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2005年08月の記事
全21件 (21件中 1-21件目)
1
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悲しいニュース・Sad news today
昨日分かった事ですが、グリーンフィールドの顔となっていたアフガンハウンドのサム君が突然亡くなりました。まだ2才で、いたずらの真っ盛りで、大変愛嬌があり、グリーンフィールドではいつも我が愛犬プリンセスとちかと元気いっぱい遊んでいたあの優雅なサム君の姿がもう見られないのは寂しいです。プリンセスとちかが自分なりに「最近サム君は来ないよなあ」と思っているに違いない。サム君、今までは有り難う、君がいないのは寂しいです。One of the most loved members of the canine community of Greenfield died suddenly last week. Sam, an Afghan hound and only 2 years old, was full of energy and one of Princess and Chika's (our two dogs) favourite playmates. It is desperately sad to know that our two dogs will never again be able to enjoy playing.I am sure that in their own way they are both wondering why they haven't seen Sam recently, and are missing his companionship.As we all do. Goodbye, Sam, and thanks.
August 31, 2005
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裸足で気持ち良い・Barefoot in the park
昨日グリーンフィールドである年輩の方が犬を連れて遊んでいました。彼が裸足でした。ずっと笑顔のままでしたので、よほど気持ち良かったでしょう。近くで遊んでいた小学生の子が靴を履いていたので、裸足になってみたらとの誘いに対して、「いやだ、草が痛いもん」と断られた。その子が自分の経験からそう言っているのはでなくて、ただ親からそう思わされているに違いないと思って、お母さんに「貴方が裸足になって子供に痛くないところを見せ上げてて下さい」と言いました。嫌々応じたお母さんでしたが、娘さんがそれならと自分も裸足になったとたん、顔の表情が変わりました。笑顔がまぶしかった。香港の夜景が百万ドルの夜景と言いますが、昨日の子のその笑顔が一億ドルの笑顔に見えました。I revisit a theme discussed in an earlier entry. An elderly gentleman was at Greenfield yesterday with this Golden Retriever. He was wandering around barefoot, with a smile in his face, obviously enjoying the feel of grass underfoot.Close by a young primary school child was with her mother, but both were wearing their shoes. When I suggested to the child that she could go barefoot, she refused with the comment that grass hurts.Knowing she was not speaking from experience but was merely repeating something her mother has told her, I asked the mother if she would remove her shoes to encourage her daughter to do the same.Somewhat reluctantly, the mother agreed, and the daughter followed suit. As soon as her bare feet touched the soft grass, the daughterﾕs face was lit up with a remarkable smile.People talk of the Hong Kong night scenery as being worth a million dollars. If so, then the childﾕs smile was worth one hundred million dollars.
August 31, 2005
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価値観の問題・Priorities
昨日県主催の社会問題を話し合う交流会に出席し、校庭芝生会ついて議論していたら、あるおばさんが「グリーンフィールド（２万平米の芝生広場）の維持管理は年間幾らかかるの？」と聞いて来た。平米当り70円で、普通の校庭が１万平米ぐらいだから年間７０万円前後で維持管理が出来ますよと言ったら、彼女が「それは高いね」と。数百人の子供達が一年中毎日楽しく遊べる芝生の校庭を提供するのに７０万円が高いと思う人は年間2ー3ヶ月、週2ー3回しか使わない1個２億円前後かかるプールを全ての小学校に建設するのは反対しない。面白い価値観ですね。プールを作るなとは言わないが、利用回数、必要経費等を考えれば、格段安い芝生校庭の費用が高いと思う人の価値観が分からない。I participated in a local government-sponsored discussion on social issues, one of which was grass playing fields for schools. One participant asked me how much it costs to maintain Greenfield, the 20,000sqm park my NPO manages.When informed that our budget is Y70/sqm, meaning that an average 10,000sqm school grass ground could be maintained for around Y700,000/year, her immediate response was "So expensive!".While opposing the installation of grass fields, which all students can and would use every school day throughout the year, she does not oppose the construction of pools in every school, at an average cost per pool at Y200mn, despite there being used 2-3 times a week for 2-3 months of the year.I am not opposed to pools in schools per se, but I fail totally to understand the thinking behind opposition to grass playing fields, which offer massive benefits for minimal cost.
