Thank you!
Vol. １０

SIEA One Year AnniversaryMarch 2016

～Helping build connections～Contents
SIEA one yearanniversary!

1

Industry Culture Fair
volunteers wanted2

Accepting 2016 SIEA
program proposals

2

Saijo Tourism Survey(Saijo High School)2

Vietnam Note: From
Hue to Japan

3

My JOCV Experiencein Niger3

Eigo de G0!
(English column)

4

Events &Announcements

4

Nishantha speaking at thefirst general meeting (May)

Mummy game at the Saijo
Halloween Party (Oct.)The sound of children shouting, “Trickor Treat!” The smell of grilling Vietnamese meatballs. The feeling of joining
hands and swaying to Hawaiian music.
All of these sensations from theseevents are fresh in my mind. But thedeepest impression from the first year ofSIEA is the feeling of accomplishment
after working together with individuals
and organizations. Our individual
strengths became a powerful force.
From my perspective as a coordinator
for international relations, the establishment of SIEA in Feb. 2015 has noticea-

bly expanded international exchange inSaijo. There are many new friendships,
and I believe that we were all able tohave fun while broadening our horizons.
SIEA’s activities are not limited toevents, but also include language courses, host family coordination, and otherwork to make Saijo a more international,more interesting place. SIEA also supports non-Japanese living in the city.
Our first year had its share of uncertainty and growing pains, but I am looking forward to how the association grows
and changes in its second year. (J)【Annual Membership Fee】
International Relations
Saijo is a quarterly

English culture at theAfternoon Tea lesson (Jan.)

Individual: 1,000 yen, Student: 500 yen,
Organization: 10,000 yen【Membership Period】 April 1, 2016 - March 31, 20172016-17 SIEA

newsletter published in【How to become a member】

Japanese, English and(Current members) We will send you information
about renewal in the mail.
(New applicants) Complete a membership formand submit it to the SIEA office (Saijo City International Affairs Section).
(membership forms available at city facilities and for download online)＜https://www.city.saijo.ehime.jp/soshiki/somu/kokusaikoryu-boshu.html＞

Vietnamese by the Saijo
International Exchange
Association (SIEA). We
welcome your comments,questions and submissions.

Saijo International Exchange Association 164 Akeyashiki, Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture 〒793-8601
TEL(0897)52-1206 FAX(0897)52-1200 E-mail: kokusai@saijo-city.jp URL: http://www.city.saijo.ehime.jp

2International Relations Saijo
16th Saijo Industry Culture Fair
~Volunteer Staff Wanted~

The 16th annual Saijo Industry Culture Fair features local products, performances, a tug-of-war competition, and more. The Saijo International Exchange
Association will hold a “World Food and Activity Corner” where Saijo residents can enjoy learning aboutother cultures.
We are recruiting volunteers to help us staff thisbooth. Volunteer at any time during the day for as
long as you like! Enjoy the festival with new friends
from all over the world.
◆Time: April 29 9 a.m.~4 p.m. (Fri, holiday)◆Place: Saijo central shopping arcade (The SIEA
booth will be in an unused shop space)◆Details: Café corner (selling world food, coffee,etc.), culture exhibits, SIEA member organization
activity introductions, games, and more
◆To Apply: Call or e-mail the Saijo InternationalExchange Association office (Let us know what times
you are available to volunteer)◆Application deadline: April 8 (Fri)★Come in ethnic clothing or borrow something towear from us!

観光アンケート！

Now accepting proposals for2016 SIEA programs
The Saijo International Exchange Association
aims to give individuals the opportunity to support
international exchange in many different ways. Accordingly, we accept program and activity proposals
from our members.
Proposals must be made according the guidelines
below. We look forward to hearing your ideas!
◆All association members are eligible to apply.
◆Proposed programs should promote international
exchange in Saijo.
◆How to apply: Consult with us and submit a“Saijo International Exchange Association Program
Proposal Form”◆Deadline: March 31 (Thu)◆Apply to: the SIEA office. The executive committee will review and make the final decision.

Let’s work together!!!

Tourism Survey!

外国人の皆さん対象西条観光に関するアンケート（西条高校生による）
Saijo tourism survey for foreign residents/visitors (by Saijo High School students)○西条市や愛媛県を対象とした外国人向けの観光プランを考えています。アンケートにご協力ください。
○We are working on a tourism plan of Saijo City and Ehime Prefecture for foreigners. Please cooperate bycompleting this questionnaire.

