In Feburary 2016 21,
Assume the student speaks imperfect English and adjust your expectations accordingly. While all Japanese exchange students will speak some English, it is highly unlikely they will speak English at anywhere near a native ability, and they will probably have trouble understanding native speakers in a social setting.
Speak clearly and avoid idioms. Japanese speakers are keyed to certain distinct sounds, and similar-sounding words, unclear words, or words spoken in a dialect can be difficult for them to discern. Of course, don't speak slowly in a loud voice as this would be condescending and rude. The student will want to learn idioms, but take it slow.
Write things down. Your exchange student may not be able to understand everything you say, but he will more than likely be able to read what you write.
Show, don't tell, when familiarizing the student with the house. To avoid unfortunate or embarrassing misunderstandings, show the student while you explain things. Japanese students have studied a lot of English for travel, school and business. Unfortunately, they study very little about common household tasks such as 'hang the laundry,' 'turn down the TV,' or even 'lock the door.'
Roles and Duties
Prepare a daily schedule and stick to it as much as possible. The student will probably be nervous in her new environment. Knowing the schedule and having regularity will help her adjust. Also, people in Japan tend to live by rather structured schedules; even if your home life isn't similarly structured, a written schedule can give it the appearance of being somewhat so.
Write a list of chores or duties for the student and explain it to him. In Japan, the roles of family members are well defined, so it would help your student feel comfortable if he knew exactly what was expected of him. Show him what you would like him to do around the house. Your exchange student will probably want to show his gratitude by helping around the house if possible; most commonly, he will offer to prepare a Japanese-style meal.
Provide emotional support to your student. According to the exchange program Youth for Understanding USA, it is essential to '[o]ffer an emotionally supportive environment as the student goes through his or her adjustment process.' Understand, though, that Japanese students are reluctant to complain and probably will not want to bother you with their troubles. It will be up to you, as the host parent, to 'read the air' and catch the nonverbal signs of stress or discomfort.
Comfortable Space
Prepare a separate room (if possible) with a bed, a study area, and slippers to wear in the house; people in Japan do not wear shoes in the house, so providing your student the option of wearing slippers around the house can make them feel more comfortable.
Make sure the bathtub is clean and serviceable. Japanese people are accustomed to taking a long, hot bath every night as a way of staying healthy, relaxing, and keeping the bedding clean, and the custom is to wash first and then get into the tub. There's really no way to accommodate this custom in a bathroom not especially built for washing outside the tub, but finding a way to allow the student this nightly luxury will go a long way towards helping the student feel comfortable.
Educate yourself about Japanese taboos and customs around the house. For example: don't step over people if they are lying on the floor; separate garbage (plastics and burnable garbage, at the least); be aware that students often stay awake studying until well after 10 p.m.
Arrange regular activities or conversation times with the student to ensure the student has a chance to interact socially with your household and others outside the household.
In Feburary 2016 21,
Showing posts with label hang. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hang. Show all posts
Sunday, 21 February 2016
Wednesday, 3 February 2016
How to Organize a Neighborhood Garage SaleIn Feburary 2016 03,
In Feburary 2016 03,
Gather your neighbors for a meeting. You may want to start with your block or street. If you're friendly and outgoing you may have already met and known some of them on first name basis. Drop an invitation in their mailboxes to come to your place at a given date and time to discuss having a block or neighborhood garage sale.
Make sure your invitation will already give some ideas on what you want to discuss with them. Remember, their time is also precious so you would not want to waste them as much as possible. Indicate on the invitation you want to organize a garage sale for the block or neighborhood and that if they are interested they can come to your meeting to discuss details and logistics.
During the meeting discuss things and tasks that are needed to be accomplished and assign each one.
Decide on a date. It is advisable to have a garage sale on a sunny day, usually springtime. People tend to want to be outside more on a warm or sunny day; chances are you will have more foot traffic when you do it on a sunny day. Another thing to consider is doing it on a weekend instead of a weekday since most people go to work on weekdays and are off on weekends. This will be something everyone will have to agree on.
Time frame. Consider the time frame in picking out the date for a neighborhood garage sale. If you will be putting out an advertisement, you may need time to submit it for publication. It is advisable to give at least a week's notice and then have another one made for the day itself for people who read papers before going to garage sales.
Placards and signs. Your neighborhood may want to hang signs and placards a few days before your scheduled garage sale. Remember to ask your local authority of any restrictions on putting up signs and placards on public areas. Some cities have strict ordinances, so be mindful of those. Also if you put them up, you should be responsible to take them down. So remember the areas where you placed them for you may be issued a ticket for some sort of vandalism if you leave your signs and placards for days after the garage sale had passed. All of these are tasks that can be tasked, make sure that it is assigned during the meeting.
Permit. Ask your local authority if you need a permit if the whole block or neighborhood will do a garage sale. If your area is known for high traffic, the influx of vehicles in your area may cause additional traffic and headaches to commuters. This is another task that can be assigned.
