【2018年夏バルカン半島旅行】ぼくのなつやすみのよてい
今回のバルカン半島の予定は以下のとおり。
行く国、八ヶ国。日数は12日間である。
内訳はブルガリア、マケドニア、コソボ、アルバニア、モンテネグロ、セルビア、ボスニアヘルツェゴビナ、クロアチア。
簡単に説明すると、ブルガリア+旧ユーゴスラビア構成国（スロバキア除く）である。
行く都市は各国の首都。滞在は概ね一泊二日ずつとなる。
都市間の移動は大体バス。バスは予約できなかったところが多数であるため、現地で購入しなければならない。
ルートの選定については、とにかくたくさん回れるルートを「自分で」考えた。
本当はバルカン半島全国制覇したかったが、ギリシャとかルーマニアとかスロバキアとかはなかなか入れ込むのは難しかった。
ルート選定にあたってはオンライン英会話でセルビア人に相談したが、はっきり言って全く役に立たなかった。
あいつらは、こっちがルートっていっているのに、各国の特徴ばかりを説明してくる。また、ルートの話になっても前提条件を言っているのに（「12日間」「できるだけたくさん行きたい」「航空券の関係上、ブルガリアから出発し、最後はクロアチア」）、それを無視し、「セルビア最高だぜ！まず首都のベオグラードで３泊、次にノビサドで３泊…」とセルビアだけで終わるルートを提案してきたり、「ギリシャ行けばいいんじゃねえ。あそこ島もあって、海も食事も最高だぜ！」みたいな感じで返されたので、何度かこちらもキレて強制終了した。
セルビア人もあまりバルカン半島の国々を旅行している人は実は少ないので、相談相手としてもあまり良くなかったと思う。
セルビア人は、ギリシャとモンテネグロに行く者が多く、スロバキア、イタリア、マケドニアがその次くらいに多い。
基本的に豊かな国ではないので、あまり旅行もできないのかもしれない。
【2018年夏バルカン半島旅行】セルビア人とオンライン英会話
ネイティブキャンプというオンライン英会話サイトでほぼ毎日英会話をやっている。
６月中旬から始めて、毎日25分のレッスンをしている。
レッスンといってもいつも「フリーディスカッション」を選択しているので、好きなことを話している。
在籍している講師は、フィリピン人が多いがセルビア人もその次くらいに多い。
よくセルビア人を選んでいるので、そこから得た情報を掲載しておく。
◯セルビアの観光スポットはフォートレス（要塞）
オススメの場所は？ と聞くと大体この答え。
ちなみにアルバニア人の講師はセルビアのことを悪くいってなかった。コソボの独立とかの話にアルバニアが絡んでいるようで、とにかくアルバニアのとが嫌いなことが伝わってきた。
◯モンテネグロによく旅行に行く。
2006年までセルビアとモンテネグロはは一つの国だったようで、言葉も似てるらしい。
ちなみにモンテネグロのブドブァという海沿いの都市がお気に入りの人が多い。
◯コソボは危険な場所だと思っているが、実際に行ったことがない者が多い。
セルビアはコソボの独立を認めていない。デリケートな問題なので踏み込んで話していないが、コソボに行ったことがある講師はほぼゼロ。
◯英語はそんなにうまくない
私が言えたものではないが、セルビア人の英語はうまくない。訛ってるし、たまに伝わらないことがある。私の場合、よく電波が悪いので、回線の負荷を軽くするために「カメラ切って」と冒頭でよくいうのだが、「turn off」を理解しないセルビア人が多くて困っている。
◯あまりよくない講師が多め
20代前後の学生が多いことや、レッスンの経験が少ないことからなのか、レッスンの進め方がうまくない講師が多い。話していて全然面白くない講師に何度も出会った。
たまに英語がうまくて、話もうまい講師がいるが、それは医学部生率が高い。
Sento&Sauna
I went to the Sento yesterday. And I got in the sauna. It's getting really hot these days, so I took a cold bath after the sauna. This is the first time I've taken a cold bath this year. I feel summer is coming.
(Movie)Apocalypse now
Yesterday, I went to the movies to watch "Apocalypse now.”
The movie was 2h30min long, but it felt longer.
I don’t understand this film much even though I have watched it three times.
But, I’m attracted to this film.
I love 3 things about this movie, the music, the cinematography and Marlon Brando(as Colonel Kurtz).
