e-vision

The Official Publication of the English Engineering Education
Program of Hokkaido University.

EDITORIALE-VISION

talk of the town
national wealthby jaja gaid

About the Author
Jaja Gaid is in her
second year i n t h emaster’s programwith the Laboratory of Transportation Intelligence.

The valuation of currencies is based on the volumeof gold reserves central banks of countries possess.
But as an effort to stimulate the local economy,
central banks are at liberty to issue money if there
is too little of it circulating in the country. If there
is too much of it, prices will rise. The government’s
role is to strike a balance between what goesaround, and what is saved—to keep the economy
running. Such are the workings of money that it
becomes virtually impossible for economies to stagnate or recede—as long as the circulation issustained—as long as there are domestic
exchanges of goods and services. This is clear,simple logic. But economies do stagnate andrecede—even the US economy is in recession! With
this in mind, let’s see what lessons the developingworld can draw from the latest talk of the townthe US recession!
Over issuance of money for circulation defies thegold standard for money to some degree. Spurringlarge injections of dollars in order to help thedomestic economy recover from the downslides of
9/11 (and all that this entails) put money in circulation in the US without corresponding value in gold
standards, a mild distortion I am ill-equipped to
calculate. The dot-com boom, as the good Professor
Prabhu Guptara would emphasize, was also a
co-agent in circulating even more virtual amounts
as investments rose with no tangible returns.

Here’s the rub: the market operated with too much
virtual money, made and unmade by investments
made also with virtual wealth. When crises set inand the real thing was in demand, stock market
failed. Investment banks start filing bankruptcy.
Take Lehman Brothers (a global investment bank)as the most vivid example of how investment-based
economies are bound to fail because they operate
too much on promised money, not real money
secured according to gold standards. The lesson: goback to the basics. Revert to trade-based economies. To put it more simply, promote barteringwith co-developing countries. Live on the realthings, the basic things, not on markets based
entirely on speculations. The US recession ispartly an outcome of the failure of the stock market
to sustain genuine economic exchange because thesingular medium of trade was money that did notexist!

“The US recession is partly an outcome of
the failure of the stock market to sustain
genuine economic exchange because
the singular medium of trade was moneythat did not exist!”

EDITORIAL E-VISIONAs a non-economist, it also comes to me as a huge
shock why developing countries bustling witheconomic activities fall way below the standard
measure of national wealth—the GDP. Why isthere less income from exporting a thousand tonsof Pacific tuna and more on er… wine and tourism?
Governance may be another story entirely. I itch towrite deeply on the matter; but I find that the best
explanation for this fallacious valuation for moneyis the killer rate, the interest rate. Development
paradigms of developing countries are influenced
by structural adjustment loans, bilateral andmultilateral loans that are made with interest
rates that foster a perpetual loaning system,
putting additional value to money, a value that
doesn’t exist. What is the lesson for the Third
World? Loan less. Loan not. Do not copy the structural prototype of Western cities and build yourown, using a huge loan from a non-answerable,
non-accountable institution called the World Bank.
The third lesson we can derive is based on theenergy crisis. Fact: the US is the largest consumerof oil. Although there are various factors thatcause oil prices to fluctuate, among the most pressing is the issue of supply. On a global scale, about
3 million barrels of oil are supplied to the world
each day. Allow me to exaggerate that all the products we use are a result of petroleum use(acquisition, processing, packaging, transport,
promotion, usage, and disposal). Face it: “we livein the fossil age” (indeed!). Be it a race for the
resource that brought trouble to the Middle East or
oil scarcity that raised the price of every othercommodity, the message is clear for developing
countries: depend less on oil. Resort to alternative
sources of energy and decentralize power sources
to promote locally competitive energy sources. Run
your system based on what you have; the lessdependent on importation, the better.
Fact: national wealth includes natural resource.
Singaporeans are smart. They run a knowledgebased economy. What of the Third World? How weharvest and manage our resources makes GDP themost obsolete measure of wealth. The economic
recession in the States tells us why.

