boy soprano

I visited David's blog site today. He found a video from a British TV show called 'Britain's Got Talent'. He said that he almost started crying when he watched the video of a 13-year-old boy singing "PIE JESU".

I love to listen to boy soprano, and I have a CD including "PIE JESU", it is one of my favorite.

Just my opinion, soprano is the only boy voices for me. Of course, I don't mean female voices is not good. But boy's are short-lived voices, so the temporary nature gives me a special feeling.

And, I'm not a christian, but I love listening to anthem. I had a chance to listen to anthem by a cathedral chorister in Paris by chance. In the sacred atmosphere, I couldn't stop crying from the angel voices.

I'd like to show you this video.
The original poster gives us information,: "Aled Jones performing O Holy Night, first as a young Aled, then Aled today."

I think the BBC's editing team did a great job. Don't you think so?



"O Holy Night"

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!

Thank you for reading.

World Refugee Day

Do you know 20 June is World Refugee Day?

We are entire ignorance about the refugee.
I hope the day will be our good chance to think urgent refugee issue.

I'd like to introduce "The Tokyo Refugee Film Festival".
A lot of films will play in small venues, and admission is free.

Especially, I recommend you to see a film titled "Kite Runner".
But I think this film will have a high popularity, so it's better to arrive in plenty of time and keep a seat.
Doors are scheduled to open 30 minutes before each screening.



The Tokyo Refugee Film Festival

In celebration of World Refugee Day on 20th June 2008, UNHCR and Japan for UNHCR proudly present the 3rd Annual Tokyo Refugee Film Festival.

The Tokyo Refugee Film Festival is becoming a vital component of UNHCR's year round action plan to raise awareness of the plight and triumphs of the world's 33 million refugees and internally displaced persons. A select array of films from across the globe gives voice to seldom-heard stories of hope, despair and resilience. The select films give voice to seldom-heard stories of hope, despair and resilience from across the globe.

Dates: 20 (World Refugee Day) - 27 June 2008
Fee: Free Entry (No need to RVSP: first come, first served)
Venues: Goethe-Institut Japan
Instituto Cervantes de Tokio
Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Tokyo
L'Institut Franco-Japonais de Tokyo
NHK Fureai Hall
Organizers: UNHCR Representation in Japan
Japan for UNHCR
Contact: 03-3499-2310 (UNHCR Representation in Japan, Public Information)
jpntofes@unhcr.org

Thank you for reading.

good story

I always read technical books for a paper of my assignment. Most of them are written by specialist in the each field. With your permission I don't think they have a talent for writing, so I sometimes feel sick from clumsy phrasing of them.

Today, I decided to look for a book which provides a joy of reading. Then, when I was hanging around in the library, my eyes meet a book by chance, titled "Live in earnest! Something changes!." Huh? You don't have to tell me, I live seriously everyday, I think. This sort of book must be a how-to-book which I hate.

However I checked several pages to know what kind of wise act he recommended. But he said heart-warming episodes of interpersonal encounter. It seemed not so bad. Then I borrowed it just to kill time.

Well, although I've just started reading now, I'm glad I decided to borrowed this book. I will tell you a little.


A elderly man got onto a bus to go home. But he noticed the bus was not for him, and it was a long-route bus. He asked a guide of the bus to get him out before the bus enters a mountain pass. However the guide refused his request. She explained that she could not do that because every passenger would ask to stop at where he/she wanted, if she admitted the irregular case of him.

However, after the guide whispered to the driver, she announced like this,: "Your attention, please. This bus is reaching a mountain pass. So, to check the brake is on, this bus will stop just to make sure."


I like this story. I wonder this kind of things has been still common in the country side. I'm looking forward to going on reading.

Thank you for reading.

Getting on subway

Tonight, I watched a movie titled "Getting on subway" on TV for the first time. I've read the novel several years ago. Although I had known to make a movie from the novel, I didn't want to see the movie. Because the description in the novel was a full of nostalgic feeling, I had thought it would be difficult to describe the nostalgic world by film.

However the movie wasn't ruined by excess performance. The main character, Shinichi Tsutsumi, was very good with natural performance.
All of the sets looks quite cheap, but the story line was kept in an effort.

The theme for the story is something feeling continuous everywhere, it's linking even from past to present. The main character experiences time-travels by subway, then sees the history of his father whose heart was screwed by the war.

After seeing this movie, you might feel that you know nothing about your dearest family and friends. And, you might feel that it's not so bad to talk with your dearests about each other's past.

Thank you for reading.

Shunsuke

Now, the referee blowed the whistle for half-time.

Japan scored two points in the first half!! Good job, Nakazawa and Ohkubo!!

Japan can not afford to lose tonight. To win at an away game is much harder than at a home game.

My favorite player, Shunsuke, has suffered his leg injury, but he looks fine so far. He shows his strong will to win.

Now, it starts the last half game of a qualification match against Oman. Go for it, Shunsuke!


PS

The game is over!
Wow, Shunsuke got a goal in several minutes of the second half!!!