August 29, 2005
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行政ってこれで良いもか・Get real, you bastards
葛飾区の教育委員会で中学校の夏休みを1週間短縮して、昨日始業式をしたニュースを見たが、驚いたのは教育委員会の説明。「子供達が家にいたらだらけるから、学校に戻してきちんと勉強をさせた方が良い」そうです。休み中子供が何をしようが本人と親の責任です。教育委員会にあそこまで子供の生活に干渉する権利を持たせたのは誰ですか。やっぱりこの国が分かりません。話題をがらっと変えます。今日住んでいる市の公園街路課の課長と公園での芝生管理の仕方で大激論になりました。僕が代表を務めている法人の芝生化責任者が世界的に評価されている人で、芝生のピンからキリまでの管理経験と知識を持っている人です。彼によると低コストの管理の中心は芝生を20ー30ミリの長さに頻繁（年間60回前後）に刈り込む事だと言います。彼の管理方法についての話しをしているときに、このアホ課長が「僕も勉強しています。NHKで園芸を趣味でやっている人が書いた本に違う方法が書いてあって、NHKの本のの方法が正しいと思います」と言い切りました。知らない人間を攻めるつもりは無いですが、自分が知らないが専門家を意見を素直に聞く耳を持たない人間がクズだと思います。僕の事をどう思っても構わないが、世界的実績のある人間を簡単にけなす公務員が許せないです。そのクズ人間が僕の税金で暮らしているのです。全く、頭に来る話です。The education department of one ward in Tokyo unilaterally cut the junior high school summer holiday by one week, and schools restarted yesterday. The reason given was mind-boggling."If the kids are at home, they will just laze around wasting their time, so we thought it was better to bring them back to school so that they could study properly."Listen mate, what children do in the holidays is for them and their parents to decide. Who gave you the right to interfere in the children's lives to that extent?Once again, this country has me beat.And now to change the subject.Today I had a blazing row with the head of the parks department here in Tottori. The man advising me and my NPO on turf management is rated globally, capable of providing the full range of grass care from the Superbowl down to the local primary school. His basic approach is to cut the grass about 60 times a year at 20-30mm.When discussing this, the fuckwit bureaucrat stated that "I am studying grass maintenance. In a book written by a person who gardens for a hobby (published by NHK, the national broadcasting corporation) advises a different approach. I think the book's advice is better than your colleague."I do not mind people who know they are not specialists, but ignorant people who are not even prepared to listen to specialists are scum. I am not remotely interested in what he thinks of me, but I cannot forgive him for treating with such disdain a world-rated specialist. My taxes pay that fucker's salary.Today I am in a bad mood.
August 26, 2005
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日本の実態・Tradition in Japan
本日の新聞にも報じられた京都の世界文化遺産に登録してある二条城の修復費の予算が確保できない京都市役所と対応がひどい。入場料などで３億円の利益を市の一般会計に繰り入れられていて、市から修繕費として毎年5百万未満の予算しかありません。残りはどうせ役人の無駄遣いに消えていっているでしょう。日本政府の宣伝で海外では「日本が文化や自然や伝統を重んじる国だ」と一分思われているが、僕は出来るだけ多くの海外の知り合いに日本の実態を宣伝させてもらっています。Nijojo, a famous castle in Kyoto built in the early-1600s and registered with UNESCO as a World Historic Monument, made today's headlines, for all the wrong reasons. Kyoto City announced that due to fiscal constraints, it can not provide the necessary budget to maintain this historic site. The city includes in its general income some JPY300mn in profits from entrance fees at the castle but provides an annual maintenance budget of less than JPY5mn. The rest probably goes on the sort of wasteful and idiotic schemes Japanese bureaucrats seem to have the monopoly on, although no details are available.For those of you overseas who are tempted to believe the Japanese government's propaganda that Japan is a country with a deep commitment to culture, tradition, and nature, my only advice is DON'T BELIEVE A WORD OF IT.
August 23, 2005
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有害物質の上での運動場・No surprise
足立区で基準を上回っている有害物質が混入されている土地を区の運動公園にしていたのニュースは全く驚かないです。だって、地元の高等学校のラグビー塲が産業廃棄物まじりの土で埋め立てたと土地であり、怪我をすればたちまちに化膿してしまうが、学校に対策を求めた監督が得た答えは「消毒液を余分に購入しますので、選手達に遠慮なく使うようにしてくれ」でした。将来を担う子供達の健康にあそこまで無関心である行政です。この国が抱えている問題は財政、食料品、エネルギー等々いっぱいありますが子供を大事にしない国の将来そのもの自体が危ういと思います。The news that Adachi Ward nominated a piece of land that they knew contained dangerous chemical waste in excess of safety limits as a playground for local children comes as no surprise.The rugby pitch at a local high school is built on land filled with industrial waste that causes immediate infection in any cut. When the coach asked the school to take some action, the official response was to purchase additional supplies of disinfectant for the players to use.The government in Japan seems to lack any concern over children's health.Japan has many problems--fiscal, food self-sufficiency, energy--but i believe that any country that treats its children with as little concern as that shown by the government and local authorities faces a genuinely bleak future.
