**********************
~KOETSUNA~
**********************
“KOETSUNA” is the game that you shout PANGEA!
Kids were really good at it.
They had extraordinary voices and all locations were covered by their cry of the
soul followed by the enormous microphone noises.
Their voices made us feel that three locations were already united from the start.

As a result, the kids from Korea won the game and we, KYODAI village came second.
Although they could not win the first place, KYODAI village kids were not
disappointed but were satisfied by the fact that they were able to compete with
kids from different areas by shouting.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=529053603832476&set=a.141268505944323.33092.130325790371928&type=1

**********************
~Match game~
**********************
Match game is the game that respective locations draw the picture that they had
associated from the specific colors (i.e. apples for red, eggplant for purple),
and if 3 locations pictures are matched, all win the 150 points.
(if 2 locations match, both get 50 points)
We were split in 4 teams consisted of Red, Blue, Yellow and Green.
I had participated in the Read team as the GF (Group Facilitator).

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=532857203452116&set=a.141268505944323.33092.130325790371928&type=1

Greeting is the very basic of our everyday life whether we are competing or not.
So, we had started this game by greeting with Korea and Kenya teams.
To the microphone, we said
"Annyeonghaseyo, neirumun~eyo", to Korea and,
"Jambo, zinaranguni~"to Kenya.
(Both meaning “Hello, My name is~”)
They responded back to us saying “Annyeonghaseyo” and “Jambo”.
It was a great fun!!
Children from unknown country recognize my name, welcome, and return the response
in a huge voice.
Our geography, language and culture may be different, but the game gave me
the thrill of possibility for our mutual understandings.
The chain of the greetings shocked me that I cannot express by words such as
excitement, surprise or impressed.
Although we were not able to see the 3 locations's match in my team,
we had some 2 locations’matches.
The country may be different, but what we associates are quite common.
That is the impression I had got from the game.

By the way, when I was in charge of “something yellow” representing the Red team,
I drew Giraffe.
However, because I had no sketching skill, children laughed at my drawing.

It was my first Webcam experience. Through this, I thought that if more kids in
the world could do the same, we could make a small difference to the world.
Our language and culture may be different, but as long as we have the same belief
and acting together for the same objective, we are friends and a team.
Therefore, children did not care about the small differences but just enjoyed the game.
Children learn a lot from adults, but sometime they learn things that they do not
have to as well.
However, things that adults learn from children are always necessary.
My first Webcam was very valuable as a person, more than as a staff.

------------------------------

Posted by: kyotohq | 3. Newsletter | Permalink