View previous topic :: View next topic |
Author |
Message |
spiral78

Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash
|
Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2014 4:40 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Quote: |
The only good thing that may have happened it that Samsung got better brand recognition around the world. |
I'd argue that this alone inspired significant levels of English language learning, subsequently. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Shimokitazawa
Joined: 16 Aug 2009 Posts: 458 Location: Saigon, Vietnam
|
Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 1:47 am Post subject: |
|
|
spiral78 wrote: |
Quote: |
The only good thing that may have happened it that Samsung got better brand recognition around the world. |
I'd argue that this alone inspired significant levels of English language learning, subsequently. |
spiral78,
With your hard sought, but accomplished, TEFL lifestyle on continental Europe, why on earth are you gracing us with your presence here on the Japan forum?
It just seems strange to me that someone who claims to be successful in ..... wanting to be involved in any discussions regarding the local Japanese EFL scene.
Why Japan? |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Cool Teacher

Joined: 18 May 2009 Posts: 930 Location: Here, There and Everywhere! :D
|
Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 12:41 pm Post subject: Re: Will The Tokyo 2020 Olympics Just Be a Big Waste of Mone |
|
|
Black_Beer_Man wrote: |
I base my opinion on what's followed the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Did the games cause any positive lasting changes in South Korea? The people there don't speak English any better today because of those games. Also, Seoul is still not a magnet for tourists from around the world. It remains a business city. The 1988 Olympics didn't reunite North and South Korea. |
*ahme*
Before Seoul Olpmpics South Korea was a Dictatorship!
After the Olympics it was a democracy!
That's a big change.
Quote: |
In an attempt to follow the model of 1964 Tokyo Olympics as a rite of passage for the Japanese economy and re-integration of Japan in the family of nations in the post-war era, the South Korean government hoped to use the Olympics as a “coming-out party” for the newly industrialized Korean economy. The South Korean government hoped the Olympics would symbolize a new legitimacy of Korea in world affairs. The Olympics gave a powerful impetus to the development of South Korea's relations with Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union and with China.
As political demonstrations emerged in June 1987, the possibility of jeopardizing hosting the Olympic Games contributed to the 29 June declaration which issued President Chun out of power and led to direct elections in December 1987. The desire not to taint the Olympic Games with military dictatorship and riots served as an impetus for Korea’s transition to democracy. Roh Tae-woo served as the transitional president, directly elected by South Koreans in December 1987. |
 |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
RustyShackleford

Joined: 13 May 2013 Posts: 449
|
Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 12:50 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Despite not living in Japan at the moment, I really didn't support it out of simple NIMBYism. Didn't want yet more people flooding the streets.
Now that it's coming like it or not and I'm out of country and don't care about the Olympics as a whole, I'm indifferent to it outside of the aforementioned further neglect of Tohoku it will lead to.
Two outcomes I see: it will be successful for Japan, the economy and show that the country isn't a nuclear wasteland. It will lead to better international ties as people re-discover the large supply of good Japan has had and can continue to offer.
OR
It will be a reality check as Japan finds that it needs to do more to catch up to be taken seriously internationally as the first-world nation it unquestionably is.
Really, it may be some odd combination of the two, but I hope for the former more than the latter, obviously. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
spiral78

Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash
|
Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 1:29 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Quote: |
spiral78,
With your hard sought, but accomplished, TEFL lifestyle on continental Europe, why on earth are you gracing us with your presence here on the Japan forum?
It just seems strange to me that someone who claims to be successful in ..... wanting to be involved in any discussions regarding the local Japanese EFL scene.
Why Japan? |
Oh, initially because the thread on EFL is pointless in 2014 drew widespread attention:-)
I then threw in my comment about Korea because I work part time, from abroad, with a program that involves numerous Koreans.
My brother-in-law is married to a Japanese national (which gives me zero to talk about here, I realize!).
I also ran a program in Europe for Japanese exchange students for four years.....
I promise not to get intrusive here; fully recognize that I've little to contribute. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Cool Teacher