August 23, 2005
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納税者が納得しているのか・You must be joking
昨日開かれた校庭緑化を進めようとしているNPO法人の総会での話。鳥取県中部にある芝の生産地の幼稚園や小学校には芝生の校庭がないのは恥ずかしいという気持ちになった生産者が2年程前に地元役場で当時の教育長と小学校の校庭芝生化計画をなんとか予算化をしそうなところまで話を漕ぎ着けたそうです。ところで住民サービスの向上につながるという大義を掲げて実施された平成の大合併の一環として、中部でも合併がありました。合併騒ぎが一件落着となり、新しい教育長と詰めの話をしようと役場に向かったら、「いや、合併で財政が苦しいから、無理ですよ」と一蹴されたそうです。信じられないのはその「財政が苦しいから子供達に芝の校庭を提供できない」と言っている張本人達が自分たちの為には何億円も掛けて、ピカピカの新庁舎を建てたのではありませんか。一般家庭では、財政が苦しいときには親達が自分の欲しい服とか新車を我慢し、子供が必要としているものを優先させますが、行政にはその人間にとって当たり前の神経も無いですね。いつまで日本の納税者が黙っていますか。My NPO had its AGM yesterday, and the project to convert school grounds to grass was at the top of the agenda.The central area of Tottori prefecture is one of the main grass-producing areas of Japan, and the growers decided a couple of years ago that it was an embarrassment that none of the local kindergartens or primary schools had grass fields. Discussions with the local education department head reached the stage of a budget proposal being finalized.But then all plans were put on hold for the great merger of local authorities happening throughout Japan, with the claim that this merger would improve services for taxpayers.Once things had settled, the growers went back to the local government, where the new head of the education department told them point-blank that ﾒfinances are tough due to the merger, so we have no funds to convert school playing fields to grassﾓ. The twist to the story is that these same bureaucrats, who have no money to give children grass playing fields, spent several hundred million yen on a new building for themselves, rather than merely renovating and using one of the existing government office buildings.When a household is having a tough time with finances, parents willingly forgo new clothes or a new car for themselves, their priority being to buy what the children need. Local government officials seem to be lacking this most natural human instinct. Just how long are the taxpayers going to put up with shit like this?
August 22, 2005
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土が堅く手、作業が出来ない！・You made your kids play on this
今日は近所の小学校の中庭の芝生化を実施しました。わずか千平米ぐらいの中庭に芝の苗を植え付ける作業でした。内容は極めて簡単：スコップや鍬で小さな穴を開けて、苗を入れて、上に軽く土を掛け、足で抑えるだけの作業でしたが、場所は日本で良く見かけるかちかちに乾いている砂利のようなものは混ざっている真砂土の中庭です。何せ、その土の堅さで大変苦労しました。学校職員と学生の保護者50人で取り組んでいて、賑やかでとても楽しかったが、保護者の「土が堅くて、作業できないわ！」の苦情を聞いて、やはりちょっと違和感を覚えました。だって、我々が芝生化を薦めるまで、その保護者自身が自分の子供達をあの堅い土の上で遊ばせて来たではありませんか。そんなに堅い土が気になるのなら、もっと早く自分たちで校庭を芝にすれば良かったでしょう。Today I spent the morning helping the staff and parents at a local primary school take the first step to converting the school grounds to grass.We planted seedlings in the 1,000sqm courtyard of the school. It was pretty basic: digging a small hole with a spade or hoe, putting a seedling in, covering it with soil, and flattening it with our feet. The courtyard was a hard-packed surface with gravel mixed in, making it very difficult to work.The problem was the brutally hard soil. With about 50 school staff and parents, the atmosphere was a lot of fun, but many of the volunteers commented on how difficult it was to work with such hard soil. Their complaints struck an extremely false note with me.You see, until we aggressively promoted grass for their school field, they had happily let their children/students play on this disgracefully hard soil. I could only ask myself why, if they were so unhappy with the soil, had they not taken any steps to convert it into grass well before.