The sound track featuring the Doors really matched the atmosphere. And, the helicpter scene with Wagner music was exciting. Moreover, “ I love the smell of napalm in the morning.” is my favorite line in the whole movie. That line to me symbolizes the madness of the Vietnam War. Marlon Brando playing Colonel Kurtz was so mysterious. His character was so different from the Godfather.
If I have a chance, I’d like to watch it again.
My trip to Kenya, 2018
I went to Kenya for my new year's vacation 2018. I signed up for a safari package. It cost 250,000 yen, because it's a private tour. The package included hotel, meals, car and driver. I spent 6 days in Kenya.
The first night, I was in Nairobi. It is said that Nairobi is dangerous, so I stayed within the good area.
昨日（12/27）の23:50分頃羽田空港を出発し、ドーハで乗り継ぎして、ようやくナイロビに。20時間超かかった。また、アフリカだ！
The next day, my tour started. The driver picked me up at my hotel and drove me to Amboseli. It took five hours from Nairobi.
サファリへゴー。と言っても、目的地のアンボセリまでナイロビから車で５時間。
After we went to the hotel, we went on safari. I saw many animals, like zebras, impalas, elephants, hyenas, baboons and buffalos.
Zebras and impalas were everywhere, so I got bored of them soon.
The next day, we went to Lake Bogolia, which is famous for pink flamingos. It took eight hours from Amboseli.
アンボセリ国立公園から、ボゴリア湖に向かってます。所要時間８時間くらい。長い。暇。車窓から見える風景は山梨の韮崎あたりのイメージですが、違いますでしょうか。
On the way to Bogolia, my driver often asked me "Do you like birds?" "I like eating birds, but I'm not interested in seeing them." So, my driver looked puzzled. When we arrived at Lake Bogolia, there were many flamingos but they were far away. So I couldn't take good pictures with my iPhone.
I was the only tourist there. Lake Bogolia's hotel dinner was not good. The soup made my tongue go numb. It tasted like poison.
This was the worst soup I've ever had.
The next morning, I woke up for breakfast, which was supposed to be served at 7. But, it wasn't ready. So, I left from Bogolia without eating. From Bogolia, I went to Masai Mara. On the way, I crossed the equator. This was my first experience crossing the equator. After driving for eight hours, I arrived at Masai Mara.
I went on safari. I saw many animals, such as zebras, elephants, lions and giraffes. Almost all animals I had already seen before in Amboseli, but I saw giraffes for the first time. Other animals I got bored, but I really like giraffes, so I didn't get bored of seeing them.
The next day, I also went on safari. I was completely bored because safari was from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. On the first day, I got many good pictures of animals. So I didn't need any more. But, on the second day, the driver stopped for every animals. So I felt obligated to take pictures even though I didn't want to. Because I went all the way to Bogolia to see the pink flamingos, my driver thought I love birds, so he stopped for every bird we saw. In fact, I'm not interested in birds so much.
On the way back to the airport, the road was very muddy. Our car got stuck in the mud. But, my bird liking driver was very skilled at getting the car unstuck using just his driving skills.
My trip to Australia(Sydney and Uluru), February, 2018
I went to Sydney in February 2018. When I arrived at the airport, my friend greeted me. Then, we went to Sydney Univ. by train and bus.
Next, we went to my friend's house to gather with his wife. Then, we went to a bar to eat lunch. I had a beer and a kangaroo hamburger. The beer had a light flavor and was delicious. However, I felt that the kangaroo meat was gamey and wasn't to my taste. But, I finished off anyway. Next, we went to the Opera House.
シドニーに来ました。オペラハウスは近くでみるとベージュも混じっていて、写真で見るほど白くはないことをしりました。あと、カンガルーの肉はまずい。
Before I visited this landmark, I thought that it was pure white. But, in fact, it was off-white. I was also surprised that even though the structure was built in the 1950s, the architectural design was photogenic.
We had dinner at a steak house where we grilled our own meat. I ordered a T-bone steak. It was tender, tasty and juicy.
The next day, we went to the Blue Mountains. We took the train from Central station to Katoomba. It took about two hours. It cost only fifteen dollars for a round trip. We went to an observation point to view the Three Sisters.
