Tune your broom: Qeurovision is on!

Amidst glocal isolation, a hopeful quidkid had the brilliant idea (and willpower to endorse it): A quidditch-themed song competition to take over the gap left by cancelled  Eurovision- advocating inclusion beyond Europe as well as promoting unity in the distance.

I submitted a song with the help of my talented friends, and the committee was very patient to collect all entries for the public release. 

With my name on the song, I immediately got friends texting me to share their enthusiasm on my work, a beautiful reconnection!!!

So, having started thinking the topic on a 2021 song (i am in between a fantastic Olympian quidditch song, or a Brief History of the Evolution of Contemporary Quidditch), I decided to write down my perceptions on other entries as reference.

My Impressions on Qeurovision Entries

(listen to the songs here:https://clyp.it/user/ndtjhqbk)

👍Strong preference

-good recording quality

-good voice

-rhythm is important. energetic and cool songs (genderfree ppl can enjoy) were something I would play over and over. In contrast, pretty songs with sad vibes were ok after one go.

-many voices gave a strong teamwork vibe. Single voiced songs worked when the soloist had an impactful voice

🎧Covers

-not so well known songs were easier to like. too popular left little impression and seemed like a lazy option

(Backstreet boys, Disney) which I would not choose parody over original (a good parody stucks in your head)

-using a recognizable song can be a plus if it evokes a context that matches the song message

🎼Original music

-guitar or piano, made me fall in love with the talent of the performers !

🔤Language

-non native speakers of English with good pronunciation left an impression. Non-native speakers of English with confidence singing unintentional mispronunciations switched me off.

-non-English songs were impossible to understand. Switched off my interest.

-Songs mainly in English with bits in other languages were fun, and the transition left me curious as to when it happened! 

⏯Lyrics

-all about quidditch- great!

-the romance with referee had a positive message showing appreciation for an under appreciated profession as well as acceptance for defeat.

-before entering the contest I believed that deep quidditch references may be good during the contest-but will they be useful in the future? I found that, it doesn’t matter.

☢️Special effects

-adding the sounds of the beginning of a match (World Cup inaugural?) gives me chills every time- I feel as if I was there

-language filtering beep was annoying and highlighted the bad side of the song

Additionally, I would add that the order of songs didn’t matter much, except for that you had to click “see more” to find the hidden second half of the list (I hope everyone can find this button!)

Now looking forward to the watch party over the weekend!

14 días de Soledad #YoMeQuedoEnCasa

¡Hola!

Con los recientes acontecimientos debidos a tú-sabes-qué, muchas personas emergencia sanitaria
Dedico esta entrada de blog con fines de compartir información que les pueda resultar relevante a quienes busquen nuevas formas de entretenimiento, mientras ayudan a la comunidad cumpliendo con la consigna de no salir de sus casas.

1)Teatro

La Teatroteca abre al público 1.500 obras de teatro gratis para ver en tu PC o móvil.

Link: http://teatroteca.teatro.es/opac/#indice

2)Ópera

La Opera Metropolitana de Nueva York ofrece streams gratis. Cada noche a las 7:30pm EST mostraran una ópera nueva, y estará disponible durante 20 horas.

Link: www.metopera.org

El calendario de esta semana:
- Lunes: Carmen
- Martes: La Boheme
- Miercoles: Il Trovatore
- Jueves: La Traviata
- Viernes: La Fille du Regiment
- Sabado: Lucia di Lammermoor
- Domingo: Eugene Onegin

3)Música

La Filarmónica de Berlín abre gratuitamente su casa, la Philarmonie, para contrarrestar este silencio forzoso. El acceso gratuito a su Digital Concert Hall durará un mes.

Link: https://www.berliner-philharmoniker.de/en/titelgeschichten/20192020/digital-concert-hall/

Festival me quedo en casa y cuarentena fest: muchos artistas a través de sus perfiles de Instagram harán directos de unos 30 min como si de un concierto acustico privado se tratase.

Link: https://todoindie.com/yo-me-quedo-en-casa-festival/

4)Películas

Servicios como Amazon Prime y Movistar + Lite están ofreciendo sus servicios de videoteca gratuitamente por un mes.

Link: https://www.movistar.es/particulares/movistar-plus-lite

Link: https://www.amazon.es/amazonprime/

Si no tienes interés en registrar una cuenta, también puedes encontrar que varias playlists en youtube ofrecen películas en español. No se mucho de infringimiento de copyright, pero recomiendo que las miren pronto, pues es probable que sean dadas de bajas.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNq2eaZvd5PsY9bF9QTeJ30IRscWVT_4c

5)Arte

Los siguientes museosofrecen contenido audiovisual, explicación de cuadros, juegos y cursos de arte a través de sus webs.