“Development paradigms of developing
countries are influenced by structuraladjustment loans, bilateral and multilateral loans that are made with interest
rates that foster a perpetual loaningsystem, putting additional value tomoney, a value that doesn’t exist. ”

VIEW FROM THE TOPE:VISION

English or Japanese

editor’s note: the e3 program was established to promote English as the official medium
of instruction in the Graduate School of Engineering.
by naoshi baba

A new program for Asian students will start in the
Graduate School of Engineering this October.
This program is supported by METI (Ministry of
Economy, Trade and Industry) and MEXT. The
title of the program can be translated into English
as “Fostering highly educated experts from foreign
students based on the concept of Asian Human
Resource Funds”. The scholarship is awarded toforeign students who are willing to work inindustrial companies in Hokkaido or Japan after
their graduation. In this program foreign students
must take several lectures in Japanese, because
they will work in Japanese industrial companies.
This program reminds me of some Japanese
corporations’ scholarship programs, founded in
the late 90’s. One of their objectives is to provide
scholarship opportunities to privately financed
students from Asian countries who wish to pursue
a master's course in Japan. Applicants are required
to have adequate proficiency in the Japanese
language not only for studying at master's level but
also for understanding Japanese culture.
Both these programs state to aim to foster highly
educated experts who can contribute to promotemutual friendship between their home countries
and Japan. They require Japanese language

proficiency and foreign students need to takelectures in Japanese.
On the other hand, lectures for the e3 students aredelivered in English. Recently it is said that 30%of the lectures should be done in English. Thismeans that Japanese students must have English
language proficiency. It becomes apparent thatJapanese students will have to take lectures inEnglish. For the e3 students it would be desirable
also take some lectures in Japanese.

About the Writer: Prof. Naoshi Baba is a
professor at the Laboratory of Photonics
Engineering, under the Applied Physics andEngineering Course

Prof. Baba appreciates your comments. Kindly
address them to nbaba@eng.hokudai.ac.jp as cc:
Mail to the editor.

VIEW FROM THE TOPE:VISION

boys be ambitious

policy initiatives for internationalizing Japanese universities
by werawan manakul“Japan aims to triple the number ofinternational students in 20 years, anduniversities are expected to increase
the number of international students
I am writing this article in my hotel room in Seoul. a n d f a c u l t y t o 2 0 % a n d 3 0 % ,It is Friday morning and I have been here since respectively.”
Monday evening to attend a workshop on world
university ranking and the Asia Pacific Professional
Leaders in Education Conference. So far
conferences I have attended dealt with engineering
education. This conference therefore provides mean overall picture of higher education not only inthe engineering fields and a glimpse into the efforts
that universities in various countries exert in order
to attract international students.
At the exhibition, there are over 40 booths fromuniversities and education-related organizations.
They represent countries that have long been
destinations for Asian students and many countries
from East and Southeast Asia.
Many presentations describe the latest educational
policy set by their governments. The word
“internationalization” is repeatedly used. Somecountries set numerical targets for the number ofinternational students, as well as faculty. Let’s lookat the country in which we now reside. Japan aims
to triple the number of international students in
20 years, and universities are expected to increase
the number of international students and faculty
to 20% and 30%, respectively. The number ofcourses taught in English should also be increased
to 30%.

Globalization and the IT revolution havecompletely changed the economic landscape. I am
certain that every government realizes that
producing graduates that meet local manpower
needs alone is not sufficient for the country tosurvive. Graduates should be able to compete
locally and internationally.
The workshop and conference I am attending areheld at Yonsei University, the oldest and one of thelargest private universities in Korea. The workshop
is being held at the newly opened Samsung
Library, while the conference is at the engineering
exhibition hall. The library, opened two months
ago, applies the most advance information
technology in every aspect from entering, booking
study cubicles, etc, to posting messages on the eboard.
Besides the library facilities, which stun me, what
impresses me most is the liveliness of Korean
students. I do not know the precise number, but I
roughly count that there must be no less than 30
students assisting conference participants. They
speak English well and very well (with that allAmerican accent). I chat with some of them andlearn that they are undergraduate students. It wasrefreshing having them around.