August 20, 2005
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県外からの視察・Inspection tour
我々がやっている底辺芝生プロジェクトに感心を示して、10月には石川県某町から町議会議員数名、教育長、公園や町作り関係部署の部長課長数名総勢16人の一行がわざわざ鳥取まで視察に来られる事になりました。素直に喜ぶべきか疑ってかかるべきか迷っているところです。根っからの役人不信の家内がどうせ来ても、帰った後何も実施しないし、ただの税金無駄遣いだから来させるなときっぱり。確かにニュージーランドで旅行代理店で働いていた経験のある小生も日本からのいわゆる「視察団」の受入をたくさん担当していました。その殆どが観光旅行以外何ものでもなく、日本の納税者が実態を知ったら大変怒りを覚えるものばかりでした。でも、時代が変わって、やはり長く続いた不景気のお陰で、納税者もやっとこういった行政の腐った一面に感心を示し初めており、かなり厳しい目でチェックをするようになり、当の役人も少しは真剣に仕事をする気持ちがでて来ているように感じる部分が結構あります。という事で、気持ち良く受け入れる事にしました。が、地元もマスコミに連絡をし、取材をしてもらい、きちんと監視をする姿勢を見せるつもりです。僕自身も決して税金無駄遣いの共犯者だけになりたくありませんから。It seems that my attempt to promote grass parks and playing fields is being noticed. In October, a party of 16 from a city in Ishikawa Prefecture, including several city councilors and the heads of the education, parks, and city planning departments, will visit Tottori to check out what we are doing.I am not sure whether to be genuinely happy or to view it with suspicion. My wife, who distrusts bureaucrats with a deep-seated vengeance, dismissed the entire concept with a scathing ﾒThey wonﾕt do anything when they go back so the entire trip will be a waste of taxpayers money. Tell them not to come!ﾓWhen I worked for a travel agent in NZ, I looked after many so-called fact-finding visits from Japan. Basically, 99% of these were nothing more than holidays, which the Japanese taxpayers would be furious about if they knew the truth.But times have changed, thanks to the prolonged stagnation, and taxpayers are finally starting to pay attention to this rotten state of affairs among local governments, while the bureaucrats themselves are starting to make some effort to approach their job with a greater degree of commitment.So, I decided to accept the visit in good grace. But I will ensure the local media cover the visit as a means of making sure that the visitors know that they are being monitored.I have no intention of becoming an accessory to the misuse of taxpayersﾕ money.
August 19, 2005
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自己判断・Judging for yourself
自己責任やら自己判断という表現がやたら耳に入る今日ここ頃ですが、これってどういう事かがちゃんと考えた事がありますか。例えば、ガソリンスタンドで給油をし、道路に戻る際、店員さんが親切心だと思うのですが、道路に立っていて、交通の流れを見て、一生懸命に合図を出してくれますよね。裏を返せば、免許を持っている運転者が自分で判断しなくても良いという事になります。これを回数を繰り返せば、運転者が次第に判断できなくなると思いませんか。道路工事の現場でも同じ事が多々あります。カーブもしくは工事区間が長くて、先が見えない所は良いと思うのですが、直線道路で反対からの交通が良く見えるところでも、旗ふりおじさんがまた一生懸命に旗で指示を出しています。「自分で見えるし、自分で判断できるから引っ込め、この邪魔者」といつも思うのは僕だけでしょうか。Taking responsibility for one’s own actions or being able to judge for one’s self are frequently heard expressions these days, but have you ever taken a minute to think that they actually mean?After filling your car’s tank at a petrol station, the attendants, probably out of a sincere desire to be helpful, rush to the road to check the traffic so you can rejoin the main road safely.Put another way, the driver, someone who obviously has a license too drive, does not have to judge conditions for himself. Repeat this enough times, and the driver will lose the ability to judge conditions.The same happens at road works. I can accept the need when the construction is taking place at a curve in the road or a prolonged site where one can not see the other end of the construction. But on a straight road with clear visibility and a short work site? Even there, the ubiquitous old bloke is there, busily and ‘helpfully’ waving his flag to tell you that you can proceed. ‘Bugger off, you old fool, I can see for myself!’Am I the only person to feel that way?
August 18, 2005
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急に専門家が増えた・Suddenly everyone is an expert
校庭芝生化運動を初めて半年が経ちますが、それまでは基本的には校庭は土であり、芝生化は不可能というよりは想定外の発想でした。住民、学生、行政の全員が一切検討する事すらしなかったが現状でした。その背景には芝の知識不足と芝生の必要性の認識不足でした。今は色々な方面からこの芝が良いとか草のここがいけないとか、維持管理のここが問題だとかコメントが絶えないようになりました。関心が高まっているのは嬉しいかも知れないが、やはり実感は「そんなに詳しければ、どうして自分でなんとかしようとしないのか」という気持ちです。自分の子供達が通っている学校の校庭を芝生化した後、コメントをして下さい。It is only six months since we embarked on our programme to convert school fields to grass, a concept previously almost totally foreign to Japan.The concept had hardly been considered by residents, students, or local governments, the result of a lack of knowledge about grass and a lack of awareness of the benefits of grass.But now, I am inundated with comments regarding the best variety of grass, what is wrong with existing grass, and the many problems in maintaining grass.I suppose I should be happy with the mounting public awareness but in all honesty, my gut reaction is "if you know so much, why have you not done something already?"When you have converted the grounds of your child's school to grass, then send me your comments.