日本語English1) 西条市を観光するならば、どのようなところを観光したいですか？
2) 西条市の魅力は何だと思いますか？（外国人旅行者の視点で）
3) 観光の内容としてどのようなことを求めますか？
4) 旅行客として西条市や愛媛県を観光するならば、どのような体験をしてみたいですか？
5) 東京・大阪・京都のような日本を代表する観光地に対し、西条市や愛媛県のような地方の観光に何を求めますか？
6) 西条市や愛媛県を観光するにあたって、どのようなことを期待しますか？

1) What place do you want to travel to if you travelin Saijo City?
2) What do you find charming in Saijo City?
3) What kind of sightseeing do you usually want to do?
4) If you can travel around Ehime or Saijo seeing
the sights as a tourist, what kind of experience doyou want to have?
5) What do you ask to see when sightseeing in
Ehime or Saijo in comparison with tourist sites thatrepresent Japan (i.e. Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto)?
6) What do you expect when you go sightseeing in
Ehime or Saijo?

回答はkokusai@saijo-city.jpに提出してください。ご協力ありがとうございます。
Please submit answers to kokusai@saijo-city.jp Thank you for your cooperation!
Saijo International Exchange Association 164 Akeyashiki, Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture 〒793-8601
TEL(0897)52-1206 FAX(0897)52-1200 E-mail: kokusai@saijo-city.jp URL: http://www.city.saijo.ehime.jp

International Relations Saijo

Vietnam Note: From Hue to Japan
Doraemon and Detective Conan are famous aroundthe world. Thanks to watching a lot of anime as achild, I fell in love with Japanese culture. And in order to know more about this culture, I studied Japanese at the Hue Junior College of Education. Japanese is easy and interesting, and I did my best.
Last April, I participated in the 2015 Hue Traditional Craft Festival as a volunteer. There I met visitors from Saijo. It was my first time meeting Japanese people, and though I was worried because I had
difficulty understanding them, everyone was kindand treated me like a friend. I was very grateful. In
particular, Mayor Aono was courteous and active; hebrightened the atmosphere around him.
Japanese people are not just active, but always respect the rules and value working in groups. Whileworking, everyone helps each other tirelessly regardless of their position. While we were preparing for thefestival, I was surprised to see a department manager
picking up pieces of garbage. This is something thatbosses in other countries would not do. I was bornand raised in Hue City, and I’m proud that I was able
to work with the Saijo group.
Japan has so many good qualities, and so I just had
to visit. In October I came to Japan as an exchange
student and am now studying at the Osaka Japanese
Language School. Living here is more difficult than I
thought it would be, and I balance studying and a3part-time job every day
to support myself. Moreover, living apart frommy family is difficult. I
could not eat Japanese
food, so I lived on instantramen for a wholemonth. However, while
there are many difficult
things about living here,
I do not dislike Japan.
That’s why I can keep
working hard.
Living in Japan is difficult, but it is also convenient. First, the education methods are good.
2015 Hue Traditional Craft
Festival (author is on right)
Public transportation isconvenient, and the air isclear. And Japanese services are excellent. There aremany people who are very sensitive, so development
in Japan is rapid.
I want to have many experiences here in Japan andto learn from the Japanese way of living, and when I
graduate from language school I would like to entercollege. Then I want to be a translator for people
working in Saijo.
May these dreams come true. (Nguyen Thi ThanhThuy)

International Exchange in Africa

security that Japan is blessed with, and I want mystudents to grow into capable international citizens.
From September 2006 to April 2009 I worked in the With that hope in mind, I tell my students about myWest African nation of Niger for the Japan Overseas
experiences in Africa.
Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV). My work—the promoFurthermore, JOCV alumni in Saijo created thetion of health education—took place in the Dosso re“International Exchange Promotion Association,”gion. The mortality rate for children under 5 is high, which organizes fun, informative events such as exhiwith diarrhea the leading cause of death. From thisbitions with themes such as “world clothing, food, andsituation I could see the importance of elementary ed- lifestyles,” workshops, cooking classes, and more.
ucation. I created a health textbook and visited apWe will be introducing our activities at the SIEA
proximately 200 schools, holding training sessions
booth at the Saijo Industry Culture Fair on April 29.
with teachers and residents. I will never forget visitWe hope to see you there! (Midori Satake)ing remote villages inaccessible by public transit and←The author teaching in Niger
lacking water and electricity. I would borrow a pack↓International Exchange
donkey and bring a projector and generator to show
Promotion Association
videos in information sessions.
The diverse values of the people I met during mytime with JOCV has had a big impact on who I amnow. Over those 2 years and 7 months I was struck by
the importance of education, and of making the mostof our fleeting lives.
Currently I work as an educator at an elementary
school in my hometown of Saijo. I am grateful for theSaijo International Exchange Association 164 Akeyashiki, Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture 〒793-8601
TEL(0897)52-1206 FAX(0897)52-1200 E-mail: kokusai@saijo-city.jp URL: http://www.city.saijo.ehime.jp