VIEW FROM THE TOPE:VISION“However being a member of Hokkaido
University I would still like to follow Dr
Clark’s famous parting words, “Boys, beambitious!” Changing the entire university
is an impossible dream but changing our
Graduate School of Engineering is not.”What makes the difference in the outlook of this young
generation growing up in Korea and that in Japan? Koreansb e l i eve t h at i t i s i m p o r t a n t t h at t h ey e m b r a c einternationalization, which inevitably includes theinternational language, in order to compete in the global
market. Universities give incentives to faculty who teach in
English. Parents do their utmost to make sure that theirchildren can speak English and employers regard English as
one of the must have qualifications. On the contrary, while theJapanese government announces, one after another, strategicplans on internationalization and the improvement of English
proficiency of its citizens, most Japanese people regard“internationalization” as someone else’s business.
Woodrow Wilson is reported to have said that it is easier tomove a cemetery than to change a university. I completely
agree with him. However being a member of Hokkaido
University I would still like to follow Dr Clark’s famous
parting words, “Boys, be ambitious!” Changing the entire
university is an impossible dream but changing our Graduate
School of Engineering is not. If all e3 family members, likethe Koreans, regard “internationalization” as their and not
someone else’s business, I am confident in our School
becoming globally competitive – a place we all can be proudof.

About the Writer: Dr. Werawan Manakul is thecoordinator of the English Engineering Education
Program (e3) of the Graduate School of Engineering in
Hokkaido University.

VEW FROM THE TOP E-VISION

sustaining sustainability
what are we really interested in?”by upaka sanjeewa rathnayake

Even though it is very difficult to give anexact, straight forward definition for Sustainability, the term has been well established in
the world in recent decades. However, personally, I find a small fissure in the process bywhich Sustainability is being achieved. Allow
me to talk more about this fissure.
More than Sustainability as a process, mymain question is on the result: are we getting
real output from best practices for Sustainability?
Perhaps yes; but I think these
outputs are not relevant to each other. Most ofthese results come out as highly independentand geographically separate outputs, which I
find lacking in global impact. What I mean to
say is that our current efforts are moreregional in nature, and so we must take somepause and start thinking and acting moreglobally as we are facing global problems
already.
At present, most of our solutions are
situation-based, or region-based. But thealarming threats we are facing, such as CO2
emissions, cover all situations and all regions.
To put it more simply, it is time we think as
one body of people who must act globally tomake the future more livable for the succeeding generations. I apologize for expecting too
much. But this is precisely how the fissure
can be filled.
Newspapers and research journals talk about
various problems, few with possible solutions,more so with the problems. There is an endless report on how humans have caused every
environmental problem known on the planet.
Call me a pessimist. Call me a bore. But it
simply exhausts me to read so much about thehistory of our problems because we cannot
start working from the past. We should start
now. We cannot undo the past so we have toadapt to the current situation and provide
sustainable solutions for future processes in
production, consumption, and growth. Learning should be directed only towards that which
secures us a good future.

“Objectives are best discussed only when
implementation is feasible.
MDGs concern the world; hence, global
implementation is as important.”

VIEW FROM THE TOP E-VISION

With this in mind, I get even more bothered. Why are there research centers fordeveloping new kinds of weapons? Just
when will these weapons be necessary?
And what of the 8 MDGs (Millenium Development Goals)? There are eight propositions ranging from ending poverty by half,
halting the spread of AIDS/HIV, and providing primary education for all. The agreed
deadline is the year 2015. The idea is beautiful, highly ambitious but very good for theworld. My only question is whether or not
we are implementing this globally, or if it isfeasible to even implement these programs
globally. Objectives are best discussed only
when implementation is feasible. MDGs
concern the world; hence, global implementation is as important.
Take for instance the energy issue. Oil is a
non-renewable resource (not unless we live
for another million years), which is unavailable in many countries. The way we havemismanaged this resource in the last fifty
years is not a secret; but because of risingdemands and oil prices, developed countries
are forced to find alternative solutions.
This is good. Really. But their solutions
might not be any better. Some countries
are resorting to getting ethanol from food(corn): the promising future of biofuels.
This, they say, is a sustainable solution for“Situation-based, region-based
thinking gives avenue for distortions in Sustainability principles.”the energy crisis; but it seems very unacceptable, for me for instance, to convert foodto provide energy. There are countries inAfrica with food shortage, with corn as theirstaple food. Maybe the value of food is relative. Rich country. Poor country. What isbest regionally may be globally unacceptable.
Situation-based, region-based thinking
gives avenue for distortions in Sustainability principles. There is a theory that thecurrent wars are entirely about oil. Countries without oil will wage war against
those who have it. Pretty soon we might
have wars for water too—if we do not ceaseto think about what we have or don’t havein our regions.
It is time we think and act and work
together as one people, less as social units
with powerful labels that are difficult to get
rid of: country, color, or faith. To achieve
Sustainability, we must remember we have
one enemy, one goal which extends to the
future generations. Unless we do this, all
our efforts in various scales will be futile.