Although the mountains are called the Blue Mountains, I thought that they didn't look blue. The name Blue Mountains derives from how the eucalyptus trees release their oil into the atmosphere to make the air look blue. I suppose this phenomenon only occurs under certain conditions.
For dinner, we went to a seafood restaurant. The oysters were fresh and full of flavor.
The next day, I went to Uluru by plane. Uluru means Ayers Rock in local language. It took three hours from Sydney to Uluru. It was too hot at forty degrees Celsius. I took part in a tour of Kata Tjuta and Uluru.
Kata Tjuta and Uluru are sacred places for Aborigines. First, we went to Kata Tjuta, which means many heads in the Aboriginal language.
They are giant rocks between which we can walk. Viewing Kata Tjuta from a distance is impressive, but up close, walking between them, was not interesting for me.
Next, we went to Uluru, which we visited at sunset. I thought it was amazing that nature is great.
After the tour finished, I went to a supermarket because the guide said that it sold kangaroo tails.
Aborigines like eating kangaroo tails. I discovered the tails easily. One tail cost two thousand yen. I saw Aborigines shopping in the supermarket. I could distinguish Aborigines from other shoppers because they were barefoot. All of the Aborigines who I saw were buying eggs, not kangaroo tails.
The next day, we went to Uluru to climb it. I was looking forward to climbing it. Climbing Uluru will be prohibited from 2019 because it's sacred to Aborigines.
Unfortunately, we couldn't climb it because of strong wind. Instead, we walked around Uluru. The guide told us many mythological Aboriginal stories. Many features of the rock are attached with different stories. Every story has a moral. It was interesting.
There are murals. But, they are not art. Historically, they were used to teach life lessons.
My trip to Iran and Azerbaijan, 2016 October
I wanted to visit Iran because Japan is allies with USA and we are very pro-America. My view is more influenced by America. Iran, on the other hand, is very Anti-America. So, I wanted to change my view of the world.
There is not much information on Iran. For example, I looked for hotel on Expedia, there were no hotels listed. I had to e-mail hotels in Iran directly.
Also, domestic flights in Iran could only be bought once you are in Iran. Because of economic sanction by America, Iran's airplane are all old Boeings that are difficult to maintain. So, I was very afraid of flying in Iran.
In Iran, you can't use credit cards, so you must have cash. Also, Iran doesn't exchange Japanese yen. So, I needed to have either Euro or dollars. And you can't use Facebook, Google. But, you can use Instagram. I don't know why. In Iran numbers are written in Persian. So I couldn't find my flight easily.
マシュハド空港は、基本ペルシャ語表記なので、数字くらい覚えないと飛行機にも乗れません。生きていくのに必死です。
I had a layover in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for half a day. While I was there, I had Malaysian food in the town.
Then, I flew to Teheran, the capital city of Iran. I arrived late at night, so I stayed in a hotel near the airport.
The next day, I flew to Mashhad. It's a holy place in Iran. There is a beautiful mosque.
マシュハド。空港に着いたら、おばちゃんがすごくいい人で電車の乗り方を教えてくれた。駅降りたら、お兄さんがいい人でBRTに乗せてくれた（お金も払ってくれた）
After that, I took a plane and a bus to Isfahan. There is a beautiful square which is a world heritage site.
Iran is a Shia muslim country. Today, Shias comprise about 15% of the total worldwide Muslim population. The day I arrived at Isfahan was holiday called Ashura. For Shia Muslims, Ashura is a solemn day of mourning the martyrdom of Hussein in 680 AD at Karbala in modern-day Iraq. Shia men and women dressed in black also parade through the streets slapping their chests and chanting.
It was very interesting, but the only problem was all the shops and sites were closed. So, luckily, they were handing out food and drink for free.
行列できてるとこで牛乳らしきものを配っていたのでもらったら、やっぱりフレンチドレッシングみたいな味がした。もちろんまた全部飲み干した。
また配ってるのをもらった。今日は飲食店ほぼやってないからもらわないと生きていけない。
I was handed a cup of milk. When I drank it, it tasted like French dressing. It turns out that I was drinking goat's milk.
今日もお祭り。配っていた牛乳らしきものをもらったが、フレンチドレッシングの味がする。もちろん全部飲み切ってやったぜ。
Next, I went back to Teheran by overnight bus. I arrived in Teheran in the morning and caught a flight to Azerbaijan, Baku.