• Thyssen  https://www.museothyssen.org/
• Museo del Prado https://www.museodelprado.es/
• Museo Reina Sofia https://www.museoreinasofia.es/

6)Revistas

La editorial Hearst España ofrece todas sus revistas de acceso gratuito online: 10 minutos, harper’s bazaar, esquire, que me dices, elle, Cosmopolitan, mi casa, nuevo estilo, men’s/women’s health, fotogramas.

Link: http://www.hearst.es/sala-de-prensa/hearst-espana-ofrece-acceso-gratuito-a-sus-revistas

Algunos autores, como el dibujante de comics El Torres o los autores de El bosque han subido todos sus libros/comicsgratis para quien los quiera disfrutar

Link: http://elvosque.es/comic/

6)Telefonía

¿Cómo puede ser que en tiempos de Skype, Whatsapp, iMessage, LINE, Messenger, donde estamos todos tan conectados, hayan pasado años desde la última vez que llamamos a un primo o ex-compañero de colegio para saber que es de sus vidas? Propongo que, hayan tenido en su ultima charla un desacuerdo, les llames, y se pongan al día de los sueños y batallas de cada quien.

 7)Juegos

Si no te apetecen la cultura y artes tradicionales, siempre puedes escapar de la realidad adentrándote en mundos virtuales, en busca de Nivel X.

Además, para quienes cohabitan con amigos o familiares, la iniciativa de la editorial Perrolokogames ha liberado el juego de mesa Dirty Fridge en versión pdf, pueden imprimirlo y jugarlo con sus compañeros de cuarentena.

Link: https://twitter.com/PerrolokoGames/status/1238401595429269505?

Espero nadie se aburra ni contagie!

#YoMeQuedoEnCasa

Take-me-out November challenge is on!

Take-me-out November challenge is on!

Dear Readers in Japan,

    As you may have already noticed, I always try to be as proactive as possible in my daily routine, especially on weekdays.After packing my schedule with classes and events in which I find joy, I invite my friends, because if there is something that I love, that is sharing. Be it a plate, a roof, good or bad moments, sharing is what makes me feel the most connected to other people. Maybe this thought is what help me connect instantly with other "sharers", such as couchsurfers.

    However, thanks to my friend, the HappyLife Queen listening to my adventures, I am now aware that my proactivity is very self-engined, with little input (invites) from others; the proportion is so very unbalanced, that last month I was happy to accept an invite to go to the cinema for a dreadful movie just because I was overjoyed at the fact that this was the first non-self-initiated one-on-one outing of perhaps the whole year. The movie was dreadful beyond expectations, but the whole date was a great life lesson. Now I am proud to say that I know that:

1)It is okay to walk-in to the fancy Ginza cinemas dressed as a sandy-boho-backpacker, especially if your date rocks a similar look.

2)It makes me happy to have someone come up with a plan for me to *just* follow.

3)It is okay to refuse an invite if the plan sucks.

    Thanks to my cinema accomplice, I have opened my eyes and decided that it is high time I take the lead at not taking the initiative:

I declare the upcoming November as the Take-me-out-challenge month!