About the Author
Upaka sanjeewa Rathnayake is in his
second y e a r i n t h emaster’s program with
the Laboratory ofRiver and Watershed

SHOUKAIE:VISION

not just
we-menla carolina.

by david blanco

I walk through the north wing of the faculty ofengineering.
Everything is immaculately clean,squeaky clean, and the whiteness of the walls areblinding! I enter the Laboratory of Urban and Regional
Design, and in the midst of all this newness, I
immediately recognize some feminine touch in theroom: a plant!!! Aroma-rich coffee!!!! And a sweet,
strong Colombian Spanish callout, “Quítese esa barba
que le queda horrible!”
Carolina Blanco, a graduate from the National
University of Colombia, is best remembered for her
active involvement in the English Program (now e3), aformer vice-president (wink!). In 2005, she earned hermasters in Socio-Environmental Engineering. Just lastyear, she married a fellow hokudaisei, Lukasz Zablonski
from Poland, six years after they first met in Bogotá,
where Lukasz himself was a ryuugakusei. Carolina
Blanco-Zablonski is now working on a new attachment
to her name: a Ph. D.
But let’s take advantage of my brotherly status and go
beyond the written facts!

What is the best way to keep fit despite so muchwork?
Every time you stand up from your desk, go running,
move, shake it, stretch. A good posture while sitting isvery important! Going to the swimming pool and readinga good book that’s not related with your field are two
important stress relievers.
As you have been in Japan for many years, howhave your expectations changed?
At the beginning, when you come to Japan you are very
“academically oriented,” but when you face a system thatis so different, you start to broaden your perspective of
the world, introducing more elements to your personality,
specially regarding tolerance and understanding of thedifferent cultural treasures that each culture possesses.
And Japan being such a different country, you start torespect it a lot.
Something from Japan that you will miss for life?
I will miss the security that allows me to do so manythings! To work pretty late at the university, to go homewalking or even coming after 11 pm when going to thegym, to relax in a park with your laptop, or to submit toyour moods and go alone for a drink or downtown forsome dancing. I will also miss my main transport
medium, my bike, not to mention the transportation
infrastructure that makes commuting here so
comfortable, which is not always common in othercountries. Finally I will miss the onigiris, the ikakakiagi
soba and the best sushi on Planet Earth!
If you had the chance to choose again, would you
still choose to be an architect?
A dancer (almost with no hesitation, then adds...) Well... I

A great ending for agreat time, thanks
Carolina! May yourwords echo in our
minds just as yourlaughter echoes
throughout theuniversity!
About the Author:
David Blanco is in his
fi r s t y e a r i n t h emaster’s program with
the Laboratory ofEnvironmental
Systems Research.

would have tried to make both careers...
How can we improve the e3 program?
If classes don’t work well, professors can introduce small
projects instead. In this way, completing a project canmore fulfilling for both students and teachers. Students
should not loose the initiative they have when they
arrive... They should understand and be flexible with thedifferences, but continuously demand the best quality
and at the same time give their best... Always!
What is the difference between being married andnot?
I’m so fortunate to have a very open and self-assured
person like Luckasz for my partner. I can continue withall my activities. Despite all the big challenges andresponsibilities that marriage entails, you know that you
are going to share your lifetime with one person,
enriching each other. This makes you feel better in all
spheres.
Something you have always wanted to do in Japanbut have never done?
Join a contemporary dance group, and climb Mount Fuji.
At the end, everything reduces to.....?
Standing up and going on...
Some words for the newbies?
The world has more than 2000 universities. You havethe fortune to be enrolled in one of the top 150th. You
have access to equipment and excellent facilities so takeadvantage of it! Some Japanese professors might look a
bit shy, but they are geniuses in their own field. Take
advantage of your potentials. The general rule of life:
don't expect anyone to make you happy... Be happy by
yourself!

.

