KAC September Showcase: Founder -sama

It began as a dream. Of having an anime club in Kolkata. Bringing all the members who love anime and manga in the city together, and giving them a platform to indulge in their passion and also share it with others.
As we are approaching KAC's 2nd Anniversary, this month's showcase is about the person who made it happen; the founder of KAC, Nia Dutta.

A lot of people laughed when she had first put forth her idea, and her goal of making conventions happen in the country. And today conventions have happened in the country. Even though one is yet to happen in our city, it is because KAC existed that people from Kolkata got to participate in such events.

Anything written about Nia by yours truly runs the risk of becoming an article extremely biased towards her. Her conviction in the possibilities that KAC had, her dedication, hard work and sheer stubbornness is one of the reasons that I have been a part of KAC for so long.

Nia is a jack of many trades. She is fluent in written and spoken Japanese, she is an animator and an artist par excellence (the lucky ones who have gotten hand drawn posters from her would vouch for that), and she is also an extremely hard working and approachable person. She has been the brains and very frequently the brawn behind everything KAC has achieved so far. And she recently upped her awesomeness level after her trip to Japan a few months back. To put it very bluntly, without Nia there would have been, and for that matter will be, no KAC.

The KAC members wish Nia the very best for the future, and sincerely hope that KAC manages to maintain her expectations and achieve her dreams.

KAC member feature SPECIAL EDITION

KAC's AWESOME MEMBERS
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About two years ago now, back in 2010, The Kolkata Anime Club was created on Facebook. The idea was to make a place for anime/manga lovers to collect together, meet each other and find a safe sanctuary for the fans and give them a platform where they can talk about their interests without being scorned by those who have no idea about what anime is. Truth be told, when I was first approached by someone to do so, I had my doubts about the whole plan. I didn't think people would come out from being 'closet otakus' and come to offline meets. Today we have over 400 members and counting, out of which the number of people who attend the offline meets are almost always in double digits (Just goes to show how very wrong presumptions can be).
This post is a tribute to all you members who have kept KAC alive and thriving over the past two years. For you members are KAC. ^____^

This post shall be highlighting some of the beautiful memories of the past. Enjoy!

 

KAC offline meet kicks off  [12th December, 2010]

KAC July meet 2011

KAC Spetember meet 2011

Anime screenings

KAC with mangaka Yukichi Yamamatsu

[Feb 2012]

KAC outings

Contests and prizes

KAC's teaming with super talented people, lets see some of their awesomeness 

[Credit - Akiyuki]

[Credit - Suvosree]

[Credit - Abhyam]

[Cosplay queens]

The most unique thing about KAC is that we are a close knit family...we don't just hang out to share anime, we share laughs like friends and we squabble like siblings, we care like family...

It has been an amazing two years, filled with fun and laughter. You guys rock!!!! No, seriously, you rock! ^_~. Thankyou for making KAC so awesome!!! Continue making it awesome. At all those who're not a part of KAC yet, the Kolkata Anime Club is a group by the fans and for the fans of anime/manga and all things related. KAC aims to be the gathering place of anime/manga lovers from Kolkata and all around it. Anime lovers from everywhere else are welcome too! So hurry and join us! We're waiting! ^^

KAC news Bulletin (July, 2012 issue)

INDIAN OTAKUS MAKE THE HEADLINE
___________________________________________________________________________
Ten years ago now, in India, barely anyone knew about anime. There were a few...then there were tens. Disconnected though, and without a clue that there exists others in this 'planet' [no exaggeration here] who share the same interest as them. Then there was the fear of people making fun of you, calling you a child or worse still, a weirdo, for having an interest in what we call 'anime' and what they call 'cartoon'.THEN SOCIAL NETWORKS ON INTERNET HAPPENED!!!Through Orkut, Animestan and now Facebook, we are thousands and our number keeps growing with each passing day! No longer closet Otakus, we now make the news. And one such example is what you see below in the screenie. The cutout is from the Indian Express, Pune. Read it once before I say more.

[The cutout from the article {Bottom left corner : Leon Wesker (Winner of the CJF cosplay contest) from Mumbai anime Club]

It talks about the growing popularity of Japan pop-culture, about anime clubs across the country and about their usual activities. The paper also quotes a few lines from one of KAC Admins, Reetam Majumder. He is quoted as saying "fans are making an effort to popularize the art form and raise awareness..."