August 17, 2005
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環境保全は一人から・Protecting the environment starts with you
犬達の午後の散歩にグリーンフィールドへ行ったときの話です。見知らぬ人が車でやって来て、駐車所に車を停めて、エンジンをかけっぱなしで車の中でくつろいでいたところ、僕いつものように「この辺りは環境重視で管理していますので、よろしければアイドリングストップをお願いできませんか」と声をかけました。すると、「どこにもそんな事書いて無いだろう」「あんたは誰や」と聞いて来ました。「大体環境を悪くしたいからエンジンをかけているのではなくて、テレビを見たいので、エンジンをかけなきゃ見れないだろう」と怒られました。事情を説明したら、あんたが一台一台注意して歩くのは大変だろうから、看板に書けば良いだろうと言われました。我が法人の趣旨は利用制限を設けないで、利用される方が自分の判断で「この場所はきれいだから、大事に使いましょう、また、環境を守るのは言われるからではなくて、自分の判断でしてほしい」とさらに説明をした。それに対して、エンジンをかけっぱなしは環境にとって良くないのは分かるがテレビを見たいときはどこに行けば良いのかと言う話になりました。結局はその方が「じゃ俺はもうここには来れないな」と捨て台詞を吐いて帰りました。地球温暖化防止はその一台の車のエンジンストップから始まるのだがね。Today's comment concerns an event when I took my two dogs to Greenfield for their evening walk.A new comer turned up, parked his car, and sat there with the engine running. As always, I politely explained that we put a priority on the environment and asked him to turn his engine off, as we do with all visitors.His response was that there was no sign saying you had to turn the engine off, and anyway, who was I to ask that. He continued that in any case, he was not leaving his engine on in a deliberate attempt to harm the environment but only because he could not watch his car TV without the engine running. When I explained the NPO's policy, he suggested that putting up a sign would save me the effort of talking individually to all visitors. I continued to explain that my NPO did not believe in putting up signs limiting the use or imposing regulations, instead trusting that users would understand how well-cared for the park was and would treat it with respect, and that they would choose to protect the environment from their own judgement not because it was written on a sign.The response: "Yeah, I know that leaving the engine running damages the environment but how can I watch TV without the engine running?"Ultimately, he stated with some venom that he would not be able to come here again and departed in a huff.Oh, well, that is one person who does not understand that each person can play a vital part in protecting the environment.
August 15, 2005
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証明が無いと難しい・Can you prove your claim?
先日、市議会議員と校庭芝生化の話をしたときの事を思い出しました。「子供にとって芝生で遊ぶのは土より良いとは言いやすいが、行政がそれを裏付ける証明が無いと動きませんよ」と彼が言います。芝生で遊ぶ方が子供にとって良いと言う証明ですか。なるほど。でも、数値で計るものではないし、科学的証拠を揃えられるものでも無いし、じゃ証明として何を提出すれば良いと色々考えました。その答えが今日、グリーンフィールドで芝刈りをしているとき、浮かび上がりました。ある近所をお父さんと6才ぐらいのお嬢さんが遊びに来ていて、お嬢さんがすぐさま裸足になり、芝刈り機と走る競争をしたり、側転（？）をしたり、笑顔いっぱいの表情を浮かべながら30分以上遊んでいました。土なら想像できないこのお嬢さんの笑顔が何よりもの証明になると確信したのですが、残念ながらきょうはカメラを持っていっていなかったのです。A local city councilor, in a recent discussion about grass playing fields in primary schools, pointed out to me that while it is easy to claim that grass playing fields are better for children than dirt grounds, the local authorities would not respond unless I could offer corroborative evidence.Evidence that grass is better than dirt for children? Let's see.It is impossible to quantify in numbers, nor is there any real scientific proof. So I spent the last few days considering what sort of evidence the city council would accept.The answer came to me while I was mowing the grass at Greenfield today.A local resident in his mid-30s came to Greenfield with his daughter, who was about 6 or so. She immediately shed her sandals and started playing: racing the motor mower (and winning), performing some spectacular cartwheels, basically having a great time, with an absolutely radiant smile on her face the whole time.This smile, which would be inconceivable with a child playing on a normal dirt ground, would be ideal evidence. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me today!
August 14, 2005
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これでも親かね・And they call themselves parents!
学校の休みになると車に子供を乗せているお父さんお母さんがやたらと目に付く今日この頃です。良く見かける風景は親がしっかりとシートベルトを締めて運転をしているのですが、隣の前部座席に6才までぐらいのお子様がシートベルト無しで立っている状態です。シートベルトを締めている事から判断すれば、事故のとき怪我防止や死を防ぐ措置である事は親がちゃんと理解しているのは推定できます。ならば、わが子をベルト無しで立たせといて運転しているのは一体どんな神経なんでしょう。子供を怪我や死から守りたくないのか。守らなくても良いと思っているのか。やはり分からない国です。With the school holidays upon us, I often see parents out driving with young children in the car.A frequent sight is that of a parent properly belted up, while the young child (anything up to 6 or so) stands on the front passenger seat, naturally without a seatbelt.Given that the parent has gone to the trouble of putting on his/her seatbelt, one can assume that that parent understands the role the seatbelt plays in reducing injury and death in case of a car accident.If so, then why does the parent not insist that the child wear his seatbelt?Are they not interested in protecting their child? Some things about Japan still bamboozle me.