About the Author:
Miss Jintana
Wongta is a firstyear masteral
student at the Water
Quality Control
Engineering
Laboratory of the
Gradaute School ofEngineering.
A u t h o r ’s F a v o r i t e
Quote, by G. Randolf:"Truly great friends are
hard to find, difficult toleave, and impossible
to forget!!!"When did you start your working here in Hokkaido
University?
I came here in July 2007 to start my work at the General
Office of the Faculty of Engineering, and in January 2008
I started at the Academic Affairs Office (AAO). I’m quite
new in this office now.
What are your kyoumu duties at the AAO?
I work with international students, and as well asJapanese students. I mainly work on caring international
students such as medical insurance, dormitory andscholarship applications, procedure related MEXT
scholarships, and the some new projects on international
students started this year. At the office, we always
welcome you and we don’t mind if you’re from overseas
or from Japan.
Where did you study?
Hokkaido is my hometown; but I graduated from Kobe
City University of Foreign Studies, the same university
which Mifue san graduated.
Why Kobe?
(Because) I’m interested in foreign studies. We learned(about) cultures overseas. The Public Universities ofForeign Studies are located only in Osaka, Tokyo andKobe; so I choose Kobe.
Did you work in Hokkaido University right after
finishing your degree?
No, after graduation I went to London to enjoy my life
and improve my English skill for 1 year. After that I cameback to Sapporo and worked at an office doing web
magazine, publishing art and design information. They
publish overseas articles from about 11 different cities
around the world, it was exciting to me.
What’s most interesting about London?
There are many interesting things! For example, they
have a lot of beautiful parks even though it’s a big city, as
you know. In May, there are a lot of roses out there. I
also used to go to clubs and pubs with friends from thedormitory. I lived in the university dormitory, which hasvery international atmosphere with students fromSHOUKAIE:VISION

not just
we-men
our new
academic
affairs officer
by jintana wongta

Hello and haloo! Pacing at the corridors,
armed with a bunch of questions coauthored by my well and able cameraman(Upaka), I had the privilege of interviewing
this very lovely lady, familiar to us all but
actually new to the Academic Affairs
Office, Miss Naoko Ikeno.
overseas such as Portugal, Sweden, Germany, and theUSA.
Did you have any problems while you were in
London?
Yes, of course. One experience was in purchasing thecell phone. I was at a shop and had to ask the salesman
about the payment system and the phone functions. I
couldn’t understand what he was saying, so I had to ask
again and again… may be over 5 times. It was a real
language barrier!
I couldn’t understand every word in speaking English atthat time. I realized facial expressions and bodylanguage are important to survive.
But your English is very good! What would you
advise Japanese students on improving theirEnglish?
Having the opportunity is really difficult, but try to make it.
Do not take it so seriously, just participate in English
classes or groups and have some chat freely, because it
takes practice to expressing yourself in anotherlanguage. Sometimes it might seem difficult to saysomething; in that case, you can see some examples
from text books or some magazines.
Do you have any message suggestion for e3
students when they go to the AAO office?
Most students smile when they come to AAO office; but
some new students seem anxious. I hope them to relief
themselves and enjoy their short time experience here in
Sapporo. ***Please sign for your scholarship every
month ***What do you do in your spare time?
I like to do some handicrafts. I’m planning to sell someworks in the flea market called “Art Market” at Sapporo
Art Park. I’m making Otoshidama envelopes (for New
Year and special envelopes for giving money to children)
to sell there. I’m also interested in wearing Kimono andgoing to Kimono café once a month. Some exhibition
and fortune telling is held there. I have some Kimonofriends to go there with and they are actually ones who
are going to open the shop at Art Market with me.

BEYOND BORDERE:VISION

About the Author: Maiko Akatsuka
is an M2 student at the Laboratoryof Mineral Processing andResource Recycling. She is anactive co-organizer of CEEDsponsored activities for enhanced
interaction between Japanese andforeign students.

yim noi naka

Although I wasn’t able to finish myinternship program, I gained so muchsmile to me
more from it. After getting better, I wasable go to sight seeing places aroundby maiko akatsuka
Bangkok and devour all sorts of fruits,
which are very expensive in Japan! It cost
In August last year, I went to visit me only 150 baht (600 yen) to try each
Thailand for my internship.
fruit and fill my stomach.
I have been studying about thedevelopment of mining and recycling
using several mining technologies. The
theme of my research is on the recyclingof shredder residue of plastics. I wasinterested and so eager to experience areal mine. Unfortunately, in Japan, major
mines have already closed due to various
reasons; so, I wanted to go abroad tohave a real experience in mines.