Joined: 18 May 2009 Posts: 930 Location: Here, There and Everywhere! :D
|
Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 12:19 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I like you r posts spiral!
Keep it up1  |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Maitoshi
Joined: 04 May 2014 Posts: 718 Location: 何処でも
|
Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 10:50 am Post subject: |
|
|
Don't worry about what others have to say, Spiral. Go ahead and post all you want. If this forum was limited to those who actually live in Japan, it'd be even more lonely than it already is. So many have moved on to other places or different things that very few active posters remain. We are left to amuse ourselves trolling one another about antiques and such. I get the feeling that some of us are getting a bit stir crazy, myself not excluded. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
RM1983
Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 360
|
Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 11:45 am Post subject: |
|
|
Maitoshi wrote: |
Don't worry about what others have to say, Spiral. Go ahead and post all you want. If this forum was limited to those who actually live in Japan, it'd be even more lonely than it already is. So many have moved on to other places or different things that very few active posters remain. We are left to amuse ourselves trolling one another about antiques and such. I get the feeling that some of us are getting a bit stir crazy, myself not excluded. |
That EFL is pointless theead is now locked, amusingly. Im quite glad though, I was starting to feel depressed about not owning any Ralph Lauren and not being involved in American high society more.
It should definitely be a stickied thread, had me lolling at certain points |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Black_Beer_Man
Joined: 26 Mar 2013 Posts: 453 Location: Yokohama
|
Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2014 8:12 am Post subject: |
|
|
One industry that had better hurry up and enter the 21st century for The 2020 Tokyo Olympics is the banking industry.
Last week, I used a bank machine belonging to the Bank of Yokohama and it was not bilingual.
How expensive is it for the bank to hire some computer programmers to add a bilingual option to the screen? Relative to the wealth of banks, almost nothing. Not only English should be added, but Mandarin and Korean too.
I guess the rationale is that very few foreigners use that bank because travelers from foreign countries can only withdraw money from their home countries from three banks in Japan.
1) Japan Post Bank
2) Seven Bank (7/11 convenience stores)
3) CITI Bank Japan.
Maybe The Bank of Yokohama (and others like it) is so rich that they can snub foreign travelers and not offer them services in English nor the chance to withdraw money from their home countries.
Frankly, I don't understand this thinking among many Japanese banks. In Thailand, there are bank machines on practically every block in business areas of Bangkok and they all accept foreign cards. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Shimokitazawa
Joined: 16 Aug 2009 Posts: 458 Location: Saigon, Vietnam
|
Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2014 1:42 pm Post subject: |
|
|
The Yakuza are going to make a ton of money off of the Olympics. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Black_Beer_Man
Joined: 26 Mar 2013 Posts: 453 Location: Yokohama
|
Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2014 2:14 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Shimokitazawa wrote: |
The Yakuza are going to make a ton of money off of the Olympics. |
Do explain please. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010 Posts: 1629
|
Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2014 10:58 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Black_Beer_Man wrote: |
Shimokitazawa wrote: |
The Yakuza are going to make a ton of money off of the Olympics. |
Do explain please. |
Getting day laborers to the job sites. That's big money for them now. Since a lot of the Yakuza construction companies have been more or less gutted. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
timothypfox
Joined: 20 Feb 2008 Posts: 492
|
Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2014 5:16 am Post subject: |
|
|
Yes. Money will be (is being) wasted putting up street signs that literally translate Japanese into English - thereby confusing everyone including taxi drivers. There will be a big rush to try to improve English, and then after it finishes this will quickly fade and everything will go back to the way it was. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
stumptowny
Joined: 29 May 2011 Posts: 310
|
Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2014 9:30 am Post subject: |
|
|
Yes.
But this has nothing to do with Japan or Tokyo.
Historically speaking, countries rarely make a profit (ROI) and most go in the red, sometimes big losses with little reuse value (Sochi, Athens, Bejing). Brazil 2016 will likely be the worst money dump of all time. Worse than Athens. The last games to really profit was LA in 84'
It is with the best intentions that Tokyo landed the games after receiving the charity nod from the IOC (because of 3/11). But chances are high that these games will be a smashing success because of the population in the immediate vicinity. This means a very high re-use value of the facilities for years after the games. Even if tickets go unsold, this re-use value could eventually break even for this Tokyo games after the normal, huge initial expenditures.
The failure that most are overlooking for the next Tokyo games are the dates of competition. Because for some reason the dates of competition are in late August / early September, the heat will be crushing. This games will have one of the worst performance outcomes (time wise / and world record wise) for any standardized distance competitions being held outdoors.
They made a HUGE mistake in choosing the dates for competition. Really couldn't have picked a worse time. Everyone competes in the same conditions on the day but the performances will be from pathetic to can-we-sue-the-IOC-for subjecting-athletes-to-these-conditions torrid. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Shimokitazawa
Joined: 16 Aug 2009 Posts: 458 Location: Saigon, Vietnam
|
Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 2:27 pm Post subject: |
|
|
stumptowny wrote: |
...the dates of competition are in late August / early September, the heat will be crushing. This games will have one of the worst performance outcomes (time wise / and world record wise) for any standardized distance competitions being held outdoors.
They made a HUGE mistake in choosing the dates for competition. Really couldn't have picked a worse time. Everyone competes in the same conditions on the day but the performances will be from pathetic to can-we-sue-the-IOC-for subjecting-athletes-to-these-conditions torrid. |
I never thought about that. I'm not interested in sports or the Olympics, but I can only imagine how brutal the conditions will be. Even the Tokyo Marathon was held in February.
I leave Japan every August and September. The high humidity is partly why I don't like spending summers here.
How do you replicate such training conditions if you're an athlete? Go train in Singapore or Thailand? |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
|