   If you are reading this, idle no more! Participate by making a fun plan and posting it on any available slot on my public November schedule spreadsheet!!!

~~~I am very looking forward to your creative ideas~~~

For free events inspiration, see The free-admission diaries




*Expenditure budget to be discussed by private messages only. Please wait for my approval before making reservations to which cancellation fees apply*

**Beware that if the plan is not appealing enough, I may do as stated in (3) above**

幻想の新宿【H29夏新宿歴史博物館】

四ツ谷にある新宿歴史博物館の無料展示「幻想の新宿」に行って来た！

学芸員によるギャラリートークが13時から約30分。

歌舞伎で有名な四谷怪談をテーマにした作品が本展示の主題であり、また月岡芳年(よしとし)の筆肉浮世絵シリーズの前半も公開。これが怪談の「新型」と見られ、以前の怪談の絵と違って、鬼や幽霊の正体が人間のような姿をしているため、月影、酒に見える反映、経帷子、屏風にある影などの詳細な部分に神経質なが隠れている。比較できるように、旧型(足が雲のように表現されている幽霊)も展示されてあり、例えば琵琶湖付近の伝説なる藤原秀郷と大ムカデの戦いシーンが二つのスタイルのものがあった。

個人的に、姫路市に由来がある皿屋敷の怪談が一番印象的だった。

現在の新宿区の地図に様々な怪談の位置が買いってあって、池(合羽坂)や寺などが残っているところは観光で訪れる。

何十年前の妖怪漫画の単行本も集められ、三遊亭の八犬伝に基づき描かれた筆肉浮世絵もあった。

キッズ／体験コーナーに、小泉八雲、夏目漱石や泉鏡花による怪談が解説された。例えば、夏目漱石の怪談にみられるのは、その時代の科学的な考えであり、主人公の「神経」として説明される。

最後に、今回の主題画のシリーズのスキャンがアイパッド似て、詳細を拡大できるように設置されていら。

入口にフォトスポットが設置され、この写真を撮って来た。

この展示が無料で見られるなんて、本当に素晴らしい。今月いっぱいまだ見に行けるので、おすすめ！

****おまけ****

東京五輪を成功させるには、

パラリンピックゲームを成功させなければならない。

現在、新宿区等の東京の機関がパラリンピックスに関する教育に取り組んで、一般市民が競技を体験できるような企画が定期的に行われている。

--->新宿区イベント掲示板

新宿区イベント掲示板

新宿歴史博物館にはパラリンピック競技の解説を以下のようにしている。

無料コラム/the free-admission diaries 1

Since I was young, I have always had a good sense to smell free activities. I have made my own recycled paper on a politician's campaign, ran half marathons that gave me nice trophies, learnt belly dancing, entered Kyoto's Golden Pavilion after hours and been toured to its inside- with a post tea session that included golden wagashi, and the list goes on.

How to find free-admission activities

The first and most basic thing to develop this search skill, is lacking a will to throw away your money. If you are a big spender, the odds are you will fill your schedule with paid activities and will be too tired to search for free things.

 I suggest at the beginning of the month/trimester, you check

A)your local city notice board (digital is fine)

B)the different NFP centers near your work/home.

C)the newspapers giveaways section (you can google it if you don't have a subscription to the hard copy)

D) festivals as announced on free-paper magazines such as Tokyo notice board

E)"free-something" groups on Facebook.

F)ads around the city.

G)Asking for scholarships

H)word-of-mouth

 I will start with examples of the first 3, and invite you to a gallery talk that is on today!

A)For example, I live in shinjuku, Tokyo. The city notice board last month had announced a free "Lunch concert", in which the city gathered 3 top-class artists for a concert at 12 hs (lunchtime). The city has a budget from the taxpayers that has to be spent in cultural activities to keep citizens/local workers happy, or perhaps make the city look active and attractive so that other city inhabitants want to live/work here. Anyway, the city needs to do a retribution to the public, and most probably will organize something for free, so it's up to you to check your schedule and try to attend.

Shinjuku city notice board

B)I work in yotsuya san-chome, and there is plenty of non for profit
- the Fire-fighting museum, free entrance (closed on Mondays). They also have a free rest area where people are allowed to bring lunch boxes and have a panorama of the area.
- the Japan Foundation and the Korean Culture Center. Since these are nationally-run centers, the budget and their activities tend to be in a very inclusive big scale.

The Japan foundation has a nice library and holds regular events showcasing their projects overseas.

The Korean Culture Center has a permanent free museum exhibit, a small library, and this year projects include a Film festival of Korean movies based on Japanese popular novels,  traditional crafts workshops and every now and then invited guest performers of traditional arts. I will be attending all of their movies, the evening show, so if you register for them write me a line!
*note that they even have a free bus that tours you around the Korean town

-the Shinjuku Historical Museum. This month, there is an ukiyoe exhibition based on "Visions of Shinjuku", and revolves around "Kaidan" which means ghost stories. The first part of the exhibition will be changed soon, so if you have not been there yet, come today at noon, for there is a free gallery talk (a local staff guides you through the key points of the main pieces) only today!




I can keep listing the many other cultural facilities, but I do not want to bore you. Do your research in your area!

C) giveaway tickets are fairly easy to get. I apply to the exhibits on the Japan times, once I got to see Rakugo artists Dianne Kichiyoshi, and now I have in my hands tickets for an architectural exhibit at the national museum in Tokyo. You just need to apply! I also recommend applying for movies scant premiers, though I have found it really hard in Japan (if anyone knows tips, please share them with me!).


So, this is all for today! There is still a couple of hours before the gallery talk starts, so if you read this and want to hang out, join me by noon in Yotsuya san-chome!

Have a nice weekend!

One ship to Unite the World - the Ocean Dream

  It was a couple of months ago that I seriously considered working in a volunteer position, which lead me to make a life-changing decision. The first step seemd to be the hardest: to quit my interesting and comfortable steady job.
It took a lot of courage and negotiation, and many tears when parting with my dear coworkers, but now I am free of my office duties, and ready to embark in my next adventure.