Last spring, three students from
Chulalongkorn University, Thailand,came to Hokkaido University for theirinternship too. They were among those
who welcomed me back in Thailand lastyear. I did some experiments with themin our laboratory and took them around
Sapporo for sightseeing, as a return of
their hospitality during my stay inThailand.

It was too bad that during my internship,
I fell ill and had to be brought to thehospital. Most of the time, I couldn’t
communicate well with the Thais, evenin English. In Japan, my foreigner friends
talk to me in English with some mix ofJapanese words and at a steady slow
pace. However, at the hospital in
Thailand, the doctor spoke using difficult
medical words. Communicating with thenurses about my illness was also difficult
for me. I really needed to tell them thespecifics, I had to. And I did—the best I
could. And when I began to get better, I
was in better condition to spark
conversations—in English. Through thisexperience. I came to learn that the heartof communication lies in the will tocommunicate.

The internship and the visit of Thaiinterns were very good experiences forme. With foreign students, English isfrequently used to discuss all topics.
There is no other way of communicatingwith them but only through English. So
after my internship, I tried talking morewith my international friends in English
and earned more friends.

THAILAND

Last but not the least, I want to extend
my gratitude to my professor, for givingme the opportunity to visit Thailand. I
also want to give a lot of thanks to theThai professors and students for inviting
me to Thailand and helping me
throughout my stay.

backpacker
trailsaround hokkaido in summer
by mari korhonen

It was mid-June when I finished mythree-month internship at Hokkaido
University. Time had flown by so fast,and in addition to life in the laboratory, I
also wanted to see the other side of Japan
before returning to Finland. Fortunately,or actually on purpose, my plane ticket
was of the flexible kind, so putting in an
extra month for local traveling was quite
easy. I wanted to see the wilderness andnatural beauty for which Hokkaido ismost famous; so I drafted an unfixedplan, packed my backpack, and set out
for the trip I am most excited to tell you
about now.
I got around the regular way, by bus ortrain, and several nights in hostels. I also
got a closer look at the local people inrural Hokkaido by wwoofing andhitchhiking. Having to travel alone felt a
bit lonesome at first. ‘One’ can be alonely number; but I didn’t my options
were limited and so was my time, so I did
what I could do and made the most outof everything, solo. Looking back, I
realize it really was worth my while. I
met many people, had a lot of practicewith my Japanese, and ended up in many
situations that would have not beenpossible if I had been traveling with agroup or a complete plan.

Hokkaido alone. I was lucky to visit twoof them for a week each during mytravels. In exchange for around six hours
of work a day, the wwoofer gets food,accommodation and maybe even friends
for a lifetime. [see: www.wwoofjapan.org
for more info!]

BEYOND BORDERE:VISIONHITCH HIKING, Hokkaido has areputation for being safe, cheap, and easy
way to get around. For some locals, ahitch hiker seems to be the strangest,
most uncommon sight. But that wasnever a problem foe me. My sole problem
was heading once to the wrong direction!
Rental cars and tour buses usually drove
past me. Most tourists going around thearea appear to have fairly fixed patterns.
Since my movements were mostly
random at their best, it was just
impossible at times to get a lift to thedirection to which I wanted to go. Do not
try to resist the planned routes of mass
tourism. They will win! Well, eventuallythat was not a bad thing at all. Usuallysomeone going the other way stopped,
told me there was a nice place they weregoing to see and asked if I wanted to jointhem even though it was nowhere close to
my destination. I got to go to Lake Akan
because of this.

When I came to Japan, I wanted to see
daily life, the real Japan, not just the
tourist attractions. However, after leaving
the lab, I realized that there is so much
more out there, that life in the city evenwith all the matsuri and cultural events isonly such a narrow view of life in
Hokkaido. So I want to say to all: taketime off ! Go beyond Asahiyama zoo!
There's so much more to see (andWWOOFING is a great way to see rural experience)!
Japan by doing volunteer work in organic
farms. There are around 50 host farms in

Hokkaido

About the Author: Miss Mari
Korhonen was an intern at theLaboratory of Urban Water System
Engineering. She is an
u n d e rg r a d u a t e s t u d e n t f ro m
Finland.