August 12, 2005
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保育園及び幼稚園を狙う・Target the little ones
今までは、市の教育委員会の良識を信じて、小学校と中学校に照準を合わせていましたが、市の教育委員会が財政難を理由に校庭緑化に取り組む可能生が殆どゼロである現状に踏まえて、ちょっとした戦略変換をしてみようと思っています。決して行政の認識改革を諦めた訳ではありませんが、行政の認識を変える戦力をこれから作る作戦に踏み込みます。やはり、芝生で遊び、芝生の良さを体で感じて、校庭は芝生でなきゃ嫌だと直感的に訴える人を増やして行こうと言う戦略です。標的は保育園と幼稚園児です。最も素直で、新しいアイディアを受け入れられる年齢を味方に付けます。その保護者を含めて。この子たちが小学校に上がったときは、「ええ、校庭が土、嫌だ」と声を大にしてご両親に言うでしょう、そしてその両親が学校に言い、行政に言い、議会の議員に言い、やっと行生がまともな対応をするようになるのではと言う狙いです。簡単では無いし、期間がかかるでしょうが、必ず成し遂げる決意です。日本の行政特有の「事なかれ主義」かニュージーランド特有の「絶対やる根性」、どちらに軍配が上がるでしょう。Believing that the local government had the ability to make sensible decisions, we had focused our efforts to convert school playing fields to grass on primary and junior high schools. Unfortunately, the local education board's insistence on a lack of available funds means that there is effectively no possibility of prompt action. Thus we make a small change in our strategy.This does not mean that I have given up hope of changing the way of thinking of the education board, but that I will now put more emphasis on building a support base of people that can bring about this change.Basically, our new strategy is to increase the number of people who grow up playing on grass, who understand instinctively how much better it is that dirt, and who will complain bitterly when they enter a primary school that has a dirt playing field.We are talking about children at playschool and kindergarten. They are the most innocent and receptive to new ideas. And they can influence their parents.When these little ones enter primary school, they will complain about the dirt playing field to their parents, who will complain to the school, to the authorities, and to local government councillors. When this movement spreads, then the local authorities will be forced to respond properly.It will not happen overnight and the path is not easy.Who will you put your money on: the Japanese authorities and their inbuilt and immense inertia, or the determination of one bloody minded Kiwi?
August 10, 2005
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こんな事をやる人が医者になるのか・Mid-summer madness
中国5県で医学部のある大学が毎年医学部同士のラグビー大会を開催しているそうです。多分全国でも同じ大会が開催されているでしょう。開催日が8月6・7日でした。言うまでもなく両日共に真夏日でした。日本体育協会では気温が35度以上では熱中症が起きる可能生が非常に高い（湿度が高いと危険生が高くなる）として「運動は原則中止」との熱中症予防のための指標を出しています。熱中症が起きる可能生が極めて高いときにラグビー大会の開催する将来医者になるべき学生は医者になる資格は無いと思います。ちゃんと勉強をし、状況を正しく把握し、適切な判断がくだせる能力がありません。少なくとも、僕はそんな医者にかかりたくはありませんね。The medical departments of public universities in western Japan stage an annual rugby tournament for their varsity teams. This probably applies to most of Japan.The local tournament was held on 6-7 August, both days on which the temperature reached 35C.The Japan Sports Association's home page has a table showing that at 35C, the risk of heatstroke is extremely high (and even higher at high humidity, which currently ranges around 90%). Their recommendation is to cease all sporting activities.Medical students who organise rugby tournaments in weather with an extremely high risk of heatstroke are in my view not qualified to practice medicine. They show no ability to learn, to judge conditions, and to pass appropriate judgement. At the very least, I do not want to have one of these future doctors responsible for my health.