Azerbaijan is rich in natural resources, especially oil. Because of oil money, Azerbaijan is a very developed country.
天然ガスが吹き出していてずっと燃えている有名な場所。バクーは風が強くて寒い。ここで暖をとった。ただ、周りには何もない。この燃えているのがあるだけ。路線バス的なもので乗り継いで市内から約1時間かかった。
In Baku, they are building what will become the world's tallest building in the world. It will be completed in 2025. The transportation system especially subway and bus systems are very developed. It is easy to travel within the city.
Although Iran and Azerbaijan are both Shia Muslim countries, they are very different from each other. In Iran alcohol is forbidden, but in Azerbaijan it is permitted.
In Iran, women must cover themselves and often wear a Bhurka, it is dress that only shows the eyes. In Azerbaijan, women don't have to cover up, they were dressed in European fashion.
The food in Azerbaijan was very delicious. I ate many things like yogurt soup, dumplings and Kebabs.
I went to see Heydar Aliyev Center which was designed by the famous architect, Zaha Hadid. The building was very modern with a curving structure and very spacious. I think it's very impressive but not very functional. Originally, Zaha Hadid was supposed to design 2020 Tokyo Olympic main stadium. But, because her buildings are expensive to make, she was replaced.
新国立競技場のコンペで勝ったけど採用されなかったあのザハハディドさんの作品。でっかい。オイルマネーがあるから作れたのかしら。
My trip to India, 2010
My first time going abroad was traveling to India. I went to India with my friend in February, 2010. At that time, I had graduated University and was not employed by a company yet.
I went to Deli, the capital city of India, to Jaipur, to see the pink city, to Agra, to see the Taj Mahal and to Varanasi to see and enter the Ganges.
I was most impressed with Varanasi. The Ganges river is a holy river in India. But, it is really muddy because people do their laundry in the river. They also use the river for funerals. When someone dies, they cremate the body, then release the ashes into the river. It is said that if you enter the Ganges river, all your sins will be washed away. So, I entered the Ganges. After I got out, my hair was very smooth. After I got out of the river, I read that 50% of people who enter the Ganges get a fever. I was lucky I didn't get a fever but my friend was unlucky and got an upset stomach.
Almost all the food in India is curry. I thought I would get tired of eating curry, but it was so delicious that I didn't mind eating it everyday. I also love lassi. It is a sweet yogurt drink. Chai is also a delicious drink in India. It is a spicy sweet milk tea. Chai is sold on the roadside. A small cup of chai is sold at a very reasonable price. Although India is very hot, hot chai is delicious.
I don't like Indian people because they always tried to cheat me. They are very pushy and tried to bring me to an expensive souvenir shop. The worst one happened in KFC in Deli. A man approached me and my friend. He chatted with us for over thirty minutes. At first, we thought he was just friendly, but then he asked us to go to his souvenir shop.
When our trip started we were very polite and shy because we're Japanese. But in the end, we were aggressively shouting "NO!!" to make people leave us alone. At that time, I wasn't good at English. However, thanks to Indian people, I was able to learn the phrase, "Leave me alone!!"
【英作文】英検一級 Should more be done to promote equality for women in Japan?
2007年第2回試験
TOPIC:
Should more be done to promote equality for women in Japan?
In 2014, Japan ranked 104 out of 142 countries in terms of gender equality. Some people insist that only limited action can be taken to decrease the gender gap, but I strongly believe that more should be done to promote equality for women in Japan. I have three reasons to support my opinion.
Firstly, I will talk about payment. Women in Japan receive nearly 30% less pay than their male counterparts, even for similar work. Therefore, the government should have a regulation to make the salary for women and men the same.
Secondly, let us consider office culture. In Japan, long hours and presenteeism are the best ways to move up the corporate ladder. It is difficult for some women to fit into this type of office culture because of family commitments that men are not expected to meet. Therefore, workplaces should allow employees to take flextime and work at home. This would create more equal opportunity for women to get promoted at work.
Finally, support services are another important factor. Some women cannot work because of family and household responsibilities. However, if more is done to support working women, such as more childcare facilities or home help, this can allow more women to work. This would make working opportunities more equal for both women and men.
For these reasons, I think that several actions can be implemented to make women's participation in society, especially at work, more equal to that of men. Although improving equality for women in Japan would be difficult and requires a lot of effort, I believe that it would be worth it and everyone can benefit.