You did it, Shunsuke!!!
Your right leg is also great as well as your left's.

Don't say he is only free-kick specialist, any more!


Under Troussier coach, he was not selected as a member of Japan's national team. I was very shocked at that time. But he said the experiences made him grow up strongly, he noticed he was arrogance until that moment. He knew that if he has not that experience, he keeps thinking he was superior than other players. Yeah, he is right. If he had a kind of that feeling, he could not have become a great team player. I'm really glad Shunsuke became the biggest star of national team.


Japan has an away game in Oman on June 7. The announcer said the temperatures in Oman have reached 40 degrees centigrade recently. Have no fear! Hold on,Japan!

Thank you for reading.

The Apartment

Why'd it have to be chilly today? It's April tomorrow it's it? I've already put away the kotatsu(a kind of heater) the day before yesterday. That's just the way of it? But I shouldn't complain of the temperature of Tokyo. This area is much better than the north part of Japan. The weather forecast said the north part are covered with snow again. The buds of cherry must be freezing there.


I watched an old black-and-white film titled "The Apartment". It was more excellent than I expected. The film made me feel at ease. Jack Lemmon was something else. He played Baxter who was lonely clerk for an insurance company, and was the best person to play this role. And the film director is Billy Wilder, Jewish-American. He is a great storyteller, especially when it comes to bitter irony, comical, heartwarming stories.

Here's one of the comical scenes in the movie. It was when Baxter met Sheldrake(Fred MacMurray), who is the personnel director, for the first time. I don't remember the lines correctly, but it was like these. Baxter was called from Sheldrake, so he was expecting to be promoted. But Sheldrake blamed him because Sheldrake had known some his managers made him lend his apartment as their love nest in return for his promotion. Baxter excused himself why it happened with four managers, and promised him to refuse them any more. --Baxter just wanted to do so because he caught a cold staying at a bench of the park through the night.-- After hearing that, Sheldrake called the managers four rotten apples. Baxter said by way of apology "Only four in all employees shot are small ratio." Even though Sheldrake blamed him, he hoped to use his apartment same like four managers. Then Sheldrake asked Baxter that he had to be quick-thinking person if he deserved the post. So, Baxter replied "Both four rotten apples and five rotten apples are about the same ratio." It was so funny!!


Because of my strange English, you wouldn't understand what would be funny. But you don't have to understand. Just check it out. I really recommend it for you. This is not only comedy but also heart-warming human story. I'm sure everybody like it.


Wikipedia : The Apartment

S diary

Thanks to my sister, I could get a DVD that I've wanted to watch. The title is "S diary"

The film tells the story of a freshly dumped women named Jini(Kim Sun Ah) go to meet all her three ex-boyfriends to make sure if they loved her at that time. However the first Ku Hyeon(Lee Hyeon Woo) who is a solemn priest, the second Jeong Seok(Kim Soo Roo) who is a vehicle-addicted police, and the third Yoo In(Gong Yoo) who is a spoiled fledgling comic artist are all indifferent to old ex girlfriend, so she is treated as a nuisance by them. Then, she decide to send each of them a bill which is converted her relationships into cash.

Most of the comedy scenes were too stupid. I laughed a bit, but this kind of childish jokes were not my cup of tea. However the ending was so good. I like it! I've noticed something that the director wanted to show what is romance.

I was thinking like that watching the ending. We know our feelings are temporarily and uncertain, it seems as if nobody live a same world, and any worlds aren't real being. But that's why we call for making love each other. If we could guess everything clearly, what would be fun?

Apart from that, Gong Yoo was so cute!! I know Jini's feeling, am not interested in a spoiled men though. If I were her, I would do the same thing. Maybe caring for an attractive younger boy is a kind of joy for older women. I am already grown-up enough, so I can understand the fact, "The older you get, the more prefer to associate with younger than you." It happens on women as well as men.


This movie is recommended for you if you like comedy. But not for sale yet.

FS Championships -FP-

ISU reported: "When Mao Asada fell on her opening triple Axel and went right into the barrier, very few would have imagined and predicted she would win the ISU Figure Skating World Championships 2008. But she remained so focused that she later performed a flawless program. She garnered overall 185.56 points. Carolina Kostner, Italy, who was in the lead after the Short program, made her way through second place with a total score of 184.68 points. The bronze medal was awarded to Korea’s Yu-Na Kim, who earned 183.23 points in total, after winning the free skate segment."


From last season to early this season, Mao has been faced with difficult trials. Nobody know why but her jumps were lack of stability. So, she shed tears of mortification in the Kiss＆Cry many times.
But it seems all her trials have a profound meaning... I mean, as they say, "Afflictions are sent to us by God for our good." Now, we see that Mao underwent the trials, that's why she could regain her concentration immediately. After her performance I didn't care at all whether she would get the medal or not. Her admirable spirit and attitude have been moving me sooooooooo deeply.

Ap sports reported, Asada said. "I learned that I still can make up for the mistake if the other elements are good," "Never give up. That's what I learned this year."
Good for Mao!! You got it finally! You learned experience is what matters most. I admire you.


