2022/12/10(土)SMC
Hello everyone! Today, Mr. president wore two hats. He also took up a job of coordinator. We had two missionaries with us as guests. One of whom is a native English speaker. He talked about how he had got hold of them.
At the beginning of the meeting, he (coordinator) asked every member of SMC present and the well-come guests for self-introduction and get down to brass tacks quickly.
Word of the day: SM Eda
Lecture: SM Yoko Narisawa
[ Proverb ]
1. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
= The things we already have are more valuable than the things we only hope to get.
2. A drowning man will catch at a straw.
= Someone who is desperate will try to use anything for help, even if it is really no help at all.
3. A good husband makes a good wife.
= If a husband treats his wife well, she will treat him well in return.
4. Barking dogs seldom bite.
= A person who readily threatens other people does not often take action.
5. Blood is thicker than water.
= Family connections are always stronger than other relationships.
6. Every dog has his day.
= Everyone is successful or happy at some time in their life.
7. Fortune knocks once at everyone’s door.
= We all get at least one good opportunity in life.
8. Health is better than wealth.
= It is more beneficial to be healthy than to be rich.
9. He laughs best who laughs last.
= Even if someone is not successful now, he or she will succeed or be the winner in the end.
10 It never rains but it pours.
= When one bad thing happens, followed by a lot of other bad things that make a bad situation worse.
11 Let sleeping dogs lie.
= used to warn someone that they should not talk about a bad situation that most people have forgotten about
12 Look before you leap.
= Check that something is not going to cause problems or have a bad result before you do it.
13 Prevention is better than cure.
= It is better to stop something bad from happening than it is to deal with it after it has happened
14 Make hay while the sun shines.
= Make good use of an opportunity while it lasts.
15 Spare the rod spoil the child.
= If you don’t punish a child when they do something wrong, they will not learn what is right
16 Truth is stranger than fiction.
= Real life can be more bizarre than invented tales.
17 An Englishman’s home is his castle.
= English people believe that they have the right to do what they want in their own home, and other people have no right to interfere in their private lives.
18 Time and tide wait for no man.
= We cannot stop the passing of time, and therefore we should not delay doing things.
Table Topic Speech
１If you could live one day of your life over again, what day would you choose?
2 When you meet someone for the very first time what do you want them to think about you?
3 Why people calculate how many hours of sleep they will get
4 How do you define success?
5 What is the meaning of ' peace ' to you?
6 What type of person angers you the most?
Prepared speech
1) 3D-printed house: SM Noro
Serendix has completed the first 3D-printed house in 24 hours.
The company unveiled the sphere — a 3D-printed home design — in earlier 2021, stating it could be constructed in a day for under 3 million yen (approx. $25.000 USD). A year later, the company has reached their goal.
According to Serendix, a replicated sphere structure features a 20-metric-ton reinforced concrete frame, and the size is less than 10m2, so it is not subject to Japan’s building regulations. On the other hand, the structure clears the heat insulation performance of European standards, and it also satisfies the high seismic performance of Japanese standards. Moreover, the sphere structure has at least 100-year durability.
The benefits of completion within 24 hours, at the cost of $25,000, with 100-year durability cannot be ignored.
2) Energy savings, we can do it: SM Kakisu
Electricity charges are rising rapidly due to the shutdown of nuclear power plants and the war in Ukraine.
Electricity is an indispensable energy source, but we can reduce our energy consumption through our own efforts.
Fifty years ago, we experienced the oil crisis. At that time, we tried to save electricity such as by reducing the number of lights on the streets and canceling late-night TV broadcasts.
Ten years ago, after the Great Tohoku Earthquake, all nuclear power plants were shut down and planned power outages were implemented to save electricity.
The speaker said that one of his life work is “saving energy”, especially electrical energy. He believes that the average household can save 20 to 30 percent of its energy consumption with a few simple efforts.
He introdueced some tips to make this possible.
The most important thing is to understand your consumption data. The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) website provides half-hourly electricity consumption data for each household. This data can be used as a reference to understand the actual power consumption situation. Using this data as a reference, he was able to easily reduce his electricity consumption by 30 percent.
Finally, he would like to introduce his favorite saying:
“ Where there is a will, there is a way.”
One more saying: “ Convenience, Comfort, and Consumption are enemies of our beautiful globe.”
3) Sir Gawain’s Marriage: SM Yoshikawa
“Sir Gawain’s Marriage” is one of the tales of “King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.” King Arthur is a legendary figure in the 6th century Britain. He is a popular character in movies and video games. “King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table” was compiled around the 12th century.
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At one time, king Arthur was captured by a knight with an evil power. The knight said to him, “I do not kill you now. I’m asking you a question. You have one year to find your answer. If you answer my question correctly, I will set you free. If you fail, you shall give up your kingdom and I will be the ruler. My question is, what do all women want? Go and find your answer now! “
King Arthur frantically tried to find the correct answer. He asked every woman he met. Some said money, others said love, good health, good husband, but none of them was correct.
One year was almost over. One day, he saw a shabby, ugly old woman. He asked her that question and she said she knew the answer. She was ready to tell, but she requested a decent knight as her husband in return. When King Arthur told the knight her answer, he swore loudly. Her answer was “all women want to have their own will,” and that was correct.
Although he and his kingdom were saved, the king was not happy at all. He had to choose one knight as the old lady’s husband. It was Sir Gawain that volunteered.
After the wedding ceremony, however, Sir Gawain did not look at the bride. The old lady said to him, “my dear, you don’t look at me, why?”
“Because you are old, ugly and you are from the lowest class.”
“Being old means being wise. As I am ugly, you do not have to be concerned about other men trying to seduce me. My background is not my own responsibility.”
Her answer made sense, so he agreed and looked around to see a beautiful young lady.
“I have been under a curse. You married me, which lifted half of the curse. This is what I am. I can be what I truly look like for half of a day, in the daytime or in the nighttime. Which do you prefer, my dear?”
“I want you in the nighttime,” he answered.
“Women w:ant to stay beautiful when they are surrounded by others.”
“All right. It’s up to you.”
“My dear, that’s the key to drive away the curse. I can stay as I am all the way.”
The story ends happily. Sir Gawain respected her will and she can recover herself.
This tale was recorded around the twelfth century. The speaker was surprised at the writer’s deep insights and at the same time she felt sorry that the message of this tale is still applied to the present world, not only to India and some middle eastern countries but also to Japan. The environment surrounding women has not greatly changed since the twelfth century.
In India and in some middle eastern countries, women are treated as a men’s possession. Their practice is justified in the name of tradition and religion.
Even in Japan, in countryside areas, it is difficult for women to have their own way. Under the pressure of community with old-fashioned stereotyped gender views, they themselves take it for granted that they take care of children and elderly people whether they like it or not. What matters here is they have no choice. Sacrificing themselves for others is a beautiful story, but are they truly satisfied with that? Don’t they feel empty?
As the tale goes, by having her choice accepted, she can regain beauty and youth. The speaker believes what makes women shine is to live on their free will.
Meeting Schedule
In-person: 9:30 AM on Dec. 24 at Oyama Community Center
(Coordinator: SM Yoko Narisawa, Word of the Day: SM Noro, Lecturer: SM Kei Narisawa)
Zoom: 7:30 PM on Dec. 12, 19 and 26
