News

2010 CHINESE NEW YEAR party “I” @ Square, Southampton.

“I” Party (Imagine it’s Mandarin or Japanese and you will know the meaning)
Date:             14th Feb 2010 (Chinese New Year and Valentines’ Day)
Venue:         The Square
Time:            10:00pm to 2:00pm
Music:          Hip-Hop and R&B (AND you will be surprised by your country’s hit songs)
Dress Code: Red and Formal (No torn jeans, flip flops and shorts for our male guests)

Ticket Prices:
Normal Ticket: £5 , at the door £7
VIP Ticket:    £7 , at the door £9

£2 OFF if purchased from the Japanese Society (SuJas)! (NOT at the door, though)

Our sister Japanese Society at Southampton University has created a Japanese Library.

What is the Japanese Library? Japanese Library is funded by the Staff Club and is owned by the SUJaS. The Library consists of unique collections of Japan-related materials (films, music CDs, books, etc) for exclusive use by both Japanese and non-Japanese members.

Where is the Library located? The Library is currently located in a private premise, but we are hoping to find a suitable location within the University.

How can I access to the Library? We are currently developing on-line library system, allowing the members to view, order, and renew library items via online. In the mean time, the following procedure applies:

To borrow items from the Library

Step 1. Become a SUJaS member and get a SUJaS membership card (Click HERE to find out how to become a member)

Step 2. Join at the Library Open Day (see Event) or view the library catalogue online (Click HERE to view the library catalogue)

Step 3. Choose items you wish to borrow and contact Miyuki (M.Morioka@soton.ac.uk) indicating your membership ID and item IDs you wish to borrow. She will then arrange a date to hand your ordered items. At Library Open Day, you can view and borrow items on the day.

How many items can I borrow? Currently, first-time users of the Library are allowed to borrow 1 item only. After successful return of the borrowed item before the agreed date (no renewal is allowed), you can borrow up to 3 items at any time.

How long can I borrow? You can borrow library items for 3 weeks from the issue date. You can renew the borrowed items only once (an extension of 3 weeks). Please contact Miyuki (M.Morioka@soton.ac.uk) for an approval of your renewal request. Please note, renewal of library items is not allowed for first-time users.

How do I return borrowed items? Return Box is located at the Staff Club entrance (in front of the Arlott Bar entrance, used to be the Staff Club reception desk) on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays between 1 pm and 2 pm. Please remember to bring your membership card when returning borrowed items. You can also return items at SUJaS events. If none of the timings above are suitable for you, please contact Miyuki (M.Morioka@soton.ac.uk).

Terms & Conditions
Library catalogue

N.B. If anyone wants to have a delicious professional Japanese meal in their own houses, Jeffery and his wife bring all food and plates etc, cook, serve and wash up. Usual charge £40.00 upwards per head, and I think probably a minimum of 6 people. No maximum!!!! Information from Wendy

1) For anyone needing house decoration, and remembering nostalgically the excellence of Japanese workmanship, you are in luck! Rhoda Bevan’s husband Takeshi Yasuda is a trained interior and exterior house painter, contact him or Rhoda on Tel: 07854 445957.

A message from Glenna Livermore who is studying Japanese, already is part of a very successful Spanish conversation group, and is willing to start up one for Japanese.

For those who feel they would like some opportunity to practise some Japanese conversation, sometime soon I am going to try to start a group. There are two Spanish conversation groups operating in the general Midhurst area which use the same method, and both work really well.

When everyone arrives, names are put on a list. The organiser/host will call out pairs who go off and chat together for 5-10 minutes. Then the pairs are re-arranged again – and so on until everyone has spoken to everyone or time runs out (usually 7.30-9pm). Then, in the case of Spanish, everyone finishes off with some tapas. The person who is hosting the group provides the drinks and everyone else brings along a snack to be put on the table if they can.

There is a notebook with all the emails or phone numbers of all interested people and so whoever offers to host the next conversation (in a month or so’s time) picks up the book. They send out a block email/ phone round to announce the next date which suits them (usually discussed at the end of the previous meeting).

This is a very low-maintenance way of running a group. No-one is in charge and it is self-perpetuating so there is no work to be done, you just need a little core of interested people. Obviously nobody needs to turn up to ALL of them so there is no real commitment required. There is no obligation to host meetings so do not be put off if you live in a bedsit! If people would prefer to meet in a pub or hall, this can be discussed.

There are all levels of Spanish in the existing groups, some have only just begun to learn it – others have lived and worked in Spanish speaking countries, sometime Spanish/Latin American nationals attend. Provided the fluent people are willing to help out beginners to say bits and pieces, it works well because they do get round to having their own fast paced conversation with others in the course of the evening.

My only reservation is that Japanese is such a difficult language and the people I know so far are at a very low level (including myself) and I am not sure how frustrating that will be for the good ones? I think it is invaluable for us low-level ones just to have the chance to say anything, so I think it’s worth a try. Maybe we will improve, maybe kind fluent speakers/ Japanese friends will come along and help us?

To start off I am happy to have the first one in my home (in Midhurst) If nothing else, judged by the Spanish experience, it will be a jolly and sociable evening anyway!

If you are interested, please ring Wendy Arnold on Tel 012730 266992 or email wendy.arnold1@ntlworld.com If there is enough interest we will start a group.

Chisami Tsuchiya at Fairfields Arts Centre