The World of Patricia Daly Oe

 Despite both the Chuo line and Yamanote line grinding to a halt this morning (a train driver saw some smoke, apparently), I managed to arrive at Chihaya High School in the Senkawa area of Tokyo just in time for my storytelling session today.

It was the first time for me to visit the school and I was so impressed with the friendliness of both the teachers and students. Many students were very outgoing and so it was certainly a very responsive audience.
I enjoyed narrating two of my stories - "Peter the Lonely Pineapple" and "Princess Lizzie" and I hope that the students found the real-life story about my experience with having picture books published a little helpful or interesting, as well. 

I would like to thank Nobuko Shimoyama-sensei and all of the other teachers for organizing today's session and I hope to have the opportunity to visit the school again. 

During November and December I gave a number of picture book readings of my stories or stories I have translated from Japanese to English. The most recent one was the Cosmopier event on Sunday 11th December which was in celebration of the one-year anniversary of their e-hon picture book club.

I always enjoy hearing comments from members of the audience afterwards.
At the NPO Forum event in Mitaka there were a number of adults at my book-reading. One lady told me that she was 61 and although she had studied English at university she hadn't used it recently. I was so happy when she said to me, "Your storytelling made me realize that we must never give up having a dream - even when we are older."
At the Cosmopier event I read "Stacy Strawberry" and "Hayabusa's Story." The latter is based on the true story of the Japanese space probe that collected samples from the asteroid, Itokawa, and then went missing for a while. The story was written by Nagisa Imai and I translated it from Japanese to English.
 After the reading a little boy showed me a picture of the Hayabusa space probe that he had drawn at home. He had come to the book reading event especially to listen to "Hayabusa's Story" and his mother explained that he had become really interested in space since hearing the story the first time in the summer. She said that he spends a lot of time studying books and pictures of planets, asteriods and other objects in space.
How nice to play a role in inspiring someone.
And through these connections I feel inspired to write more, too.
I have several books I am planning to work on during the next year, including a novel that I started writing three years ago and abandoned for a while...

Here are a couple of pictures of the Cosmopier event.

On 26th June I participated in the Kids’ Carnival Koganei, 2011. This is a wonderful event for parents and children held at Gagukei University Koganei campus with many booths and activities to enjoy including dancing, storytelling and craft activities.

This year I collaborated with Obaasan no Chiebukuro (a picture book shop in Kokubunji) and we named our project “A Storytelling Journey Around the World.”

We held a number of mini-events at our booth including craft activities and storytelling in English and performed some stories with projected pictures and music on the stage for one hour.

I really enjoyed meeting many different people.

 

今年のキッズカーニバル小金井２０１１では国分寺の「おばあさんの知恵袋」と協力して、「せかい・おはなしのたび」の団体名でブース出展とステージ出演しました。

英語の話や世界の話、読み聞かせ・ストーリーテリング・工作・ゲーム・歌などを行いました。
とても楽しかったです。

 I had the great pleasure of attending the fourth All Japan Speech Contest today (第4回　全国高等学校英語スピーチコンテスト） at the National Olympics Memorial Centre in Tokyo. I have participated in this event for the past three years by giving a narration concert after the lunch break.  

The speeches made by the 18 finalists were very impressive and covered themes ranging from attitudes towards adoption in Japan and America, disappearing Japanese culture, how the truth is often omitted in history text books, cruelty to animals and the over-use of mobile phones for communication.
I think the judges had a tough time deciding the winning speeches.

Whilst the judges were deliberating I gave a narration concert on the stage with pictures projected on a large screen and music. I narrated two stories(Blue Mouse, Yellow Mouse and The Gentle Lion, both published by RIC Publications.)
 I would like to thank everyone who helped me give my concert, particularly Nishioka Hiromi-sensei and Kawada-sensei who operated the music accompaniment and projected pictures.

Here I am with three students who took part in the contest and Hiromi-sensei (far right.)
 

 In November I gave two presentations (one at ETJ, Tokyo, and one at Nellies, Tokyo) on using the picture book "The Enormous Turnip" from the Easy Story House series to teach English to children.

http://www.nellies.jp/shop/info.php?isbn=9788961981163

After giving a brief introduction to the benefits of using picture books to teach English, I read the story demonstrating shadowing, repeating, anticipating, checking comprehension and dramatizing the story.