Even more surprisingly, only Yukari Nakano performed own program perfectly at the free program competition. Well done, well done!!! She received a standing ovation. But her score was much lower than audiences expected. It caused a booing from an audience. What a shabby scoring system!! It must be controversial. Even though, she made a big smile in the Kiss&Cry. And in an interview, she said she felt satisfied because she had done everything she could do now. What a lovely lady! I already mentioned yesterday, Japanese media few pick up her, in spite of one of top athletes. But I think she have a lots of fans who like her patient attitude toward skating. I hope she will improve her technical level of each elements. Keep it up, Yukari!


The results of Ladies World Figure Skating Championships 2008

1 Mao ASADA (JPN) 185.56 Points SP/FS 2/2
2 Carolina KOSTNER (ITA) 184.68 Points SP/FS 1/3
3 Yu-Na KIM (KOR) 183.23 Points SP/FS 5/1
4 Yukari NAKANO (JPN ) 177.40 Points SP/FS 3/4
5 Joannie ROCHETTE (CAN)174.12 Points SP/FS 6/5

Mao smiles as Yu-Na congratulates her.


ISU WORLD FIGURE SKATING SHAMPIONSHIPS 2008: EVENT TIFOMATION

You tube : Mao Asada 2008 Worlds FS (British Eurosport)

You tube : Yukari Nakano 2008 Worlds FS (British Eurosport)

FS Championships -SP-

Today is the spring equinox, a holiday in Japan. People visit their ancestors' grave for Buddhist ceremony because they say the souls of the dead come back to this world. I live at far from ancestors' grave, so I prayed in my heart.

I am very excited because Figure Skating Championships started with the ladies Short Program!!

My favorite skater Mao Asada marked 64.10 as 2nd place. I know, this is her best season's score, but her performance was not perfect. She could do 3-3 combination jump perfectly, and step sequence were breathtaking, they were super-brilliant!! But... she couldn't keep the outside-edge position with triple lutz, and toward the end couldn't keep same position with spins. However I am sure she will correct today's miss-points tomorrow. She is without excuse whatever happened, so she always makes restitution for own mistake, that's way I like her. Go for it, Mao! I am standing by you.

And I like Yukari Nakano too. She is not so gorgeous and her performance is sort of general, I think. But she can exactly perform as well as training on her stage. She said that she did not have talent in skating, but she had confidence because she had done training more enough. I also hope to watch her perfect performance again tomorrow.


I should briefly address Yu-Na KIM. She is the greatest competitor for Mao. But she was not at her best yet from a repetitive injury. I though that her performance was less powerful than last year's one. But it can be happen that she wins first prise tomorrow. She trail Kostner by less than 5 points.


The results of Ladies Short Program

1 Carolina KOSTNER (ITA) TSS 64.28 (TES/ PCS 36.34/27.94)
2 Mao ASADA (JPN) TSS 64.10 (TES/ PCS 35.22/28.88)
3 Yukari NAKANO (JPN) TSS 61.10 (TES/ PCS 34.83/26.27)
4 Kiira KORPI (FIN) TSS 60.58 (TES/ PCS 34.22/26.36)
5 Yu-Na KIM (KOR) TSS 59.85 (TES/ PCS 32.71/28.14)

TSS; Total Segment Score
TES; Technical Element Score
PCS; Program Component Score



You Tube : Mao Asada - 2008 Worlds SP (British Eurosport)

military-draft system

Citing references in Wikipedia: "The Korean Demilitarized Zone is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea. The DMZ cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half, crossing the 38th parallel on an angle, with the west end of the DMZ lying south of the parallel and the east end lying north of it."

Today, finally there was an announcement that Gong Yoo was posted to a front line base, named Cheorwon-gun. Do you know Gong Yoo? Although Gong Yoo is rather new to Japanese, he is an acclaimed Korean acter back home, hitting the big time with a drama "Coffee prince 1st shop" in 2007. But unfortunately, he received a draft card when he was shooting the drama. Why did it happen at the worst time for him? Poor thing!

I knew that there are military-draft system in Korea, but I didn't know how long or how hard it is. After Gong Yoo entered the army on 14th January this year, I researched how the system work.

South-Korea is still at war with North-Korea. They are under a flag of truce. Then military service is national obligation of every Korean male. They join in the Army or the Navy or the Air Force about 2-year terms from ages 19 to 30. At first, they receive military training for 5 weeks, after that, they are sent to a military base, or less dangerous place.

The area Gong Yoo were sent is just front of DMZ and snowbelt. He would have a backache overdoing the snow shoveling. And He would get damage mentally as well as physically. Because newcomer have to endure harsh training and punishment by superior. I heard no less than 100 soldier a year commit suicide during their duty. It might be real hazard.

Japanese people are peace-addicted. We don't think any needs to defend ourself from attack. I wonder whether it is excusable or not. All I can do is only praying for not breaking out the war.



Wikipedia : Korean Demilitarized Zone