August 8, 2005
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子供の声を聞きましょう・Listen to the children
今日は芝刈りをしていたら、近所の小学生3ー4人がサッカー遊びをしてました。自分たちで色々ゲームをやったり、技術の競争を考えたりして、非常に楽しそうな風景でした。夕方になると、一人のお父さんが迎えに来ていて、ちょうど芝刈りが終わったいたので、芝生か土かについて話をしました。「子供にとって芝生が断然良いですよ」と力のこもった声でおっしゃるお父さんに対して、僕はどうして土の校庭で我慢をするのか聞いた。「だって、芝生がお金がかかるし、維持管理が大変だから」といつもの答えが帰って来ました。土だと転んだときは怪我をするが、芝生化はお金がかかるから出来ないと言う行政が送っているメッセージは子供はお金を懸ける価値が無いと思っている以外何ものでも無いです。行政がそう思うのは仕方がないかも知れませんが、親自身がそうなら何も言えません。日本の親達、自分の子供が可愛くないですか。While I was mowing Greenfield today, 3-4 local primary kids were out playing soccer--well not really playing soccer, just trying all sorts of mini-games and skill-improving exercises. They were really enjoying themselves.The father of one of the boys turned up late in the evening to pick the lads up, just as I finished mowing the grass, and we had a wee chat about dirt fields versus grass fields. This father stated with real conviction that grass is much better for the kids. When I asked him why he and the other parents accepted a dirt field at the primary school their children attend, he answered with no hesitation "grass costs too much and is really difficult to look after".The Education Department's refusal to install grass playing fields due solely to the cost, when it admits that grass is better than dirt, sends a clear and definite message that it does not consider children worth spending money on.Perhaps we can not do anything about the Ed Dept thinking this way, but I am at a total loss for words when the children's parents seem to share this way of thinking.Japan's parents, don't you love your children?
August 7, 2005
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2年半で6人から120人・From 6 to 120 in 2.5 years!
芝生広場「グリーンフィールド」を活動拠点とする地域密着型サッカークラブEASEの交流会に出席し、今帰って来ました。代表が小中高大学でずっと土の上でほぼ毎日練習を強いられる部活を経験した人間で、サッカー本来の芝生の上で、週2ー3回の練習が趣旨のクラブを結成したのは2年半前の事。当時は小学生6人だけのチームも組めない貧弱なクラブだったが、理念を曲げる事なく、グラウンドの準備と手入れ、2時間の練習を週2ー3回を貫いた結果、現在は幼稚園児10人、小学生52人、高校生10人、社会人45人前後の本当の意味でのクラブ組織となっています。学校での部活での競技人口減少から判断して、日本の子供達はコンピューターゲームにしか関心がなく、外で遊びたくなくなって来ていると良く言われるが、EASEがこれが違うのだと見事に証明しています。秘結が簡単です。練習は週2ー3回以上にするな。サッカーを芝生でやりましょう。ただそれだけで良いです。Tonight, my wife and I attended the end-of-season dinner party for EASE Football Club, the soccer club that is based at Greenfield.The head of the club played soccer throughout primary, junior high, high school, and university, 3-4 hours a day and on dirt. He formed EASE with the declared intention of training no more than 3 times a week and on grass.With only 6 founding members (primary school age), EASE could not put a team out, but he stayed true to his principles, preparing the ground and looking after the grass while coaching his youngsters. In a mere 2.5 years, there are now 10 pre-primary, 52 primary schoolers, 10 high school kids, and 45 adults. EASE is a genuine soccer club.Based on the declining number of students participating in organised school sports, many people believe that the young generation nowadays are far more interested in computer games than in outdoor physical activities and sports. But EASE provides convincing evidence that this is definitely not true. Their secret:Training no more than 2-3 times per week.Play soccer on grass.It is not difficult.
August 6, 2005
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資質が違う・A different class of person
時の人と言えば、鳥取県庁勤めの「公務員は民間人と資質が違う」の名言の持ち主です。「学生の頃、遊びもせず、勉強ひとすじで良い大学に入り、公務員になり、一生安定した生活が出来る」と言うのは彼にとって理想的な人生でしょう。あそこまで価値観と言うか人生観が腐っている人が珍しい。安定だけが評価され、安定した生活が保証されていない民間人がみじめと言う結論ですね。公務員がある程度必要かも知れませんが、公務員になるのは一生安定した生活が出来るからではなくて、社会を良くしたいと言う気持ちがあるからが本当でしょう。でもこの発言を聞いて、「遊びもせず、勉強ばかり」を自慢する人間はどんなにつまらない人間だろうというのは僕の実感でした。若い頃、色々なスポーツを試したり、色々な趣味をやってみたり、色々な事に挑戦したりして、友達と遊んだり、喧嘩して仲直りをしたり、あるときは大人から見てとてもつまらないものに凝ってみたり、幅のある、バランスの取れた人間になって、それで公務員になれば、おそらくもっと質の良い公務員になれるに違いない。多分この発言の主は今の職場で前の人がやっていた仕事をまじめに同じようにこなしていて、何一つ変える意志もなく、殆ど存在感のないある意味では可哀想な人間に感じています。The main man in the news here these days is the public servant working at the Tottori Prefectural government office who openly stated that "public servants are a different class of person".It seems that his ideal life is "a childhood with no time for play, just for study, to gain entrance to a top university and become a public servant, for the guarantee of a secure job for life".Rare is it to find someone with such a twisted sense of values.His conclusion is that the only thing with any value is security, and that any person in the private sector who thus lacks this guarantee is to be pitied.Perhaps a certain number of public servants are necessary, but the reason for becoming one should not be that it guarantees a life os security but that this is the best way to improve the society in which we live. My gut reaction to this worm's comments was that I could not imagine anyone more boring than a person who had grown up with a life of no play and filled only with study.Your childhood and youth are the times when you should be trying various sports, experimenting with a range of hobbies, challenging yourself in various ways, playing, fighting, and making up with your friends, losing yourself in activities that to an adult seem meaningless, studying. In other words, developing into a rounded and balanced person. This is the sort of person who would make a far better public servant, one of a different class.The man who made this comment probably carries out his daily work exactly as his predecessor did, without the will or desire to change anything at all, in fact, the people around him are probably hardly even aware that he exists. How I pity him!