In this story there are several categories of words - vegetables, family members, animals and vocabulary for planting, growing and harvesting food - that can be practiced and developed through games and chants.
In both workshops the teachers got into groups and came up with some really great "vegetable" chants.
They also played a "TRUE" and "FALSE" quiz game.

I gave some ideas for creative activities that can be introduced using this book and brought along a simple turnip fridge magnet that children can easily make with light clay and small magnets.

The Easy Story House series includes an activity book with lots of reading, matching and writing activities.

Thanks to everyone who came to my workshops. You were a great audience!
 

 Well, it's over once again and I swear I'm looking more like a witch with every year. Soon no costume will be necessary at all!
I held a Halloween party for my elementary school students and another for small children at Obaachan no Tamatebako toy and book shop in Kichijoji (see pic.)
  

I also talked about the history of Halloween at the local high school where I teach part-time. Many students are surprised to hear that the tradition of Halloween actually started thousands of years ago in Celtic Britain. The practice of wearing costumes and lighting bonfires was to scare away the bad spirits that were believed to be flying around on that night.
As Halloween is a special magical night there are many traditional fortune-telling activities for that night only.
For example, if you eat an apple, whilst combing your hair and looking into a mirror by candlelight, the face of your future spouse will appear over your left shoulder (reflected in the mirror.)
Another fortune-telling game is to peel an apple trying to make the peel as long as possible. You hold the peel in your right hand and throw it backwards over your left shoulder. The shape of the peel on the floor is the first letter of your future husband's or wife's first name.
We tried this one in class and it was quite hilarious - particularly where the peel sometimes ended up...

I had a wonderful time in Kanazawa last weekend (31st July-2nd August.)

Mari Nakamura, the text book author and owner of the English school, English Square, in Kanazawa, organized the event for children on 1st August so well that it was great fun for all involved.

I enjoyed meeting Mari's students, telling stories, singing, playing and doing crafts with them.










You can read a little more about the event on Mari's blog.

 http://englishsquaremari.blogspot.com/2010/08/patricias-story-shower.html

I thoroughly enjoyed walking around Kanazawa City as well. It has such a quietly refined and traditional atmosphere. I particularly enjoyed Kenrokuen and the old areas of Higashi and Nishi Chayagai.

Thank you, Mari, and thank you to all of the students and parents from English Square who attended my Story Shower!

 

６月６日の小金井こども子そだてカーニバルにはたくさんの親子が来ていただいて、とても充実したイベントだと思います。

 

英語の読み聞かせを初めて聞いていた子供たちがいっぱいましたが、

少しい楽しめただと心から願っています。

 

このような大きなイベントのために一生懸命働いていた役員がいなければ、成功させることができないと今回実感しました。

 

参加していた役員とブースを持っていた集合写真はこの下に貼ります。

 このあいだ、吉祥寺のおばあちゃんの玉手箱のイースターイベントは楽しかったです。

自分で絵を描いた卵を持っている子供たちの写真です。

 "Earth Day 2010" was held 17th and 18th April in Yoyogi Park.

This yearly event should not be missed by anyone interested in the environment, world issues, healing, nature, the community, peace, the future of the planet...

Hundreds of NPOs provide booth exhibitions, sell handmade goods and provide an opportunity to deepen understanding or to take part in creative activities.
Also, there are continuous live music performances on the main stage.

I helped out at the Jim-net  (Japan- Iraq Medical Network) booth on Saturday 17th.

Last year I found a Japanese paper-making school （和紙造形）and have been learning how to make Japanese paper ever since.

 http://washizokei.jp/zabout.html  

Also, I found about Transition Towns in Japan at Earth Day 2009.
The Transition Towns movement is a bottom-up grassroots movement that tackles the issues of both peak oil and global warming by promoting local sustainable communities.
The movement started in the U.K. and there are now over 300 transition towns worldwide.
Last year I found out that there was a transition town group in my local area in Tokyo!

Earth Day really provides a wonderful opportunity to expand our horizons and to connect to people.