  Back in my student days, around March 2011, a friend casually mentioned this ship that sails around the world promoting "peace", under the cheesy yet simple name of "Peace Boat". The voyage through more than 95 ports sounded very tempting, however, my status as a scholarship-awarded student did not give me freedom to schedule a trip that lasted more than a couple of weeks.

  Years later, in the Yokohama Red-Brick Warehouse's Ice Rink, befriending a stranger gave me an insight of what life aboard this ship was. She was the sub-commander in charge of operating the ship, a lovely intern from Panama who briefly shared her merry experience on this world-touring cruise. This was on the not so cold night of December 7th, 2016.

  And only two months and two weeks after, at my first "Pub Quiz" event, I befriended a very friendly and diverse team of experts, who happen to be involved in organizing the activities in which this ship engages. One business card, one email, and the idea of boarding once I change jobs became surrealy closer to my reality than what I ever imagined it would be.

ABOUT PEACE BOAT

　　　　　　　　　　　"旅は平和を作り、
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　平和は旅を可能にする"

 It was 1983 and Japan's policies on international travelling were changing, when a student of Waseda University was ambitious enough to imagine a cruise that besides doing tourism, adds a meaningful to the trip by incorporating "learning" from history and culture diversity as well. After a successful voyage, the project started growing, with new and more ambitious goals every year. The next step was to do a trip around the world, of about 100 days, which came true in 1990, being a pioneer in providing this service in the Japanese market. Later on, the goal became to have the ship going around the world continuously, and the frequency of voyages reached the current number of 3 per year. The next goal? To own a specially designed eco-friendly ship with reduced use of oil and incorporation of green energy generating technologies... coming up soon!

  Onboard, as well as at the ports-of-call, a series of activities and workshops are held, aimed at raising awareness of the world's diversity; promoting international understanding and peace through cultural exchanges. To do this possible, the organizers of the voyage connect with different local NGOs, activists on human rights and experts on diverse areas, known on-and-off board as "Guest Educators".
Since Guest Educators have all sort of backgrounds, a special team denominated the "Communication Coordinators" is formed to accompany them through their lectures, and help bridge their message accross to the passangers, whichever language it is expressed in.

　　　　　　　　　  "Travelling makes peace,
                 　　　　　　　　 peace makes travelling possible"

  Is it the zeal for adventure and learning? Is it the thrill to challenge my language skills? In fact, these and a long list of different other reasons is what has brought me to apply for a position in this team. After a selection process, many study sessions and a pre-boarding orientation, the team is almost ready to board the biggest ship I have ever been on.

   I am thrilled to share with all of you the news that, from tomorrow, for 100 days, as part of the Communication Coordinator team on the 95th voyage of Peace boat, I will call the "Ocean Dream" my home.

   As for the curious, the schedule of the ports to visit is in the following link
http://peaceboat.org/english/?page=view&nr=123&type=4&menu=64

   Above is the estimated arrival time (as of local time) to each of the ports.
I am looking forward to meeting anybody at the destinations I will be hopping off ! If you will be available when I am in town, please contact me by email at cami.scout@gmail.com (be sure to include "Peace Boat" in the subject)


At last, I share a "body" encoded message I made a couple of months ago, wishing this is a great opportunity for the passengers, my fellow communication coordinators and everybody who is involved with Peace Boat.

Thank You, my "Sakurain" Family

  Today, 10th of August is a day that marks many changes in my life.

  Since spring of 2015, I have had the amazing opportunity to work at Sakura International Inc., one of the biggest and most diverse Japanese companies in the field of Event Production.

(picture from the official website http://www.sakurain.co.jp/info/detail/175/ )

  In my beginnings, as a project manager, from the Osaka Head Quarters I was entrusted with very big and important projects at Trade shows; with the guidance of my colleagues and seniors, I have been able to bridge the local market with international companies needs, as well as to assist local companies to become part of the international market.

  Since September 2016, I started a new chapter at the Tokyo Office, where I had the opportunity to assist in the Sales and Marketing team of the company, and I could put my former experience in use to advertise our tailored services.

  Yet, the chapter closes today, when I take a break from the corporate life, to join a Japanese NGO's project... of which i will write in detail in future posts.

(picture from http://www.sakurain.co.jp/contents_english/team/)

  Moments before leaving Japan, I look back to the wonderful 2 years and 5 months that I spent working in Sakura International Inc., and I can only express my gratitude to everyone in the company who has been so kind to me, and with demanding standards and expectations have helped me grow as a professional. My deepest thanks go to each of my first three direct managers, and specially to "Ken" and his wife, who have adopted me as extended family on my time at Sakura International Inc.
　　
　　この2年5ヶ月、誠に有難うございました。今後も、益々のご発展を願っております。
My most sincere gratitude for the past incredible 2.5 years. I hope everyone stays in good health and that you keep growing!