4International Relations Saijo

Eigo deGO!

Puzzle Pieces for Difficult Vocab—Rooting Out Long Words—

Do you know the meaning of the wordroots you know, the more puzzlingwords you can piece together without
using a dictionary.
Latin roots are an even more funda-“arachnophobia”? It doesn’t even look like English,

mental part of English vocabulary. Fundamental roots

does it? Can you guess the meaning by looking at it?

such as “pre” (before, as in “previous”), “post” (after, as

English has a long history and has been influenced
by many languages over centuries. The biggest influences are Greek and Latin. Many “roots” in English
vocabulary originate in these two languages.
For example, the above “arachnophobia,” can be broken down into “arachno” (spider) and “phobia” (fear).

in “postscript”), “in” and “im” (unable, as in“impossible”) are the key to countless English words.
Even if you do not know a word, the more you study
the more connections you will make. It is the samewith Japanese kanji. For those who want a grounding
in English, why not try putting down deep “roots”? (J)Put them together and you have “a fear of spiders.”
Many fears follow this pattern, and if you study Greek
roots you will be able to guess their meanings. For example: agoraphobia, claustrophobia, xenophobia
Greek roots are not behind just fears, but play a big
part in a wide variety of special terminology in fields
such as medicine and law.
High school students in English-speaking countries
study these roots. They are thought to be essential
knowledge for college entrance examinations. I also

Root Riddles ～語根のなぞなぞ～
Word
RootMeaning
1. arachnophobia arachno
fear of spiders(Greek)phobia2. bibliophile(Greek)bibliophile

3. inscribe(Latin)

inscrib

often recommend them to my adult students. The more

Events & Announcements
From the Saijo International Exchange Association
2016 General Meeting◆Time: May 29 (Sun) 1 p.m.
◆Place: Saijo City Office 5F Main Conference Room“Like” the new Saijo Facebook page in Vietnamese!
Vietnamese CIR Truong Dinh Le has started a
Facebook page to show people back home all about
Saijo’s charms. The page features many photos inaddition to articles in Vietnamese and Japanese, so“like”
us on Facebook.

Details about the 2016 General Meeting will be distributedby mail with the 2016-17 membership renewal form or bypostcard. We hope that all members will attend.
Inquiries: Saijo International Exchange Association office

独立行政法人国際協力機構 JICA四国からのお知らせ「JICAボランティア募集」～僕たちにできることは必ずある～①青年海外協力隊/日系社会青年ボランティア②シニア海外ボランティア/日系社会シニア・ボランティア
あなたの技術・経験を開発途上国で生かしてみませんか？現地の人々と協働しながら、人づくり、国づくりに協力します。
対象：①満20~39歳、②満40~69歳（2016年4月1日現在）※日
本国籍を持つ人
申込：募集期間/2016年4月1日（金）~5月9日（月）応募書類配布場所/JICA四国、県国際交流協会、役場◆HP：http://www.jica.go.jp/volunteer/seminar/shikoku/◇◆問い合わせ先◆◇
独立行政法人国際協力機構JICA四国℡：087-821-8824

Editor One year has flown by since the Saijo InterN o t e s national Exchange Association was estab-lished. We were able to meet many people

through our activities and are grateful for their support. Nothing motivates me more than hearing, “Iwant to do this again!”（か）International Relations Saijo Staff:
Sachi Kawaguchi（か）Truong Dinh Le（レ）John Wheeler （J） (English translation)

Saijo International Exchange Association 164 Akeyashiki, Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture 〒793-8601
TEL(0897)52-1206 FAX(0897)52-1200 E-mail: kokusai@saijo-city.jp URL: http://www.city.saijo.ehime.jp