BEYOND BORDERS E-VISION

hotter than hot
the hottest summer in my life
by toshikatsu takagi

About the Author: M2 Division of Mechanicaland Space Engineering

I went to Oman from July 1 to September 2 lastyear. I had heard about Oman before as Japan
usually takes on Oman in the World Cup Asian
qualifiers. But the country seemed relatively
unfamiliar to the Japanese, especially me. My
parents too didn’t know so much about Oman.
Mass media covering terrorism in the Middle East
made them more concerned about my trip. But I
must say now, after having been there, that Oman
is a very safe country.
I chose to be trained at an automobile services
company because I wanted to fully understand themechanisms within the automobile. When I was
in 3rd grade, I designed a gasoline engine in classand ever since then my interest in cars grew.
In Oman, there are a lot of immigrants from India
and Sri Lanka—my trainer himself came from thelatter. At first I didn’t know enough technicalterms necessary to repair cars. I was totallydependent on my trainer for help. I read themanuals everyday and kept asking questions.
Later, my trainer let me repair or replace parts bymyself.
The working area was soooo hot. There was no air
conditioning. The temperature hit a maximum 50
C with 90% relative humidity. The room some-times was filled with car exhausts. I sometimes
had severe headaches and dehydration. However,to my surprise, I got to fix a lot of cars despite theterrible environment. The training deepened myunderstanding about automobiles.
After working, I would go to the bar and pool with
my friends. Sometimes we gathered in someone’s
room and discussed war, religion, culture, industry, economy, ways of thinking, and so on—topics I
seldom discuss with the Japanese. I enjoyed thesechats very much. I realized later that it was also
through these that my conversational English
improved—simply by talking!
On the weekends, people in IASETE-Oman took
us around the country to learn about theirculture. We went to the mosques, the beautiful
sea and the fort, among others. We also went toDubai. Dubai, as we all know, is one of theeconomically hot places in the world right now. I
could feel the energy emanating from the highrise buildings (more than 600 m!).
I gained so much from my internship in Omanexperiences I never would have had in Japan. I
felt that my perspectives were broadened and I
believe I learned lessons I will carry on for the restof my life.

BEYOND BORDERSE-VISION

gift of the nilehometown featureby mohamed zakaria hassan

Egyptian history is a rich source of other histories—such as those that led to thedevelopment of the arts or architecture, and the hieroglyphs that gave birth to the writing
system. I, for one, am proud to say that Egypt moved from the prehistoric ages to become
the first country with a documented history—from the age of Pharaohs to being GrecoRoman, then Coptic, and later an Islamic Protectorate. These stages in history reflect theEgyptian character of love, tolerance, heartiness, and hospitality.

I would love for you to google Egypt, sit andhave coffee with me for your questions while
I spill the answers. But as a hometown
feature for Beyond Borders, allow me toorient you with Egypt in ways wikipedia
authors don’t know how. It is difficult to
discuss further with a few lines, because it somuch more than the Pyramids. So let metake you to my hometown, Aswan.

Aswan is Egypt’s southernmost city, the main gate to the rest of Africa.
It opened to tourists since the 19th century. From the riverside you can
see the feluccas (famous sailboats in Aswan). From the hilltops you can
see the mausoleum of Mohammed Shah Aga Khan, spiritual leader of theIsmailis, a Shiite section. You can visit his white Carrara marble tomb,where his widow (the Begum) placed a rose everyday.

BEYOND BORDERSE-VISION

Aswan is within the Nubian lands. Nubianstates, however, disappeared with the rise of
the 1st dynasty in Egypt. The Nubianmuseum showcases 4500 years of Nubianhistory, including a model of the Nubian
house. Abu Simbel is also home to thetemple of the famous Ramses II—among themost impressive temples in the world. His
statue is visible even from several miles of

The Aswan bazaar is among the most beautiful in Egypt. The most famous souvenir isthe shisha (water pipe); but I would also
recommend you to buy traditional spices likethe karkadeh, the indigo and henna fordyeing. You can have the popular henna
tattoos too!
There you go, a personalized guide to Gift of
the Nile. I hope that these vivid descriptions
entice you to come to Aswan and look beyond
the pyramids and into the rich culture andhistory of the land I am blessed to belong.

About the Author: Mohamed Zakaria Hassan isin his 3rd year of doctoral studies at the Laboratory of Engineering for Maintenance Systems.

distance, watching his visitors come 3100
years later. Next to it is a smaller temple
dedicated to Hathor, idol of love, and Queen
Nefertari—his favorite among 6 wives (withwhom he had a hundred children!). He
definitely had time for everything—apartfrom commanding troops and building anempire! To date, the Abu Simbel temple isvenue for the biannual Sun Festival, which
actually also recalls the Nubian culture!

