Vol. 31
Nov. 2021①③①Lotus, the National Flower of Vietnam②Mid-Autumn Festival Star Lantern ③Traditional Moon
Cake ④ Handmade Mid-Autumn Festival Toy

Children Listening to Mid-Autumn Festival Explanation→
With the help of our instructors,
Hong and Le, we were able to makesome cute lanterns made from vinyland bamboo after a lot of hardwork.
Though we were about one monthlate, we enjoyed learning about theMid-Autumn Festival and took photos alongside our handmade lanterns, Vietnamese mooncakes, andbeautiful lotus flowers.

What is the Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival?
Known as Tết Trung Thu in Vietnamese, it is celebrated annually on the 15th of the 8th month on the lunisolar calendar(Sep. 21 on the Gregorian calendar). It is a traditional holiday
in which children play a leading role, engaging in moonviewing and giving thanks for a good harvest. About 2
months before the festival, mooncake stalls open, and they
have sales competitions like the ones held in Japan aroundChristmas. While children play with brilliant paper lanterns,
the adults make mooncakes filled with mung beans, quaileggs, and pork, and the whole family parties into the night.

Thắng làmvua, thua làm
giặc.
Diagram used on the day of the event.

Table of ContentsVietnamese Moon Festival

１

English Writing Camp

２

From Saijo to the World

２

Family Trivia Night

３

Putting Your Hometown
Taxes to Work

4International Relations INFO ４

Become an SIEA Member for 2021!
Every year, SIEA recruits new members interested in cross-cultural activities. Paying membership dues is one way to help support SIEA and get involved.

【Yearly Dues】Individuals: 1,000 yen, Students (up to HS) 500 yen, Groups 10,000 yen【Membership Length】 Day of Sign-up ～ March 31, 2022
【Application Process】 After filling out the Member Application Form, please submit it to the SIEA office.
（Download the form from the official website of City Hall, every Branch Office, or every Community Center, orthe SIEA homepage.)※ Members receive information on SIEA activities, the SIEA newsletter, and discounts on SIEA events. For more
information, please contact the SIEA office.
International Relations SAIJO is a newsletter published by the Saijo International Exchange Association (SIEA). Feel free to contact us with yourcomments, questions, and submission requests.

Saijo International Exchange Association (SIEA): 164 Akeyashiki New Bldg. 2F, Saijo, Ehime 〒793-8601
TEL:(0897)56-5151 EXT:2292 FAX:(0897)52-1386 E-mail: info@saijo-iea.jp URL: http://www.saijo-iea.jp/

Oct. 24, 2021 at Welfare Center Assembly Hall

④Vietnamese Moon Festival②

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2

International Relations SAIJO

Intl. Exchange Events
Here’s our report on events that were held between August and October of 2021!
Due to COVID-19, large social events couldn’t be held, and events that wereheld had to abide by mask regulations, sanitization rules, and attendee limits
to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

※For event updates, check our homepage or our Facebook page!

８

English Writing Camp
【Aug. 9, 2021 ～ All 4 Sessions Online】

The English Writing Camp was held over 4 sessions,starting on Aug. 9 and ending on Aug. 31. Two of our
local ALTs, Andrew and Megan, ran the camp, with
11 Saijo residents, ranging from high school students
to adults, in attendance. Despite having to hold theevent online due to the spread of COVID-19, boththe lecturers and attendees quickly adapted to thechanges, and everything went smoothly.
In the lesson where teachers and students introduced their favorite books, I was amazed by theamount of reading everyone did, from famous books
like “MOMO” and the Harry Potter series to moreniche titles. By the way, my favorite Western book is“Curious George.”

Gee, I haven’t gone camping in years.

８ From Saijo to the WorldThe Intl. Exchange Promotion Team held 【Aug. 4, 2021 ～ Sep. 30, 2021 ・Iyo Bank, Saijo Branch】
its “From Saijo to the World” exhibition. Heldfrom Aug. 4 (Wed.) to Sep. 30 (Thurs.) in theSaijo Branch Office of Iyo Bank, many visitors stopped by and deepened theirknowledge about foreign cultures.

Besides the information board,
there were real jackets, dresses, andhats on display. We can’t wait to see
what they have in store for us next!
Saijo International Exchange Association (SIEA): 164 Akeyashiki New Bldg. 2F, Saijo, Ehime 〒793-8601
TEL:(0897)56-5151 EXT:2292 FAX:(0897)52-1386 E-mail: info@saijo-iea.jp URL: http://www.saijo-iea.jp/

d3International Relations SAIJO

Family Trivia Night９【Sep. 25, 2021 ・ Komatsu Community Center】

Local ALT Joshua hosted the Family Trivia Night,
based on group trivia games popular in Australia. Though it was the first of its kind for SIEA, 23
people across 5 teams were able to participate. Difficult questions come part and parcel
with trivia nights, and with lavish prizes on theline, both children and adults did their very best
to step up to the challenge.