He also goes on to talk about the KAC radio and about the anime club activities. The article further writes that manga and anime scenario in India has gotten further boost from the cool Japan Festival which was held earlier this year on March 2012 in Mumbai. For a further account of CJF, click on these two links : 

Cool Japan

Feel Japan Festival

We thank the people responsible for this article. It is a huge morale booster for clubs like us who have been trying desperately for years to reach out to the mass and create an awareness about the world of anime/manga and Japanese pop-culture in India. 

LETS LEARN JAPANESE Part IV

Hi ,guys and girls!!!!!A little translation from the above tape. ^^

 

"みなさん こんにちは、

ひざしぶり です。お-げんき です か。やっと あめ の きせつ が きて くれました ね。みなさん の なつ は どう でした。こんど の にほんご の じゅぎょ に ついて、 あたらしい こと を おしえて あげたい と おもいます。では、 はじめます。"

"Hello everyone, it has been a while, hasn't it?! Has everyone been keeping well? Finally, the rainy season has come to grace us hasn't it?! How was summer for everyone this year? Regarding this Japanese language lesson this time around, I was thinking of teaching you all something new. So, let us begin."

[N.B - For those of you who's seeing this blog for the first time, you can also scroll through the 'Beyond anime' section of the blog to find out the previous lessons. ]

LESSON CONTENT

-----------------------------

• あたらしい ことば,
• あたらしい かんじ,
• ぶんぽう (Grammar)
• かいわ
• Self assessment test.

あたらしい ことば [New words]

-----------------------------------------

• Doll - にんぎょう
• Form/shape - かたち
• Electricity -  でんき
• Bullet Train -  しんかんせん
• Underground railway - ちかてつ
• Train - でんしゃ
• Elevator - エレベータ
• Card - カード
• anime - アニメ

Press play to listen to the correct pronunciations. 


Particle Lesson.
-----------------------
Today we shall learn about the particle 'の'. 'の' is an object marker used to show possessions. like 'My pen', 'Her Phone', 'His wristwatch' etc.
Consider the following three examples :

• わたし の もの です。(My stuff)
• さちこ の かさ です。(Sachiko's Umbrella)
• おんな の こ です。   (A girl)

In each of these sentences, ' の' acts like an object marker and a possession marker.

Press play to listen to the correct pronunciations.

CONVERSATIONS
------------------------
Lets us learn about a few daily life conversations. :D


           [Two friends talking together]

• 1>A : なつやすみ まで は まだ いっしゅうかん。B : ああ、 もう がまん できない わ！
  - A : Still one week left till summer holidays.
     B : Eh?!!! I can't be patient anymore!!
  
  [At the bus stop]

• 2>
  A : すみません、 これ しんじゅく へ いく バス です か。
  B :  いいえ、 この バス は ちば に いきます。 しんじゅく の バス  なら、 はんたい から きます。
  A :   どうも ありがとう ございます。
  -
  A : Excuse me, is this Bus going to Shinjuku?
  B : No, this bus is going to Chiba. If it is Shinjuku bus you are looking for, it will come from the opposite direction.
  A : Thankyou very much.

Press play to listen to the correct pronunciations.

Lets Learn some Kanji.
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In today's lesson, we will learn how to write Kanji for Japanese numbers. ^_^

1. 一
2. 二
3. 三
4. 四
5. 五
6. 六
7. 七
8. 八
9. 九
10. 十

Press play to see how to write the Kanji.



SELF ASSESSMENT TEST


For those of you who wish to find out how much you've progressed with your Japanese, here is a very simple and easy self assessment test paper. ^__^

Q1>Fill in the blanks. (5)

あ __ う __ __
が ぎ ぐ __ ご
さ __ __ せ そ
__ __ つ __ __
__ に __ ね __

Q2>Match the following  ひらがな with its カタカナ counterparts. (5)

• あ                  チャ 
• げ                  ム 
• り                   ア 
• ちゃ                ゲ
• む                   リ

Q3>i>Write the Kanji and meaning of やま and かわ.

       ii> Write the english meaning and hirangana for the following kanji. 日,月,人. (5)

Q4>Translate from English to Japanese. (5)    

•  My name is Li Yong.
• This is a pen.
• This is Kolkata.
• This is a school.
• I am a teacher.