THE LIGHTER SIDEE:VISION

sushi toburgers“However, the Japaneselabel for slimness will
gradually fade away. In a
decade or two, when kids
celebrate their “comingof-age day,” you may see
most of them squeezing
into their kimono or
hakama.”saving the shape of anationby mifue shimemura

According to the statistics presented
by the Japanese Immigration Officeback in 2007, the number of people
who entered Japan in that year was
almost twice that in 2002. One of themain reasons is that the Japanese
government has been inviting ourneighbors, South Korea and China,
to come and visit Japan. However, I
am sure that this isn’t the only reason
we are having more and more tourists
coming in. You might say there aremany elements in Japan that attract
tourists from all over the world, suchas advanced technologies, electronic
devices, cars, anime, pop-culture,kawaii stuff (Hello Kitty!), tradition,
history…and the last but not the least,
one must not forget Japanese cuisine.
Before I wrote this article, I asked
people randomly online as to “whythey chose Japan,” and I got a few
variations with the answers, all ofwhich included one fact: food isgreat!!! If you watch Hollywood
blockbuster movies often like I do, youwill understand what I mean when
you see at least once that they always
have this scene of people eating Sushi
or discussing Sushi. If you readinterviews with Hollywood movie
stars, you will be surprised how manyof them say “Sushi!”, when asked
about their favorite dish. That’s right!
Japanese food gets more attention
around the world. People think that
the Japanese tend to be slim because
they only eat good and healthy
Japanese food everyday, such as fish,beans and sea weed, which are allfiber-rich. However, the Japaneselabel for slimness will gradually fadeaway. In a decade or two, when kids
celebrate their “coming-of-age day,”you may see most of them squeezing
into their kimono or hakama.

About the Author: Miss Mifue
Shimemura is the assistant to thedirector of the English engineering
education program.

understand why this is happening: wehave too much food everywhere.
Wherever you turn, there are many
convenient stores full of junk foods. I
believe that if you have to walk to aconvenient store that is 20 blocks
away because you are thirsty, 80%
will be happy with just water. The restof the 20% will get a soda orsomething; but they get the exercise ofwalking 20 blocks too! Doesn't thissound better for Japan's future?
Actually, having a lot of food should
not be such a big issue if what you eat
is good old Japanese traditional food,low-cal and cholesterol-free; but that
simply is not the case. After theSecond World War, Japanese people
worked harder and harder to makethis country better and moreadvanced, which introduced quick
and easy meals, such as fast food or
instant noodles. Also, meat and milk
products were introduced around thattime. Today, these things are part ofour diet.

One survey says that, the death ratefrom heart diseases out of 100,000
people in Japan is 65.1 while in the
U.K. it is 225.0, almost 4 times higher.
Western countries have more people
dying of heart diseases than of cancer
due to the food they have been eating(meat and dairy products). This isPeople who are reading this article precisely why they have started to
wh i l e l i v i n g i n Ja p a n s h o u l d a p p r e c i a t e Ja p a n e s e f o o d — a s

reflected by these frequent sushi
scenes in movies. It is very interesting
and at the same time ironic that theJapanese people are turning awayfrom Japanese food, while more nonJapanese people are becoming awareof the benefits of Japanese food.
30% of all Japanese men that are in
their 30’s to 60’s are said to be obese
today. That is not a small number.
Many wise people have said thatchange is a necessary step for the
better, and I cannot agree more.
However, it is important to know whatneeds to be changed and what not to.
Living long is not everything, butliving healthy is what everyone
desires, right? For the bright future ofthis country, we need to destroy
convenient stores!!! No, we just needto realize again how important it is to
be back to our old customs: eating
p l a n t p ro t e i n w i t h p l e n t y o fvegetables and beans. Now, whether
you are Japanese or not, we all live inJapan, a great country that can offer
us healthy food. Let's learn how tomake Japanese food and get healthier.
When you go back to your country,
tell your family and friends that sushi
and tempura are not the only foodfrom Japan. A final message to theJapanese readers (myself included):
we cannot keep whistling around,
thinking “we Japanese cannot get toobig.” We are being forewarned.