Once you have cleared permits and done your advertisements, it is now time to prepare for the garage sale. Make sure your neighbors who will participate are aware of the things they can sell at a garage sale. Pretty much anyone can sell any of their personal items with the exception of few ones like firearms and illegal items like pirated videos and CDs. Also, ensure that your neighborhood is aware that what they sell should be limited to personal items only and not to use the garage sale to sell other things for profit, otherwise advise them that sales taxes may need to be filed.
Advise the neighborhood to start marking their items with prices at least two nights before the scheduled garage sale. Tell them also to get their final set up ready by the crack of dawn. This way, you can start selling your items to the 'early birds.'
Advise your neighborhood to prepare a lot of extra cash on hand, preferably smaller bills and coins to use for change. Although most experienced garage sales hunters bring small dollar bills and plenty of cash with them, it would still be good to have enough on hand in case the buyers run out of small bills and they need to get them changed.
Task different individuals for traffic flow enforcement. Ensure that the cars are not double-parked or parked illegally in areas that are clearly marked as no parking zones. Have someone hold signs to have cars slow down or stopsigns by the cross walk.
Every family in each household can participate in selling their items. You can have a contest just for fun on who can sell their items faster or who can have more dollars in the end. Another way to get the family members involved is to setup a refreshment booth where drinks such as lemonade or bottled water and snacks such as homemade cookies can be sold. These booths can be manned by kids and adults alike. Kids can learn to value hard-earned money and teamwork at an early age if they are exposed to them early in life.
In Feburary 2016 03,
Gather your neighbors for a meeting. You may want to start with your block or street. If you're friendly and outgoing you may have already met and known some of them on first name basis. Drop an invitation in their mailboxes to come to your place at a given date and time to discuss having a block or neighborhood garage sale.
Make sure your invitation will already give some ideas on what you want to discuss with them. Remember, their time is also precious so you would not want to waste them as much as possible. Indicate on the invitation you want to organize a garage sale for the block or neighborhood and that if they are interested they can come to your meeting to discuss details and logistics.
During the meeting discuss things and tasks that are needed to be accomplished and assign each one.
Decide on a date. It is advisable to have a garage sale on a sunny day, usually springtime. People tend to want to be outside more on a warm or sunny day; chances are you will have more foot traffic when you do it on a sunny day. Another thing to consider is doing it on a weekend instead of a weekday since most people go to work on weekdays and are off on weekends. This will be something everyone will have to agree on.
Time frame. Consider the time frame in picking out the date for a neighborhood garage sale. If you will be putting out an advertisement, you may need time to submit it for publication. It is advisable to give at least a week's notice and then have another one made for the day itself for people who read papers before going to garage sales.
Placards and signs. Your neighborhood may want to hang signs and placards a few days before your scheduled garage sale. Remember to ask your local authority of any restrictions on putting up signs and placards on public areas. Some cities have strict ordinances, so be mindful of those. Also if you put them up, you should be responsible to take them down. So remember the areas where you placed them for you may be issued a ticket for some sort of vandalism if you leave your signs and placards for days after the garage sale had passed. All of these are tasks that can be tasked, make sure that it is assigned during the meeting.
Permit. Ask your local authority if you need a permit if the whole block or neighborhood will do a garage sale. If your area is known for high traffic, the influx of vehicles in your area may cause additional traffic and headaches to commuters. This is another task that can be assigned.
Once you have cleared permits and done your advertisements, it is now time to prepare for the garage sale. Make sure your neighbors who will participate are aware of the things they can sell at a garage sale. Pretty much anyone can sell any of their personal items with the exception of few ones like firearms and illegal items like pirated videos and CDs. Also, ensure that your neighborhood is aware that what they sell should be limited to personal items only and not to use the garage sale to sell other things for profit, otherwise advise them that sales taxes may need to be filed.
Advise the neighborhood to start marking their items with prices at least two nights before the scheduled garage sale. Tell them also to get their final set up ready by the crack of dawn. This way, you can start selling your items to the 'early birds.'
Advise your neighborhood to prepare a lot of extra cash on hand, preferably smaller bills and coins to use for change. Although most experienced garage sales hunters bring small dollar bills and plenty of cash with them, it would still be good to have enough on hand in case the buyers run out of small bills and they need to get them changed.
Task different individuals for traffic flow enforcement. Ensure that the cars are not double-parked or parked illegally in areas that are clearly marked as no parking zones. Have someone hold signs to have cars slow down or stopsigns by the cross walk.
Every family in each household can participate in selling their items. You can have a contest just for fun on who can sell their items faster or who can have more dollars in the end. Another way to get the family members involved is to setup a refreshment booth where drinks such as lemonade or bottled water and snacks such as homemade cookies can be sold. These booths can be manned by kids and adults alike. Kids can learn to value hard-earned money and teamwork at an early age if they are exposed to them early in life.
In Feburary 2016 03,
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