Q5> Translate from Japanese to English. (5)

• わたし インドじん です。
• ここ は アメリカ  です。
• これ は テーブル です。
• あれ は カメラ  です。
• さん は アメリカ じん です。

                                                    ---------------X--------------

[P.S - I don't claim to be an expert in Japanese lessons and as such may have committed a few mistakes. If and when you find them, please notify me. As I keep saying, the best way to learn anything is always to find yourself a good teacher. If and when you get the time, please do so.

I Hope you people find this blog helpful. ^^]

Japan Diaries

I consider myself very lucky to be among the few people who got chosen to be the goodwill ambassador for India in Japan. Especially, since this year marks the 60th anniversary of India-Japan friendship and also the final year of JENESYS program for India. It was an eleven day program where we visited Japan as young ambassadors of India to further boost the wonderful relationship that exists between India and Japan. After assembling from all parts of the country at Delhi's Suryaa hotel on 9th June, we were given a detailed orientation about our program by the officials of JICE who were also be our coordinators during our stay in Japan.

[At Suryaa Hotel conference hall.]

[Pre-Departure orientation program.]

We left for Narita Airport, Tokyo on 10th June in the eve and we were all beaming with excitement, overwhelmed by the fact that our dream of visiting Japan was really going to be fulfilled!!

 We reached Tokyo early morning next day and from the aircraft we got to see Fujisan(Mt Fuji) which was a sight to behold.

[Mt. Fuji from JAL flight window.]

We had been divided into five different groups viz “Aichi/Gifu”, “Hokkaido”, “Ishikawa”,”Nagasaki” and “Tottori”. I was in the Aichi/Group and was delighted since we were the only group travelling by the Shinkansen.

[Our Aichi/Gifu group.]

The five different groups left for their respective destinations and we were very excited about taking a ride on the famous Shinkansen (Bullet train) from Shinagawa Station. It was an amazing experience and we took lots of pictures!!

[Inside the shinkansen (Bullet train)] 

After reaching Nagoya, we were taken to the Tie and Die Museum and got a first hand experience at “Arimatsu Shibori” – an experience to remember and we were mesmerized by the skill of the old ladies who were the masters at it. Next day we visited the Toyota Motomachi Plant and the ECO-T plant. Being an engineer, these were extremely interesting to me especially seeing the robots do welding in front of my eyes at Toyota Plant and getting to know robotics has been implemented in Japan since 1971-at a time when India didn’t even have a television set!!! It was also an eye-opener to us knowing Japan is so much involved in recycling used items and producing usable electricity from waste energy at the ECO-T plant.

[At the Toyota Plant.]

We visited Aichi University and got another amazing firsthand experience at Kendo, Sado, and Ikebana and also interacted with students of the university and developed great friendship with them. 

[Cultural exchange at Aichi University.(Kendo lessons)]

[Ikebana (Flower arrangement) workshop.]

We left for homestay which was an experience- never to be forgotten. Throughout the next two days we got an amazing experience of Japanese culture and our host families were very kind and polite and took good care of us. On the 17th we had a big farewell party to honour our homestay families and in the end we were all in tears to part with them. They had become our family too!

[My home stay family]

[Farewell Party]

After that we had a very interesting workshop about the characteristics of Japanese culture which appealed to us the most!

The next day was our last day in Japan. We went to Tokyo University(Todai) and got a general tour of the university campus following which there was a big conference where two members of each of the five groups gave a 4 minute presentation about Japanese culture! It was an honour for Bhuvanesh and me to give a presentation of Aichi/Gifu group at the best university of Asia!

[Tokyo University.]

Overall it was an amazing experience for each and everyone of us, fulfilling our dream of visiting Japan and getting a firsthand experience at Japanese culture. We’d loved our stay in Japan so much that each and every one of us can’t wait to visit Japan again!

[Aichi/Gifu group presentation at the Todai university]

[Certificate distribution]

~Contributed by KAC member Budhaditya Pyne.