August 3, 2005
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言葉の裏には・Behind an everyday expression
本日は4日ぶりにグリーンフィールドの芝を刈っていたら、地元の年輩の方と少し話が出来ました。その方が広場を見て、「中が大変きれいになったが、淵の部分がまだまだだね」とおっしゃった。確かにまん中の部分にはいわゆる雑草が少なく見えて、ちょっと遠くから眺めるときれいた。でも、近くに行くと、たくさんの雑草が生えているのが分かります。それと比べて、周りの部分でが雑草が多く陣取っていて、その分,雑に見えるのですが、僕に言わせると、地元の子供達が気持ち良く遊べる場所にするのが目的ですので、あれはあれで全く問題になりません。「まだまだと言うのは何を基準にしてそう思う」をその年輩の方に聞きました。すると、「雑草が多くて」と言う返事です。でも芝生が完璧なものばかりじゃなくて、雑草が多い部分があっても良いのではと言ったら、日本にはそういう発想が無いからねと言う話になった。あそこで疑問が生じた。日本語には「ピンからキリまで」と言う表現がある。僕が大好きな広辞苑によるとこの表現の意味は「最上等のものから最下等のものまで」だそうです。色々なレベルのものがあって良いと言う発想はやはり日本には存在します。でも、他のものには自然と受け入れられる発想が芝生になるといきなり適用しなくなるよね。どうしてでしょうか。どなたか説明をして下さる方がいらっしゃいませんか。While I was mowing Greenfield for the first time in 4 days, an elderly local resident stopped me for a chat. He commented that while the grass in the middle part of the park was beautiful, that at the edges left a lot to be desired.I accept that from a distance the central bits look ot have very few weeds, but in reality there are plenty.Compared to those bits, the so-called weeds tend to dominate the areas near the edge of the park. Given that our objective is a park on which the local kids enjoy playing, a few weeds pose no problem for me.This gentleman explained his comment 'lot to be desired' by saying that there were a lot of weeds.When I suggested that perfect sports turf was not the only type of grass, and that grass with weeds was also an acceptable 'grass', he commented that this concept did not exist in Japan.Yet in Japanese there is an expression 'pin kara kiri made', which my favourite dictionary defines as meaning 'from the highest quality to the lowest quality'.So the concept of a wide range of qualities does exist in Japan.Why is it that a basic concept that naturally applies to an extremely wide range of items (both tangible and intangible) ceases to be accepted when the object is grass?Perhaps someone can help me out here?
August 2, 2005
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1兆円は実際いくらか・How much is JPY1trn?
ふっと思い出した事についてコメントをします。りそな銀行には2年程前に1兆円の公的資金が投入されたニュースを皆が覚えていると思いますが、余りにも額が大き過ぎて、普通の生活をしている我々にはピンと来ない話ですよね。分かりやすく表現しますとこうなります。もし貴方が毎日百万円の現金の買い物をしたとして、2,740年程でやっと1兆円を使い切る事が出来ます。一世代が25年だと仮定して、100世代以上かかります。でも、行政の良い分としては、子供達にとって必要な芝生の校庭を導入するお金は無いそうです。日本政府がいとも簡単に貴方たちの税金をこんな風に使っていますよ。そろそろ目を覚ましましょう。Today's comment concerns some slightly old news.The Japanese government injected JPY1trn in public funds to a poorly-managed and technically-insolvent private bank Risona Bank, some 2 years ago. But for those of us living normal lives, JPY1trn is too large a sum to envisage.Explained simply, if you were to go shopping and spend JPY1mn each day, it would take you 2,740 years to use JPY1trn. Assuming that one generation is about 25 years, we are talking more than 100 generations.It is the same government that then tells us that it does not have enough money to fund grass playing fields in schools. It is time that the taxpayers woke up to the reality of the buccaneer manner in which the government is using your taxes.
August 2, 2005
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