It’s pretty
difficult.…

The back-and-forth in English and Japanese between Joshua and Megan was delightful, and the event turned out to be quite wonderful and full of smiles. We’re going to hold a second Family Trivia Night, so if you’re interested, please participate!
By the way, a reporter from local free magazine “Faveur” was also there. As expected, their photos were many times better than ours. I hope that my photographyskills get to that level someday!

１０ Kawarazu Beach Cleanup【Oct. 31, 2021 ・ Kawarazu Beach】
Lions Club International reached out to us, so
our group of 6, made up of people from ouroffice and some ALTs, helped out at the Kawarazu Beach Cleanup. Bending down toclean the beach did a number on my backdue to all the sitting at my desk job, but thebeach was very clean after we were done.
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
We consulted with everyone involved ・・
and ultimately decided on cancelling ・・・・
this year’s Halloween Party.
・・・
It was heartbreaking to cancel the・・・
event two years in a row, but with・・
COVID-19 still around, it’d be pretty
・・・
difficult to hold. We hope that next・・・
year things get better so we can get・・・
our Halloween Party up and running・

１０ Halloween Party
Cancelledagain!

In-Person Language Classes

１１ Resumed

Due to the spread of COVID-19, inperson classes were suspended in August,
but all in-person classes resumed startingon Nov. 2. I’d like to express my thanks to
all the students who had to adapt toonline classes on such short notice.
We’re currently holding 3 English classes,
2 Chinese classes, and 2 Vietnameseclasses. If you have any suggestions on
how to improve our classes, please let us
know! <(_ _)>Saijo International Exchange Association (SIEA): 164 Akeyashiki New Bldg. 2F, Saijo, Ehime 〒793-8601
TEL:(0897)56-5151 EXT:2292 FAX:(0897)52-1386 E-mail: info@saijo-iea.jp URL: http://www.saijo-iea.jp/

4International Relations SAIJO＼Important Message from SIEA／

Putting Your Hometown Taxes to WorkSIEA is one of Saijo’s designated non-profit organizations, withits funding primarily derived from hometown taxes.
The hometown tax system allows you to receive refunds on
your income tax and deductions on your resident tax for theportion of your donation exceeding 2,000 yen, up to the maximum deduction amount. Both Saijo residents and people living
outside of Saijo are eligible to receive these tax deductions. 90%of the donated amount goes towards SIEA activities. However,
Saijo does not offer any added benefits or gifts for donations.
Some of you may have already paid hometown taxes to othercities, towns, or villages, but please consider making a donation
if you haven’t already hit the maximum deduction amount.

Please take care of us from now on!

If you are considering paying hometown taxes, please contact the SIEA office.

★ E★

You can also search for 「ふるさと納税 西条市NPO指定寄付」 (currently only available inJapanese) on Google, Yahoo!, or any other search engine, and at the top...

A★
There should be a link by Furusato Choice, titled, “ふるさと納税を活用した「NPO等指定寄附制度」を開始しました！”. You can also use the link below:

https://www.furusato-tax.jp/feature/detail/38206/7461
You can make donations directly through this website, so please consider donating.

InternationalUnderstanding
Lecture Series

International Relations INFO★

★

Indonesia
Republik Indonesia

12/19/2021 13:30 ～ 15：30
Location: Welfare Center, Meeting Room 2
Date and Time: 2/19/21 （Sun.）
1:30 p.m. ~ 3:30 p.m. （Doors open at 1:10 p.m.）

For ES Students and up ・ Apply in advance!
※ Please contact SIEA to apply.

J P C la ss esJapanese
Language
ClassFreeOfCharge

Find the right one for you!

Know anyone looking for the right Japanese class?
SIEA helps foreigners studying Japanese find the perfect class for them.
Attend a Japanese class that fits your schedule and needs, and enjoy your time inSaijo! You can visit our homepage, call our phone number, or meet with us in-person
for more information!

Editiorial There’s only one more month left in 2021!
Comments I look forward to your continued support next year
too!

International Relations SAIJO Staff:
Readable in
Minoru Tokumasu
Kondo
Full Color!

Saijo International Exchange Association (SIEA): 164 Akeyashiki New Bldg. 2F, Saijo, Ehime 〒793-8601
TEL:(0897)56-5151 EXT:2292

FAX:(0897)52-1386

E-mail: info@saijo-iea.jp

URL: http://www.saijo-iea.jp/